Colossians 1:24-2:19

New King James Version

Sacrificial Service for Christ

^24 (A)I now rejoice in my sufferings ^(B)for you, and fill up in my flesh ^(C)what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for ^(D)the sake of His body, which is the church, ²⁵ of which I became a minister according to ^(E)the ^[a]stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, ^26 (F)the ^[b]mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, ^(G)but now has been revealed to His saints. ^27 (H)To them God willed to make known what are ^(I)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: ^[c]which is ^(J)Christ in you, ^(K)the hope of glory. ²⁸ Him we preach, ^(L)warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, ^(M)that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me ^(N)mightily.

Not Philosophy but Christ

2 For I want you to know what a great ^(O)conflict^[d] I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, ² that 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, ^[e]both of the Father and of Christ, ^3 (P)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

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

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

⁸ Beware lest anyone ^[h]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to ^(W)the tradition of men, according to the ^(X)basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For ^(Y)in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead ^[i]bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the ^(Z)head of all ^[j]principality and power.

Not Legalism but Christ

¹¹ In Him you were also ^(AA)circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by ^(AB)putting off the body ^[k]of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ^12 (AC)buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through ^(AD)faith in the working of God, ^(AE)who raised Him from the dead. ¹³ And 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 (AF)having wiped out the ^[l]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 (AG)Having disarmed ^(AH)principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

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