Christ, The Mystery Of God
1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you [Note: This probably refers to the great effort Paul was exerting in prayer, preaching, etc.], and for those at Laodicia [Note: This was a town ten miles west of Colosse], and for all those who have never met me in person.
1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
1 For I want you to know how great a (A)struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at (B)Laodicea, and for all those who have not (a)personally seen my face,
1 For I want you to know how great a struggle(A) I have for you, for those in Laodicea,(B) and for all who have not seen me in person.
1 For I want you to know how much I struggle for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have never seen me face to face.
2 [I do this] so that their hearts will be encouraged [while] being united in [mutual] love, [and] so that they will have the wealth of a fully assured understanding, in order to fully know about God's hidden secret, [which is] Christ.
2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
2 that their (C)hearts may be encouraged, having been (D)knit together in love, and attaining to all (E)the wealth (b)that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a (F)true knowledge of (G)God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
2 I want their hearts to be encouraged(C) and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery(D)—Christ.(a)(E)
2 Because they are united in love, I pray that their hearts may be encouraged by all the riches that come from a complete understanding of the full knowledge of the Messiah, who is the mystery of God.
Christ Versus The Colossian Heresy
5 For even though I am absent [from you] in body, still I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing and observing [i.e., with my mind's eye] your orderly behavior and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
5 For even though I am (K)absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing (c)to see (d)your (L)good discipline and the (M)stability of your faith in Christ.
5 For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit,(H) rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.
5 For although I am physically absent, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how stable you are and how firm your faith in the Messiah is.
Made Alive In Christ
7 rooted and built up in [your relationship to] Him, established by your faith [or, "in the faith"], just as you were taught, overflowing with thanksgiving.
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
7 having been firmly (P)rooted and now being (Q)built up in Him and (R)established (f)in your faith, just as you (S)were instructed, and overflowing (g)with gratitude.
7 rooted and built up in Him(K) and established in the faith, just as you were taught,(L) overflowing with gratitude.
7 For you have been rooted in him and are being built up and strengthened in the faith, just as you were taught, while you continue to be thankful.
Beware Of Requirements Invented By Humans
8 Pay attention so that no one takes you [spiritually] captive through his philosophy and empty deception based on human tradition, according to the principles of the world and not according to Christ.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
8 (T)See to it that no one takes you captive through (U)philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the (V)elementary principles of the world, (h)rather than according to Christ.
8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition,(M) based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.(N)
8 See to it that no one enslaves you through philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to the Messiah,
10 and you people have been made full [i.e., spiritually complete] in [fellowship with] Him, who is the [spiritual] head over all who rule and have authority.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
10 and in Him you have been (X)made (i)complete, and (Y)He is the head (j)over all (Z)rule and authority;
10 And you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.
11 In [fellowship with] Him you people were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human beings, but performed by Christ, consisting of the removal of the body of [sinful] flesh.
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
11 and in Him (AA)you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of (AB)the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
11 You were also circumcised in Him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh,(Q) in the circumcision of the Messiah.(d)(R)
11 In union with him you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without human hands by stripping off the corrupt nature by the circumcision performed by the Messiah.
12 [This happened when you were] buried with Christ in [the act of] immersion, from which you were also raised up with Him through [your] faith in the accomplishment of God, who raised Him up from the dead.
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
12 having been (AC)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also (AD)raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who (AE)raised Him from the dead.
12 Having been buried with Him(S) in baptism, you were also raised with Him(T) through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.(U)
12 When you were buried with the Messiah 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 [spiritually] dead because of your sins and your lack of being physically circumcised [Note: This refers to their having been unconverted Gentiles and therefore outside of a relationship with God], God made you alive [again] together with Christ, having forgiven us for all of our sins.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
13 When you were (AF)dead (k)in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He (AG)made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses.
13 Even when you were dead because of your offenses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with him when he forgave us all of our offenses,
14 He canceled the document written in ordinances [Note: This obviously refers to the Mosaic law] that was against us and was opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
14 having canceled out (AH)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and (AI)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.(V)
14 having erased the charges that were brought against us, along with their obligations that were hostile to us. He took those charges away when he nailed them to the cross.
