Colossians 2:8-23

Legacy Standard Bible

^8 (A)See to it that no one takes you captive through ^(B)philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the ^(C)elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the ^(D)fullness of Deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been ^(E)filled, ^(F)who is the head ^[a]over all ^(G)rule and authority; ¹¹ in whom ^(H)you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of ^(I)the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been ^(J)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also ^(K)raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who ^(L)raised Him from the dead. ¹³ And you being ^(M)dead ^[b]in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He ^(N)made you alive with Him, having graciously forgiven us all our transgressions. ¹⁴ Having canceled out ^(O)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us which was hostile to us, ^(P)He also has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ Having ^[c](Q)disarmed the ^(R)rulers and authorities, He ^(S)made a public display of them, having ^(T)triumphed over them in ^[d]Him.

¹⁶ Therefore, no one is to ^(U)judge you in ^(V)food and ^(W)drink, or in respect to a ^(X)festival or a ^(Y)new moon or a ^(Z)Sabbath ^[e]day— ¹⁷ things which are only a ^(AA)shadow of what is to come; but the ^[f]substance ^[g]belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one keep ^[h](AB)defrauding you of your prize by ^(AC)delighting in ^[i]self-abasement and the worship of the angels, going into detail about visions he has seen, ^(AD)being puffed up for nothing by his ^(AE)fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding fast to ^(AF)the head, from whom ^(AG)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ^[j]ligaments, grows with a growth ^[k]that is from God.

^20 (AH)If you have died with Christ ^[l]to the ^(AI)elementary principles of the world, ^(AJ)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to ^(AK)decrees: ²¹ “Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”? ²² Which ^[m]deal with everything ^(AL)destined to perish ^[n]with use, which are in accordance with the ^(AM)commands and teachings of men; ²³ which are matters having, to be sure, a ^[o]word of wisdom in ^[p](AN)self-made religion and self-abasement and ^(AO)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against ^(AP)fleshly indulgence.