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 it is my desire to give you news of the great fight I am making for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh;
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:
So that their hearts may be comforted, and that being joined together in love, they may come to the full wealth of the certain knowledge of the secret of God, even Christ,
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge.
In whom are all the secret stores of wisdom and knowledge.
4 And this I say, lest any man shoulde beguile you with entising wordes:
I say this so that you may not be turned away by any deceit of words.
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 though I am not present in the flesh, still I am with you in the spirit, seeing with joy your order, and your unchanging faith in Christ.
6 As ye haue therefore receiued Christ Iesus the Lord, so walke in him,
As, then, you took Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on in him,
7 Rooted and built in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye haue bene taught, abouding therein with thankesgiuing.
Rooted and based together in him, strong in the faith which the teaching gave you, giving praise to God at all times.
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.
Take care that no one takes you away by force, through man's wisdom and deceit, going after the beliefs of men and the theories of the world, and not after Christ:
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily.
For in him all the wealth of God's being has a living form,
10 And yee are complete in him, which is the head of all principalitie and power.
And you are complete in him, who is the head of all rule 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 whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
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.
Having been put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back 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,
And you, being dead through your sins and the evil condition of your flesh, to you, I say, he gave life together with him, and forgiveness of all our sins;
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 put an end to the handwriting of the law which was against us, taking it out of the way by nailing it to his 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.
Having made himself free from the rule of authorities and powers, he put them openly to shame, glorying over them in it.
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,
For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths:
17 Which are but a shadowe of thinges to come: but the body is in Christ.
For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's.
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,
Let no man take your reward from you by consciously making little of himself and giving worship to angels; having his thoughts fixed on the things which he has seen, being foolishly lifted up in his natural 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.
And not joined to the Head, from whom all the body, being given strength and kept together through its joins and bands, has its growth with the increase of God.
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 were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders
21 As, Touch not, Taste not, Handle not.
Which say there may be no touching, tasting, or taking in your hands,
22 Which al perish with the vsing, and are after the commandements and doctrines of men.
(Rules which are all to come to an end with their use) after the orders and teaching of men?
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.
These things seem to have a sort of wisdom in self-ordered worship and making little of oneself, and being cruel to the body, not honouring it by giving it its natural use.
