Colossians 2
1 For 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;
I want you to know in how great a struggle I am engaged for you and for Christ’s people at Laodicea, and for all who have not yet seen me;
2 that 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,
in the hope that they, being bound to one another by love, and keeping in view the full blessedness of a firm conviction, may be encouraged to strive for a perfect knowledge of God’s hidden truth,
3 in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
even Christ himself, in whom all treasures of wisdom and knowledge lie hidden.
4 This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.
I say this to prevent anyone from deceiving you by plausible arguments.
5 For 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.
It is true that I am not with you in person, but I am with you in spirit, and am glad to see the good order and the unbroken front resulting from your faith in Christ.
6 As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in him,
Since, therefore, you have received Jesus, the Christ, as your Lord, live your lives in union with him –
7 rooted and builded up in him, and stablished in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
rooted in him, building up your characters through union with him, growing stronger through your faith, as you were taught, overflowing with faith and thanksgiving.
8 Take 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:
Take care that there is not someone who will carry you away by his ‘philosophy’ – a hollow sham! – following, as it does, mere human traditions, and dealing with puerile questions of this world, and not with Christ.
9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
For in Christ the Godhead in all its fulness dwells incarnate;
10 and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:
and, by your union with him, you also are filled with it. He is the head of all archangels and powers of heaven.
11 in 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;
By your union with him you received a circumcision that was not performed by human hands, when you threw off the tyranny of the earthly body, and received the circumcision of the Christ.
12 having 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.
For in baptism you were buried with Christ; and in baptism you were also raised to life with him, through your faith in the omnipotence of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, [I say], did he quicken together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;
And to you, who once were dead, by reason of your sins and your uncircumcised nature – to you God gave life in giving life to Christ! He pardoned all our sins!
14 having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;
He canceled the bond which stood against us – the bond that consisted of ordinances – and which was directly hostile to us! He has taken it out of our way by nailing it to the cross!
15 having put off from himself the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
He rid himself of all the powers of evil, and held them up to open contempt, when he celebrated his triumph over them on the cross!
16 Let 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:
Do not, then, allow anyone to take you to task on questions of eating or drinking, or in the matter of annual or monthly or weekly festivals.
17 which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.
These things are only the shadow of what is to come; the substance is in the Christ.
18 Let 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,
Do not let anyone defraud you of the reality by affecting delight in so-called ‘humility’ and angel-worship. Such a person busies themselves with their visions, and without reason are rendered conceited by their merely human intellect.
19 and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God.
They fail to maintain union with the head, to whom it is due that the whole body, nourished and knit together by the contact and connexion of every part, grows with a divine growth.
20 If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,
Since, with Christ, you became dead to the puerile teaching of this world, why do you submit, as if you still belonged to the world,
21 Handle not, nor taste, nor touch
to such ordinances as ‘Do not handle, or taste, or touch’?
22 (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?
For all the things referred to in them cease to exist when used. You are following mere human directions and instructions.
23 Which 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.
Such prohibitions appear reasonable where there is a desire for self-imposed service, and so-called ‘humility,’ and harsh treatment of the body, but are of no real value against the indulgence of our earthly nature.
