1 Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς 2 τοῖς ἐν Κολοσσαῖς ἁγίοις καὶ πιστοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ· χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν. 3 Εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ Πατρὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι, 4 ἀκούσαντες τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχετε εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους 5 διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἣν προηκούσατε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ εὐαγγελίου 6 τοῦ παρόντος εἰς ὑμᾶς, καθὼς καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἐστὶν καρποφορούμενον καὶ αὐξανόμενον καθὼς καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν, ἀφ’ ἧς ἡμέρας ἠκούσατε καὶ ἐπέγνωτε τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ· 7 καθὼς ἐμάθετε ἀπὸ Ἐπαφρᾶ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ συνδούλου ἡμῶν, ὅς ἐστιν πιστὸς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διάκονος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, 8 ὁ καὶ δηλώσας ἡμῖν τὴν ὑμῶν ἀγάπην ἐν Πνεύματι. 9 Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀφ’ ἧς ἡμέρας ἠκούσαμεν, οὐ παυόμεθα ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι καὶ αἰτούμενοι ἵνα πληρωθῆτε τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ συνέσει πνευματικῇ, 10 περιπατῆσαι ἀξίως τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς πᾶσαν ἀρεσκείαν, ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ καρποφοροῦντες καὶ αὐξανόμενοι τῇ ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ Θεοῦ, 11 ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει δυναμούμενοι κατὰ τὸ κράτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ εἰς πᾶσαν ὑπομονὴν καὶ μακροθυμίαν, μετὰ χαρᾶς 12 εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ Πατρὶ τῷ ἱκανώσαντι ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν μερίδα τοῦ κλήρου τῶν ἁγίων ἐν τῷ φωτί· 13 ὃς ἐρύσατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους καὶ μετέστησεν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ, 14 ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν· 15 ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως, 16 ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι· τὰ πάντα δι’ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται· 17 καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν, 18 καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων, 19 ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ εὐδόκησεν πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα κατοικῆσαι 20 καὶ δι’ αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτόν, εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ, δι’ αὐτοῦ εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. 21 καὶ ὑμᾶς ποτε ὄντας ἀπηλλοτριωμένους καὶ ἐχθροὺς τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς πονηροῖς, 22 νυνὶ δὲ ἀποκατήλλαξεν ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου, παραστῆσαι ὑμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους καὶ ἀνεγκλήτους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ, 23 εἴ γε ἐπιμένετε τῇ πίστει τεθεμελιωμένοι καὶ ἑδραῖοι καὶ μὴ μετακινούμενοι ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ εὐαγγελίου οὗ ἠκούσατε, τοῦ κηρυχθέντος ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν, οὗ ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ Παῦλος διάκονος. 24 Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν ἡ ἐκκλησία, 25 ἧς ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ διάκονος κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς πληρῶσαι τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, 26 τὸ μυστήριον τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν— νῦν δὲ ἐφανερώθη τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ, 27 οἷς ἠθέλησεν ὁ Θεὸς γνωρίσαι τί τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὅς ἐστιν Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης· 28 ὃν ἡμεῖς καταγγέλλομεν νουθετοῦντες πάντα ἄνθρωπον καὶ διδάσκοντες πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ, ἵνα παραστήσωμεν πάντα ἄνθρωπον τέλειον ἐν Χριστῷ· 29 εἰς ὃ καὶ κοπιῶ ἀγωνιζόμενος κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐν δυνάμει.
Colossians · Nestle Greek New Testament (1904)
Colossians 1 Nestle Greek New Testament (1904)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Verses the critical text omits (e.g. Matthew 17:21, Acts 8:37) are shown as empty.
- Follows the edition's own numbering where it differs (e.g. Acts 19:40 includes the KJV's 19:41; 2 Corinthians 13 has 13 verses; 3 John has 15; Revelation 12 has 18).
- Angle brackets < > and double square brackets [[ ]] are the edition's own marks for doubtful passages (e.g. Mark 1:1, Mark 16:9–20, John 7:53–8:11).
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Epaphras
A faithful minister of Christ who taught the Colossians, wrestled for them in prayer, and was Paul's fellow prisoner.
