Colossians 2:11-3:20

New King James Version

Not Legalism but Christ

¹¹In Him you were also ^(A)circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by ^(B)putting off the body ^[a]of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹²^(C)buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through ^(D)faith in the working of God, ^(E)who raised Him from the dead. ¹³And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ¹⁴^(F)having wiped out the ^[b]handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵^(G)Having disarmed ^(H)principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

¹⁶So let no one ^(I)judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a ^[c]festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷^(J)which are a shadow of things to come, but the ^[d]substance is of Christ. ¹⁸Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has ^[e]not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹and not holding fast to ^(K)the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, ^(L)grows with the increase that is from God.

²⁰^[f]Therefore, if you ^(M)died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, ^(N)why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— ²¹^(O)“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” ²²which all concern things which perish with the using—^(P)according to the commandments and doctrines of men? ²³^(Q)These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and ^[g]neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Not Carnality but Christ

3 If then you were ^(R)raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, ^(S)where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on things above, not on things on the ^(T)earth. ³^(U)For you died, ^(V)and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴^(W)When Christ who is ^(X)our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in ^(Y)glory.

⁵^(Z)Therefore put to death ^(AA)your members which are on the earth: ^(AB)fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ^(AC)which is idolatry. ⁶^(AD)Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon ^(AE)the sons of disobedience, ⁷^(AF)in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

⁸^(AG)But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰and have put on the new man who ^(AH)is renewed in knowledge ^(AI)according to the image of Him who ^(AJ)created him, ¹¹where there is neither ^(AK)Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, ^(AL)but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

¹²Therefore, ^(AM)as the elect of God, holy and beloved, ^(AN)put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³^(AO)bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴^(AP)But above all these things ^(AQ)put on love, which is the ^(AR)bond of perfection. ¹⁵And let ^(AS)the peace of God rule in your hearts, ^(AT)to which also you were called ^(AU)in one body; and ^(AV)be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another ^(AW)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷And ^(AX)whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.