Colossenes 2
1 Volo enim vos scire qualem solicitudinem habeam pro vobis, et pro iis, qui sunt Laodiciæ, et quicumque non viderunt faciem meam in carne:
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 ut consolentur corda ipsorum, instructi in charitate, et in omnes divitias plenitudinis intellectus, in agnitionem mysterii Dei Patris et Christi Iesu:
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 quo sunt omnes thesauri sapientiæ, et scientiæ absconditi.
even Christ himself, in whom all treasures of wisdom and knowledge lie hidden.
4 Hoc autem dico, ut nemo vos decipiat in sublimitate sermonum.
I say this to prevent anyone from deceiving you by plausible arguments.
5 Nam etsi corpore absens sum, sed spiritu vobiscum sum: gaudens, et videns ordinem vestrum, et firmamentum eius, quæ in Christo est, fidei vestræ.
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 Sicut ergo accepistis Iesum Christum Dominum, in ipso ambulate,
Since, therefore, you have received Jesus, the Christ, as your Lord, live your lives in union with him –
7 radicati, et superædificati in ipso, et confirmati fide, sicut et didicistis, abundantes in illo in gratiarum actione:
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 Videte ne quis vos decipiat per philosophiam, et inanem fallaciam secundum traditionem hominum, secundum elementa mundi, et non secundum Christum:
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 quia in ipso inhabitat omnis plenitudo divinitatis corporaliter:
For in Christ the Godhead in all its fulness dwells incarnate;
10 et estis in illo repleti, qui est caput omnis principatus, et potestatis:
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 quo et circumcisi estis circumcisione non manu facta in expoliatione corporis carnis, sed in circumcisione Christi:
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 consepulti ei in baptismo, in quo et resurrexistis per fidem operationis Dei, qui suscitavit illum a mortuis.
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 Et vos cum mortui essetis in delictis, et præputio carnis vestræ, convivificavit cum illo, donans vobis omnia delicta:
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 delens quod adversus nos erat chirographum decreti, quod erat contrarium nobis, et ipsum tulit de medio, affigens illud cruci:
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 et expolians principatus, et potestates traduxit confidenter, palam triumphans illos in semetipso.
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 Nemo ergo vos iudicet in cibo, aut in potu, aut in parte diei festi, aut neomeniæ, aut Sabbatorum:
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 quæ sunt umbra futurorum: corpus autem Christi.
These things are only the shadow of what is to come; the substance is in the Christ.
18 Nemo vos seducat, volens in humilitate, et religione Angelorum, quæ non vidit ambulans, frustra inflatus sensu carnis suæ,
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 et non tenens caput, ex quo totum corpus per nexus, et coniunctiones subministratum, et constructum crescit in augmentum Dei.
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 Si ergo mortui estis cum Christo ab elementis huius mundi: quid adhuc tamquam viventes in mundo decernitis?
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 Ne tetigeritis, neque gustaveritis, neque contrectaveritis:
to such ordinances as “Do not handle, or taste, or touch”?
22 quæ sunt omnia in interitum ipso usu, secundum præcepta, et doctrinas hominum:
For all the things referred to in them cease to exist when used. You are following mere human directions and instructions.
23 quæ sunt rationem quidem habentia sapientiæ in superstitione, et humilitate, et non ad parcendum corpori, non in honore aliquo ad saturitatem carnis.
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.
