Greetings from Paul and Timothy
(Philippians 1:1–2; Philemon 1:1–3)

1PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy a brother,

2to the saints at Colosse, and to the faithful brethren in Christ: grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer
(1 Corinthians 1:4–9; Philippians 1:3–11)

3We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you, 4having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love ye show to all the saints; 5because of the hope laid up for you in the heavens, which ye have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel, 6which is come unto you, as it is also unto all the world; and beareth fruit, as also among you, from the day that ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 7even as ye have learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow-labourer, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you; 8who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

9For this cause we also from the day we heard it have not ceased praying for you, and beseeching God that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10that ye may walk worthy of the Lord, well pleasing him in all things, in every good work fruitful, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joy; 12giving thanks to God, even the Father, who hath made us meet for a portion in the inheritance of the saints in light;

13who hath plucked us out from the dominion of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love: 14in whom we have redemption through his blood, and forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of the Son
(Hebrews 1:1–14)

15Who is the image of the invisible God, the prime author of all creation: 16for by him were all things created, celestial and terrestrial, visible or invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers, all were created by him, and for him: 17and he is before all, and by him all things subsist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first begotten from the dead, that he might be in all things pre-eminent. 19For it hath pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell; 20and by him to reconcile all things to himself, making peace by the blood of his cross: by him, I say, whether they be things on earth, or things in the heavens.

21And you who in time past were all aliens, and enemies in mind by wicked works, hath he now reconciled, 22by the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreprehensible in his presence: 23if ye abide in faith grounded and firm, and never moved aside from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which hath been preached to the whole creation which is under heaven, of which I Paul am a minister.

Paul’s Suffering for the Church
(2 Corinthians 11:16–33)

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh the measure of afflictions for Christ which remains to be endured for his body, which is the church, 25of which I am a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which was given me for you to fulfil the ministry of the word of God? 26the mystery which was hid from ages and from generations, but is now unveiled to his saints; 27to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; 29for which also I am labouring, conflicting in the energy of his might, which worketh in me powerfully.