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COLOSSIANS 1
Subject:
Christ The All-inclusive One,
Having the First Place in All Things
as the Mystery and Embodiment of God,
as the Head and Constituent of the Church,
as the Allotted Portion, Life, Constituent,
and Hope of the Saints, and
as the Body of All Positive Things
I. Introduction
A. The Apostle’s Greeting
  1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy the brother,
  2. To the saints in Colossae and faithful brothers in Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
B. The Apostle’s Thanksgiving
  1. We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always concerning you,
  2. Because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have unto all the saints
  3. Because of the hope laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
  4. Which has come to you, even as it is also in all the world, bearing fruit and growing, as also in you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
  5. Even as you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,
  6. Who also has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
II. The Preeminent and All-inclusive One,
the Centrality and Universality of God
A. The Portion of the Saints
  1. Therefore we also, since the day we heard of it, do not cease praying and asking on your behalf that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
  2. To walk worthily of the Lord to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and growing by the full knowledge of God,
  3. Being empowered with all power, according to the might of His glory, unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy,
  4. Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light;
  5. Who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
  6. In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins;

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