Not Philosophy but Christ

For I want you to know what a great (A)conflict[a] I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, [b]both of the Father and of Christ, (B)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Now this I say (C)lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For (D)though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing [c]to see (E)your good order and the (F)steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

(G)As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, (H)rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding [d]in it with thanksgiving.

Beware lest anyone [e]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to (I)the tradition of men, according to the (J)basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For (K)in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead [f]bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the (L)head of all [g]principality and power.

Not Legalism but Christ

11 In Him you were also (M)circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by (N)putting off the body [h]of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 (O)buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through (P)faith in the working of God, (Q)who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 (R)having wiped out the [i]handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 (S)Having disarmed (T)principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

16 So let no one (U)judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a [j]festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 (V)which are a shadow of things to come, but the [k]substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has [l]not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to (W)the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, (X)grows with the increase that is from God.

20 [m]Therefore, if you (Y)died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, (Z)why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 (AA)“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—(AB)according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 (AC)These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and [n]neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 2:1 struggle
  2. Colossians 2:2 NU omits both of the Father and
  3. Colossians 2:5 Lit. and seeing
  4. Colossians 2:7 NU omits in it
  5. Colossians 2:8 Lit. plunder you or take you captive
  6. Colossians 2:9 in bodily form
  7. Colossians 2:10 rule and authority
  8. Colossians 2:11 NU omits of the sins
  9. Colossians 2:14 certificate of debt with its
  10. Colossians 2:16 feast day
  11. Colossians 2:17 Lit. body
  12. Colossians 2:18 NU omits not
  13. Colossians 2:20 NU, M omit Therefore
  14. Colossians 2:23 severe treatment, asceticism

For I want you to know (A)how great a (B)struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that (C)their hearts may be encouraged, being (D)knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of (E)God's mystery, which is Christ, (F)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order (G)that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For (H)though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your (I)good order and (J)the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Alive in Christ

(K)Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, (L)rooted and (M)built up in him and (N)established in the faith, just (O)as you were taught, abounding (P)in thanksgiving.

See to it that no one takes you captive by (Q)philosophy and (R)empty deceit, according to (S)human tradition, according to the (T)elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. For (U)in him the whole fullness of deity dwells (V)bodily, 10 and (W)you have been filled in him, who is (X)the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also (Y)you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by (Z)putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 (AA)having been buried with him in baptism, in which (AB)you were also raised with him through faith in (AC)the powerful working of God, (AD)who raised him from the dead. 13 (AE)And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God (AF)made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by (AG)canceling (AH)the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 (AI)He disarmed the rulers and authorities[b] and (AJ)put them to open shame, by (AK)triumphing over them in him.[c]

Let No One Disqualify You

16 Therefore let no one (AL)pass judgment on you (AM)in questions of food and drink, or with regard to (AN)a festival or (AO)a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 (AP)These are a shadow of the things to come, but (AQ)the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one (AR)disqualify you, (AS)insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, (AT)going on in detail about visions,[d] (AU)puffed up without reason by (AV)his sensuous mind, 19 and (AW)not (AX)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 (AY)you died to the (AZ)elemental spirits of the world, (BA)why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 (BB)“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 ((BC)referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to (BD)human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in (BE)promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are (BF)of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Footnotes

  1. Colossians 2:8 Or elementary principles; also verse 20
  2. Colossians 2:15 Probably demonic rulers and authorities
  3. Colossians 2:15 Or in it (that is, the cross)
  4. Colossians 2:18 Or about the things he has seen

我要你們知道,我為你們和老底嘉人,和所有沒有與我見過面的人,是何等地勤奮; 為要使他們的心得安慰,因愛心互相聯絡,以致有從確實了解所產生的豐盛,好深知 神的奧祕,就是基督; 在他裏面蘊藏着一切智慧和知識。 我說這話,免得有人用花言巧語迷惑你們。 雖然我身體不在你們那裏,心卻與你們同在,很高興見你們循規蹈矩,對基督的信心也堅固。

基督裏的豐盛

既然你們接受了主基督耶穌,就要靠着他而生活, 照着你們所領受的教導,在他裏面生根建造,信心堅固,充滿着感謝的心。 你們要謹慎,免得有人用他的哲學和虛空的廢話,不照着基督,而是照人間的傳統和世上粗淺的學說[a],把你們擄去。 因為 神本性一切的豐盛都有形有體地居住在基督裏面; 10 你們在他裏面也已經成為豐盛。他是所有執政掌權者的元首。 11 你們也在他裏面受了不是人手所行的割禮,而是使你們脫去肉體情慾的基督的割禮。 12 你們既受洗與他一同埋葬,也就在此禮上,因信那使他從死人中復活的 神的作為跟他一同復活。 13 你們從前在過犯和未受割禮的肉體中死了, 神卻赦免了你們一切的過犯,使你們與基督一同活過來, 14 塗去了在律例上所寫、敵對我們、束縛我們的字據,把它撤去,釘在十字架上。 15 基督既將一切執政者、掌權者的權勢解除了,就在凱旋的行列中,將他們公開示眾,仗着十字架誇勝。

16 所以,不要讓任何人在飲食上,或節期、初一、安息日等事上評斷你們。 17 這些原是未來的事的影子,真體卻是屬基督的。 18 不要讓人藉着故作謙虛和敬拜天使奪去你們的獎賞。這等人拘泥在所見過的幻象[b],隨着自己的慾望無故地自高自大, 19 不緊隨元首;其實,由於他全身藉着關節筋絡才得到滋養,互相聯絡,靠 神所賜的成長而成長。

基督裏的新生活

20-21 既然你們與基督同死而脫離了世上粗淺的學說,為甚麼仍像生活在世俗中一樣,去服從那「不可拿、不可嘗、不可摸」等類的規條呢? 22 這些都是根據人的命令和教導,論到這一切都是一經使用就都敗壞了。 23 這些規條使人徒有智慧之名,用私意崇拜,自表謙卑,苦待己身,其實在克制肉體的情慾上毫無功效。

Footnotes

  1. 2.8 「世上粗淺的學說」或譯「宇宙的星宿」;20–21節同。
  2. 2.18 有古卷是「這等人窺察所沒有見過的」。