Colossians 2:8-23

New American Standard Bible 1995

^8 (A)See to it that no one takes you captive through ^(B)philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the ^(C)elementary principles of the world, ^[a]rather than according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the ^(D)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been ^(E)made ^[b]complete, and ^(F)He is the head ^[c]over all ^(G)rule and authority; ¹¹ and in Him ^(H)you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of ^(I)the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been ^(J)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also ^(K)raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who ^(L)raised Him from the dead. ¹³ When you were ^(M)dead ^[d]in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He ^(N)made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ¹⁴ having canceled out ^(O)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and ^(P)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had ^[e](Q)disarmed the ^(R)rulers and authorities, He ^(S)made a public display of them, having ^(T)triumphed over them through ^[f]Him.

¹⁶ Therefore no one is to ^[g](U)act as your judge in regard to ^(V)food or ^(W)drink or in respect to a ^(X)festival or a ^(Y)new moon or a ^(Z)Sabbath ^[h]day— ¹⁷ things which are ^(AA)a mere shadow of what is to come; but the ^[i]substance ^[j]belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one keep ^[k](AB)defrauding you of your prize by ^(AC)delighting in ^[l]self-abasement and the worship of the angels, ^[m]taking his stand on visions he has seen, ^[n](AD)inflated without cause by his ^(AE)fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding fast to ^(AF)the head, from whom ^(AG)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ^[o]ligaments, grows with a growth ^[p]which is from God.

^20 (AH)If you have died with Christ ^[q]to the ^(AI)elementary principles of the world, ^(AJ)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to ^(AK)decrees, such as, ²¹ “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” ²² (which all refer ^(AL)to things destined to perish ^[r]with use)—in accordance with the ^(AM)commandments and teachings of men? ²³ These are matters which have, to be sure, the ^[s]appearance of wisdom in ^[t](AN)self-made religion and self-abasement and ^(AO)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against ^(AP)fleshly indulgence.