21 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.
31 If then you have a new life with Christ, give your attention to the things of heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep your mind on the higher things, not on the things of earth. 3 For your life on earth is done, and you have a secret life with Christ in God. 4 At the coming of Christ who is our life, you will be seen with him in glory.
5 Then put to death your bodies which are of the earth; wrong use of the flesh, unclean things, passion, evil desires and envy, which is the worship of strange gods; 6 Because of which the wrath of God comes on those who go against his orders; 7 Among whom you were living in the past, when you did such things.
8 But now it is right for you to put away all these things; wrath, passion, bad feeling, curses, unclean talk; 9 Do not make false statements to one another; because you have put away the old man with all his doings, 10 And have put on the new man, which has become new in knowledge after the image of his maker; 11 Where there is no Greek or Jew, no one with circumcision or without circumcision, no division between nations, no servant or free man: but Christ is all and in all.
12 As saints of God, then, holy and dearly loved, let your behaviour be marked by pity and mercy, kind feeling, a low opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, and a power of undergoing all things; 13 Being gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you: 14 And more than all, have love; the only way in which you may be completely joined together. 15 And let the peace of Christ be ruling in your hearts, as it was the purpose of God for you to be one body; and give praise to God at all times. 16 Let the word of Christ be in you in all wealth of wisdom; teaching and helping one another with songs of praise and holy words, making melody to God with grace in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, in word or in act, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving praise to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, be under the authority of your husbands, as is right in the Lord. 19 Husbands, have love for your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20 Children, do the orders of your fathers and mothers in all things, for this is pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not be hard on your children, so that their spirit may not be broken. 22 Servants, in all things do the orders of your natural masters; not only when their eyes are on you, as pleasers of men, but with all your heart, fearing the Lord: 23 Whatever you do, do it readily, as to the Lord and not to men; 24 Being certain that the Lord will give you the reward of the heritage: for you are the servants of the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will have punishment for the wrong he has done, without respect for any man's position.
