Colossians 1:1-14 (NRSV)
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Chapter 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, Verse 2To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Verse 3In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Verse 4for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, Verse 5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel Verse 6that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. Verse 7This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, Verse 8and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
Verse 9For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, Verse 10so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. Verse 11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully
Verse 12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. Verse 13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, Verse 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Devotion
This letter written to the Christians living in the town of Colossae addresses a whole community of believers. This is a community that isn’t new to the faith but rather is being encouraged to continue in their faith in Jesus and in the love they have for one another. This letter fortifies the community of believers then—and us today!—in the hope we all have in the grace of God that shines in and through one another!
Often, when it seems I need it the most, I receive the modern-day equivalent of this letter—a text message or a note in the mail—with a note of encouragement and hope which reminds me that I am not in this work of ministry alone. My siblings in the faith are growing along with me in endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks for God’s presence in our midst!
Prayer
Gracious and eternal God, we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding each of us, “sharing in the inheritance of the saints in light!” Give us the direction and the light we need to reflect that same light to those in our care and beyond! Amen.
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