Cited in the guide: Colossians 1:7; Colossians 4:12; Philemon 23
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Corinthians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; Philemon 1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; Romans 1:1
- 2 2 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Revelation 1:4
- 3 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:3; Colossians 1:9; Romans 1:8–9; 1 Corinthians 1:4
- 4 Ephesians 1:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 6:10; Philemon 5
- 5 1 Peter 1:3–4; Ephesians 1:13; 2 Timothy 4:8; Titus 1:2; Colossians 1:27
- 6 John 15:16; Philippians 1:11; Colossians 1:23; 1 Peter 5:12; Romans 10:17–18
- 7 Colossians 4:12; Philemon 23; Hebrews 2:17; Colossians 4:7; Hebrews 3:2
- 8 Romans 15:30; 2 Timothy 1:7; Galatians 5:22; Romans 5:5; Colossians 1:4
- 9 James 3:17; Philippians 1:9–11; James 1:5; Ephesians 1:15–20; Colossians 4:5
- 10 Ephesians 4:1; Hebrews 13:21; 2 Peter 1:2–3; John 15:16; 1 John 3:22
- 11 Ephesians 3:16; Philippians 4:13; Ephesians 6:10; Ephesians 4:2; Romans 5:3–5
- 12 Acts 20:32; Ephesians 1:11; Ephesians 1:18; Acts 26:18; Romans 8:17
- 13 Ephesians 5:8; Acts 26:18; 1 Peter 2:9; Titus 3:3–6; 1 Thessalonians 2:12
- 14 Ephesians 1:7; Romans 3:24–25; 1 Peter 1:19–20; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:22
- 15 Hebrews 1:3; John 14:9; John 1:1; 2 Corinthians 4:4; John 1:18
- 16 Romans 11:36; John 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 2:10; 1 Chronicles 29:11
- 17 Hebrews 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; John 17:5; John 8:58; John 1:1–3
- 18 Ephesians 1:22–23; Revelation 1:5; Ephesians 4:15–16; 1 Corinthians 15:20–23; Matthew 28:18
- 19 Colossians 2:9; John 1:16; Ephesians 1:23; Colossians 2:3; Colossians 3:11
- 20 2 Corinthians 5:18–21; Ephesians 1:10; 1 John 4:9–10; Ephesians 2:13–17; Colossians 1:21–22
- 21 Ephesians 2:12; Titus 3:3–7; Ephesians 2:1–3; Romans 5:9–10; Ephesians 4:18
- 22 Ephesians 5:27; Ephesians 1:4; Jude 24; Hebrews 10:10; Titus 2:14
- 23 Hebrews 3:14; Hebrews 3:6; Matthew 24:13–14; Galatians 6:9; Hebrews 10:38
- 24 Romans 5:3; 2 Timothy 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:5–8; 2 Timothy 2:9–10; Philippians 3:10
- 25 Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:23; Galatians 2:7–8; 2 Timothy 4:2–5; 1 Thessalonians 3:2
- 26 Luke 8:10; Romans 16:25–26; Ephesians 3:3–10; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Matthew 13:11
- 27 John 14:20; Romans 8:10; Ephesians 3:16–17; 1 John 4:4; Galatians 2:20
- 28 Ephesians 5:27; Jeremiah 3:15; Ephesians 4:11–13; Matthew 5:48; Colossians 3:16
- 29 1 Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 1:19; 1 Corinthians 9:25–27; Ephesians 3:7; Philippians 2:13
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Holy indeed are all the Epistles of Paul: but some advantage have those which he sent after he was in bonds: those, for instance, to the Ephesians and Philemon: that to Timothy, that to the Philippians, and the one before us: for this also was sent when he was a prisoner, since he writes in it thus: "for which I …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
This being was endowed with all power by the Father, who placed everything under his authority, the Æons doing so likewise, so that "by him were all things, visible and invisible, created, thrones, divinities, dominions." He then was sent to her along with his contemporary angels.
But yet the Scripture hath not declared that God made this formlessness, any more than it hath declared many other things; as the Cherubim,' and Seraphim,' and those of which the apostle distinctly speaks, Thrones,' Dominions,' Principalities,' Powers,' all of which it is manifest God made.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For in proof that He meant this, and that before the taking of Jerusalem the gospel was preached, hear what Paul saith, "Their sound went into all the earth;" and again, "The gospel which was preached to every creature which is under Heaven." And seest thou him running from Jerusalem unto Spain?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… bodies: One the Creator of heaven and earth, the Maker of Angels and Archangels: of many the Creator, but of One only the Father before all ages,--of One only, His Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom He made all things visible and invisible.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)