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

1Paul, sent of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy the brother,

2To the holy among the Colossians, and the faithful brethren in Christ: Grace to 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 return thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4Having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and love to all the holy, 5By the hope laid up for you in the heavens, which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the good news; 6Being present to you as also in all the world; and is bearing fruit, as also in you, from the day which ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth: 7As also ye learned from Epaphras our beloved fellowservant, who is a faithful servant of Christ for you; 8He also having manifested to us your love in the Spirit.

9For this also we, from the day which we heard, ceased not praying for you, and asking that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10For you to walk worthy of the Lord in all pleasing behavior, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11In all power being able according to the strength of his glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy. 12Returning thanks to the Father, having rendered us fitting for the portion of the lot of the holy in light:

13Who saved us from the power of darkness, and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of his love: 14In whom we have redemption by his blood, the remission of sins:

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

15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: 16For by him were all things created, things in the heavens, and things upon earth, things visible and invisible, whether thrones, whether dominions, whether beginnings, whether authorities: all were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all, and all things have been established by him. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that he might be the first in all. 19For in him was he pleased that all fulness should dwell: 20And by him to reconcile all things anew to himself; having made peace by the blood of his cross, by him, whether things upon earth, whether things in the heavens.

21And you, once being alienated and enemies in mind by evil works, and now has he reconciled. 22In the body of his flesh by death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable before him: 23If indeed ye remain in the faith, founded and firmly fixed, and not moved aside from the hope of the good news, which ye heard, being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I Paul was a servant;

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

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill again the necessities of the pressures of Christ in my flesh for his body, which is the church. 25Of which I was a servant, according to the stewardship of God, given to me for you, to complete the word of God; 26The mystery hid from times immemorial, and from generations, and now has been manifested to his holy ones: 27To whom God would make known what the riches of the glory of this mystery in the nations; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28Whom we announce, reminding every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfected in Christ Jesus: 29For which also I am wearied, struggling according to his operation, working in me in power.