Colossians 2:8-20

81See to it that no one takes you captive through 2philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the 3elementary principles of the world, 4rather than according to Christ. 9For in Him all the 5fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10and in Him you have been 6made 7complete, and 8He is the head 9over all 10rule and authority; 11and in Him 11you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of 12the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12having been 13buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also 14raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who 15raised Him from the dead. 13When you were 16dead 17in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He 18made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14having canceled out 19the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and 20He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15When He had 2122disarmed the 23rulers and authorities, He 24made a public display of them, having 25triumphed over them through 26Him.

16Therefore no one is to 2728act as your judge in regard to 29food or 30drink or in respect to a 31festival or a 32new moon or a 33Sabbath 34day-- 17things which are 35a mere shadow of what is to come; but the 36substance 37belongs to Christ. 18Let no one keep 3839defrauding you of your prize by 40delighting in 41self-abasement and the worship of the angels, 42taking his stand on visions he has seen, 4344inflated without cause by his 45fleshly mind, 19and not holding fast to 46the head, from whom 47the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and 48ligaments, grows with a growth 49which is from God.

2050If you have died with Christ 51to the 52elementary principles of the world, 53why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to 54decrees, such as,