Logos Bible Study

Colossians 2:18–22

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18Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has 3not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19and not holding fast to wthe Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, xgrows with the increase that is from God.

204Therefore, if you ydied with Christ from the basic principles of the world, zwhy, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—21a“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22which all concern things which perish with the using—baccording to the commandments and doctrines of men?

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Footnotes

  1. 3NU omits not
  2. 4NU, M omit Therefore

Cross references

  1. wEph. 4:15
  2. xEph. 1:23; 4:16
  3. yRom. 6:2–5
  4. zGal. 4:3, 9
  5. a1 Tim. 4:3
  6. bIs. 29:13; Matt. 15:9; Titus 1:14

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding 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.

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. They don’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.

If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines.

NLTNew Living Translation

Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Let no one condemn you, taking pleasure in humility and the worship of angels, going into detail about the things which he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by the ligaments and sinews, grows with the growth of God.

If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why do you submit to them as if living in the world? “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch,” which things are all meant for destruction by consuming according to human commandments and teachings,

KJV 1900King James Version

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?