For I want you to know how great a ^astruggle I have for you and for those believers at ^1bLaodicea, and for all who like yourselves have never seen me face to face. 2 For my hope is that their ^ahearts may be encouraged as they are ^bknit together in unselfish ¹love, so that they may have all ^cthe riches that come from the full assurance of understanding the joy of salvation, resulting in a ^dtrue and more intimate knowledge of the ^2emystery of God, that is, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all ^athe treasures of wisdom and knowledge regarding the word and purposes of God. 4 ^aI say this so that no one will deceive you with ^bpersuasive but thoroughly deceptive arguments. 5 For even though I am ^aabsent from you in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, ¹delighted to see your ^bgood discipline as you stand shoulder to shoulder and form a solid front and to see the ^cstability of your faith in Christ your steadfast reliance on Him and your unwavering confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness.

6 Therefore as you have received ^aChrist Jesus the Lord, ^bwalk in union with Him reflecting His character in the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin, 7 having been deeply ^arooted in Him and now being continually ^bbuilt up in Him and becoming increasingly more ^cestablished ¹in your faith, just as you ^dwere taught, and overflowing in it with gratitude.

8 ^aSee to it that no one takes you captive through ^bphilosophy and empty deception pseudo-intellectual babble, according to the tradition and musings of mere men, following the ^1celementary principles of this world, rather than following the truth—the teachings of Christ. 9 For in Him all the ^afullness of Deity (the Godhead) dwells in bodily form completely expressing the divine essence of God. 10 And in Him you have been ^amade complete achieving spiritual stature through Christ, and ^bHe is the head over all ^crule and authority of every angelic and earthly power. 11 In Him ^ayou were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but by the spiritual circumcision of Christ in the stripping off of ^bthe body of the flesh the sinful carnal nature, 12 having been ^aburied with Him in baptism and ^braised with Him to a new life through your faith in the working of God, as displayed when He ^craised Christ from the dead. 13 When you were ^adead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (worldliness, manner of life) , God ^bmade you alive together with Christ, having freely forgiven us all our sins, 14 having canceled out the ^1acertificate of debt consisting of ²legal demands which were in force against us and which were hostile to us. And ^bthis certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross. 15 When He had ^adisarmed the ^brulers and authorities those supernatural forces of evil operating against us, He ^cmade a public example of them exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession, having ^dtriumphed over them through ¹the cross.

16 Therefore let no one ^ajudge you in regard to ^bfood and ^cdrink or in regard to the observance of a ^dfestival or a ^enew moon or a ^fSabbath day. 17 Such things are only ^aa shadow of what is to come and they have only symbolic value; but the substance the reality of what is foreshadowed belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one ^adefraud you of your prize your freedom in Christ and your salvation by ^binsisting on mock humility and the worship of angels, going into detail about visions he claims he has seen to justify his authority, ^cpuffed up in conceit by his ^dunspiritual mind, 19 and not holding fast to ^athe head of the body, Jesus Christ, from whom ^bthe entire body, supplied and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows with the growth that can come only from God.

20 ^aIf you have died with Christ to the ^1belementary principles of the world, ^cwhy, as if you were still living in the world, do you submit to ^drules and regulations, such as, 21 “Do not handle this, do not taste that, do not even touch!”? 22 (^athese things all perish with use)—in accordance with the ^bcommandments and teachings of men. Is 29:13 23 These practices indeed have the appearance that popularly passes as that of wisdom in ^aself-made religion and mock humility and ^bsevere treatment of the body (asceticism) , but are of no value against sinful ^cindulgence because they do not honor God.

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 ^cmade a public display of them, having ^dtriumphed over them through ²Him.

16 Therefore no one is to ^1aact as your judge in regard to ^bfood or ^cdrink or in respect to a ^dfestival or a ^enew moon or a ^fSabbath 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.

For I want you to know how great a ^astruggle I have in 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 that they would attain 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 deceive you with ^bpersuasive arguments. 5 For even though I am ^aabsent in body, I am nevertheless with you in spirit, rejoicing ¹to see ²your ^borderly manner 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 ²your faith, just as you ^dwere instructed, and overflowing ³with gratitude.

8 ^aSee to it that there is no one who takes you captive through ^bphilosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the ^celementary principles of the world, ¹rather than in accordance with 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 every ^cruler and authority; 11 and in Him ^ayou were also circumcised with a circumcision performed 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 with Him through faith in the working of God, who ^craised Him from the dead. 13 And ¹when you were ^adead ²in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He ^bmade you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, 14 having canceled ^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 ^cmade a public display of them, having ^dtriumphed over them through ²Him.

16 Therefore, no one is to ^1aact as your judge in regard to ^bfood and ^cdrink, or in respect to a ^dfestival or a ^enew moon, or a ^fSabbath ²day— 17 things which are only a ^ashadow of what is to come; but the ¹substance ²belongs to Christ. 18 Take care that no one keeps ^1adefrauding you of your prize by ^bdelighting in humility and the worship of the angels, ²taking his stand on visions he has seen, ^3cinflated without cause by his ^dfleshly mind, 19 and not holding firmly 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 man? 23 These are matters which do have the ¹appearance of wisdom in ^2aself-made religion and humility and ^bsevere treatment of the body, but are of no value against ^cfleshly indulgence.