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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Colossians 2 NIV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/colossians/2.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/colossians/2-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NIV</a> > Colossians 2</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../colossians/1.htm" title="Colossians 1">◄</a> Colossians 2 <a href="../colossians/3.htm" title="Colossians 3">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New International Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/niv/esv/colossians/2.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.</p> <p class="sectionhead">Spiritual Fullness in Christ</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or the basic principles; also in verse 20">a</a></sup></span> of this world rather than on Christ.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 13.">b</a></sup></span> was put off when you were circumcised by <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or put off in the circumcision of">c</a></sup></span> Christ, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Some manuscripts us">d</a></sup></span> alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or them in him">e</a></sup></span> </p> <p class="sectionhead">Freedom From Human Rules</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/colossians/2-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.</p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="footnotes"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">8</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>the basic principles</i>; also in verse 20</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">11</span> <span class="footnotebot">In contexts like this, the Greek word for <i>flesh</i> (<i>sarx</i>) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 13.</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">11</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>put off in the circumcision of</i></span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">d</span> <span class="fnverse">13</span> <span class="footnotebot">Some manuscripts <i>us</i></span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">e</span> <span class="fnverse">15</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>them in him</i></span><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><p class="ntext"><a href="http://niv.scripturetext.com/version.htm">New International Version</a> (NIV)</p><p class="ntext2">Holy Bible, New International Version&reg, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by <a href="http://biblica.com">Biblica, Inc.</a>® Used by permission. 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