For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the {Or, fulness}full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, {The ancient authorities vary much in the text of this passage.}even Christ,
in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.
For though I am 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.
As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
rooted and builded up in him, and established {Or, by}in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding {Some ancient authorities insert in it.}in thanksgiving.
{Or, See whether}Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the {Or, elements See Galatians 4:3 margin}rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:
for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:
in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;
having blotted out {Or, the bond that was against us by its ordinances}the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;
{Or, having put off from himself the principalities &c.}having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.
Let no man rob you of your prize {Or, of his own mere will, by humility &c.}by a voluntary humility and {The Greek word denotes an act of reverence, whether paid to a creature, or to the Creator.}worshipping of the angels, {Or, taking his stand upon}dwelling in the things which he hath {Many authorities, some ancient, insert not.}seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God.
If ye died with Christ from the {Or, elements See Galatians 4:3 margin}rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,
Handle not, nor taste, nor touch
(all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?
Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any {Or, honor}value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Querverweise zu Kolosser 2,8 Kol 2,8
then beware lest thou forget Jehovah, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Let no man rob you of your prize {Or, of his own mere will, by humility &c.}by a voluntary humility and {The Greek word denotes an act of reverence, whether paid to a creature, or to the Creator.}worshipping of the angels, {Or, taking his stand upon}dwelling in the things which he hath {Many authorities, some ancient, insert not.}seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of {Or, foreign divinities}strange {Greek: demons.}gods: because he {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preached Jesus and the resurrection.
(all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?
If ye died with Christ from the {Or, elements See Galatians 4:3 margin}rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,
But ye did not so learn Christ;
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
Take us the foxes, the little foxes,That spoil the vineyards;For our vineyards are in blossom.
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, We will hear thee concerning this yet again.
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
For God said, {Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16.}Honor thy father and thy mother: and, {Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9.}He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him {Or, surely die}die the death.
But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God;
he shall not honor his father {Some ancient authorities add or his mother.}. And ye have made void the {Some ancient authorities read law.}word of God because of your tradition.
Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
{Isaiah 29:13.}This people honoreth me with their lips;But their heart is far from me.
But in vain do they worship me,Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.
So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the {Or, elements 2 Peter 3:10, 12}rudiments of the world:
But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you;
For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets that are in the midst of you, and your diviners, deceive you; neither hearken ye to your dreams which ye {Or, dream}cause to be dreamed.
because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened.
(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands {Or, up to the elbow Greek: with the fist.}diligently, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders;
and when they come from the marketplace, except they { Greek: baptize. Some ancient authorities read sprinkle themselves.}bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, { Greek: baptizings.}washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels { Many ancient authorities add and couches.}.)
And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with {Or, common}defiled hands?
And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, {Isaiah 29:13.}This people honoreth me with their lips,But their heart is far from me.
But in vain do they worship me,Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.
Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.
And he said unto them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition.
For Moses said, {Exodus 20.12; Deuteronomy 5.16; Exodus 21.17; Leviticus 20.9 }Honor thy father and thy mother; and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him {Or, surely die}die the death:
but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God;
ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or his mother;
making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do.
but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly {Or, elements See verse 3.}rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again?
And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the {Or, teaching}doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
and I advanced in the Jews' religion beyond many of mine own age {Greek: in my race. Compare 2 Corinthians 11:26.}among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
wherein ye once walked according to the {Greek: age.}course of this world, according to the prince of the {Greek: power.}powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience;
Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision:
Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.
For it is written, {Isaiah 29:14.}I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,And the discernment of the discerning will I bring to nought.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this {Or, age}world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the {Greek: thing preached.}preaching to save them that believe.
Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom:
but we preach {Or, a Messiah}Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness;
knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers;
Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness.
Be not carried away by divers and strange teachings: for it is good that the heart be established by grace; not by meats, wherein they that {Greek: walked.}occupied themselves were not profited.
Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this {Or, age}world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.
Look to yourselves, that ye {Or, destroy}lose not the things which {Many ancient authorities read ye.}we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, {Job 5:13.}He that taketh the wise in their craftiness:
But some one will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come?
Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die:
casting down {Or, reasonings Romans 2:15.}imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
O Timothy, guard {Greek: the deposit.}that which is committed unto thee, turning away from the profane babblings and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called;
and their word will {Or, spread}eat as doth a gangrene: of whom is Hymenæus and Philetus;
men who concerning the truth have {Greek: missed the mark. 1 Timothy 1:6.}erred, saying that {Some ancient authorities read a resurrection.}the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some.
But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.