just as also you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you,

Epaphras, my fellow captive in Christ Jesus, greets you,

And if anyone serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant shall be also. If anyone serve Me, him My Father will honor.

For do I just now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by [the] righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

And being in agony, He prayed more fervently. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down onto the ground.

My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you!

who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up both prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears to the [One] who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His fear of God,

Confess your transgressions to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of the righteous is very powerful.

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have concerning you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,

in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

For though indeed I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your orderliness and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

having been rooted and built up in Him and being established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

In whom you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

[And h]aving disarmed principalities and powers, He mocked them in public, triumphing over them in it.

which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.

and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, supported and joined together by joints and ligaments, grows with the growth of God.

"Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch,"

These things indeed have a reputation of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and severity [on the] body, but [are] not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Masters, provide to your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in [the] heavens.

Now I beg you, brothers, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf,

On account of this we also, since the day we heard, do not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach before Him--

whom we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

You therefore be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

However, we speak wisdom among those that are perfect, but not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are being destroyed.

Brothers, do not be children in your understanding; rather, in malice be children, but in understanding be men.

Finally brothers, farewell. Restore [yourselves], comfort [yourselves], be in agreement, be at peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Not that I have already obtained, or have already been made perfect; but I press on, if also I may lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

I press toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Now [may] the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But solid food is for the mature, for those because of their practice have their senses trained for the distinguishing of both good and evil.

Therefore, leaving the subject of the beginning of Christ, let us be moved to perfection, not again laying down a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

Now to Him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to make you stand before His glory, blameless with exultation,

Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others.