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

17For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. 18Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. 20You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21“Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”?

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 2:6And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.
• Colossians 1:18Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.
• Galatians 1:6I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News
• Galatians 5:2Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.
• 1 Timothy 2:4who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
• Ephesians 4:15Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
• Job 19:9He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head.
• Psalms 139:15You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
• John 15:4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
• Romans 11:17But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.
• Ephesians 5:29No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.
• Colossians 2:2I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
• John 17:21I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
• Acts 4:32All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.
• Romans 12:4Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,
• 1 Corinthians 1:10I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

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