Colossians 2
Revised Geneva Translation
2 For I desire that you knew what great struggle I have for you, and for those of Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2 that their hearts might be encouraged, having been joined together in love and in all the riches of the full assurance of understanding to know the mystery of God and the Father and of Christ,
3 in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 And this I say so that no one should deceive you with persuasive words.
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order and your steadfast faith in Christ.
6 Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him;
7 being rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware, lest anyone spoil you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the traditions of man, according to the principles of the world and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily.
10 And you are complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power.
11 In Him also are you circumcised, with circumcision made without hands, by putting off the sinful body of the flesh through the circumcision of Christ,
12 buried with Him in baptism (in which you are also risen with Him through the faith of the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead).
13 And you, who were dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, forgiving all trespasses
14 and blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances against us which opposed us. He has taken it out of the way and fastened it upon the cross.
15 And having disarmed the rulers and authorities, and having made a show of them openly, He has triumphed over them in it.
16 Therefore, let no one judge you as regards food and drink, or regarding a holy day or the new moon or the Sabbath,
17 which are a shadow of things to come. But the body is of Christ.
18 Let no one, at his pleasure, bear rule over you by his humbleness of mind and his worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he has never seen, being rashly puffed up with his fleshly mind
19 and not taking hold of the Head (from Whom all the body, supplied and knit together by joints and bonds, grows with a growth that is from God).
20 Therefore, if you have died with Christ from the principles of the world, why then (as though you lived in the world) do you submit to ordinances such as:
21 “Touch not! Taste not! Handle not!”,
22 which all perish with use and are according to the commandments and doctrines of man?
23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom and of voluntary religion and humbleness of mind and of not sparing the body but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
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 King James Version
Not Philosophy but Christ
2 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, 2 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, 3 (B)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 Now this I say (C)lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. 5 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.
6 (G)As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 (H)rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding [d]in it with thanksgiving.
8 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. 9 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
- Colossians 2:1 struggle
- Colossians 2:2 NU omits both of the Father and
- Colossians 2:5 Lit. and seeing
- Colossians 2:7 NU omits in it
- Colossians 2:8 Lit. plunder you or take you captive
- Colossians 2:9 in bodily form
- Colossians 2:10 rule and authority
- Colossians 2:11 NU omits of the sins
- Colossians 2:14 certificate of debt with its
- Colossians 2:16 feast day
- Colossians 2:17 Lit. body
- Colossians 2:18 NU omits not
- Colossians 2:20 NU, M omit Therefore
- Colossians 2:23 severe treatment, asceticism
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
