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;

I want you to know how hard I'm working for you, and for those at Laodicea—in fact for all those who haven't met me personally—

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 you may be encouraged. May you be bound together in love, experiencing the great benefit of being completely sure in your understanding, for this is what the true knowledge of God brings. May you know the revealed mystery of God, which is Christ!

3 In whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden away.

In him you can discover all the rich wisdom and knowledge of God.

4 This I say, in order that, no one, may be reasoning, you, aside with plausible discourse;

I'm telling you this so that no one will fool you by spinning you a tale.

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.

Even though I'm not physically there with you, I'm with you in spirit. I'm so happy to see the way you stick together and how firm you are in your trust in Christ.

6 As therefore ye have accepted the Anointed Jesus as your Lord, in him, be walking, —

Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, go on following 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.

grounded in him and built up by him. May your trust in him continue to grow strong, following what you were taught, full of gratitude to God.

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:

Watch out that nobody enslaves you through their philosophy and worthless delusions, following human traditions and concepts of this world, and not following Christ.

9 Because, in him, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily,

For the fullness of God's divine nature lives in Christ in bodily form,

10 And ye are, in him, filled full, —Who, is the head of all principality and authority,

and you have been made full in him. He is supreme over every ruler 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, —

You were “circumcised” in him but not by human hands. You have been set free from sinful human nature by the “circumcision” Christ performed.

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.

You were buried with him in baptism, and you were raised with him through your trust in what God did by raising him 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 even though you were dead because of your sins and being physically “uncircumcised,” he brought you to life together with him. He has forgiven us 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:

He wiped out the record of our debts according to the Law that was written down against us; he took away this barrier by nailing it to the cross.

15 Spoiling the principalities and the authorities, he made of them an open example, celebrating a triumph over them thereby.

He stripped away the power of spiritual rulers and authorities, and having publicly revealed what they were truly like, he led them captive behind him in victory.

16 Let no one, therefore, be judging, you, —in eating and in drinking, or in respect of feast, or new moon, or sabbath, —

So don't let anyone criticize you for what you eat or what you drink, or regarding which religious festival, new moon ritual, or ceremonial sabbaths you choose to observe.

17 Which are a shadow of the things to come, whereas, the body, is of the Christ.

These are just a shadow of what was to come, for the physical reality is Christ.

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, —

Don't let anyone cheat you out of your prize by insisting you have to beat yourself, or worship angels. They think they are better than anyone else because of visions they say they've had, and become ridiculously conceited in their sinful minds.

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.

Such people are not connected to the head that directs the body, nourished and joined together through the body's sinews and muscles. As the body is united together it grows the way God wants it to grow.

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 died with Christ to the religious demands that this world insists upon, why would you make yourself subject to such demands as if you were still part of this world?

21 Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch; —

Things like: don't handle that, don't taste that, don't touch that!

22 Which things are all for decay in the using up; —according to the commandments and teachings of men?

These commands refer to things that don't last since they're used up, and they're based on man-made requirements and teachings.

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.

Such rules may make some kind of sense to those who practice self-centered piety, who are so proud of being humble, and who “mortify the body;” but in reality they don't help at all in dealing with sinful desires.