Colossians 2:19

Colossians 2:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
• New International Version (NIV)They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and not 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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

Context of Colossians 2:19

17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body ⌞that casts the shadow⌟ belongs to Christ. 18Let 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. 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. 20If 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. 21People will tell you, “Don’t handle this! Don’t taste or touch that!”

Colossians 2:19 word by word

καὶ οὐ κρατῶν τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐξ οὗ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα διὰ τῶν ἁφῶν καὶ συνδέσμων ἐπιχορηγούμενον καὶ συμβιβαζόμενον αὔξει τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ θεοῦ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• notοὐou · noG3756
• holdingκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
• the Headὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the Headκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• jointsἁφήhaphē · jointG860
• bandsσύνδεσμοςsundesmos · bond(age)G4886
• having nourishment ministeredἐπιχορηγέωepichorēgeō · to supplyG2023
• knit togetherσυμβιβάζωsumbibazō · to join withG4822
• increaseth withαὐξάνωauxanō · to growG837
• the increaseαὔξησιςauxēsis · growthG838
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Colossians 2:19

• Colossians 2:6You received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live as Christ’s people.
• Colossians 1:18He is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, the first to come back to life so that he would have first place in everything.
• Galatians 1:6I’m surprised that you’re so quickly deserting Christ, who called you in his kindness, to follow a different kind of good news.
• Galatians 5:2I, Paul, can guarantee that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
• 1 Timothy 2:4He wants all people to be saved and to learn the truth.
• Ephesians 4:15Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head.
• Job 19:9He has stripped me of my honor. He has taken the crown off my head.
• Psalms 139:15My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, when I was being skillfully woven in an underground workshop.
• John 15:4Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me.
• Romans 11:17But some of the olive branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in their place. You get your nourishment from the roots of the olive tree.
• Ephesians 5:29No one ever hated his own body. Instead, he feeds and takes care of it, as Christ takes care of the church.
• Colossians 2:2Because 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.
• John 17:21I pray that all of these people continue to have unity in the way that you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be united with us so that the world will believe that you have sent me.
• Acts 4:32The whole group of believers lived in harmony. No one called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything.
• Romans 12:4Our bodies have many parts, but these parts don’t all do the same thing.
• 1 Corinthians 1:10Brothers and sisters, I encourage all of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to agree with each other and not to split into opposing groups. I want you to be united in your understanding and opinions.

Commentaries on Colossians 2:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19And not holding the Head - Not acknowledging Jesus Christ as the only Savior of mankind, and the only Head or chief of the Christian Church, on whom every member of it depends, and from whom each derives both light and life. For a farther explanation of these words see the notes on Ephesians 4:16, where the figures and phraseology are the same.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19And not holding the Head - Not holding the true doctrine respecting the Great Head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ; Notes, Ephesians 1:22. This is regarded here as essential to the maintenance of all the other doctrines of religion. He who has just views of the Redeemer will not be in much danger of erring respecting the other points of religious belief. From which all the body … - This passage is almost word for word the same as in Ephesians…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-23Verses 18-23 It looked like humility to apply to angels, as if men were conscious of their unworthiness to speak directly to God. But it is not warrantable; it is taking that honour which is due to Christ only, and giving it to a creature. There really was pride in this seeming humility. Those who worship angels, disclaim Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man. It is an insult to Christ, who is the Head of the church, to use any intercessors…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-23Paul rejects the false teachers and their demands, explaining that their ideas come from human teachings (see 2:8). They advocated various rules of conduct that had no basis in Christ.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Translate, "Not holding fast the Head." He who does not hold Christ solely and supremely above all others, does not hold Him at all [Bengel]. The want of firm holding of Christ has set him loose to (pry into, and so) "tread haughtily on (pride himself on) things which he hath seen." Each must hold fast the Head for himself, not merely be attached to the other members, however high in the body [Alford]. from which--rather, "from whom." the body--that…Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 2:19

• Church
• Doctrines
• Grace of God
• Law
• Minister, Christian
• Philosophy
• Physiology

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Bands
• Complete
• Conflict
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• Kingly office of Christ
• Subject
• Treasure
• Trespass

Commentaries on Colossians 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings