Colossians 2:6–3:11

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.