Day 347: Colossians 1 - 1 Thessalonians 2
Bible in a year reading for day 347.
Colossians 1
- 22 But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—
- 23 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.
- 24 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 I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God,
- 26 the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.
- 27 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 We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
- 29 To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.
Colossians 2
- 1 For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face,
- 2 that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,
- 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
- 4 I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.
- 5 For although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I delight to see your orderly condition and firm faith in Christ.
- 6 Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him,
- 7 rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
- 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
- 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.
- 10 And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
- 11 In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.
- 12 And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.
- 13 When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses,
- 14 having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!
- 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
- 16 Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath.
- 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
- 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.
- 19 He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.
- 20 If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations:
- 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”?
- 22 These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
- 23 Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Colossians 3
- 1 Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
- 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
- 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
- 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
- 5 Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
- 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
- 7 When you lived among them, you also used to walk in these ways.
- 8 But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
- 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,
- 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
- 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
- 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
- 13 Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
- 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.
- 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.
- 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
- 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
- 18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
- 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
- 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
- 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.
- 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.
- 23 Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,
- 24 because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
- 25 Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
Colossians 4
- 1 Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
- 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful,
- 3 as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
- 4 Pray that I may declare it clearly, as I should.
- 5 Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.
- 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
- 7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord.
- 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us, and that he may encourage your hearts.
- 9 With him I am sending Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.
- 10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you greetings, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas. You have already received instructions about him: If he comes to you, welcome him.
- 11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.
- 12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the full will of God.
- 13 For I testify about him that he goes to great pains for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.
- 14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas send you greetings.
- 15 Greet the brothers in Laodicea, as well as Nympha and the church that meets at her house.
- 16 After this letter has been read among you, make sure that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.
- 17 Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”
- 18 This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
1 Thessalonians 1
- 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
- 2 We always thank God for all of you, remembering you in our prayers
- 3 and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 4 Brothers who are beloved by God, we know that He has chosen you,
- 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with great conviction—just as you know we lived among you for your sake.
- 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.
- 7 As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
- 8 For not only did the message of the Lord ring out from you to Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone out to every place, so that we have no need to say anything more.
- 9 For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
- 10 and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.
1 Thessalonians 2
- 1 You yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not in vain.