15 1He is the aimage of the binvisible God, the cfirstborn of all creation.

16 For 1aby Him all things were created, aboth in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether bthrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—call things have been created through Him and for Him.

17 He 1ais before all things, and in Him all things 2hold together.

18 He is also ahead of bthe body, the church; and He is cthe beginning, dthe firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

19 For 1it was athe Father’s good pleasure for all bthe 2fullness to dwell in Him,

20 and through Him to areconcile all things to Himself, having made bpeace through cthe blood of His cross; through Him, I say, dwhether things on earth or things in 1heaven.

21 And although you were aformerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

22 yet He has now areconciled you in His fleshly bbody through death, in order to cpresent you before Him dholy and blameless and beyond reproach—

23 if indeed you continue in 1the faith firmly aestablished and steadfast, and not moved away from the bhope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed cin all creation under heaven, dand of which I, Paul, 2was made a 3eminister.

24 aNow I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh bI 1do my share on behalf of cHis body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking 2in Christ’s afflictions.

25 aOf this church I 1was made a minister according to the bstewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might 2fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

26 that is, athe mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His 1saints,

27 to whom aGod willed to make known what is bthe riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is cChrist in you, the dhope of glory.

28 We proclaim Him, aadmonishing every man and teaching every man 1with all bwisdom, so that we may cpresent every man 2dcomplete in Christ.

29 For this purpose also I alabor, bstriving caccording to His 1power, which 2mightily works within me.

Chapter 2

You Are Built Up in Christ

1 For I want you to know how great a astruggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at bLaodicea, and for all those who have not 1personally seen my face,

2 that their ahearts may be encouraged, having been bknit together in love, and attaining to all cthe wealth 1that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a dtrue knowledge of eGod’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

3 in whom are hidden all athe treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 aI say this so that no one will delude you with bpersuasive argument.

5 For even though I am aabsent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing 1to see 2your bgood discipline and the cstability of your faith in Christ.

6 Therefore as you have received aChrist Jesus the Lord, so 1bwalk in Him,

7 having been firmly arooted and now being bbuilt up in Him and cestablished 1in your faith, just as you dwere instructed, and overflowing 2with gratitude.

8 aSee to it that no one takes you captive through bphilosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the celementary principles of the world, 1rather than according to Christ.

9 For in Him all the afullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

10 and in Him you have been amade 1complete, and bHe is the head 2over all crule and authority;

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

12 having been aburied with Him in baptism, in which you were also braised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who craised Him from the dead.

13 When you were adead 1in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He bmade you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

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

15 When He had 1adisarmed the brulers and authorities, He amade a public display of them, having ctriumphed over them through 2Him.

16 Therefore no one is to 1aact as your judge in regard to bfood or bdrink or in respect to a cfestival or a dnew moon or a eSabbath 2day—

17 things which are aa mere shadow of what is to come; but the 1substance 2belongs to Christ.

18 Let no one keep 1adefrauding you of your prize by bdelighting in 2self-abasement and the worship of the angels, 3taking his stand on visions he has seen, 4cinflated without cause by his dfleshly mind,

19 and not holding fast to athe head, from whom bthe entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and 1ligaments, grows with a growth 2which is from God.

20 aIf you have died with Christ 1to the belementary principles of the world, cwhy, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to ddecrees, such as,

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

22 (which all refer ato things destined to perish 1with use)—in accordance with the bcommandments and teachings of men?

23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the 1appearance of wisdom in 2aself-made religion and self-abasement and bsevere treatment of the body, but are of no value against cfleshly indulgence.