1 F or I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,

For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,

2 t hat their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,

3 i n whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.

Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.

5 F or even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 T herefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

7 h aving been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

8 S ee to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

9 F or in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

10 a nd in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Not Legalism but Christ

11 a nd in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

12 h aving been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

13 W hen you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

14 h aving canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

15 W hen He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

16 T herefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—

So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,

17 t hings which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

18 L et no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19 a nd not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.

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.

20 I f you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—

21 “ Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”

“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,”

22 ( which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?

which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men?

23 T hese are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.