歌罗西书 2
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
2 我願意你們知道，我為你們和在老底嘉的人，以及所有沒有跟我見過面的人，是怎樣竭力奮鬥， 2 為的是要他們的心得著勉勵，在愛中彼此聯繫，可以得著憑悟性、因確信而來的一切豐盛，也可以充分認識 神的奧祕，這奧祕就是基督； 3 一切智慧和知識的寶庫都蘊藏在基督裡面。 4 我說這些話，免得有人用花言巧語欺騙你們。 5 我雖然不在你們那裡，心卻與你們同在。我看見你們循規蹈矩，並且對基督有堅定的信心，就歡喜了。
在基督裡得豐盛
6 你們怎樣接受了基督耶穌為主，就當照樣在他裡面行事為人， 7 按著你們所領受的教導，在他裡面扎根、建造，信心堅定，滿有感謝的心。 8 你們要謹慎，免得有人不照著基督，而照著人的傳統，和世俗的言論，藉著哲學和騙人的空談，把你們擄去。 9 因為 神本性的一切豐盛，都有形有體地住在基督裡面， 10 你們也是在他裡面得了豐盛。他是一切執政掌權者的元首。 11 你們也在他裡面受了不是由人手所行的割禮，而是受了基督的割禮，就是除掉你們的罪身。 12 你們在洗禮中已經與他一同埋葬，也在洗禮中，因信那使基督從死人中復活的 神所運行的動力，與他一同復活了。 13 你們因著過犯和肉體未受割禮，原是死的，然而 神赦免了我們的一切過犯，使你們與基督一同活過來， 14 塗抹了那寫在規條上反對我們、與我們為敵的字句，並且把這字句從我們中間拿去，釘在十字架上。 15 他既然靠著十字架勝過了一切執政掌權的，廢除了他們的權勢，就在凱旋的行列中，把他們公開示眾。
16 所以不要讓人因著飲食、節期、月朔、安息日批評你們， 17 這些不過是將來的事的影子，那真體卻是屬於基督的。 18 不要讓人奪去你們的獎賞，他們以故意謙卑，敬拜天使為樂；迷於自己所見過的；憑著肉體的意念，無故地自高自大； 19 不與頭緊密相連。其實全身都是藉著關節和筋絡從頭得著供應和聯繫，就照著 神所要求的，生長起來。
在基督裡作新人
20-21 你們若與基督一同死了，脫離了世俗的言論，為甚麼仍然好像活在世俗中一樣，拘守那“不可摸、不可嘗、不可觸”的規條呢？ 22 （這一切東西，一經使用，就都朽壞了。）這些規條是照著人的命令和教訓而定的， 23 在隨著己意敬拜，故作謙卑，和苦待己身等事上，似乎是智慧之言，其實只能叫人放縱肉體，再沒有任何價值。
Colossians 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 2
1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I am having for you and for those in Laodicea[a] and all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged as they are brought together in love, to have all the richness of fully assured understanding, for the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ,(A) 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.(B)
III. Warnings Against False Teachers[b]
A General Admonition. 4 I say this so that no one may deceive you by specious arguments.(C) 5 For even if I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing as I observe your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.(D) 6 So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, 7 rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.(E) 8 See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world[c] and not according to Christ.(F)
Sovereign Role of Christ. 9 (G)For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity[d] bodily, 10 and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power. 11 (H)In him[e] you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. 12 You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.(I) 13 (J)And even when you were dead [in] transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; 14 [f]obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross;(K) 15 despoiling the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them,(L) leading them away in triumph by it.[g]
Practices Contrary to Faith. 16 (M)Let no one, then, pass judgment on you in matters of food and drink or with regard to a festival or new moon or sabbath.[h] 17 These are shadows of things to come; the reality belongs to Christ.(N) 18 Let no one disqualify you, delighting in self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions,[i] inflated without reason by his fleshly mind,(O) 19 and not holding closely to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and bonds, achieves the growth that comes from God.(P)
20 If you died with Christ to the elemental powers of the world, why do you submit to regulations as if you were still living in the world? 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” 22 These are all things destined to perish with use; they accord with human precepts and teachings.(Q) 23 While they have a semblance of wisdom in rigor of devotion and self-abasement [and] severity to the body, they are of no value against gratification of the flesh.
Footnotes
- 2:1 Laodicea: chief city in Phrygia, northwest of Colossae; cf. Col 4:13, 16; Rev 3:14–22.
- 2:4–23 In face of the threat posed by false teachers (Col 2:4), the Colossians are admonished to adhere to the gospel as it was first preached to them (Col 2:6), steeping themselves in it with grateful hearts (Col 2:7). They must reject religious teachings originating in any source except the gospel (Col 2:8) because in Christ alone will they have access to God, the deity (Col 2:9). So fully has Christ enlightened them that they need no other source of religious knowledge or virtue (Col 2:10). They do not require circumcision (Col 2:11), for in baptism their whole being has been affected by Christ (Col 2:12) through forgiveness of sin and resurrection to a new life (Col 2:13; cf. Col 3:1 and Rom 6:1–11). On the cross Christ canceled the record of the debt that stood against us with all its claims (Col 2:14), i.e., he eliminated the law (cf. Eph 2:15) that human beings could not observe—and that could not save them. He forgave sins against the law (Col 2:14) and exposed as false and misleading (Col 2:15) all other powers (cf. Col 1:16) that purport to offer salvation. Therefore, the Colossians are not to accept judgments from such teachers on food and drink or to keep certain religious festivals or engage in certain cultic practices (Col 2:16), for the Colossians would thereby risk severing themselves from Christ (Col 2:19). If, when they accepted the gospel, they believed in Christ as their savior, they must be convinced that their salvation cannot be achieved by appeasing ruling spirits through dietary practices or through a wisdom gained simply by means of harsh asceticism (Col 2:20–23).
- 2:8 Elemental powers of the world: see note on Gal 4:3.
- 2:9 Fullness of the deity: the divine nature, not just attributes; see note on Col 1:19.
- 2:11 A description of baptism (Col 2:12) in symbolic terms of the Old Testament rite for entry into the community. The false teachers may have demanded physical circumcision of the Colossians.
- 2:14 The elaborate metaphor here about how God canceled the legal claims against us through Christ’s cross depicts not Christ being nailed to the cross by men but the bond…with its legal claims being nailed to the cross by God.
- 2:15 The picture derives from the public spectacle and triumph of a Roman emperor’s victory parade, where captives marched in subjection. The principalities and the powers are here conquered, not reconciled (cf. Col 1:16, 20). An alternate rendering for by it (the cross) is “by him” (Christ).
- 2:16 Festival or new moon or sabbath: yearly, monthly, and weekly observances determined by religious powers associated with a calendar set by the heavenly bodies, sun, moon, and stars (cf. Col 2:8).
- 2:18 Ascetic practices encouraged by the false teachers included subjection of self humbly to their rules, worship of angels, and cultivation of visions, though exact details are unclear.
Colossians 2
King James Version
2 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
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