FOR I wish you to know how great a struggle I sustain for you, and
those at Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
(2)that their hearts may be comforted, firmly united together in love,
and unto all riches of full assurance of understanding, in the
knowledge of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
(3)in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
(4)Now this I say, lest any man pervert you with specious discourse.
(5)For though I am absent from you in person, yet I am present with you
in spirit, rejoicing and beholding your regular order, and the
stedfastness of your faith in Christ. (6)As therefore ye have received
Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him: (7)rooted and built up on him, and
confirmed in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with
thanksgiving. (8)Beware that no man make a prey of you by means of
philosophy and vain delusion, after the tradition of men, after the
principles of the world, and not after Christ: (9)for in him dwelleth
all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; (10)and ye are complete in him,
who is the head of all principality and power: (11)in whom also ye have
been circumcised with the circumcision not made with hands, by the
putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, through the circumcision
of Christ: (12)buried with him in baptism, in which also ye have been
raised up together with him by faith, the energy of God, who raised him
from the dead.
(13)And you, who were dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your
flesh, hath he quickened with him, freely forgiving you all trespasses;
(14)and hath blotted out the handwriting in ordinances that was against
us, which was the obstacle to us, and took it from the midst, nailing
it to the cross; (15)spoiling principalities and powers, he exposed
them to view openly, triumphing over them on it. (16)Let no man
therefore judge you concerning what you eat, or what you drink, or the
observance of a feast, or new moon, or the sabbaths; (17)which are
_merely_ shadows of things to come: but the body is Christ's. (18)Let
no man juggle you out of your prize, voluntary in _his_ humility and
the worship of angels, intruding into things which he never saw, vainly
puffed up by his carnal imagination; (19)and not firmly attached to the
head, from which the whole body, by joints and ligaments, harmoniously
adjusted and closely compacted, increaseth with increase from God.
(20)If then ye have been dead with Christ from the rudiments of the
world, why, as though living in the world, are ye dogmatically taught,
(21)eat not, nor talk, nor touch, (22)(all which things tend to
corruption by abuse) according to the injunctions and doctrines of men?
(23)Which things indeed hold forth an appearance of wisdom in
will-worship, and humility, and bodily mortification, _though_ not of
any value, _but_ a gratification to the flesh.