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Colossians 2
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Colossians 2
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
I Am Struggling Greatly For an Increase In Your Assurance And Knowledge of Christ
2 For I want you to know how great a struggle I am having for your sake and the ones in Laodicea, and all-who have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 in order that their hearts might be encouraged— they having been brought-together[a] in love and for[b] all the riches of the full-assurance of understanding, for[c] the full-knowledge of the mystery of God— Christ, 3 in Whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, hidden-away[d]. 4 I am saying this[e] in order that no one may be deluding you with persuasive-argument. 5 For even though I am absent in the flesh, nevertheless I am with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
So Be Walking In Christ And Established In The Faith You Were Taught
6 As then you received Christ Jesus the[f] Lord, be walking in Him— 7 having been rooted, and being built-up in Him, and being established in the[g] faith just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Don’t Be Taken Captive By Human Thinking, Because All God’s Fullness Is In Christ
8 Be watching-out that there will not be anyone taking you captive through philosophy and empty deception according-to[h] the tradition of humans, according to the elemental things[i] of the world, and not according to Christ, 9 because in Him dwells all the fullness of the Deity[j] bodily[k].
You Are Complete In Christ, With Whom You Have Been Buried And Raised Up
10 And in Him you are complete[l], Who is the head of all rule[m] and authority, 11 in Whom you also were circumcised with a circumcision not-done-by-human-hands, in[n] the taking-off [o] of the body[p] of the flesh in the circumcision of [q] Christ— 12 having been buried-with Him in baptism, in which[r] you also were raised-with Him through faith in the working of God, the One having raised Him from the dead.
Indeed, God Made Us Alive With Christ, Having Forgiven All Our Trespasses
13 Indeed, you being dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh— He made you alive-together with Him, having forgiven us all the trespasses, 14 having wiped-out[s] the written-document[t] against us with[u] its decrees, which was opposed to us. Indeed, He has taken it out of the middle, having nailed it to the cross! 15 Having stripped[v] the rulers and the authorities, He exposed them in public, having celebrated-a-triumph-over[w] them in Him[x]!
Let No One Judge Your Behavior By False Standards
16 Therefore let no one judge you in eating and in drinking, or in respect to a feast or new-moon or Sabbath, 17 which are a shadow of the coming things, but the body[y] is Christ’s. 18 Let no one decide-against you while delighting[z] in humility[aa] and worship of [ab] angels, dwelling-upon[ac] things which he has seen, being puffed-up in-vain by the mind of [ad] his flesh, 19 and not holding-on-to[ae] the head— from Whom the whole body, being supplied[af] and held-together by the joints and ligaments, is growing the growth of [ag] God.
Since You Died With Christ, Do Not Submit To Human Decrees
20 If you died with Christ from[ah] the elemental[ai] things of the world, why, as-though living in the world, do you submit-to-decrees (21 “Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”; 22 Things which[aj] are all for[ak] perishing[al] in the use[am]!) according-to the commandments and teachings of humans?— 23 which are indeed having the talk[an] of wisdom in-connection-with will-worship[ao] and humility[ap] and harsh-treatment[aq] of the body, not[ar] in-connection-with any [real] value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Footnotes
- Colossians 2:2 Or, instructed.
- Colossians 2:2 That is, for the purpose of or toward the goal of having what follows.
- Colossians 2:2 Or, leading to, resulting in.
- Colossians 2:3 Or, are hidden-away all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; or, are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
- Colossians 2:4 Or, the next paragraph may begin with this verse.
- Colossians 2:6 Or, as Lord.
- Colossians 2:7 Or, in your faith, by faith.
- Colossians 2:8 Or, based on, by way of.
- Colossians 2:8 That is, the elementary knowledge of God available in the world before Christ, the world’s rudimentary teachings about God; or, the elemental spiritual beings or angels, the spirit powers.
- Colossians 2:9 That is, the divine essence or nature. This is an abstract term for ‘God’.
- Colossians 2:9 That is, in bodily form, in a bodily manner.
- Colossians 2:10 That is, are in a state of completeness.
- Colossians 2:10 Or, every ruler.
- Colossians 2:11 Or, in connection with.
- Colossians 2:11 Or, removal.
