Colossians 2:8–23

⁸See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,^m which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces^a of this worldⁿ rather than on Christ.

⁹For in Christ all the fullness^o of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head^p over every power and authority.^{q 11}In him you were also circumcised^r with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh^bs was put off when you were circumcised by^c Christ, ¹²having been buried with him in baptism,^t in which you were also raised with him^u through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.^v

¹³When you were dead in your sins^w and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you^d alive^x with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,^{y 14}having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,^z which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.^{a 15}And having disarmed the powers and authorities,^b he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them^c by the cross.^e

Freedom From Human Rules

¹⁶Therefore do not let anyone judge you^d by what you eat or drink,^e or with regard to a religious festival,^f a New Moon celebration^g or a Sabbath day.^{h 17}These are a shadow of the things that were to come;ⁱ the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸Do not let anyone who delights in false humility^j and the worship of angels disqualify you.^k Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹They have lost connection with the head,^l from whom the whole body,^m supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.ⁿ

²⁰Since you died with Christ^o to the elemental spiritual forces of this world,^p why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:^{q 21}“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²²These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish^r with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.^{s 23}Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility^t and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.