1 F or I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

I want you to know how hard I have worked for you and for the Christians in the city of Laodicea and for those who have never seen me.

2 t hat their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,

May their hearts be given comfort. May they be brought close together in Christian love. May they be rich in understanding and know God’s secret. It is Christ Himself.

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

In Christ are hidden all the riches of wisdom and understanding.

4 N ow this I say that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.

I tell you this so no one will try to change your mind with big sounding talk.

5 F or though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

Even if I am far away from you in body, I am with you in spirit. I am happy to learn how well you are getting along. It is good to hear that your faith is so strong in Christ.

6 A s therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him,

As you have put your trust in Christ Jesus the Lord to save you from the punishment of sin, now let Him lead you in every step.

7 r ooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him. Wisdom of the World Is Empty

8 B e careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.

Be careful that no one changes your mind and faith by much learning and big sounding ideas. Those things are what men dream up. They are always trying to make new religions. These leave out Christ.

9 F or in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

For Christ is not only God-like, He is God in human flesh.

10 a nd in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power;

When you have Christ, you are complete. He is the head over all leaders and powers.

11 i n whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

When you became a Christian, you were set free from the sinful things of the world. This was not done by human hands. You were set free from the sins of your old self by what was done in Christ’s body.

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

When you were baptized, you were buried as Christ was buried. When you were raised up in baptism, you were raised as Christ was raised. You were raised to a new life by putting your trust in God. It was God Who raised Jesus from the dead.

13 Y ou were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

When you were dead in your sins, you were not set free from the sinful things of the world. But God forgave your sins and gave you new life through Christ.

14 w iping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;

We had broken the Law many ways. Those sins were held against us by the Law. That Law had writings which said we were sinners. But now He has destroyed that writing by nailing it to the cross.

15 h aving stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

God took away the power of the leaders of this world and the powers of darkness. He showed them to the world. The battle was won over them through Christ. Watch for Those Who Want to Keep the Law

16 L et no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,

Do not let anyone tell you what you should or should not eat or drink. They have no right to say if it is right or wrong to eat certain foods or if you are to go to religious suppers. They have no right to say what you are to do at the time of the new moon or on the Day of Rest.

17 w hich are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.

These things are a picture of what is coming. The important thing is Christ Himself.

18 L et no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Do not let anyone rob you of your crown. They will try to get you to bow down in worship of angels. They think this shows you are not proud. They say they were told to do this in a dream. These people are proud because of their sinful minds.

19 a nd not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.

Such people are not a part of Christ. Christ is the Head. We Christians make up His body. We are joined together as a body is held together. Our strength to grow comes from Christ.

20 I f you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

You have died with Christ and become dead to those old ways. Then why do you follow the old ways of worship? Why do you obey man-made rules?

21 “ Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch”

These rules say, “You must not put your hand on this.” “Do not put this into your mouth.” “You must not put your finger on that.”

22 ( all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?

All these things come to an end when they are used. You are following only man-made rules.

23 W hich things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

It looks as if it is wise to follow these rules in an act of worship, because they are hard on the body. It looks as if they are done without pride, but they are worth nothing. They do not take away a man’s desire to sin.