Colossians 2

You Are Built Up in Christ

1For I want you to know how great a 1struggle I have in your behalf and for those who are at 2Laodicea, and for all those who have not 3personally seen my face, 2that their 4hearts may be encouraged, having been 5knit together in love, and that they would attain to all 6the wealth 7that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a 8true knowledge of 9God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3in whom are hidden all 10the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 411I say this so that no one will deceive you with 12persuasive arguments. 5For even though I am 13absent in body, I am nevertheless with you in spirit, rejoicing 14to see 15your 16orderly manner and the 17stability of your faith in Christ.

6Therefore, as you have received 18Christ Jesus the Lord, so 1920walk in Him, 7having been firmly 21rooted and now being 22built up in Him and 23established 24in 25your faith, just as you 26were instructed, and overflowing 27with gratitude.

828See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through 29philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the 30elementary principles of the world, 31rather than in accordance with Christ. 9For in Him all the 32fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10and in Him you have been 33made 34complete, and 35He is the head 36over every 37ruler and authority; 11and in Him 38you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of 39the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, 12having been 40buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also 41raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who 42raised Him from the dead. 13And 43when you were 44dead 45in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He 46made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, 14having canceled 47the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and 48He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15When He had 4950disarmed the 51rulers and authorities, He 52made a public display of them, having 53triumphed over them through 54Him.

16Therefore, no one is to 5556act as your judge in regard to 57food and 58drink, or in respect to a 59festival or a 60new moon, or a 61Sabbath 62day-- 17things which are only a 63shadow of what is to come; but the 64substance 65belongs to Christ. 18Take care that no one keeps 6667defrauding you of your prize by 68delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, 69taking his stand on visions he has seen, 7071inflated without cause by his 72fleshly mind, 19and not holding firmly to 73the head, from whom 74the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and 75ligaments, grows with a growth 76which is from God.

2077If you have died with Christ 78to the 79elementary principles of the world, 80why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to 81decrees, such as, 21“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22(which all refer 82to things destined to perish 83with use)--in accordance with the 84commandments and teachings of man? 23These are matters which do have the 85appearance of wisdom in 8687self-made religion and humility and 88severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against 89fleshly indulgence.