2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I am having for your sake and the ones in Laodicea, and all-who have not seen my face in the flesh,
2:2 in order that their hearts might be encouraged— they having been brought-together in love and for all the riches of the full-assurance of understanding, for the full-knowledge of the mystery of God— Christ,
2:3 in Whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, hidden-away.
2:4 I am saying this in order that no one may be deluding you with persuasive-argument.
2:5 For even though I am absent in the flesh, nevertheless I am with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
2:6 As then you received Christ Jesus the Lord, be walking in Him—
2:7 having been rooted, and being built-up in Him, and being established in the faith just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
2:8 Be watching-out that there will not be anyone taking you captive through philosophy and empty deception according-to the tradition of humans, according to the elemental things of the world, and not according to Christ,
2:9 because in Him dwells all the fullness of the Deity bodily.
2:10 And in Him you are complete, Who is the head of all rule and authority,
2:11 in Whom you also were circumcised with a circumcision not-done-by-human-hands, in the taking-off of the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ—
2:12 having been buried-with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised-with Him through faith in the working of God, the One having raised Him from the dead.
2:13 Indeed, you being dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh— He made you alive-together with Him, having forgiven us all the trespasses,
2:14 having wiped-out the written-document against us with its decrees, which was opposed to us. Indeed, He has taken it out of the middle, having nailed it to the cross!
2:15 Having stripped the rulers and the authorities, He exposed them in public, having celebrated-a-triumph-over them in Him!
2:16 Therefore let no one judge you in eating and in drinking, or in respect to a feast or new-moon or Sabbath,
2:17 which are a shadow of the coming things, but the body is Christ’s.
2:18 Let no one decide-against you while delighting in humility and worship of angels, dwelling-upon things which he has seen, being puffed-up in-vain by the mind of his flesh,
2:19 and not holding-on-to the head— from Whom the whole body, being supplied and held-together by the joints and ligaments, is growing the growth of God.
2:20 If you died with Christ from the elemental things of the world, why, as-though living in the world, do you submit-to-decrees
2:22 Things which are all for perishing in the use!) according-to the commandments and teachings of humans?—
2:23 which are indeed having the talk of wisdom in-connection-with will-worship and humility and harsh-treatment of the body, not in-connection-with any [real] value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Your support helps pay our hosting costs, and
- with a little bit extra -
lets us pay transcribers and proofreaders.
If you can help, Click here to become a Patreon:
www.patreon.com/IslamAwakened Thank you!