Colossians 2
1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face.
Θέλω γὰρ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι ἡλίκον ἀγῶνα ἔχω περὶ ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ καὶ ὅσοι οὐχ ἑωράκασι τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἐν σαρκί,
2 I want their hearts to be comforted and knit together in love, so that they may have all the riches of being fully assured in their understanding, and so that they may know the mystery of our God and Father and of Christ,
ἵνα παρακληθῶσιν αἱ καρδίαι αὐτῶν, συμβιβασθέντων ἐν ἀγάπῃ καὶ εἰς πάντα πλοῦτον τῆς πληροφορίας τῆς συνέσεως, εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
3 in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.
ἐν ᾧ εἰσι πάντες οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι.
4 I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive speech.
Τοῦτο δὲ λέγω ἵνα μή τις ὑμᾶς παραλογίζηται ἐν πιθανολογίᾳ·
5 For though I am absent in body, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
εἰ γὰρ καὶ τῇ σαρκὶ ἄπειμι, ἀλλὰ τῷ πνεύματι σὺν ὑμῖν εἰμι, χαίρων καὶ βλέπων ὑμῶν τὴν τάξιν καὶ τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως ὑμῶν.
6 Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him,
Ὡς οὖν παρελάβετε τὸν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Κύριον, ἐν αὐτῷ περιπατεῖτε,
7 being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ ἐποικοδομούμενοι ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ βεβαιούμενοι ἐν τῇ πίστει καθὼς ἐδιδάχθητε, περισσεύοντες ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ.
8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men and the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.
Βλέπετε μή τις ὑμᾶς ἔσται ὁ συλαγωγῶν διὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης, κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, κατὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου καὶ οὐ κατὰ Χριστόν·
9 For all the fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ,
ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς,
10 and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
καὶ ἐστὲ ἐν αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένοι, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας,
11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not done by hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ.
ἐν ᾧ καὶ περιετμήθητε περιτομῇ ἀχειροποιήτῳ ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει τοῦ σώματος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τῆς σαρκός, ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
12 Having been buried with him in baptism, you have also been raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
συνταφέντες αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι, ἐν ᾧ καὶ συνηγέρθητε διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν.
13 And although you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses
καὶ ὑμᾶς, νεκροὺς ὄντας [ἐν] τοῖς παραπτώμασι καὶ τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν, συνεζωοποίησεν ὑμᾶς σὺν αὐτῷ, χαρισάμενος ἡμῖν πάντα τὰ παραπτώματα,
14 by blotting out the certificate of debt that stood against us with its legal demands; he took it away by nailing it to the cross.
ἐξαλείψας τὸ καθ᾽ ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον τοῖς δόγμασιν ὃ ἦν ὑπεναντίον ἡμῖν, καὶ αὐτὸ ἦρεν ἐκ τοῦ μέσου προσηλώσας αὐτὸ τῷ σταυρῷ·
15 He stripped the rulers and authorities of their power and made a public display of them, leading a triumphal procession over them by the cross.
ἀπεκδυσάμενος τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησίᾳ, θριαμβεύσας αὐτοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ.
16 Therefore let no one judge you in regard to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day.
Μὴ οὖν τις ὑμᾶς κρινέτω ἐν βρώσει ἢ ἐν πόσει ἢ ἐν μέρει ἑορτῆς ἢ νουμηνίας ἢ σαββάτων,
17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance is Christ.
ἅ ἐστι σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων, τὸ δὲ σῶμα Χριστοῦ.
18 Let no one who delights in false humility and angelic religion disqualify you. Such a person takes his stand on things he has not seen, being puffed up without reason by the mind of his flesh,
μηδεὶς ὑμᾶς καταβραβευέτω θέλων ἐν ταπεινοφροσύνῃ καὶ θρησκείᾳ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἃ μὴ ἑώρακεν ἐμβατεύων, εἰκῆ φυσιούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ νοὸς τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ,
19 while not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supported and knit together by its joints and tendons, grows with a growth that is from God.
καὶ οὐ κρατῶν τὴν κεφαλήν, ἐξ οὗ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα διὰ τῶν ἁφῶν καὶ συνδέσμων ἐπιχορηγούμενον καὶ συμβιβαζόμενον αὔξει τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ Θεοῦ.
20 If you have died with Christ to the elements of the world, why, as though you were living in the world, do you submit to regulations such as,
Εἰ οὖν ἀπεθάνετε σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἀπὸ τῶν στοιχείων τοῦ κόσμου, τί ὡς ζῶντες ἐν κόσμῳ δογματίζεσθε,
21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch”?
μὴ ἅψῃ μηδὲ γεύσῃ μηδὲ θίγῃς —
22 Such regulations are based on the commandments and doctrines of men, and apply to things that will all decay with use.
ἅ ἐστι πάντα εἰς φθορὰν τῇ ἀποχρήσει — κατὰ τὰ ἐντάλματα καὶ διδασκαλίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων;
23 Although these regulations have a semblance of wisdom in self-imposed piety, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are of no value in restraining fleshly indulgence.
ἅτινά ἐστι λόγον μὲν ἔχοντα σοφίας ἐν ἐθελοθρησκίᾳ καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ καὶ ἀφειδίᾳ σώματος, οὐκ ἐν τιμῇ τινι πρὸς πλησμονὴν τῆς σαρκός.
