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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

  1. Colossians 2:5 Lit and seeing
  2. Colossians 2:6 Or lead your life
  3. Colossians 2:7 Or by
  4. Colossians 2:7 One early ms in it with
  5. Colossians 2:10 Lit of
  6. Colossians 2:13 Or by reason of
  7. Colossians 2:15 Or divested Himself of
  8. Colossians 2:15 Or it; the cross
  9. Colossians 2:16 Or days
  10. Colossians 2:17 Lit body
  11. Colossians 2:17 Lit of Christ
  12. Colossians 2:18 Or deciding against you
  13. Colossians 2:18 Or humility
  14. Colossians 2:19 Lit bonds
  15. Colossians 2:19 Lit of God
  16. Colossians 2:20 Lit from
  17. Colossians 2:22 Lit are
  18. Colossians 2:22 Or by being consumed
  19. Colossians 2:23 Or message
  20. Colossians 2:23 Or would-be religion
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Colossians 2
Expanded Bible

2 [L For] I want you to know how hard I ·work [contend; struggle] for you, those in Laodicea [C a city northwest of Colossae; 4:16; Rev. 3:14–22], and others who have never ·seen me [met me personally; L seen my face in the flesh]. 2 I want ·them [L their hearts] to be ·strengthened [encouraged; comforted] and joined together with love so that they may be rich in their ·understanding [L assurance of understanding]. This leads to their knowing fully God’s ·secret [mystery; 1:26], that is, Christ himself. 3 In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are ·safely kept [hidden].

4 I say this so that no one can ·fool [deceive] you by ·arguments that seem good, but are false [persuasive/enticing/specious arguments]. 5 [L For] Though I am absent from you in my body, ·my heart is [in spirit I am] with you, and I ·am happy [rejoice] to see your ·good lives [discipline; orderly lives; or unbroken ranks] and your ·strong [firm; steadfast] faith in Christ.

Continue to Live in Christ

6 [L Therefore] As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to ·live [walk] in him. 7 Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him. Be ·strong [established] in the faith, just as you were taught, ·and always be thankful [abounding/overflowing with gratitude].

8 ·Be sure [Be careful; Watch; See] that no one ·leads you away [takes you captive; captivates you] with ·false [deceptive] and ·empty [worthless] teaching that is ·only human [L according to human traditions], which comes from the ·ruling spirits [elemental spiritual forces (demons); or elementary teachings] of this world, and not from Christ. 9 ·All of God lives fully in Christ [L For in him all the fullness of deity dwells] ·in a human body [bodily; embodied], 10 and you have ·a full and true life in Christ [L been filled in him], who is ·ruler [L head] over every ruler and ·power [authority].

11 In Christ you were also circumcised, but not with a circumcision done by hands [Rom. 2:28; Phil. 3:3]. It was ·a circumcision done by Christ [L the circumcision of Christ], which ·freed you from [put off; cut away] ·the power of your sinful self [your sinful nature; L the body of flesh; C just as OT circumcision cut off the physical flesh, so Christ’s circumcision “cuts off” the “flesh”—the power of our sinful self]. 12 When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him through your faith in the ·power [working; active agency] of God, who raised Christ from the dead. 13 When you were ·spiritually dead [L dead] ·because of [or in] your sins and ·because you were not free from the power [L in the uncircumcision] of your ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh], God made you alive with Christ, and he forgave all our ·sins [transgressions]. 14 He ·canceled [wiped out; erased] the ·record [certificate] of debt, ·which listed all the rules we failed to follow [L with its decrees that were against us; C the record of sins revealed through the OT law; Eph. 2:15]. He ·took it away [set it aside; destroyed it] and nailed it to the cross. 15 ·God [or Christ; L He] ·stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their authority [L disarmed/despoiled the rulers and authorities]. With the cross, he won the victory and ·showed the world that they were powerless [publicly shamed them; made a public spectacle of them; C like a triumphant general displaying his captives in a victory parade].

Don’t Follow People’s Rules

16 So do not let anyone ·make rules for [or criticize; judge; or condemn] you about eating and drinking or about a religious ·feast [festival], a New Moon Festival [2 Kin. 4:23; Neh. 10:33], or a Sabbath day [C religious observances that false teachers pressured the Colossians to keep]. 17 These things ·were like [L are] a shadow of what was to come. But ·what is true and real has come and is found in Christ [or the reality/substance belongs to Christ; L the body (is) of Christ]. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you by ·insisting on [or delighting in] self-denial [asceticism; or false humility] and worship of angels. Such people ·enter into [or talk endlessly about; or pin their hopes on] visions, which ·fill them [puff them up] with ·foolish pride [or empty notions] because of their ·human way of thinking [unspiritual/worldly/carnal minds; L mind of the flesh]. 19 They ·do not hold tightly [or have no connection] to the head [C Christ]. It is from him that all the parts of the body are ·cared for [supported] and held together through its joints and ligaments. So it grows in the way God ·wants [or causes] it to grow.

20 Since you died with Christ and were made free from the ·ruling spirits [elemental spiritual forces (demons); or elementary teachings; v. 8] of the world, why do you act as if you still ·belong to [L are living in] this world by following rules like these: 21 “Don’t handle this,” “Don’t taste that,” “Don’t even touch that thing”? 22 These rules refer to ·earthly things that are gone as soon as they are used [L things that all perish with use]. They are only human commands and teachings. 23 They ·seem to be wise [have an appearance of wisdom], with their ·religious devotion [or forced piety; or asceticism], false humility, and ·harsh treatment [severe discipline] of their bodies. But they ·do not really control [have no value against] the ·evil desires [indulgence] of the ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh].

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