Colossians 2

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BBE WEB

The apostle makes clear his love and joy in believers

For it is my desire to give you news of the great fight I am making for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh; For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
So that their hearts may be comforted, and that being joined together in love, they may come to the full wealth of the certain knowledge of the secret of God, even Christ, that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
In whom are all the secret stores of wisdom and knowledge. in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
I say this so that you may not be turned away by any deceit of words. Now this I say that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.
For though I am not present in the flesh, still I am with you in the spirit, seeing with joy your order, and your unchanging faith in Christ. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
As, then, you took Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on in him, As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him,
Rooted and based together in him, strong in the faith which the teaching gave you, giving praise to God at all times. rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

He gives warning against the errors of heathen philosophy; also against Jewish traditions, and rites which had been fulfilled in Christ

Take care that no one takes you away by force, through man's wisdom and deceit, going after the beliefs of men and the theories of the world, and not after Christ: Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.
For in him all the wealth of God's being has a living form, For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
And you are complete in him, who is the head of all rule and authority: and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power;
In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
Having been put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back from the dead. having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
And you, being dead through your sins and the evil condition of your flesh, to you, I say, he gave life together with him, and forgiveness of all our sins; You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
Having put an end to the handwriting of the law which was against us, taking it out of the way by nailing it to his cross; wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;
Having made himself free from the rule of authorities and powers, he put them openly to shame, glorying over them in it. having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths: Let no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,
For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's. which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.

Against worshipping angels; and against legal ordinances

Let no man take your reward from you by consciously making little of himself and giving worship to angels; having his thoughts fixed on the things which he has seen, being foolishly lifted up in his natural mind, Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
And not joined to the Head, from whom all the body, being given strength and kept together through its joins and bands, has its growth with the increase of God. and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.
If you were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,
Which say there may be no touching, tasting, or taking in your hands, “Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch”
(Rules which are all to come to an end with their use) after the orders and teaching of men? (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?
These things seem to have a sort of wisdom in self-ordered worship and making little of oneself, and being cruel to the body, not honouring it by giving it its natural use. Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.
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