Greetings from Paul and Timothy (Philippians 1:1–2; Philemon 1:1–3)
1 UST { I,} Paul,{ write this letter to you,} and Timothy our fellow believer{ is with me}. God sent me to represent the Messiah Jesus, because that is what God chose to do. BSB BSB: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 UST { I send this letter} to you who are God’ s people and faithful fellow believers united to the Messiah,{ who live} in{ the city of} Colossae.{ May} God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah{ continue to} be kind to you and make you peaceful. BSB BSB: To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
Thanksgiving and Prayer (1 Corinthians 1:4–9; Philippians 1:3–11)
3 UST We pray for you very often.{ When we do,} we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, BSB BSB: We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
4 UST { because} have learned that you trust in the Messiah Jesus and that you love all God’ s people. BSB BSB: because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints—
5 UST { You do these things} because you are confidently waiting for everything that God is keeping for you in heaven. You first learned about all that God has for you when you heard the true message,{ which is} the good news about the Messiah. BSB BSB: the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel
6 UST Just as you heard and believed this good news{ in Colossae}, increasing numbers of people in many places are also hearing and believing it. These people are living in a different way now, just as you have been living in a different way since you first learned{ about it} and truly experienced how God acts kindly{ toward us}. BSB BSB: that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.
7 UST This is what Epaphras told you{ would happen}. He works with us for the Messiah, and we love him. He faithfully serves the Messiah as our representative. BSB BSB: You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
8 UST He told us that you love{ all God’ s people}, just as God’ s Spirit{ has empowered you to do}. BSB BSB: and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
9 UST Because of everything that Epaphras told us, since the time when he first told us{ about you}, we have joined him in consistently praying for you.{ When we pray for you,} we ask God to show you everything that he wants you to do and{ to make you} able to understand everything that God’ s Spirit{ is teaching you}. BSB BSB: For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 UST { We have been praying that you know what God wants} so that you can live in a way that honors the Lord and pleases him in every way.{ When you live this way, you will be} doing every sort of good thing and continually knowing God better. BSB BSB: so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
11 UST { As you live this way,} God will greatly strengthen you to be able to patiently endure in all situations, and to do so joyfully. God can strengthen you greatly because he is gloriously powerful. BSB BSB: being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
12 UST { Then you will continually} thank{ God our} Father,{ because} he has made you worthy to take part in everything that he has to give to his people when they are with him. BSB BSB: giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13 UST God our Father has delivered us from the evil one, who used to control us, and he has given us to his Son, whom he loves, so that now we can obey his Son. BSB BSB: He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
14 UST Because we are united to his Son, God has set us free;{ that is,} he has forgiven our sins. BSB BSB: in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of the Son (Hebrews 1:1–14)
18 UST In regard to the church,{ that is, all believers,} he rules over it as people’ s heads rule over their bodies. He made it possible for the church to begin{ when he was} the first person to live again after dying{, never to die again}. Because of these things about him, he is greater and more important than anything and anybody else. BSB BSB: And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.
19 UST { The Son rules over everything} because the Son is fully God, just as the Father gladly willed him to be. BSB BSB: For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,
21 UST Before{ you believed in the Messiah}, you did not want to be close{ to God}, and you were hostile{ to him} because everything you thought and did was evil. BSB BSB: Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds.
23 UST { This is all true about you} as long as you continue confidently to believe{ in the Messiah}, and as long as you do not give up confidently hoping{ for God to do what he has promised} in the good news that you heard and that people all over the world have heard. I, Paul, serve God{ by proclaiming to people} this same good news. BSB BSB: if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Paul’s Suffering for the Church (2 Corinthians 11:16–33)
24 UST At the present time I suffer cheerfully{ because it is} for your benefit. I am suffering physically to complete{ my part of} the suffering that the Messiah began on behalf of{ his people,} the church, which is like the Messiah’ s own body. BSB BSB: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.
25 UST God called me to serve his church, and he appointed me{ specifically} to carry out his plan that concerns you.{ My part of this plan is} to proclaim{ to you non- Jews} the full message from God. BSB BSB: I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God,
26 UST God kept this message a secret, concealing it from people for a long time. But now he has made the message known to his people. BSB BSB: the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.
27 UST God has been wanting to tell his people this very glorious message that was secret, which applies to non- Jews{ as well as to Jews}. The secret is that the Messiah is united to you{ non- Jews}, which means that you can confidently expect to become glorious beings like the Messiah. BSB BSB: To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 UST { This is the Messiah} whom we announce{ to everyone}.{ When we talk about him,} we warn and teach each person as wisely as we can.{ We do these things} so that each of these people may become spiritually mature in each person’ s union with the Messiah. BSB BSB: We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
29 UST I work hard in all that I do in order to accomplish that goal.{ I can do this} because the Messiah is powerfully enabling me to do it. BSB BSB: To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.