Colossians 2:12-3:16

English Standard Version

^12 (A)having been buried with him in baptism, in which ^(B)you were also raised with him through faith in ^(C)the powerful working of God, ^(D)who raised him from the dead. ^13 (E)And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God ^(F)made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by ^(G)canceling ^(H)the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ^15 (I)He disarmed the rulers and authorities^[a] and ^(J)put them to open shame, by ^(K)triumphing over them in him.^[b]

Let No One Disqualify You

¹⁶ Therefore let no one ^(L)pass judgment on you ^(M)in questions of food and drink, or with regard to ^(N)a festival or ^(O)a new moon or a Sabbath. ^17 (P)These are a shadow of the things to come, but ^(Q)the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one ^(R)disqualify you, ^(S)insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, ^(T)going on in detail about visions,^{[c] (U)}puffed up without reason by ^(V)his sensuous mind, ¹⁹ and ^(W)not ^(X)holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

²⁰ If with Christ ^(Y)you died to the ^(Z)elemental spirits of the world, ^(AA)why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ^21 (AB)“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” ²² (^(AC)referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to ^(AD)human precepts and teachings? ²³ These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in ^(AE)promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are ^(AF)of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Put On the New Self

3 ^(AG)If then you have been raised with Christ, seek ^(AH)the things that are above, where Christ is, ^(AI)seated at the right hand of God. ^2 (AJ)Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For ^(AK)you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ ^(AL)who is your^[d] life ^(AM)appears, then you also will appear with him ^(AN)in glory.

^5 (AO)Put to death therefore ^(AP)what is earthly in you:^{[e] (AQ)}sexual immorality, impurity, ^(AR)passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ^(AS)which is idolatry. ^6 (AT)On account of these the wrath of God is coming.^{[f] 7 (AU)}In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now ^(AV)you must put them all away: ^(AW)anger, wrath, malice, ^(AX)slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ^9 (AY)Do not lie to one another, seeing that ^(AZ)you have put off ^(BA)the old self^[g] with its practices ¹⁰ and ^(BB)have put on ^(BC)the new self, ^(BD)which is being renewed in knowledge ^(BE)after the image of ^(BF)its creator. ^11 (BG)Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,^[h] free; but Christ is ^(BH)all, and in all.

^12 (BI)Put on then, as ^(BJ)God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, ^(BK)compassionate hearts, ^(BL)kindness, ^(BM)humility, meekness, and patience, ^13 (BN)bearing with one another and, ^(BO)if one has a complaint against another, ^(BP)forgiving each other; ^(BQ)as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on ^(BR)love, which ^(BS)binds everything together in ^(BT)perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let ^(BU)the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called ^(BV)in one body. And ^(BW)be thankful. ¹⁶ Let ^(BX)the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, ^(BY)singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ^(BZ)with thankfulness in your hearts to God.