Colossians 2

1 For 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,

2 that 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, both of the Father and of Christ,

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

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

5 For 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.

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

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

8 See 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.

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

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

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

12 And 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.

13 When 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,

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

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

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

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

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

19 He 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.

20 If 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!”?

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

23 Such 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.

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.

1 But I let you know what a struggle I have for you, and for them that are at Laodicea, and for all that have not seen my person in the flesh,

2 That their hearts may be admonished and gathered together in love to all the riches of the understanding, to the knowledge 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 But I say of this, that no man deceive you with reasoning.

5 For though I be not here according to the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing, and beholding your precious order, and your strong faith in Christ.

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

7 And be ye rooted and established in him, and be ye firm in the faith, as ye are taught, and be ye abundantly thankful in the same.

8 Take heed that no man deprive you through philosophy and loose enticement after the doctrine of men, and after the statutes of the world, and not after Christ.

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

10 And ye are perfected in him, who is the head of all principality and authority,

11 In whom ye also are circumcised with the circumcision without hands, by the putting away of the sinful body in the flesh, even the circumcision of Christ,

12 In whom ye were buried with him by baptism; in whom also ye were raised from the dead by the faith which God wrought, who raised him from the dead.

13 And hath quickened you also with him, being dead in sins, and in the foreskin of your flesh, and hath forgiven us all our sins.

14 And hath blotted out the handwriting that was against us, which came forth by statutes, and was against us; and hath taken it out of the remedy, and nailed it to the cross.

15 And hath stripped the principalities and the mighty men, and hath made a public spectacle of them, and hath made a triumph of them by himself.

16 Let no man therefore make you conscience of meat, or of drink, or of certain feasts, or of new moons, or of sabbaths,

17 Which is the shadow of things to come; but the body itself is in Christ.

18 Let no man shift his aim, who walketh after his own choice in the humility and spirituality of angels, which he hath never seen, and is puffed up without matter in his carnal mind

19 And holdeth not to the head, out of which the whole body by joints and bands receiveth help, and cleaveth one to another, and so increaseth to the divine greatness.

20 If ye then be dead with Christ unto the statutes of the world, why are ye entangled with statutes, as though ye lived yet in the world?

21 Which say, Thou shalt not touch this, thou shalt not taste this, thou shalt not touch this,

22 Which are all consumed with hands, and are the commandment and doctrine of men;

23 Which have a semblance of wisdom through self-chosen spirituality and humility, and in that they spare not the body, neither do honor to the flesh for its need.