American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
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.
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.
howbeit one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and straightway there came out blood and water.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein?
Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
For if we have become {Or, united with the likeness…with the likeness}united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection;
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;
for he that hath died is {Or, released Compare Ecclus. 26.29 (Greek); chapter 7:1.}justified from sin.
But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him;
knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him.
For {Or, in that}the death that he died, he died unto sin {Greek: once for all. Hebrews 7:27}once: but {Or, in that}the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:
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.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace.
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid.
Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as {Greek: bondservants.}servants unto obedience, his {Greek: bondservants.}servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
But thanks be to God, {Or, that ye were…but ye became}that, whereas ye were {Greek: bondservants.}servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that {Or, pattern}form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered;
and being made free from sin, ye became {Greek: bondservants.}servants of righteousness.
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification.
For when ye were {Greek: bondservants.}servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness.
What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the {Or, manner of life verse 16}behavior of their wives;
beholding your chaste {Or, manner of life verse 16}behavior coupled with fear.
Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel;
but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own {Or, husbands (as Sarah…ye are become), doing well, and not being afraid}husbands:
as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye do well, and are not {Or, afraid with}put in fear by any terror.
Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor {Greek: unto the female vessel, as weaker.}unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered.
Finally, be ye all likeminded, {Greek: sympathetic.}compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded:
not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
For, {Psalm 34:12 ff.}He that would love life,And see good days,Let him refrain his tongue from evil,And his lips that they speak no guile:
And let him turn away from evil, and do good;Let him seek peace, and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,And his ears unto their supplication:But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil.
And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good?
But even if ye should suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed are ye: and fear not their fear, neither be troubled;
but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:
having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ.
For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.
Because Christ also {Many ancient authorities read died.}suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison,
that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, {Or, into which few, that is, eight souls were brought safely through water}wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:
which also {Or, in the antitype}after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the {Or, inquiry Or, appeal}interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ;
who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.