⁴ I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive [but thoroughly deceptive] arguments. ⁵ For even though I am absent [from you] in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, ^[a]delighted to see your good discipline [as you stand shoulder to shoulder and form a solid front] and to see the stability of your faith in Christ [your steadfast reliance on Him and your unwavering confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].

⁶ Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], ⁷ having been deeply rooted [in Him] and now being continually built up in Him and [becoming increasingly more] established ^[b]in your faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing in it with gratitude.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the tradition [and musings] of mere men, following the ^[c]elementary principles of this world, rather than following [the truth—the teachings of] Christ.