Colossians 2
1 For I desire you to know, how great a contest I am having—in behalf of you, and of those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face 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 In order that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, even unto all the riches of the full assurance of their understanding, unto a personal knowledge of the sacred secret of God, —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 all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden away.
In whom are all the secret stores of wisdom and knowledge.
4 This I say, in order that, no one, may be reasoning, you, aside with plausible discourse;
I say this so that you may not be turned away by any deceit of words.
5 For, though, indeed, in the flesh, I am absent, yet, in the spirit, with you, I am—rejoicing, and beholding your order and the solid firmness of your Christ-ward faith.
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 therefore ye have accepted the Anointed Jesus as your Lord, in him, be walking, —
As, then, you took Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on in him,
7 Rooted, and being built up, in him, and making yourselves sure in your faith, even as ye have been taught, —surpassing therein with thanksgiving.
Rooted and based together in him, strong in the faith which the teaching gave you, giving praise to God at all times.
8 Be taking heed, lest there shall be anyone leading, you, off as a spoil, through means of their philosophy, and an empty deceit, —according to the instruction of men, according to the first principles of the world, —and not according to 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 Because, in him, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily,
For in him all the wealth of God's being has a living form,
10 And ye are, in him, filled full, —Who, is the head of all principality and authority,
And you are complete in him, who is the head of all rule and authority:
11 In whom, ye have also been circumcised with a circumcision not done by hand, in the despoiling of the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the 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 Having been buried together with him in your immersion, wherein also ye have been raised together, through your faith in the energising of God—Who raised him from among 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, as for you—who were, dead, by your offences and by the uncircumcision of your flesh, he hath brought you to life together with him, —having in favour forgiven us all our offences,
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 Having blotted out the handwriting against us by the decrees, which was hostile to us, —and hath taken away, the same, out of the midst, nailing it up to the cross:
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 Spoiling the principalities and the authorities, he made of them an open example, celebrating a triumph over them thereby.
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 one, therefore, be judging, you, —in eating and in drinking, or in respect of feast, or new moon, or sabbath, —
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 a shadow of the things to come, whereas, the body, is of the Christ.
For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's.
18 Let, no one, against you, be arbitrating, however wishful, —in respect of lowliness of mind, and of a religious observance of the messengers: upon what things he hath seen, taking his stand, in vain, puffed up by his carnal mind, —
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 not holding fast the head: from which, all the body, through means of its joints and uniting bands, receiving supply, and connecting itself together, groweth with the growth 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 If ye have died, together with Christ, from the first principles of the world, why, as though alive in the world, are ye submitting to decrees, —
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 Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch; —
Which say there may be no touching, tasting, or taking in your hands,
22 Which things are all for decay in the using up; —according to the commandments and teachings of men?
(Rules which are all to come to an end with their use) after the orders and teaching of men?
23 The which things, indeed, though they have, an appearance, of wisdom, in self-devised religious observance, and lowliness of mind, [and] ill-treatment of body, are, in no honourable way, unto a satisfying 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.
