1 For it is my desire to give you news of the great fight I am making for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh;

2 So that their hearts may be comforted, and that being joined together in love, they may come to the full wealth of the certain knowledge of the secret of God, even Christ,

3 In whom are all the secret stores of wisdom and knowledge.

4 I say this so that you may not be turned away by any deceit of words.

5 For though I am not present in the flesh, still I am with you in the spirit, seeing with joy your order, and your unchanging faith in Christ.

6 As, then, you took Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on in him,

7 Rooted and based together in him, strong in the faith which the teaching gave you, giving praise to God at all times.

8 Take care that no one takes you away by force, through man's wisdom and deceit, going after the beliefs of men and the theories of the world, and not after Christ:

9 For in him all the wealth of God's being has a living form,

10 And you are complete in him, who is the head of all rule and authority:

11 In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

12 Having been put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back from the dead.

13 And you, being dead through your sins and the evil condition of your flesh, to you, I say, he gave life together with him, and forgiveness of all our sins;

14 Having put an end to the handwriting of the law which was against us, taking it out of the way by nailing it to his cross;

15 Having made himself free from the rule of authorities and powers, he put them openly to shame, glorying over them in it.

16 For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths:

17 For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's.

18 Let no man take your reward from you by consciously making little of himself and giving worship to angels; having his thoughts fixed on the things which he has seen, being foolishly lifted up in his natural mind,

19 And not joined to the Head, from whom all the body, being given strength and kept together through its joins and bands, has its growth with the increase of God.

20 If you were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders

21 Which say there may be no touching, tasting, or taking in your hands,

22 (Rules which are all to come to an end with their use) after the orders and teaching of men?

23 These things seem to have a sort of wisdom in self-ordered worship and making little of oneself, and being cruel to the body, not honouring it by giving it its natural use.

1 我愿意你们知道， 我为你们和在老底嘉的人， 以及所有没有跟我见过面的人， 是怎样竭力奋斗，

2 为的是要他们的心得着勉励， 在爱中彼此联系， 可以得着凭悟性、因确信而来的一切丰盛， 也可以充分认识 神的奥秘， 这奥秘就是基督；

3 一切智慧和知识的宝库都蕴藏在基督里面。

4 我说这些话， 免得有人用花言巧语欺骗你们。

5 我虽然不在你们那里， 心却与你们同在。我看见你们循规蹈矩， 并且对基督有坚定的信心， 就欢喜了。

6 你们怎样接受了基督耶稣为主， 就当照样在他里面行事为人，

7 按着你们所学到的， 在他里面扎根、建造， 信心坚定， 满有感谢的心。

8 你们要谨慎， 免得有人不照着基督， 而照着人的传统， 和世俗的言论， 借着哲学和骗人的空谈， 把你们掳去。

9 因为 神本性的一切丰盛， 都有形有体地住在基督里面，

10 你们也是在他里面得了丰盛。他是一切执政掌权者的元首。

11 你们也在他里面受了不是由人手所行的割礼， 而是受了基督的割礼， 就是除掉你们的罪身。

12 你们在洗礼中已经与他一同埋葬， 也在洗礼中， 因信那使基督从死人中复活的 神所运行的动力， 与他一同复活了。

13 你们因着过犯和肉体未受割礼， 原是死的， 然而 神赦免了我们的一切过犯， 使你们与基督一同活过来，

14 涂抹了那写在规条上反对我们、与我们为敌的字句， 并且把这字句从我们中间拿去， 钉在十字架上。

15 他既然靠着十字架胜过了一切执政掌权的， 废除了他们的权势， 就在凯旋的行列中， 把他们公开示众。

16 所以不要让人因着饮食、节期、月朔、安息日批评你们，

17 这些不过是将来的事的影子， 那真体却是属于基督的。

18 不要让人夺去你们的奖赏， 他们以故意谦卑， 敬拜天使为乐； 迷于自己所见过的； 凭着肉体的意念， 无故地自高自大；

19 不与头紧密相连。其实全身都是借着关节和筋络从头得着供应和联系， 就照着 神所要求的， 生长起来。

20 你们若与基督一同死了， 脱离了世俗的言论， 为什么仍然好像活在世俗中一样，

21 拘守那"不可摸、不可尝、不可触"的规条呢？

22 （这一切东西， 一经使用， 就都朽坏了。）这些规条是照着人的命令和教训而定的，

23 在随着己意敬拜， 故作谦卑， 和苦待己身等事上， 似乎是智慧之言， 其实只能叫人放纵肉体， 再没有任何价值。