Colossians 2–4

2For I want you to know ^yhow great a ^wstruggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, ²that ^ztheir hearts may be encouraged, being ^aknit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of ^bGod’s mystery, which is Christ, ^3cin whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴I say this in order ^dthat no one may delude you with plausible arguments. ⁵For ^ethough I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your ^fgood order and ^gthe firmness of your faith in Christ.

Alive in Christ

^6hTherefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷ⁱrooted and ^jbuilt up in him and ^kestablished in the faith, just ^las you were taught, abounding ^min thanksgiving.

⁸See to it that no one takes you captive by ⁿphilosophy and ^oempty deceit, according to ^phuman tradition, according to the ^qelemental spirits¹ of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹For ^rin him the whole fullness of deity dwells ^sbodily, ¹⁰and ^tyou have been filled in him, who is ^uthe head of all rule and authority. ¹¹In him also ^vyou were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by ^wputting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ^12xhaving been buried with him in baptism, in which ^yyou were also raised with him through faith in ^zthe powerful working of God, ^zwho raised him from the dead. ^13aAnd you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God ^bmade alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴by ^ccanceling ^dthe record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ^15wHe disarmed the rulers and authorities² and ^eput them to open shame, by ^ftriumphing over them in him.³

Let No One Disqualify You

¹⁶Therefore let no one ^gpass judgment on you ^hin questions of food and drink, or with regard to ⁱa festival or ^ja new moon or a Sabbath. ^17kThese are a shadow of the things to come, but ^lthe substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸Let no one ^mdisqualify you, ⁿinsisting on asceticism and worship of angels, ^ogoing on in detail about visions,^{4 p}puffed up without reason by ^qhis sensuous mind, ¹⁹and ^rnot ^sholding 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.

²⁰If with Christ ^tyou died to the ^uelemental spirits of the world, ^vwhy, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ^21w“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” ²²(^xreferring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to ^yhuman precepts and teachings? ²³These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in ^zpromoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are ^aof no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Put On the New Self

3^bIf then you have been raised with Christ, seek ^cthe things that are above, where Christ is, ^dseated at the right hand of God. ^2eSet your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For ^fyou have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ ^gwho is your¹ life ^happears, then you also will appear with him ⁱin glory.

^5jPut to death therefore ^kwhat is earthly in you:^{2 l}sexual immorality, impurity, ^mpassion, evil desire, and covetousness, ⁿwhich is idolatry. ^6oOn account of these the wrath of God is coming.^{3 7p}In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸But now ^qyou must put them all away: ^ranger, wrath, malice, ^sslander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ^9tDo not lie to one another, seeing that ^uyou have put off ^vthe old self⁴ with its practices ¹⁰and ^whave put on ^xthe new self, ^ywhich is being renewed in knowledge ^zafter the image of ^aits creator. ^11bHere there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,⁵ free; but Christ is ^call, and in all.

^12dPut on then, as ^eGod’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, ^fcompassionate hearts, ^gkindness, ^hhumility, meekness, and patience, ^13hbearing with one another and, ⁱif one has a complaint against another, ^gforgiving each other; ^gas the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴And above all these put on ^jlove, which ^kbinds everything together in ^lperfect harmony. ¹⁵And let ^mthe peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called ⁿin one body. And ^obe thankful. ¹⁶Let ^pthe word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, ^qsinging psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ^rwith thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And ^swhatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^tgiving thanks to God the Father through him.

Rules for Christian Households

^18uWives, submit to your husbands, as ^vis fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives, and ^wdo not be harsh with them. ²⁰Children, obey your parents ^xin everything, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. ²²Bondservants, obey ^xin everything those who are your earthly masters,⁷ not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ^23yWhatever you do, work heartily, ^zas for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴knowing that from the Lord ^ayou will receive the inheritance as your reward. ^bYou are serving the Lord Christ. ²⁵For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

4Masters, treat your bondservants¹ justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Further Instructions

^2cContinue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it ^dwith thanksgiving. ³At the same time, pray also for us, that God may ^eopen to us a door for the word, ^fto declare the mystery of Christ, ^gon account of which I am in prison— ⁴that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

^5hWalk in wisdom toward ⁱoutsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶Let your speech always ^jbe gracious, ^kseasoned with salt, ^lso that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Final Greetings

⁷Tychicus will tell you ^mall about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant² in the Lord. ⁸I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, ⁹and with him ⁿOnesimus, our faithful and ^obeloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

^10pAristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark ^qthe cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—^rif he comes to you, welcome him), ¹¹and Jesus who is called ^sJustus. ^tThese are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and ^uthey have been a comfort to me. ^12vEpaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always ^wstruggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand ^xmature and fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. ^14yLuke the beloved physician greets you, as does ^zDemas. ¹⁵Give my greetings to the brothers³ at Laodicea, and to Nympha and ^athe church in her house. ¹⁶And when ^bthis letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. ¹⁷And say to ^cArchippus, “See that you fulfill ^dthe ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

¹⁸I, Paul, ^ewrite this greeting with my own hand. ^fRemember ^gmy chains. ^hGrace be with you.