¹ I say that because I want you to know how much I am in the arena for your sake, for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not seen my face in person, ² so their hearts may be encouraged, being held together with love for all the richness of complete confidence in making connections^a toward knowledge of God’s mystery—of Christ^b— ³ and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden with it. ⁴ I say this so that no one may deceive you with persuasive arguments ⁵ since despite being physically away, I am with you through the Life-breath, rejoicing and seeing your conscientiousness and the firmness of your faithfulness^c to^d Christ.

⁶ Therefore, just as you initially took Christ Jesus as^e lord, continue walking with him ⁷ just as you were taught, having been given roots, being built up to be like^f him, and established in faithfulness, overflowing with gratitude. ⁸ Be vigilant that no one carries you off into slavery through a philosophy that is empty and deceptive, based on what is handed down by people according to the fundamental assumptions^g of the world systems^h and not based on Christ ⁹ since all fullness of divinity dwells bodily in him,ⁱ ¹⁰ and you are the ones who have been filled along with him who is the head over every leader and authority.

¹¹ You [the Body of Christ]^j were circumcised through him with a circumcision not done with hands but with the removal of his personal^k body, with Christ’s circumcision, ¹² having been buried along with him through submersion, woken up along with him through the faithfulness of the work of God who woke him up from the dead ¹³ and, you being dead because of your shortfalls and not being bodily circumcised, he brought you to life along with him—having granted the discharge of our shortfalls, ¹⁴ erasing what was against us—the record of debt, the declarations which were made against us—and he lifted it from between us, nailing it to the cross.^l ¹⁵ He humiliated the leaders and authorities publicly, stripping away their power and displaying triumph over them with it.

¹⁶ Therefore, may no one judge you about eating and drinking^m or about whether you take part in a feast, such as a new moon celebration or the Feast of Weeks,ⁿ ¹⁷ which are a shadow of what is^o about to^p take shape:^q the Body of Christ. ¹⁸ May no one decide^r against you, even if they intend to promote humility and adherence to religious observances presented by the messengers. Though they have seen what they investigate, it is being inflated without just cause by their own^s mind,^t ¹⁹ and they are not staying connected with the Head, through whom the whole Body—being supported and held together by connecting tendons and bonding ligaments^u—grows as God causes growth.^v

²⁰ If you died to the fundamental assumptions of the world systems with Christ, why do you live in the world systems as if bound by its values? ²¹ “Do not partake!” “Do not taste!” “Do not touch!” ²² These are all abused and lead to destruction, based on the commands and teachings of people. ²³ Whichever of these is a message based truly on arbitrarily prescribed religious observances and humility defined as self-denial of the body has no value and only satisfies bodily impulses.

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Colossians 1

Colossians 3

FOOTNOTES:

a. Literally, making connections or putting things together, but it is about mental activity, so something like ‘developing understanding’ would be appropriate.
b. The way the Greek works here, it’s equally possible for this to mean that Christ is the mystery or that Christ is God: ‘of the mystery of God, of Christ’ vs. ‘of God’s mystery, of Christ.’ The context doesn’t offer much help as both points seem relevant based on 1:27 and 2:9. NET and NIV translate it to mean ‘Christ is God’ whereas NASB, ESV, and NRSV translate it to mean ‘Christ is the mystery.’
c. Or ‘commitment.’ This is pistis, which based on context could be ‘allegiance,’ ‘faithfulness,’ ‘trust,’ or ‘commitment’ which all interact in a reciprocal relationship.
d. This word is eis which is most commonly ‘for’ or ‘to,’ not usually ‘in.’
e. There is no word ‘as’ in the Greek here. Another way to translate it could be ‘took Christ Jesus the lord.’ Adding the word ‘as’ seems to clarify and is based on context, and other translations, including the NET, add it, but it’s possible it would be better not to do so. The word for ‘took’ is the same as to ‘take someone as a wife’ or what is used in Matthew when Jesus took his students up the mountain in chapter 17. It carries an idea of forming closeness.
f. This is the preposition en. This instance seems to function as a preposition of “standard,” literally “according to the standard of.” I’ve rendered it as “to be like” for clarity.
g. ‘Fundamentals’ or ‘elements’ or ‘starting points’ are the basic meaning of this word. I added ‘assumptions’ to clarify. Many translations use ‘teaching,’ but I think these ideas are more absorbed by culture than deliberately taught.
h. This word is added for clarity. It is not about physical location but about the cultural systems and assumptions that shape perception and behavior unless contradicted by the path of Christ.
i. This verse echoes Colossians 1:19. The Greek parallels are striking: hoti en auto eudokese pan to pleroma katoikesai (1:19) and hoti en auto katoikei pan to pleroma tes theotetos somatikos (2:9).
j. This phrase is not in the Greek. I wish it were. The metaphor clearly plays off 1:24: Jesus’ crucifixion functioning as the circumcision of the body of Christ, the church. The Greek is plural; it is about the Body collectively.
k. Literally “his body of flesh.” It contrasts his physical body with the metaphorical ‘body of Christ.’ Flesh is not depicted as sinful here; it is simply physical and distinct from the communal metaphor.
l. Verses 12–14 form one massive participial cascade expanding the meaning of “you were circumcised.” It unpacks burial, awakening, being made alive, the prior state of death, the granting of discharge, the erasure of debt, and the mechanism—nailing it to the cross.
m. This refers broadly to judgment connected to eating and drinking, not merely distinctions between permitted and forbidden foods.
n. Likewise, this concerns judgment regarding participation in ritual observances. For the Feast of Weeks, see Exodus 34:22. It began on the second day of Passover.
o. This word is plural, but that plural sense is awkward in English. It points toward “body,” which has many members, but English normally retains the singular.
p. Not simply “future,” but something imminent or “about to happen.” Jesus used the word this way in Matthew 17:12.
q. “Materialize” is not in the Greek; something must be supplied in English. Many translations use “come.” Options like “happen,” “be made real,” or “solidify” also work, given the contrast with “shadow.”
r. Literally, “be an umpire/referee against you” or “decide against you.”
s. Literally “mind of flesh,” parallel to 2:11’s “of flesh” as “personal.” It highlights the mind localized in the individual rather than participating in the communal Body of Christ.
t. This verse is notoriously difficult to render smoothly into English. A hyper-literal (and unusable) version would say: “May no one pass judgment against you, desiring regarding humility and observance of the messengers, investigating what they have seen, being inflated without cause by their mind of flesh.”
u. The Greek terms literally mean “connecting things” and “bonding things,” used for tendons and ligaments. Keeping both preserves the body metaphor.
v. Literally “grows the growth of God.” Alternatives include “grows growth from God,” “grows the growth that comes from God,” or “is empowered by God to grow.”