The New Testament letter to Colosse chapter 1,2 tells of the great
things Jesus Christ has done for us believers, being himself "all the fullness of God, and thus God! (2:9).
He is also creator of all things -- He is genuinely "God with Us". The Nicene
Creed, above, also notes this.
1 Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
2
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We give thanks to God and the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 Since
we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the
truth of the gospel;
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in
all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in
truth:
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant,
who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
8 Who also declared
unto us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this cause we also,
since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will
in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might
walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience
and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the
Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible
and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for
him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church:
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile
all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now
hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death,
to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard,
and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions
of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
25
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To
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:
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching
every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Chapter 2:
1
For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my
face in the flesh;
2 That their hearts might be comforted,
being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery
of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
3 In whom
are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4
And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
5
For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness
of your faith in Christ.
6 As ye have therefore received Christ
Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in
him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of
men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in
putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation
of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And
you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you
all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them
openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping
of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands
having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living
in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21(Touch not;
taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the
using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which
things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying
of the flesh.
