Colossians 2:2-23

2that their 1hearts may be encouraged, having been 2knit together in love, and that they would attain 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 deceive you with 9persuasive arguments. 5For even though I am 10absent in body, I am nevertheless with you in spirit, rejoicing 11to see 12your 13orderly manner 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 22your faith, just as you 23were instructed, and overflowing 24with gratitude.

825See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through 26philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the 27elementary principles of the world, 28rather than in accordance with Christ. 9For in Him all the 29fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10and in Him you have been 30made 31complete, and 32He is the head 33over every 34ruler and authority; 11and in Him 35you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of 36the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, 12having been 37buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also 38raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who 39raised Him from the dead. 13And 40when you were 41dead 42in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He 43made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, 14having canceled 44the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and 45He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15When He had 4647disarmed the 48rulers and authorities, He 49made a public display of them, having 50triumphed over them through 51Him.

16Therefore, no one is to 5253act as your judge in regard to 54food and 55drink, or in respect to a 56festival or a 57new moon, or a 58Sabbath 59day-- 17things which are only a 60shadow of what is to come; but the 61substance 62belongs to Christ. 18Take care that no one keeps 6364defrauding you of your prize by 65delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, 66taking his stand on visions he has seen, 6768inflated without cause by his 69fleshly mind, 19and not holding firmly to 70the head, from whom 71the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and 72ligaments, grows with a growth 73which is from God.

2074If you have died with Christ 75to the 76elementary principles of the world, 77why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to 78decrees, such as, 21“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22(which all refer 79to things destined to perish 80with use)--in accordance with the 81commandments and teachings of man? 23These are matters which do have the 82appearance of wisdom in 8384self-made religion and humility and 85severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against 86fleshly indulgence.