Colossians 2-3

New King James Version

Not Philosophy but Christ

2 For I want you to know what a great ^(A)conflict^[a] I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, ²that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, ^[b]both of the Father and of Christ, ³^(B)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

⁴Now this I say ^(C)lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. ⁵For ^(D)though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[c]to see ^(E)your good order and the ^(F)steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

⁶^(G)As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ⁷^(H)rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding ^[d]in it with thanksgiving.

⁸Beware lest anyone ^[e]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to ^(I)the tradition of men, according to the ^(J)basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹For ^(K)in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead ^[f]bodily; ¹⁰and you are complete in Him, who is the ^(L)head of all ^[g]principality and power.

Not Legalism but Christ

¹¹In Him you were also ^(M)circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by ^(N)putting off the body ^[h]of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹²^(O)buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through ^(P)faith in the working of God, ^(Q)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^(R)having wiped out the ^[i]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^(S)Having disarmed ^(T)principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

¹⁶So let no one ^(U)judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a ^[j]festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷^(V)which are a shadow of things to come, but the ^[k]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 ^[l]not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹and not holding fast to ^(W)the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, ^(X)grows with the increase that is from God.

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

Not Carnality but Christ

3 If then you were ^(AD)raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, ^(AE)where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on things above, not on things on the ^(AF)earth. ³^(AG)For you died, ^(AH)and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴^(AI)When Christ who is ^(AJ)our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in ^(AK)glory.

⁵^(AL)Therefore put to death ^(AM)your members which are on the earth: ^(AN)fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ^(AO)which is idolatry. ⁶^(AP)Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon ^(AQ)the sons of disobedience, ⁷^(AR)in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

⁸^(AS)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 ^(AT)is renewed in knowledge ^(AU)according to the image of Him who ^(AV)created him, ¹¹where there is neither ^(AW)Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, ^(AX)but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

¹²Therefore, ^(AY)as the elect of God, holy and beloved, ^(AZ)put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³^(BA)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^(BB)But above all these things ^(BC)put on love, which is the ^(BD)bond of perfection. ¹⁵And let ^(BE)the peace of God rule in your hearts, ^(BF)to which also you were called ^(BG)in one body; and ^(BH)be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another ^(BI)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷And ^(BJ)whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The Christian Home^(BK)

¹⁸^(BL)Wives, submit to your own husbands, ^(BM)as is fitting in the Lord.

¹⁹^(BN)Husbands, love your wives and do not be ^(BO)bitter toward them.

²⁰^(BP)Children, obey your parents ^(BQ)in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

²¹^(BR)Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

²²^(BS)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ²³^(BT)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴^(BU)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; ^(BV)for^[o] you serve the Lord Christ. ²⁵But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and ^(BW)there is no partiality.