Colossians — Chapter 2

1For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face,

2that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,

3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.

5For although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I delight to see your orderly condition and firm faith in Christ.

6Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him,

7rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.

10And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

11In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.

12And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.

13When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses,

14having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!

15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

16Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath.

17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.

19He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.

20If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations:

21“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”?

22These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

23Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

1For 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;

2That 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;

3In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

5For 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.

6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

8Beware 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.

9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11In 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:

12Buried 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.

13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14Blotting 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;

15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16Let 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:

17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

18Let 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,

19And 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.

20Wherefore 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;

22Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

23Which 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.

1For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

2that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, [even] Christ,

3in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.

4This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.

5For though I am 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.

6As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in him,

7rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:

9for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,

10and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:

11in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

12having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, [I say], did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;

14having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out that way, nailing it to the cross;

15having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:

17which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ`s.

18Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increasing with the increase of God.

20If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,

21Handle not, nor taste, nor touch

22(all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?

23Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; [but are] not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face.

2My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4I say this so that no one will deceive you through arguments that sound reasonable.

5For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

6Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,

7rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

8Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

9For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form,

10and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

11In him you also were circumcised—not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ.

12Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.

13And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions.

14He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.

15Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

16Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days—

17these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ!

18Let no one who delights in false humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengths about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind.

19He has not held fast to the head from whom the whole body, supported and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.

20If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world?

21“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”

22These are all destined to perish with use, founded as they are on human commands and teachings.

23Even though they have the appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship and humility achieved by an unsparing treatment of the body—a wisdom with no true value—they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.

1For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

2that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,

3in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.

4Now this I say that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.

5For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

6As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him,

7rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

8Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.

9For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily,

10and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power;

11in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

14wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;

15having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16Let no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,

17which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.

18Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.

20If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

21“Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch”

22(all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?

23Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.