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 2,19 Kol 2,19
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,
but {Or, dealing, truly}speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ;
He hath stripped me of my glory,And taken the crown from my head.
He hath broken me down on every side, and I am gone;And my hope hath he plucked up like a tree.
He hath also kindled his wrath against me,And he counteth me unto him as one of his adversaries.
His troops come on together,And cast up their way against me,And encamp round about my tent.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
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,
to walk worthily of the Lord {Or, unto all pleasing, in every good work, bearing fruit and increasing &c.}unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing {Or, by}in the knowledge of God;
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; {Or, that among all he might have &c.}that in all things he might have the preeminence.
from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together {Greek: through every joint of the supply.}through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.
My frame was not hidden from thee,When I was made in secret,And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them {Many ancient authorities read of the root and of the fatness.}of the root of the fatness of the olive tree;
that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.
I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel;
{Or, which is nothing else save that there &c.}which is not another gospel: only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, should {See marginal note on Matthew 11:5.}preach {Some ancient authorities omit unto you.}unto you any gospel {Or, contrary to that}other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema.
As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man {See marginal note on Matthew 11:5.}preacheth unto you any gospel {Or, contrary to that}other than that which ye received, let him be anathema.
Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance;And in thy book they were all written,Even the days that were ordained for me,When as yet there was none of them.
for no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church;
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul: and not one of them said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together {Greek: through every joint of the supply.}through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.
Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.
Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Ye are {Greek: brought to nought. Compare Romans 7:2, 6 (in the Greek).}severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.
For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office:
and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you;
who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus,
who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times;
so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another.
for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more;
Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no {Greek: schisms.}divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
We are bound to give thanks to God always to you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith growth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth;
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a {Or, participation in}communion of the blood of Christ? The {Or, loaf}bread which we break, is it not a {Or, participation in}communion of the body of Christ?
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and {Greek: unto the day of eternity. Ecclus. 18:10}for ever. Amen.
{Or, seeing that there is one bread, we, who are many, are one body}seeing that we, who are many, are one {Or, loaf}bread, one body: for we are all partake {Greek: from.}of the one {Or, loaf}bread.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him.
And if they were all one member, where were the body?
But now they are many members, but one body.
And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary:
and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we {Or, put on}bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness;
whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked;
that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it; or one member is {Or, glorified}honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Now ye are the body of Christ, and {Or, members each in his part}severally members thereof.
giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Only {Greek: behave as citizens worthily. Compare chapter 3:20.}let your manner of life be worthy of the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 1:5.}gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you or be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving {Greek: with.}for the faith of the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 1:5.}gospel;
make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, {Some ancient authorities read of the same mind.}of one mind;
doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself;
not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Finally, be ye all likeminded, {Greek: sympathetic.}compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded: