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

1Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God,

2and Timothy our brother, to the holy and faithful brethren in Christ at Colosse: grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from 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 in our prayers for you: 4(having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and your love to all the saints:) 5for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which ye have heard before in the word of truth, that is the gospel; 6which is come unto you, even as in all the world, and is fruitful; as it hath been also among you, from the day in which ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth. 7As ye also learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you; 8who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

9For this cause we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray for you, and to request 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 unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, 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 unto the Father, who hath made us meet for a portion of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son: 14in whom we have redemption by his blood, even the remission of sins.

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

15Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of the whole creation: 16for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all were created by Him, and for Him. 17He is before all, and by Him all things subsist. 18And He is the head of the body, which is the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. 19For it pleased the Father, that all fulness should dwell in Him; 20and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace by the blood of his cross; by Him only, whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven.

21And you that were formerly alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, 22yet now hath He reconciled in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight: 23if so be ye continue grounded and settled in the faith, and be not moved from the gospel, which ye have heard, and which hath been preached throughout the whole creation, 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 what is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25Of which I was made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given me towards you, that I might fully declare the word of God: 26even that mystery which was hid from former ages and generations, but is now manifested to his saints: 27to whom God would make known the rich glory of this mystery, among the gentiles; which is this, that Christ is 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: 29in order to which I also labour, striving earnestly according to his energy which operates in me with power.