Colossians 2
Common English Bible
2 I want you to know how much I struggle for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who haven’t known me personally. 2 My goal is that their hearts would be encouraged and united together in love so that they might have all the riches of assurance that come with understanding, so that they might have the knowledge of the secret plan[a] of God, namely Christ. 3 All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him. 4 I’m telling you this so that no one deceives you with convincing arguments, 5 because even though I am absent physically, I’m with you in spirit. I’m happy to see the discipline and stability of your faith in Christ.
Error threatening the church
6 So live in Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way as you received him. 7 Be rooted and built up in him, be established in faith, and overflow with thanksgiving just as you were taught. 8 See to it that nobody enslaves you with philosophy and foolish deception, which conform to human traditions and the way the world thinks and acts rather than Christ. 9 All the fullness of deity lives in Christ’s body. 10 And you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by human hands. The circumcision of Christ is realized in the stripping away of the whole self dominated by sin. 12 You were buried with him through baptism and raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead because of the things you had done wrong and because your body wasn’t circumcised, God made you alive with Christ and forgave all the things you had done wrong. 14 He destroyed the record of the debt we owed, with its requirements that worked against us. He canceled it by nailing it to the cross. 15 When he disarmed the rulers and authorities, he exposed them to public disgrace by leading them in a triumphal parade.
16 So don’t let anyone judge you about eating or drinking or about a festival, a new moon observance, or sabbaths. 17 These religious practices are only a shadow of what was coming—the body that cast the shadow is Christ. 18 Don’t let anyone who wants to practice harsh self-denial and worship angels rob you of the prize. They go into detail about what they have seen in visions and have become unjustifiably arrogant by their selfish way of thinking. 19 They don’t stay connected to the head. The head nourishes and supports the whole body through the joints and ligaments, so the body grows with a growth that is from God.
20 If you died with Christ to the way the world thinks and acts, why do you submit to rules and regulations as though you were living in the world? 21 “Don’t handle!” “Don’t taste!” “Don’t touch!” 22 All these things cease to exist when they are used. Such rules are human commandments and teachings. 23 They look like they are wise with this self-made religion and their self-denial by the harsh treatment of the body, but they are no help against indulging in selfish immoral behavior.
Footnotes
- Colossians 2:2 Or mystery
Colossians 2
Legacy Standard Bible
Alive with Christ
2 For I want you to understand how great a (A)struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at (B)Laodicea, and for all those who have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 so that their (C)hearts may be encouraged, having been (D)held together in love, even unto all (E)the wealth of the full assurance of understanding, unto the (F)full knowledge of (G)God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all (H)the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 (I)I say this so that no one will delude you with (J)persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am (K)absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing [a]to see your (L)good order and the (M)stability of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore as you received (N)Christ Jesus the Lord, so [b](O)walk in Him, 7 having been firmly (P)rooted and being (Q)built up in Him, and having been (R)established [c]in your faith—just as you (S)were instructed—and abounding [d]with thanksgiving.
8 (T)See to it that no one takes you captive through (U)philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the (V)elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the (W)fullness of Deity dwells bodily, 10 and in Him you have been (X)filled, (Y)who is the head [e]over all (Z)rule and authority; 11 in whom (AA)you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of (AB)the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been (AC)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also (AD)raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who (AE)raised Him from the dead. 13 And you being (AF)dead [f]in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He (AG)made you alive with Him, having graciously forgiven us all our transgressions. 14 Having canceled out (AH)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us which was hostile to us, (AI)He also has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having [g](AJ)disarmed the (AK)rulers and authorities, He (AL)made a public display of them, having (AM)triumphed over them in [h]Him.
16 Therefore, no one is to (AN)judge you in (AO)food and (AP)drink, or in respect to a (AQ)festival or a (AR)new moon or a (AS)Sabbath [i]day— 17 things which are only a (AT)shadow of what is to come; but the [j]substance [k]belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one keep [l](AU)defrauding you of your prize by (AV)delighting in [m]self-abasement and the worship of the angels, going into detail about visions he has seen, (AW)being puffed up for nothing by his (AX)fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to (AY)the head, from whom (AZ)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and [n]ligaments, grows with a growth [o]that is from God.
20 (BA)If you have died with Christ [p]to the (BB)elementary principles of the world, (BC)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to (BD)decrees: 21 “Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”? 22 Which [q]deal with everything (BE)destined to perish [r]with use, which are in accordance with the (BF)commands and teachings of men; 23 which are matters having, to be sure, a [s]word of wisdom in [t](BG)self-made religion and self-abasement and (BH)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against (BI)fleshly indulgence.
Footnotes
- Colossians 2:5 Lit and seeing
- Colossians 2:6 Or lead your life
- Colossians 2:7 Or by
- Colossians 2:7 One early ms in it with
- Colossians 2:10 Lit of
- Colossians 2:13 Or by reason of
- Colossians 2:15 Or divested Himself of
- Colossians 2:15 Or it; the cross
- Colossians 2:16 Or days
- Colossians 2:17 Lit body
- Colossians 2:17 Lit of Christ
- Colossians 2:18 Or deciding against you
- Colossians 2:18 Or humility
- Colossians 2:19 Lit bonds
- Colossians 2:19 Lit of God
- Colossians 2:20 Lit from
- Colossians 2:22 Lit are
- Colossians 2:22 Or by being consumed
- Colossians 2:23 Or message
- Colossians 2:23 Or would-be religion
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.