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. 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, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.(E) I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.(F) 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

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,(K) continue to live your lives in him, rooted(L) and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,(M) and overflowing with thankfulness.

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.

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

  1. Colossians 2:8 Or the basic principles; also in verse 20
  2. 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.
  3. Colossians 2:11 Or put off in the circumcision of
  4. Colossians 2:13 Some manuscripts us
  5. Colossians 2:15 Or them in him

Sepse dua që të dini ç’luftë të ashpër më duhet të bëj për ju, për ata që janë në Laodice dhe për të gjithë ata të cilët nuk e kanë parë fytyrën time personalisht,

që zemrat e tyre të ngushëllohen, duke u bashkuar në dashuri, dhe të kenë të gjitha pasuritë e sigurisë së plotë të zgjuarësisë për të njohur misterin e Perëndisë, e Atit dhe të Krishtit,

ku janë fshehur të gjitha thesaret e diturisë dhe të njohjes.

Dhe po ju them këtë, që askush të mos ju gënjejë me fjalë joshëse,

sepse, edhe pse me trup jam larg jush, me frymën jam bashkë me ju dhe gëzohem duke parë rregullin dhe qëndrueshmërinë e besimit tuaj në Krishtin.

Ashtu si e keni marrë Krishtin Jezus, Zotin, ashtu, pra, ecni në të,

duke pasur rrënjë dhe duke u ndërtuar në të, dhe duke u forcuar në besim ashtu sikurse ju mësuan, duke mbushulluar në të me falenderim.

Tregoni kujdes se mos ndokush ju bën prenë e tij me anë të filozofisë dhe me mashtrime të kota, sipas traditës së njerëzve, sipas elementeve të botës dhe jo sipas Krishtit,

sepse tek ai banon trupërisht gjithë plotësia e Hyjnisë.

10 Dhe ju keni marrë plotësinë në të, sepse ai është krye e çdo principate e pushteti,

11 në të cilin ju edhe u rrethpretë me një rrethprerje që nuk u bë me dorë, por me rrethprerjen e Krishtit, me anë të zhveshjes së trupit nga mëkatet e mishit:

12 të varrosur bashkë në të në pagëzim, ju edhe u ringjallët bashkë në të, me anë të besimit në fuqinë e Perëndisë që e ka ringjallur prej së vdekurish.

13 Dhe bashkë me të Perëndia ju dha jetë ju, që kishit vdekur në mëkate dhe në parrethprerjen e mishit, duke jua falur të gjitha mëkatet.

14 Ai e zhvlerësoi dokumentin e urdhërimeve, që ishte kundër nesh dhe ishte kundërshtar, dhe e hoqi nga mesi duke e mbërthyer në kryq;

15 dhe mbasi i zhveshi pushtetet dhe principatat, ua tregoi sheshit njerëzve, duke ngadhnjyer mbi ata në të.

16 Prandaj askush të mos ju gjykojë për ushqime ose pije, për festa o hënë të re, o të shtuna;

17 këto gjëra janë hija e atyre që kanë për të ardhur; por trupi është i Krishtit.

18 Askush të mos përvetësojë prej jush çmimin me pretekst përulësie dhe kulti të engjëjve, duke u përzier në gjëra që nuk i ka parë, i fryrë nga një krenari e kotë për shkak të mendjes së tij mishore,

19 dhe nuk mbahet te kryet, prej të cilit gjithë trupi, i ushqyer mirë dhe i lidhur i tëri me anë të nyjeve dhe të gjymtyrëve rritet me rritjen e Perëndisë.

20 Pra, në qoftë se vdiqët me Krishtin nga elementet e botës, përse u nënshtroheni disa rregullave, a thua se jetoni ende në botë, si:

21 “Mos prek, mos shijo, mos merr,”

22 të gjitha gjërat që prishen nga përdorimi, sipas urdhërimeve dhe mësimeve të njerëzve?

23 Këto gjëra kanë ndonjë dukje diturie në devotshmërinë e zgjedhur vullnetarisht, në përunjësinë e rreme dhe në trajtimin e ashpër të trupit, por nuk kanë asnjë vlerë kundër kënaqësisë së mishit.

I want you to know that I am trying very hard to help you. And I am trying to help those in Laodicea and others who have never seen me. I want them to be strengthened and joined together with love and to have the full confidence that comes from understanding. I want them to know completely the secret truth that God has made known. That truth is Christ himself. In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are kept safe.

I tell you this so that no one can fool you by telling you ideas that seem good, but are false. Even though I am far away, my thoughts are always with you. I am happy to see your good lives and your strong faith in Christ.

Continue to Follow Christ Jesus

You accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, so continue to live following him. You must depend on Christ only, drawing life and strength from him. Just as you were taught the truth, continue to grow stronger in your understanding of it. And never stop giving thanks to God.

Be sure you are not led away by the teaching of those who have nothing worth saying and only plan to deceive you. That teaching is not from Christ. It is only human tradition and comes from the powers that influence[a] this world. I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.

11 In Christ you had a different kind of circumcision, one that was not done by human hands. That is, you were made free from the power of your sinful self. That is the kind of circumcision Christ does. 12 When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him because of your faith in God’s power. God’s power was shown when he raised Christ from death.

