For I want you to understand how great a ^astruggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at ^bLaodicea, and for all those who have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 so that their ^ahearts may be encouraged, having been ^bheld together in love, even unto all ^cthe wealth of the full assurance of understanding, unto the ^dfull 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 your ^bgood order and the ^cstability of your faith in Christ.

6 Therefore as you received ^aChrist Jesus the Lord, so ^1bwalk in Him, 7 having been firmly ^arooted and being ^bbuilt up in Him, and having been ^cestablished ¹in your faith—just as you ^dwere instructed—and abounding ²with thanksgiving.

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, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the ^afullness of Deity dwells bodily, 10 and in Him you have been ^afilled, ^bwho is the head ¹over all ^crule and authority; 11 in whom ^ayou were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of ^bthe body of the flesh, in 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 And you being ^adead ¹in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He ^bmade you alive with Him, having graciously forgiven us all our transgressions. 14 Having canceled out ^athe certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us which was hostile to us, ^bHe also has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having ^1adisarmed the ^brulers and authorities, He ^cmade a public display of them, having ^dtriumphed over them in ²Him.

16 Therefore, no one is to ^ajudge you in ^bfood and ^cdrink, or in respect to a ^dfestival or a ^enew moon or a ^fSabbath ¹day— 17 things which are only a ^ashadow 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, going into detail about visions he has seen, ^cbeing puffed up for nothing 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 ²that 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: 21 “Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”? 22 Which ¹deal with everything ^adestined to perish ²with use, which are in accordance with the ^bcommands and teachings of men; 23 which are matters having, to be sure, a ¹word 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 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.