13 When you were dead in your sins(A) and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[a] alive(B) with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,(C) 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,(D) which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.(E) 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities,(F) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them(G) by the cross.[b]

Freedom From Human Rules

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you(H) by what you eat or drink,(I) or with regard to a religious festival,(J) a New Moon celebration(K) or a Sabbath day.(L) 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come;(M) the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility(N) and the worship of angels disqualify you.(O) Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head,(P) from whom the whole body,(Q) supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.(R)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 2:13 Some manuscripts us
  2. Colossians 2:15 Or them in him

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.

Read full chapter