Colossians 2
1 For I woulde ye knewe what great fighting I haue for your sakes, and for them of Laodicea, and for as many as haue not seene my person in the flesh,
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 their heartes might be comforted, and they knit together in loue, and in all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding, to know the mysterie of God, euen the Father, and of Christ:
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, namely Christ,
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge.
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 And this I say, lest any man shoulde beguile you with entising wordes:
I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.
5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, reioycing and beholding your order, and your stedfast faith in Christ.
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 As ye haue therefore receiued Christ Iesus the Lord, so walke in him,
Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him,
7 Rooted and built in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye haue bene taught, abouding therein with thankesgiuing.
rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 Beware lest there be any man that spoile you through philosophie, and vaine deceit, through the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
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 him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.
10 And yee are complete in him, which is the head of all principalitie and power.
And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
11 In whome also yee are circumcised with circumcision made without handes, by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh, through the circumcision of Christ,
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 In that yee are buried with him through baptisme, in whome ye are also raised vp together through the faith of the operation of God, which raised him from the dead.
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 And you which were dead in sinnes, and in the vncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, forgiuing you all your trespasses,
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 And putting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs, which was contrarie to vs, hee euen tooke it out of the way, and fastened it vpon the crosse,
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 hath spoyled the Principalities, and Powers, and hath made a shew of them openly, and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16 Let no man therefore condemne you in meate and drinke, or in respect of an holy day, or of the newe moone, or of the Sabbath dayes,
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 Which are but a shadowe of thinges to come: but the body is in Christ.
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
18 Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenesse of minde, and worshipping of Angels, aduauncing himselfe in those thinges which hee neuer sawe, rashly puft vp with his fleshly minde,
Do 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.
19 And holdeth not the head, whereof all the body furnished and knit together by ioyntes and bands, increaseth with the increasing of God.
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 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world, why, as though ye liued in ye world, are ye burdened with traditions?
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 As, Touch not, Taste not, Handle not.
“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”?
22 Which al perish with the vsing, and are after the commandements and doctrines of men.
These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
23 Which thinges haue in deede a shewe of wisdome, in voluntarie religion and humblenesse of minde, and in not sparing the body, which are thinges of no valewe, sith they perteine to the filling of the flesh.
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.
