Colossians 2:2-23

2that their 1hearts may be encouraged, having been 2knit together in love, and attaining to all 3the wealth 4that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a 5true knowledge of 6God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3in whom are hidden all 7the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 48I say this so that no one will delude you with 9persuasive argument. 5For even though I am 10absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing 11to see 12your 13good discipline and the 14stability of your faith in Christ.

6Therefore as you have received 15Christ Jesus the Lord, so 1617walk in Him, 7having been firmly 18rooted and now being 19built up in Him and 20established 21in your faith, just as you 22were instructed, and overflowing 23with gratitude.

824See to it that no one takes you captive through 25philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the 26elementary principles of the world, 27rather than according to Christ. 9For in Him all the 28fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10and in Him you have been 29made 30complete, and 31He is the head 32over all 33rule and authority; 11and in Him 34you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of 35the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12having been 36buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also 37raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who 38raised Him from the dead. 13When you were 39dead 40in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He 41made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14having canceled out 42the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and 43He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15When He had 4445disarmed the 46rulers and authorities, He 47made a public display of them, having 48triumphed over them through 49Him.

16Therefore no one is to 5051act as your judge in regard to 52food or 53drink or in respect to a 54festival or a 55new moon or a 56Sabbath 57day-- 17things which are 58a mere shadow of what is to come; but the 59substance 60belongs to Christ. 18Let no one keep 6162defrauding you of your prize by 63delighting in 64self-abasement and the worship of the angels, 65taking his stand on visions he has seen, 6667inflated without cause by his 68fleshly mind, 19and not holding fast to 69the head, from whom 70the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and 71ligaments, grows with a growth 72which is from God.

2073If you have died with Christ 74to the 75elementary principles of the world, 76why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to 77decrees, such as, 21“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22(which all refer 78to things destined to perish 79with use)--in accordance with the 80commandments and teachings of men? 23These are matters which have, to be sure, the 81appearance of wisdom in 8283self-made religion and self-abasement and 84severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against 85fleshly indulgence.