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 I would have you know how great a contest I am waging for you and the brethren in Laodicea, and for all who have never seen my face.
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:
May their hearts be comforted! May they be knit together in love! May they gain in all its riches the full assurance of their understanding! May they come to a perfect knowledge of the secret truth of God, which is Christ himself.
3 In whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden away.
In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!
4 This I say, in order that, no one, may be reasoning, you, aside with plausible discourse;
And this I say, lest any one should mislead you with enticing 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 absent from you in body, I am with you in spirit, happy to note your discipline and the solid front of your faith in Christ.
6 As therefore ye have accepted the Anointed Jesus as your Lord, in him, be walking, —
As then you have received Jesus Christ, your Lord, in him live your lives;
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.
since you are rooted in him, and in him continually built up. Be firmly established in the faith as you were taught it, and continually abound in it with thanksgiving.
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 lest any man drag you away captive by his philosophy which is a vain deceit, following the traditions of men and the world’s crude notions, and not Christ.
9 Because, in him, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily,
For it is in Christ that all the fullness of deity dwells bodily,
10 And ye are, in him, filled full, —Who, is the head of all principality and authority,
and in him you have your fulness, and he is the Lord of all the principalities and powers.
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 him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands; even in putting off your sensual nature in Christ’s own circumcision,
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.
when you were buried with him in baptism. In baptism also you were raised with him, through your faith in the energy of that God who raised 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 you also, at one time dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sensual nature, he has made alive together with himself. For he forgave us all our transgressions,
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:
blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that stood against us and was hostile to us, and took it out of our way, 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.
Principalities and powers he disarmed, and openly displayed them as his trophies, when he triumphed over them in the cross.
16 Let no one, therefore, be judging, you, —in eating and in drinking, or in respect of feast, or new moon, or sabbath, —
Therefore do not permit any one to sit in judgment on you in regard to what you may eat or drink, or in regard to feast-days or new moons or sabbaths.
17 Which are a shadow of the things to come, whereas, the body, is of the Christ.
These were a shadow of things to come, but the substance belongs to 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, —
Let no man at his will defraud you of your prize through his false humility and worship of the angels, taking his stand on the visions he has seen, and vainly puffed up by his material 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.
instead of keeping connection with the Head from the whole body draws nourishment for all its needs by the joints which bind it; and is knit together, and grows with a divine growth.
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 world’s rudimentary notions, why, as if you still lived in the world, do you submit yourselves to dogmatisms found on teachings and doctrines of men -
21 Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch; —
such as "Do not handle this," "You must not taste that," "Do not touch this" -
22 Which things are all for decay in the using up; —according to the commandments and teachings of men?
all things which are intended to perish in the using?
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.
For these precepts, although they have a show of wisdom with their self-imposed devotions and fastings and bodily austerities, are of no real value against the indulgence of the carnal appetites.
