Colossians 2
GOD’S WORD Translation
2 I want you to know how hard I work for you, for the people of Laodicea, and for people I have never met. 2 Because they are united in love, I work so that they may be encouraged by all the riches that come from a complete understanding of Christ. He is the mystery of God. 3 God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ. 4 I say this so that no one will mislead you with arguments that merely sound good. 5 Although I’m absent from you physically, I’m with you in spirit. I’m happy to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
6 You received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live as Christ’s people. 7 Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving.
Beware of Requirements Invented by Humans
8 Be careful not to let anyone rob you ⌞of this faith⌟ through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ.
9 All of God lives in Christ’s body, 10 and God has made you complete in Christ. Christ is in charge of every ruler and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised. It was not a circumcision performed by human hands. But it was a removal of the corrupt nature in the circumcision performed by Christ. 12 This happened when you were placed in the tomb with Christ through baptism. In baptism you were also brought back to life with Christ through faith in the power of God,[a] who brought him back to life.
13 You were once dead because of your failures and your uncircumcised corrupt nature. But God made you alive with Christ when he forgave all our failures. 14 He did this by erasing the charges that were brought against us by the written laws God had established. He took the charges away by nailing them to the cross. 15 He stripped the rulers and authorities ⌞of their power⌟ and made a public spectacle of them as he celebrated his victory in Christ.
16 Therefore, let no one judge you because of what you eat or drink or about the observance of annual holy days, New Moon Festivals, or weekly days of rest—holy days. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body ⌞that casts the shadow⌟ belongs to Christ.
18 Let no one who delights in ⌞false⌟ humility and the worship of angels tell you that you don’t deserve a prize. Such a person, whose sinful mind fills him with arrogance, gives endless details of the visions he has seen. 19 He doesn’t hold on to ⌞Christ,⌟ the head. Christ makes the whole body grow as God wants it to, through support and unity given by the joints and ligaments.
20 If you have died with Christ to the world’s way of doing things, why do you let others tell you how to live? It’s as though you were still under the world’s influence. 21 People will tell you, “Don’t handle this! Don’t taste or touch that!” 22 All of these things deal with objects that are only used up anyway. 23 These things look like wisdom with their self-imposed worship, ⌞false⌟ humility, and harsh treatment of the body. But they have no value for holding back the constant desires of your corrupt nature.
Footnotes
- 2:12 Or “through faith produced by God.”
歌罗西书 2
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
2 我願意你們知道,我為你們和在老底嘉的人,以及所有沒有跟我見過面的人,是怎樣竭力奮鬥, 2 為的是要他們的心得著勉勵,在愛中彼此聯繫,可以得著憑悟性、因確信而來的一切豐盛,也可以充分認識 神的奧祕,這奧祕就是基督; 3 一切智慧和知識的寶庫都蘊藏在基督裡面。 4 我說這些話,免得有人用花言巧語欺騙你們。 5 我雖然不在你們那裡,心卻與你們同在。我看見你們循規蹈矩,並且對基督有堅定的信心,就歡喜了。
在基督裡得豐盛
6 你們怎樣接受了基督耶穌為主,就當照樣在他裡面行事為人, 7 按著你們所領受的教導,在他裡面扎根、建造,信心堅定,滿有感謝的心。 8 你們要謹慎,免得有人不照著基督,而照著人的傳統,和世俗的言論,藉著哲學和騙人的空談,把你們擄去。 9 因為 神本性的一切豐盛,都有形有體地住在基督裡面, 10 你們也是在他裡面得了豐盛。他是一切執政掌權者的元首。 11 你們也在他裡面受了不是由人手所行的割禮,而是受了基督的割禮,就是除掉你們的罪身。 12 你們在洗禮中已經與他一同埋葬,也在洗禮中,因信那使基督從死人中復活的 神所運行的動力,與他一同復活了。 13 你們因著過犯和肉體未受割禮,原是死的,然而 神赦免了我們的一切過犯,使你們與基督一同活過來, 14 塗抹了那寫在規條上反對我們、與我們為敵的字句,並且把這字句從我們中間拿去,釘在十字架上。 15 他既然靠著十字架勝過了一切執政掌權的,廢除了他們的權勢,就在凱旋的行列中,把他們公開示眾。
16 所以不要讓人因著飲食、節期、月朔、安息日批評你們, 17 這些不過是將來的事的影子,那真體卻是屬於基督的。 18 不要讓人奪去你們的獎賞,他們以故意謙卑,敬拜天使為樂;迷於自己所見過的;憑著肉體的意念,無故地自高自大; 19 不與頭緊密相連。其實全身都是藉著關節和筋絡從頭得著供應和聯繫,就照著 神所要求的,生長起來。
在基督裡作新人
20-21 你們若與基督一同死了,脫離了世俗的言論,為甚麼仍然好像活在世俗中一樣,拘守那“不可摸、不可嘗、不可觸”的規條呢? 22 (這一切東西,一經使用,就都朽壞了。)這些規條是照著人的命令和教訓而定的, 23 在隨著己意敬拜,故作謙卑,和苦待己身等事上,似乎是智慧之言,其實只能叫人放縱肉體,再沒有任何價值。
Colossians 2
Christian Standard Bible
2 For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling(A) for you, for those in Laodicea,(B) and for all who have not seen me in person. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged(C) and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery(D)—Christ.[a](E) 3 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom(F) and knowledge.(G)
Christ versus the Colossian Heresy
4 I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable. 5 For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit,(H) rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.
6 So then, just as you have received(I) Christ Jesus as Lord,(J) continue to walk in him, 7 being rooted and built up in him(K) and established in the faith, just as you were taught,(L) and overflowing with gratitude.
8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition,(M) based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.(N) 9 For the entire fullness(O) of God’s nature dwells bodily[b] in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by him, who is the head(P) over every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh,(Q) in the circumcision of Christ,(R) 12 when you were buried with him(S) in baptism, in which you were also raised with him(T) through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.(U) 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.(V) 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.[c](W)
16 Therefore, don’t let anyone judge(X) you in regard to food and drink(Y) or in the matter of a festival or a new moon(Z) or a Sabbath day.[d] 17 These are a shadow(AA) of what was to come;(AB) the substance is[e] Christ.(AC) 18 Let no one condemn[f] you(AD) by delighting in ascetic practices(AE) and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated(AF) by empty notions of their unspiritual[g] mind. 19 They don’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body,(AG) nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.
20 If you died with Christ(AH) to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: 21 “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? 22 All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. 23 Although these have a reputation for wisdom(AI) by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.[h](AJ)
Footnotes
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
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