1 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 whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with beguiling speech.

5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

6 As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him,

7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8 See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.

9 For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily,

10 and you have come to fulness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ;

12 and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

14 having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

15 He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in him.

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath.

17 These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,

19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations,

21 "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"

22 (referring to things which all perish as they are used), according to human precepts and doctrines?

23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting rigor of devotion and self-abasement and severity to the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh.

1 θελω γαρ υμας ειδεναι ηλικον αγωνα εχω περι υμων και των εν λαοδικεια και οσοι ουχ εωρακασιν το προσωπον μου εν σαρκι

2 ινα παρακληθωσιν αι καρδιαι αυτων συμβιβασθεντων εν αγαπη και εις παντα πλουτον της πληροφοριας της συνεσεως εις επιγνωσιν του μυστηριου του θεου και πατρος και του χριστου

3 εν ω εισιν παντες οι θησαυροι της σοφιας και της γνωσεως αποκρυφοι

4 τουτο δε λεγω ινα μη τις υμας παραλογιζηται εν πιθανολογια

5 ει γαρ και τη σαρκι απειμι αλλα τω πνευματι συν υμιν ειμι χαιρων και βλεπων υμων την ταξιν και το στερεωμα της εις χριστον πιστεως υμων

6 ως ουν παρελαβετε τον χριστον ιησουν τον κυριον εν αυτω περιπατειτε

7 ερριζωμενοι και εποικοδομουμενοι εν αυτω και βεβαιουμενοι εν τη πιστει καθως εδιδαχθητε περισσευοντες εν αυτη εν ευχαριστια

8 βλεπετε μη τις υμας εσται ο συλαγωγων δια της φιλοσοφιας και κενης απατης κατα την παραδοσιν των ανθρωπων κατα τα στοιχεια του κοσμου και ου κατα χριστον

9 οτι εν αυτω κατοικει παν το πληρωμα της θεοτητος σωματικως

10 και εστε εν αυτω πεπληρωμενοι ος εστιν η κεφαλη πασης αρχης και εξουσιας

11 εν ω και περιετμηθητε περιτομη αχειροποιητω εν τη απεκδυσει του σωματος των αμαρτιων της σαρκος εν τη περιτομη του χριστου

12 συνταφεντες αυτω εν τω βαπτισματι εν ω και συνηγερθητε δια της πιστεως της ενεργειας του θεου του εγειραντος αυτον εκ των νεκρων

13 και υμας νεκρους οντας εν τοις παραπτωμασιν και τη ακροβυστια της σαρκος υμων {VAR1: συνεζωποιησεν } {VAR2: συνεζωοποιησεν } συν αυτω χαρισαμενος {VAR1: ημιν } {VAR2: υμιν } παντα τα παραπτωματα

14 εξαλειψας το καθ ημων χειρογραφον τοις δογμασιν ο ην υπεναντιον ημιν και αυτο ηρκεν εκ του μεσου προσηλωσας αυτο τω σταυρω

15 απεκδυσαμενος τας αρχας και τας εξουσιας εδειγματισεν εν παρρησια θριαμβευσας αυτους εν αυτω

16 μη ουν τις υμας κρινετω εν βρωσει η εν ποσει η εν μερει εορτης η νουμηνιας η σαββατων

17 α εστιν σκια των μελλοντων το δε σωμα του χριστου

18 μηδεις υμας καταβραβευετω θελων εν ταπεινοφροσυνη και θρησκεια των αγγελων α μη εωρακεν εμβατευων εικη φυσιουμενος υπο του νοος της σαρκος αυτου

19 και ου κρατων την κεφαλην εξ ου παν το σωμα δια των αφων και συνδεσμων επιχορηγουμενον και συμβιβαζομενον αυξει την αυξησιν του θεου

20 ει ουν απεθανετε συν τω χριστω απο των στοιχειων του κοσμου τι ως ζωντες εν κοσμω δογματιζεσθε

21 μη αψη μηδε γευση μηδε θιγης

22 α εστιν παντα εις φθοραν τη αποχρησει κατα τα ενταλματα και διδασκαλιας των ανθρωπων

23 ατινα εστιν λογον μεν εχοντα σοφιας εν εθελοθρησκεια και ταπεινοφροσυνη και αφειδια σωματος ουκ εν τιμη τινι προς πλησμονην της σαρκος