- Colossians 2:11 the body of the flesh. This corresponds to the foreskin in the literal case.
- Colossians 2:11 That is, the spiritual circumcision belonging to Christ (Christian circumcision), or performed on our hearts by Christ.
- Colossians 2:12 That is, baptism. Or, in Whom (Christ).
- Colossians 2:14 Or, blotted out, erased.
- Colossians 2:14 Or, handwriting; or more technically, certificate-of-debt. That is, the Law (God’s requirements); or, the indictment against us; or, our personal certificate of debt to God.
- Colossians 2:14 Or, in, with reference to, by reason of, accompanied by. Or, taking this with what follows, ‘which by its decrees was opposed to us’.
- Colossians 2:15 Or, disarmed, spoiled. That is, having stripped away their power; or, having stripped these beings away from Himself.
- Colossians 2:15 Or, led them as captives in a triumphant procession.
- Colossians 2:15 Or, in it, by it (the cross).
- Colossians 2:17 That is, the substance or reality casting the shadow belongs to Christ. Or, and the body [of Christ] is Christ’s [to judge].
- Colossians 2:18 Or, desiring to do so by-means-of humility.
- Colossians 2:18 That is, human lowliness, regarding humans as too insignificant to approach God except through angels; or, ascetic humility, self-abasement.
- Colossians 2:18 That is offered to angels. Or, offered by angels (angels’ worship), viewing themselves as mystically joining into the angels’ worship of God.
- Colossians 2:18 Or, taking his stand upon, entering in. Paul may be quoting their terms, delighting in ‘humility’ and ‘angels’ worship’, things which he has seen while ‘entering-in’ [a mystical experience].
- Colossians 2:18 That is, belonging to, characterized by, controlled by.
- Colossians 2:19 Or, holding-tight, keeping-hold-of.
- Colossians 2:19 Or, supported.
- Colossians 2:19 That is, produced by.
- Colossians 2:20 Or, away-from.
- Colossians 2:20 See 2:8.
- Colossians 2:22 Paul interjects his opinion of such teaching.
- Colossians 2:22 That is, intended for, destined for.
- Colossians 2:22 Or, destruction, ruin.
- Colossians 2:22 Or, using-up, consumption.
- Colossians 2:23 Or, report, reputation.
- Colossians 2:23 Or, self-made religion, self-chosen religion, would-be religion. It is worship sourced in the will of the worshiper, not the will of the one worshiped.
- Colossians 2:23 See v 18.
- Colossians 2:23 Or, unsparing-treatment.
- Colossians 2:23 not...flesh. Or, not in connection with any honor for the satisfaction of the flesh; or, not in connection with any honor, [but] for the indulgence of their flesh.
Colossians 2
New International Version
Colossians 2
New International Version
2 I want you to know how hard I am contending(A) for you and for those at Laodicea,(B) and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart(C) and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery(D) of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.(E) 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.(F) 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit(G) and delight to see how disciplined(H) you are and how firm(I) your faith in Christ(J) is.
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,(K) continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted(L) and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,(M) and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,(N) which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world(O) rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness(P) of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head(Q) over every power and authority.(R) 11 In him you were also circumcised(S) with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh[b](T) was put off when you were circumcised by[c] Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism,(U) in which you were also raised with him(V) through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.(W)
13 When you were dead in your sins(X) and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d] alive(Y) with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,(Z) 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,(AA) which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.(AB) 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities,(AC) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them(AD) by the cross.[e]
Freedom From Human Rules
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you(AE) by what you eat or drink,(AF) or with regard to a religious festival,(AG) a New Moon celebration(AH) or a Sabbath day.(AI) 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come;(AJ) the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility(AK) and the worship of angels disqualify you.(AL) 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,(AM) from whom the whole body,(AN) supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.(AO)
20 Since you died with Christ(AP) to the elemental spiritual forces of this world,(AQ) why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:(AR) 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish(AS) with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.(AT) 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility(AU) and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Footnotes
- Colossians 2:8 Or the basic principles; also in verse 20
- Colossians 2:11 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 13.
- Colossians 2:11 Or put off in the circumcision of
- Colossians 2:13 Some manuscripts us
- Colossians 2:15 Or them in him
Colossians 2
King James Version
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.
Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT) 
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.