Colossians 2 - J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

2 1-3 I wish you could understand how deep is my anxiety for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have never met me. How I long that you may be encouraged, and find out more and more how strong are the bonds of Christian love. How I long for you to grow more certain in your knowledge and more sure in your grasp of God himself. May your spiritual experience become richer as you see more and more fully God’s great secret, Christ himself! For it is in him, and in him alone, that men will find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Let me warn you against “intellectuals”

4-7 I write this to prevent you from being led astray by someone or other’s attractive arguments. For though I am a long way away from you in body, in spirit I am by your side, watching like a proud father the solid steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on living in him—in simple faith. Grow out of him as a plant grows out of the soil it is planted in, becoming more and more sure of the faith as you were taught it, and your lives will overflow with joy and thankfulness.

8 Be careful that nobody spoils your faith through intellectualism or high-sounding nonsense. Such stuff is at best founded on men’s ideas of the nature of the world and disregards Christ!

9-10 Yet it is in him that God gives a full and complete expression of himself (within the physical limits that he set himself in Christ). Moreover, your own completeness is only realised in him, who is the authority over all authorities, and the supreme power over all powers.

The old Law can’t condemn you now

11-15 In Christ, you were circumcised, not by any physical act, but by being set free from the sins of the flesh by virtue of Christ’s circumcision. You, so to speak, shared in that, just as in baptism you shared in his death, and in him are sharing the miracle of rising again to new life—and all this because you have faith in the tremendous power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You, who were spiritually dead because of your sins and your uncircumcision (i.e. the fact that you were outside the Law), God has now made to share in the very life of Christ! He has forgiven you all your sins: Christ has utterly wiped out the damning evidence of broken laws and commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it over his own head on the cross. And then having drawn the sting of all the powers ranged against us, he exposed them, shattered, empty and defeated, in his final glorious triumphant act!

It is the spiritual, not the material, attitude which matters

16-19 In view of these tremendous facts, don’t let anyone worry you by criticising what you eat or drink, or what holy days you ought to observe, or bothering you over new moons or sabbaths. All these things have at most only a symbolical value: the solid fact is Christ. Nor let any man cheat you of your joy in Christ by persuading you to make yourselves “humble” and fall down and worship angels. Such a man, inflated by an unspiritual imagination, is pushing his way into matters he knows nothing about, and in his cleverness forgetting his head. It is from the head alone that the body, by natural channels, is nourished and built up and grows according to God’s laws of growth.

20-23 So if, through your faith in Christ, you are dead to the principles of this world’s life, why, as if you were still part and parcel of this world-wide system, do you take the slightest notice of these purely human prohibitions—“Don’t touch this,” “Don’t taste that” and “Don’t handle the other”? “This”, “that” and “the other” will all pass away after use! I know that these regulations look wise with their self-inspired efforts at worship, their policy of self-humbling, and their studied neglect of the body. But in actual practice they do honour, not to God, but to man’s own pride.

You Might Also Like:

Colossians 2 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

2 For I wish you to know how great a conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be comforted, being united in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of the understanding, to the full knowledge of the secret of the ...
Read More

Colossians 2 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

2 But I will that ye know, what busyness I have for you, and for them that be at Laodicea, and whichever saw not my face in flesh, 2 that their hearts be comforted, and they be taught in charity, into all the riches of the plenty of understanding [that the hearts of them be comforted, taught in cha...
Read More

Colossians 2 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

2 I want you to know how much I care for you and those in the city of Laodicea, and even all those who have never seen me. 2 I want them to be strong and to love one another. I want them to understand everything. I want them to know in a more perfect way about God's plan, which is Christ. 3 All the ...
Read More

Colossians 2 - World English Bible (WEB)

2 For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know...
Read More

Colossians 2 - The Voice (VOICE)

At the heart of the good news is a mystery hidden in ancient Scriptures but now exposed to the world through the lives of the church’s holy ones. Paul never refers to just one “holy one”; he always uses the plural. He knows that holiness is too difficult for us to accomplish on our own. Each of us h...
Read More

Colossians 2 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

2 I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those in Laodicea, as well as for those who have still not seen me face to face. 2 My purpose is that their hearts, joined together in love, may be encouraged. May they have all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, leadi...
Read More

Colossians 2 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

2 For I want you to know how greatly I strive for you, and for those at La-odice′a, and for all who have not seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged as they are knit together in love, to have all the riches of assured understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, of Christ, 3 in wh...
Read More

Colossians 2 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

2 For I want you to know how greatly I strive for you, and for those at La-odice′a, and for all who have not seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged as they are knit together in love, to have all the riches of assured understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, of Christ, 3 in wh...
Read More

Colossians 2 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

2 For I desire that you knew what great struggle I have for you, and for those of Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 that their hearts might be encouraged, having been joined together in love and in all the riches of the full assurance of understanding to know the mys...
Read More

Colossians 2 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

God’s Hidden Treasure – King Jesus!2 You see, I’d like you to know just what a struggle I am having on behalf of yourselves, and the family in Laodicea, and all the people who don’t know me by sight. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged as they’re brought together in love. I want them to experien...
Read More

Colossians 2 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

2 For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that...
Read More

Colossians 2 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

2 For I want you to know how greatly I strive for you and for those in Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Ch...
Read More

Colossians 2 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

What great care Paul took for all congregations. He exhorts them to be steadfast in Christ, and to beware of false teachers and worldly wisdom. He describes the false prophets. 2 I would you knew what fighting I have for your sakes and for the people of Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen me ...
Read More

Colossians 2 - New Living Translation (NLT)

2 I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious ...
Read More

Colossians 2 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Christian Is Complete in Christ2 I want you to know how hard I have worked for you and for the Christians in the city of Laodicea and for those who have never seen me. 2 May their hearts be given comfort. May they be brought close together in Christian love. May they be rich in understanding an...
Read More

Colossians 2 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Not Philosophy but Christ2 For I want you to know what a great (A)conflict[a] I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of underst...
Read More