15 [In doing this] Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities [i.e., evil forces] and made a public display of them, triumphing over them through the cross. [Note: This could possibly be rendered "God triumphed over them through Christ"].
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
15 When He had (l)(AJ)disarmed the (AK)rulers and authorities, He (AL)made a public display of them, having (AM)triumphed over them through (m)Him.
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.(e)(W)
15 And when he had disarmed the rulers and the authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross.
Do Not Be Judged By Human Religious Rules
16 So, do not allow anyone to judge [i.e., condemn] you for what you eat, or what you drink, or regarding [your non-observance of] a [yearly] festival, or a [monthly] "new moon" observance, or a [weekly] Sabbath day.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
16 Therefore no one is to (n)(AN)act as your judge in regard to (AO)food or (AP)drink or in respect to a (AQ)festival or a (AR)new moon or a (AS)Sabbath (o)day—
16 Therefore, don’t let anyone judge(X) you in regard to food and drink(Y) or in the matter of a festival or a new moon(Z) or a Sabbath day.(f)
16 Therefore, let no one judge you in matters of food and drink or with respect to a festival, a New Moon, or Sabbath days.
17 These things are [only] a shadow of future things, but the body [i.e., the real substance of things] belongs to Christ. [Note: The idea here is that the ritual observances of the Mosaic law were like shadows pointing to the reality of life in Christ].
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
17 things which are (AT)a mere shadow of what is to come; but the (p)substance (q)belongs to Christ.
17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Messiah.
18 Do not allow anyone, who delights in acting humble [i.e., living an ascetic life] and who worships angels, to rob you of your reward [in heaven]. [Note: This "angel worship" could mean holding angels in high regard because of their role as God's messengers, or the claim that God can be approached only through angelic intermediaries]. He places great importance on what he [claims to] see [i.e., visions], being inflated with pride by his fleshly mind for no [good] reason.
18 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,
18 Let no one keep (r)(AU)defrauding you of your prize by (AV)delighting in (s)self-abasement and the worship of the angels, (t)taking his stand on visions he has seen, (u)(AW)inflated without cause by his (AX)fleshly mind,
18 Let no one disqualify you,(h)(AD) insisting on ascetic practices(AE) and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated(AF) without cause by his unspiritual(i) mind.
18 Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels cheat you out of the prize by rejoicing about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up for no reason by his carnal mind.
19 He is not holding on [firmly] to the head [i.e., Christ, the head of the church], from whom the entire body, being nourished and supported by its ligaments and joints, is caused to grow in size by God.
19 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.
19 and not holding fast to (AY)the head, from whom (AZ)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and (v)ligaments, grows with a growth (w)which is from God.
19 He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body,(AG) nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God.
19 He does not hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, which is nourished and held together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God enables it.
20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of the world, [then] why, as though you [still] lived in [harmony with] the world, do you submit yourselves to [its] rules, [such as]:
20 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,
20 (BA)If you have died with Christ (x)to the (BB)elementary principles of the world, (BC)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to (BD)decrees, such as,
20 If you died with the Messiah(AH) to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations:
20 If you have died with the Messiah to the basic principles of the world, why are you submitting to its decrees as though you still lived in the world?
22 (All these things [i.e., the things handled, tasted or touched] are destined to perish with [constant] use). [These rules are] based on the commands and teachings of men.
22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
22 (which all refer (BE)to things destined to perish (y)with use)—in accordance with the (BF)commandments and teachings of men?
22 All these regulations refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are commands and doctrines of men.
22 All of these things will be destroyed as they are used, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
23 They certainly have an appearance of wisdom, [displaying] self-prescribed worship and [false] humility and asceticism, but they lack any value in curbing the desires of the physical passions.
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the (z)appearance of wisdom in (aa)(BG)self-made religion and self-abasement and (BH)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against (BI)fleshly indulgence.
23 Although these have a reputation of wisdom(AI) by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.(j)(AJ)
23 These things have the appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion, humility, and harsh treatment of the body, but they have no value against self-indulgence.