Colossians 2

1 I want you to know how hard I work for you, those in Laodicea, and others who have never seen me.2 I want them to be strengthened and joined together with love so that they may be rich in their understanding. This leads to their knowing fully God’s secret, that is, Christ himself.

3 In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are safely kept.
4 I say this so that no one can fool you by arguments that seem good, but are false.

5 Though I am absent from you in my body, my heart is with you, and I am happy to see your good lives and your strong faith in Christ.

Continue to Live in Christ

6 As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live in him.

7 Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always be thankful.
8 Be sure that no one leads you away with false and empty teaching that is only human, which comes from the ruling spirits of this world, and not from Christ.9 All of God lives fully in Christ (even when Christ was on earth),

10 and you have a full and true life in Christ, who is ruler over all rulers and powers.
11 Also in Christ you had a different kind of circumcision, a circumcision not done by hands. It was through Christ’s circumcision, that is, his death, that you were made free from the power of your sinful self.12 When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him through your faith in God’s power that was shown when he raised Christ from the dead.13 When you were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self, God made you alive with Christ, and he forgave all our sins.14 He canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross.

15 God stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their authority. With the cross, he won the victory and showed the world that they were powerless.

Don’t Follow People’s Rules

16 So do not let anyone make rules for you about eating and drinking or about a religious feast, a New Moon Festival, or a Sabbath day.17 These things were like a shadow of what was to come. But what is true and real has come and is found in Christ.18 Do not let anyone disqualify you by making you humiliate yourself and worship angels. Such people enter into visions, which fill them with foolish pride because of their human way of thinking.

19 They do not hold tightly to Christ, the head. It is from him that all the parts of the body are cared for and held together. So it grows in the way God wants it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ and were made free from the ruling spirits of the world, why do you act as if you still belong to this world by following rules like these:21 “Don’t handle this,” “Don’t taste that,” “Don’t even touch that thing”?22 These rules refer to earthly things that are gone as soon as they are used. They are only human commands and teachings.23 They seem to be wise, but they are only part of a human religion. They make people pretend not to be proud and make them punish their bodies, but they do not really control the evil desires of the sinful self.

Colossians 3

Your New Life in Christ

1 Since you were raised from the dead with Christ, aim at what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.2 Think only about the things in heaven, not the things on earth.3 Your old sinful self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God.4 Christ is your 5 So put all evil things out of your life: sexual sinning, doing evil, letting evil thoughts control you, wanting things that are evil, and greed. This is really serving a false god.6 These things make God angry. 

7 In your past, evil life you also did these things.
8 But now also put these things out of your life: anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and using evil words when you talk.9 Do not lie to each other. You have left your old sinful life and the things you did before.10 You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God.11 In the new life there is no difference between Greeks and Jews, those who are circumcised and those who are not circumcised, or people who are foreigners, or Scythians. 12 God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.13 Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.14 Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity.15 Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body 16 Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

17 Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

Your New Life with Other People

18 Wives, yield to the authority of your husbands, because this is the right thing to do in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives and be gentle with them.

20 Children, obey your parents in all things, because this pleases the Lord.

21 Fathers, do not nag your children. If you are too hard to please, they may want to stop trying.
22 Slaves, obey your masters in all things. Do not obey just when they are watching you, to gain their favor, but serve them honestly, because you respect the Lord.23 In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.24 Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, which he promised to his people. You are serving the Lord Christ.25 But remember that anyone who does wrong will be punished for that wrong, and the Lord treats everyone the same.

Colossians 4

1 Masters, give what is good and fair to your slaves. Remember that you have a Master in heaven.

What the Christians Are to Do

2 Continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking God.3 Also pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message. Pray that we can preach the secret that God has made known about Christ. This is why I am in prison.

4 Pray that I can speak in a way that will make it clear, as I should.
5 Be wise in the way you act with people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity.

6 When you talk, you should always be kind and pleasant so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.

News About the People with Paul

7 Tychicus is my dear brother in Christ and a faithful minister and servant with me in the Lord. He will tell you all the things that are happening to me.8 This is why I am sending him: so you may know how we are 

9 I send him with Onesimus, a faithful and dear brother in Christ, and one of your group. They will tell you all that has happened here.
10 Aristarchus, a prisoner with me, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, greet you. (I have already told you what to do about Mark. If he comes, welcome him.)

11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also greets you. These are the only Jewish believers who work with me for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras, a servant of Jesus Christ, from your group, also greets you. He always prays for you that you will grow to be spiritually mature and have everything God wants for you.13 I know he has worked hard for you and the people in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.

14 Demas and our dear friend Luke, the doctor, greet you.
15 Greet the brothers and sisters in Laodicea. And greet Nympha and the church that meets in her house.16 After this letter is read to you, be sure it is also read to the church in Laodicea. And you read the letter that I wrote to Laodicea.

17 Tell Archippus, “Be sure to finish the work the Lord gave you.”
18 I, Paul, greet you and write this with my own hand. Remember me in prison. Grace be with you.