Colossians 2:6–3:11

Fullness of Life in Christ

⁶As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.^*

⁸Watch out that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental principles^q of the world, and not according to Christ.^{* 9}For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.^{* 11}In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision,^r by the removal of the body^s of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ;^{* 12}when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.^{* 13}And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God^t made you^u alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses,^{* 14}erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵He disarmed^v the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.^*

¹⁶Therefore, do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food or^w drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or Sabbaths.^{* 17}These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the body belongs to Christ. ¹⁸Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, initiatory visions,^x puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking,^{y 19}and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with a growth that is from God.^*

Warnings against False Teachers

²⁰If with Christ you died to the elemental principles^z of the world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations,^{* 21}“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²²All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings.^{* 23}These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.^a

The New Life in Christ

³So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.^{* 2}Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth, ³for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.^{* 4}When Christ who is your^b life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.^*

⁵Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).^{* 6}On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.^{c* 7}These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.^{d 8}But now you must get rid of all such things: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive^e language from your mouth.^{* 9}Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices ¹⁰and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.^{* 11}In that renewal^f there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, enslaved and free, but Christ is all and in all!^*