Colossians 2–3

2ND CHAPTER

¹I want you to know how hard I work for you, for the people of Laodicea, and for people I have never met. ²Because they are united in love, I work so that they may be encouraged by all the riches that come from a complete understanding of Christ. He is the mystery of God. ³God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ. ⁴I say this so that no one will mislead you with arguments that merely sound good. ⁵Although I’m absent from you physically, I’m with you in spirit. I’m happy to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. 

⁶You received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live as Christ’s people. ⁷Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving. 

Beware of Requirements Invented by Humans

⁸Be careful not to let anyone rob you ⸤of this faith⸥ through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ. 

⁹All of God lives in Christ’s body, ¹⁰and God has made you complete in Christ. Christ is in charge of every ruler and authority. ¹¹In him you were also circumcised. It was not a circumcision performed by human hands. But it was a removal of the corrupt nature in the circumcision performed by Christ. ¹²This happened when you were placed in the tomb with Christ through baptism. In baptism you were also brought back to life with Christ through faith in the power of God,^awho brought him back to life. 

¹³You were once dead because of your failures and your uncircumcised corrupt nature. But God made you alive with Christ when he forgave all our failures. ¹⁴He did this by erasing the charges that were brought against us by the written laws God had established. He took the charges away by nailing them to the cross. ¹⁵He stripped the rulers and authorities ⸤of their power⸥ and made a public spectacle of them as he celebrated his victory in Christ. 

¹⁶Therefore, let no one judge you because of what you eat or drink or about the observance of annual holy days, New Moon Festivals, or weekly days of rest—holy days. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body ⸤that casts the shadow⸥ belongs to Christ. 

¹⁸Let no one who delights in ⸤false⸥ humility and the worship of angels tell you that you don’t deserve a prize. Such a person, whose sinful mind fills him with arrogance, gives endless details of the visions he has seen. ¹⁹He doesn’t hold on to ⸤Christ,⸥ the head. Christ makes the whole body grow as God wants it to, through support and unity given by the joints and ligaments. 

²⁰If you have died with Christ to the world’s way of doing things, why do you let others tell you how to live? It’s as though you were still under the world’s influence. ²¹People will tell you, “Don’t handle this! Don’t taste or touch that!” ²²All of these things deal with objects that are only used up anyway. ²³These things look like wisdom with their self-imposed worship, ⸤false⸥ humility, and harsh treatment of the body. But they have no value for holding back the constant desires of your corrupt nature. 

3RD CHAPTER

Live as God’s People

¹Since you were brought back to life with Christ, focus on the things that are above—where Christ holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. ²Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. ³You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴Christ is your life. When he appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory. 

⁵Therefore, put to death whatever is worldly in you: your sexual sin, perversion, passion, lust, and greed (which is the same thing as worshiping wealth). ⁶It is because of these sins that God’s anger comes on those who refuse to obey him.^a7You used to live that kind of sinful life. ⁸Also get rid of your anger, hot tempers, hatred, cursing, obscene language, and all similar sins. ⁹Don’t lie to each other. You’ve gotten rid of the person you used to be and the life you used to live, ¹⁰and you’ve become a new person. This new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be like its Creator. ¹¹Where this happens, there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, uncivilized person, slave, or free person. Instead, Christ is everything and in everything. 

¹²As holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. ¹³Put up with each other, and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴Above all, be loving.This ties everything together perfectly. ¹⁵Also, let Christ’s peace control you. God has called you into this peace by bringing you into one body. Be thankful. ¹⁶Let Christ’s word with all its wisdom and richness live in you. Use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach and instruct yourselves about ⸤God’s⸥ kindness.^bSing to God in your hearts. ¹⁷Everything you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Advice for Wives and Husbands, Parents and Children, Slaves and Masters

¹⁸Wives, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority.This is appropriate behavior for the Lord’s people. ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be harsh with them. 

²⁰Children, always obey your parents. This is pleasing to the Lord. ²¹Fathers, don’t make your children resentful, or they will become discouraged. 

²²Slaves, always obey your earthly masters. Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. Be sincere in your motives out of respect for your real master. ²³Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for humans. ²⁴You know that your real master will give you an inheritance as your reward. It is Christ, your real master, whom you are serving. ²⁵The person who does wrong will be paid back for the wrong he has done. God does not play favorites.