Colossians 2
New American Standard Bible
You Are Built Up in Christ
2 For I want you to know how great a (A)struggle I have in your behalf and for those who are at (B)Laodicea, and for all those who have not [a]personally seen my face, 2 that their (C)hearts may be encouraged, having been (D)knit together in love, and that they would attain to all (E)the wealth [b]that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a (F)true knowledge of (G)God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all (H)the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 (I)I say this so that no one will deceive you with (J)persuasive arguments. 5 For even though I am (K)absent in body, I am nevertheless with you in spirit, rejoicing [c]to see [d]your (L)orderly manner and the (M)stability of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore, as you have received (N)Christ Jesus the Lord, so [e](O)walk in Him, 7 having been firmly (P)rooted and now being (Q)built up in Him and (R)established [f]in [g]your faith, just as you (S)were instructed, and overflowing [h]with gratitude.
8 (T)See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through (U)philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the (V)elementary principles of the world, [i]rather than in accordance with Christ. 9 For in Him all the (W)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been (X)made [j]complete, and (Y)He is the head [k]over every (Z)ruler and authority; 11 and in Him (AA)you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of (AB)the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been (AC)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also (AD)raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who (AE)raised Him from the dead. 13 And [l]when you were (AF)dead [m]in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He (AG)made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, 14 having canceled (AH)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and (AI)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had [n](AJ)disarmed the (AK)rulers and authorities, He (AL)made a public display of them, having (AM)triumphed over them through [o]Him.
16 Therefore, no one is to [p](AN)act as your judge in regard to (AO)food and (AP)drink, or in respect to a (AQ)festival or a (AR)new moon, or a (AS)Sabbath [q]day— 17 things which are only a (AT)shadow of what is to come; but the [r]substance [s]belongs to Christ. 18 Take care that no one keeps [t](AU)defrauding you of your prize by (AV)delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, [u]taking his stand on visions he has seen, [v](AW)inflated without cause by his (AX)fleshly mind, 19 and not holding firmly to (AY)the head, from whom (AZ)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and [w]ligaments, grows with a growth [x]which is from God.
20 (BA)If you have died with Christ [y]to the (BB)elementary principles of the world, (BC)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to (BD)decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer (BE)to things destined to perish [z]with use)—in accordance with the (BF)commandments and teachings of man? 23 These are matters which do have the [aa]appearance of wisdom in [ab](BG)self-made religion and humility and (BH)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against (BI)fleshly indulgence.
Footnotes
- Colossians 2:1 Lit in the flesh
- Colossians 2:2 Lit of the full assurance
- Colossians 2:5 Lit and seeing
- Colossians 2:5 Or your good order
- Colossians 2:6 Or lead your life
- Colossians 2:7 Or by
- Colossians 2:7 Or the faith
- Colossians 2:7 One early ms in it with
- Colossians 2:8 Lit and not
- Colossians 2:10 Lit full
- Colossians 2:10 Lit of
- Colossians 2:13 Or although
- Colossians 2:13 Or by reason of
- Colossians 2:15 Or divested Himself of
- Colossians 2:15 Or it; i.e., the cross
- Colossians 2:16 Lit judge you
- Colossians 2:16 Or days
- Colossians 2:17 Lit body
- Colossians 2:17 Lit of Christ
- Colossians 2:18 Or deciding against you
- Colossians 2:18 Or going into detail about
- Colossians 2:18 Or conceited
- Colossians 2:19 Lit bonds
- Colossians 2:19 Lit of God
- Colossians 2:20 Lit from
- Colossians 2:22 Or by being consumed
- Colossians 2:23 Lit report; Gr logos
- Colossians 2:23 Or would-be religion
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.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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
