1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 4:15. in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.1:2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,1:7 Or slave who is a faithful minister of Christ on our1:7 Some manuscripts your behalf, 8and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding 10so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you1:12 Some manuscripts us to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of the Son of God
15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of1:21 Or minds, as shown by your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Paul’s Labor for the Church
24Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27To 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.
28He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
Nkyea
1Krataa yi firi Paulo a ɛnam Onyankopɔn pɛ so enti, ɔyɛ Kristo somafoɔ no ne yɛn nua Timoteo nkyɛn,
2Yɛde kɔma ahotefoɔ a wɔwɔ Kolose a wɔyɛ Kristo mu agyidifoɔ no:
Adom ne asomdwoeɛ a ɛfiri yɛn Agya Onyankopɔn nka mo.
Aseda Ne Mpaeɛbɔ
3Ɛberɛ biara a yɛbɔ mpaeɛ ma mo no, yɛda Onyankopɔn a ɔyɛ Awurade Yesu Kristo Agya no ase. 4Ɛfiri sɛ, yɛate mo gyidie a mowɔ wɔ Kristo Yesu mu ne dɔ a modɔ ahotefoɔ no. 5Ɛda a ɛdi ɛkan a motee Asɛmpa no, monyaa mu anidasoɔ a ɛwɔ hɔ ma mo. Enti, mo gyidie ne mo dɔ a mowɔ no gyina mo anidasoɔ a mowɔ a wɔakora no wɔ ɔsoro ama mo no so. 6Ɛfiri da a ɛdi ɛkan a motee Onyankopɔn adom na mohunuu sɛdeɛ ɛteɛ no, Asɛmpa no de nhyira abrɛ ewiase afanan nyinaa, na trɛ ara na ɛretrɛ sɛdeɛ mohunu no wɔ mo mu no. 7Ɛnam Epafra a ɔyɛ yɛn nua ɔsomfoɔ a ɔde gyidie yɛ Kristo adwuma ma yɛn no so na mohunuu yei. 8Ɔkaa ɔdɔ a Honhom no de ama mo no kyerɛɛ yɛn.
9Esiane saa enti, ɛfiri ɛberɛ a yɛtee mo nka no, yɛbɔ mpaeɛ ma mo daa. Yɛbisa Onyankopɔn sɛ ɔmfiri ne pɛ mu mma mo nyansa ne nteaseɛ a ne Honhom de ma no. 10Ɛba saa a na mobɛtumi atena ase sɛdeɛ Awurade hwehwɛ na ɛberɛ biara nso, mobɛyɛ deɛ ɛsɔ nʼani. Dwuma biara a mobɛdi no, ɛbɛso aba pa na mobɛnyini wɔ Onyankopɔn ho nimdeɛ mu. 11Yɛrebɔ mpaeɛ nso sɛ ne tumi ne nʼahoɔden bɛhyɛ mo ma sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a ɛkwan biara so, mode Awurade mu ahosɛpɛ ne boasetɔ bɛgyina biribiara ano. 12Momfa ahosɛpɛ nna Agya no a ɛnam ne so enti, moanya deɛ Onyankopɔn akora so ama nʼahotefoɔ a wɔwɔ ne hann no mu no bi no ase. 13Ɔgyee yɛn firii esum tumi ase de yɛn baa ne Dɔ Ba no Ahennie mu dwoodwoo. 14Ne mu na yɛnya ɔgyeɛ. Ne mu nso na yɛnya bɔnefakyɛ.
15Kristo yɛ Onyankopɔn a wɔnhunu no no sɛso. Ɔno ne abɔdeɛ nyinaa farebae. 16Ɛfiri sɛ, ɛnam ne so na Onyankopɔn bɔɔ biribiara a ɛwɔ ɔsoro ne asase so, deɛ wɔhunu ne deɛ wɔnhunu, honhom mu atumfoɔ, awuranom ne ahemfo. Onyankopɔn nam ne so na ɔbɔɔ ewiase nyinaa na ɔbɔ maa no nso. 17Na ɔwɔ hɔ ansa na wɔrebɔ biribiara, na ne mu na biribiara nya nʼafa pɛpɛɛpɛ. 18Asafo no yɛ ne onipadua; na ɔno na ɔyɛ asafo no ti. Ɔno na onipadua no nkwa firi no. Ɔno ne Abakan a wɔnyanee no firii awufoɔ mu sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a ɔno nko ara bɛdi adeɛ nyinaa mu ɛkan. 19Ɛfiri Onyankopɔn no ankasa pɛ mu na Ɔba no wɔ Onyankopɔn su nyinaa wɔ ne mu. 20Ɛnam ne Ba no so na Onyankopɔn firi ne pɛ mu de ewiase nyinaa sane bɛhyɛɛ ɔno ankasa ase. Onyankopɔn nam ne Ba no wu a ɔwuu asɛnnua so no de asomdwoeɛ baeɛ, enti ɔde nneɛma a ɛwɔ asase so ne ɔsoro nyinaa ahyɛ nʼase.
21Ɛberɛ bi a atwam no, ɛsiane sɛ na moyɛ bɔne na modwene bɔne ho enti, na mo ne Onyankopɔn ntam kwan ware a na moyɛ nʼatamfoɔ nso. 22Nanso, ɛnam ne Ba no wuo so enti Onyankopɔn afa mo nnamfo sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a mobɛyɛ kronkron a bɔne biara nni mo ho wɔ nʼanim. 23Ɛsɛ sɛ mokɔ so ma mo gyidie mu yɛ den. Mommma ho kwan mma mo anidasoɔ a monyaa no da a ɛdi ɛkan a motee Asɛmpa no nhinhim. Saa Asɛmpa a wɔka kyerɛ nnipa nyinaa yi enti na me, Paulo, mebɛyɛɛ ɔsomfoɔ no.
Paulo Brɛ Asafo No Ho
24Ɛyɛ me anigye sɛ merebrɛ mo ho. Menam me honam mu amaneɛ a merehunu no so retoa Kristo amanehunu a ɔhunuu wɔ ne honam mu maa nʼasafo no so. 25Onyankopɔn a mo yiedie enti, ɔde saa dwuma yi hyɛɛ me nsa no ayɛ me asafo no ɔsomfoɔ. Dwumadie no yɛ nʼasɛm no ka, 26a ɛyɛ ahintasɛm a mfeɛ bebree a atwam no, ɔde hintaa adasamma, nanso afei deɛ, wada no adi akyerɛ nʼahotefoɔ. 27Onyankopɔn nhyehyɛeɛ ne sɛ, ɔbɛda nʼahintasɛm a nnepa ne animuonyam wɔ mu no adi akyerɛ Amanamanmufoɔ nso. Ahintasɛm no ne sɛ: Kristo te mo mu, a nʼasekyerɛ ne sɛ, yɛwɔ anidasoɔ sɛ yɛn nsa bɛka Onyankopɔn animuonyam no bi.
28Ɛno enti, yɛka Kristo ho asɛm kyerɛ nnipa nyinaa. Yɛnam adwene pa so bɔ obiara kɔkɔ, kyerɛkyerɛ no sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a obiara a yɛde no bɛhyɛ Onyankopɔn nsa no bɛyɛ pɛ wɔ Kristo mu. 29Ɛno enti na menam Kristo tumi sononko a ɔde ma me no so yɛ adwumaden.
