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 2,13 Kol 2,13
The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of Jehovah, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
And he caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many {Hebrew: upon the face of the valley.}in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, thou knowest.
Again he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah.
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto these bones: Behold, I will cause {Or, spirit}breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.
And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put {Or, spirit}breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a {Or, thundering}noise, and, behold, an earthquake; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
And I beheld, and, lo, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the {Or, breath}wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the {Or, breath}wind, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O {Or, wind Or, spirit}breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands;
Thou, who hast showed us many and sore troubles,Wilt quicken {Another reading is, me.}us again,And wilt bring {Another reading is, me.}us up again from the depths of the earth.
A Psalm of David. Maschil.Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,Whose sin is covered.
But he said unto him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but go thou and publish abroad the kingdom of God.
This is my comfort in my affliction; {Or, That}For thy word hath quickened me.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will.
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
But it was meet to make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Jehovah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.
neither present your members unto sin as {Or, weapons Compare 2 Corinthians 10:4.}instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as {Or, weapons Compare 2 Corinthians 10:4.}instruments of righteousness unto God.
(as it is written, {Genesis 17:5}A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins:
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died;
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies {Many ancient authorities read because of.}through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.
Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened except it die:
to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having {Or, placed in us}committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,
So also it is written, {Genesis 2:7.}The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
For this is the covenant that {Greek: I will covenant.}I will make with the house of IsraelAfter those days, saith the Lord;I will put my laws into their mind,And on their heart also will I write them:And I will be to them a God,And they shall be to me a people:
And they shall not teach every man his fellow-citizen,And every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord:For all shall know me,From the least to the greatest of them.
For I will be merciful to their iniquities,And their sins will I remember no more.
even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together {Some ancient authorities read in Christ.}with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),
who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:
I charge thee in the sight of God, who {Or, preserveth all things alive}giveth life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession;
I write unto you, my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
Wherefore he saith, {(?). Compare 1 Timothy 3:16.}Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee.
But she that giveth herself to pleasure is dead while she liveth.
Wherefore leaving {Greek: the word of the beginning of Christ.}the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto {Or, full growth}perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through {Or, his eternal spirit}the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse {Many ancient authorities read our.}your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.