The Son is the image of the unseen God,
the firstborn of all creation;
for by him all things that are in heaven and that are on earth were created,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers–
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things are united into wholeness.
He is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
so that in all things he might become preeminent.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and by making peace through the blood of his cross,
all things were reconciled to God through him,
whether things on earth or things in heaven.
And you, who were once estranged and hostile in mind through evil deeds,
he has now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death,
so as to present you holy and faultless and blameless in his sight —
if you continue grounded and steadfast in the faith,
and not be moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard,
which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.
And of which, I, Paul, became a servant.
I now rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions
for the sake of his body, that is, the church.
I became its servant according to God’s dispensation
which was given to me for you,
to complete the word of God,
the mystery that has been concealed for ages and generations,
but has now been revealed to his saints.
To them God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery to the Gentiles,
which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory.
It is he whom we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom,
so that we may present everyone complete in Christ.
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