13 You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins. 14 Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. 15 He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.

Don’t Follow Rules That People Make

16 So don’t let anyone make rules for you about eating and drinking or about Jewish customs (festivals, New Moon celebrations, or Sabbath days). 17 In the past these things were like a shadow that showed what was coming. But the new things that were coming are found in Christ. 18 Some people enjoy acting as if they are humble and love to worship angels.[b] They always talk about the visions they have seen. Don’t listen to them when they say you are wrong because you don’t do these things. It is so foolish for them to feel such pride, because it is all based on their own human ideas. 19 They don’t keep themselves under the control of the head. Christ is the head, and the whole body depends on him. Because of Christ all the parts of the body care for each other and help each other. So the body is made stronger and held together as God causes it to grow.

20 You died with Christ and were made free from the powers that influence this world. So why do you act as if you still belong to the world? I mean, why do you follow rules like these: 21 “Don’t eat this,” “Don’t taste that,” “Don’t touch that”? 22 These rules are talking about earthly things that are gone after they are used. They are only human commands and teachings. 23 These rules may seem to be wise as part of a made-up religion in which people pretend to be humble and punish their bodies. But they don’t help people stop doing the evil that the sinful self wants to do.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 2:8 powers that influence Or “elementary rules of.” Also in verse 20.
  2. Colossians 2:18 worship angels Or “worship with angels” (that they see in visions).

(A)Desidero infatti che sappiate quale arduo combattimento sostengo per voi, per quelli di *Laodicea e per tutti quelli che non mi hanno mai visto di persona, affinché i loro cuori siano incoraggiati e, uniti mediante l'amore, siano dotati di tutta la ricchezza della piena intelligenza per conoscere a fondo il mistero di Dio, cioè Cristo, nel quale tutti i tesori della sapienza e della conoscenza sono nascosti.

Avvertimento contro le false dottrine

Dico questo affinché nessuno vi inganni con parole seducenti; perché, sebbene sia assente di persona, sono però con voi spiritualmente, e mi rallegro vedendo il vostro ordine e la fermezza della vostra fede in Cristo.

Come dunque avete ricevuto Cristo Gesú, il Signore, cosí camminate in lui; radicati, edificati in lui e rafforzati dalla fede[a], come vi è stata insegnata, abbondate nel ringraziamento.

(B)Guardate che nessuno faccia di voi sua preda con la filosofia e con vani raggiri secondo la tradizione degli uomini e gli elementi del mondo e non secondo Cristo; perché in lui abita corporalmente tutta la pienezza della Deità; 10 e voi avete tutto pienamente in lui, che è il capo di ogni principato e di ogni potestà; 11 in lui siete anche stati circoncisi di una circoncisione non fatta da mano d'uomo, ma della circoncisione di Cristo, che consiste nello spogliamento del corpo della carne, 12 essendo stati con lui sepolti nel battesimo, nel quale siete anche stati risuscitati con lui mediante la fede nella potenza di Dio che lo ha risuscitato dai morti. 13 Voi, che eravate morti nei peccati e nella incirconcisione della vostra carne, voi, dico, Dio ha vivificati con lui, perdonandoci tutti i peccati, 14 avendo cancellato il documento[b] a noi ostile, i cui comandamenti ci condannavano, e l'ha tolto di mezzo, inchiodandolo sulla croce; 15 ha spogliato i principati e le potestà, ne ha fatto un pubblico spettacolo, trionfando su di loro per mezzo della croce.

16 (C)Nessuno dunque vi giudichi quanto al mangiare o al bere, o rispetto a *feste, a noviluni, a sabati, 17 che sono l'ombra di cose che dovevano avvenire; ma il corpo è di Cristo[c]. 18 Nessuno vi derubi a suo piacere del vostro premio, con un pretesto di umiltà e di culto degli angeli, affidandosi alle proprie visioni, gonfio di vanità nella sua mente carnale, 19 senza attenersi al Capo, da cui tutto il corpo, ben fornito e congiunto insieme mediante le giunture e i legamenti, progredisce nella crescita voluta da Dio.

20 Se siete morti con Cristo agli elementi del mondo, perché, come se viveste nel mondo, vi lasciate imporre dei precetti, quali: 21 «Non toccare, non assaggiare, non maneggiare» 22 (tutte cose destinate a scomparire con l'uso), secondo i comandamenti e le dottrine degli uomini? 23 Quelle cose hanno, è vero, una reputazione di sapienza per quel tanto che è in esse di culto volontario, di umiltà e di austerità nel trattare il corpo, ma non hanno alcun valore; servono solo a soddisfare la carne[d].

Footnotes

  1. Colossesi 2:7 Rafforzati dalla fede, altri traducono: confermati nella fede.
  2. Colossesi 2:14 Il documento, cioè la legge mosaica.
  3. Colossesi 2:17 Il corpo è di Cristo, cioè la realtà è in Cristo.
  4. Colossesi 2:23 Ma non hanno… valore; servono… la carne, altri traducono: ma non hanno alcun valore contro la soddisfazione della carne.