Colossians 1:25

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

I was made a minister of the church according to the task given to me by God to fully present His message to you.

Cross References

Ephesians 3:2

[Note: Paul here digresses from his prayer, begun in 1:15-16, to explain the circumstances of his being a prisoner on behalf of these Gentiles]. [I assume] you have heard about my commission [to minister] to you, which was given to me by God’s unearned favor.

Colossians 1:23

[This will happen] if you continue in the faith [Note: This means either “continue to observe God’s teaching” or, “continue to believe”], firmly grounded and established, and not moved away from the hope offered by the Gospel message, which you have heard and which was preached to people throughout the entire created world under heaven. I, Paul, was made a minister of this Gospel.

1 Timothy 4:6

If you point out these things to the brothers you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, and will be nurtured by the message of the faith and of the good teaching which you have been following.

1 Thessalonians 3:2

and so we [i.e., I] sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow-worker in [the ministry of] the Gospel, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,

1 Corinthians 9:17

For if I preached because [I personally decided] I wanted to, I could claim a reward. But if I did not preach from a personal decision to do so, then it would be because I was entrusted with the task [by God]

1 Corinthians 3:5

After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? They are [only] servants through whom you believed [in Christ], with each one doing what the Lord gave him to do.

Ephesians 3:7

I was made a minister [of the Gospel] according to the gift of God’s unearned favor, which was given to me according to the working of His power.