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 2,18 Kol 2,18
This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.
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.
But in his {Or, office}place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
{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 the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:
because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be:
and they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
{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:
And thou wentest to the king with oil, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, and didst debase thyself even unto Sheol.
for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed {Greek: unto the ages.}for ever. Amen.
Who is this that darkeneth counselBy words without knowledge?
Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.
for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?
And Jehovah God said unto the woman, What is this thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth; as there are gods many, and lords many;
A Psalm of David.I will give thee thanks with my whole heart:Before the gods will I sing praises unto thee.
Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but love {Greek: buildeth up.}edifieth.
For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, {Or, disorders}tumults;
for they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.
yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.
I will worship toward thy holy temple,And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth:For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, {Or, and things which they have not seen}and have seen nothing!
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, {Greek: heresies.}parties,
For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent.
And I fell down before his feet to {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship him. And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus: {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm.
But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, {Or, natural Or, animal}sensual, {Greek: demoniacal.}devilish.
For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed.
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your {Greek: thoughts. See chapter 3:14.}minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.
And I John am he that heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship before the feet of the angel that showed me these things.
Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members?
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and {Greek: are jealous.}covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures.
Ye {That is, who break your marriage vow to God.}adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.
Or think ye that the scripture {Or, saith in vain}speaketh in vain? {Or, The Spirit which he made to dwell in us he yearneth for even unto jealous envy. Compare Jeremiah 3:14; Hosea 2:19 f. Or, That Spirit which he made to dwell in us yearneth for us even unto jealous envy.}Doth the spirit which {Some ancient authorities read dwelleth in us.}he made to dwell in us long unto envying?
But he giveth {Greek: a greater grace.}more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, {Proverbs 3:34.}God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.
And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren the prophets, and with them that keep the words of this book: {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship God.
having eyes full of {Greek: an adulteress.}adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing;
These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, even they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
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.
Whosoever {Or, take the lead Compare 3 John 9.}goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son.
If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting:
for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works.
I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole {Greek: inhabited earth.}world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain.
And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived.