4Now this I say, lest any man pervert you with specious discourse. 5For though I am absent from you in person, yet I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing and beholding your regular order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. 6As therefore ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him: 7rooted and built up on him, and confirmed in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8Beware that no man make a prey of you by means of philosophy and vain delusion, after the tradition of men, after the principles of the world, and not after Christ: 9for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; 10and ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power: 11in whom also ye have been circumcised with the circumcision not made with hands, by the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, through the circumcision of Christ: 12buried with him in baptism, in which also ye have been raised up together with him by faith, the energy of God, who raised him from the dead.
13And you, who were dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened with him, freely forgiving you all trespasses; 14and hath blotted out the handwriting in ordinances that was against us, which was the obstacle to us, and took it from the midst, nailing it to the cross; 15spoiling principalities and powers, he exposed them to view openly, triumphing over them on it. 16Let no man therefore judge you concerning what you eat, or what you drink, or the observance of a feast, or new moon, or the sabbaths; 17which are merely shadows of things to come: but the body is Christ’s. 18Let no man juggle you out of your prize, voluntary in his humility and the worship of angels, intruding into things which he never saw, vainly puffed up by his carnal imagination; 19and not firmly attached to the head, from which the whole body, by joints and ligaments, harmoniously adjusted and closely compacted, increaseth with increase from God.
20If then ye have been dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye dogmatically taught, 21eat not, nor talk, nor touch, 22(all which things tend to corruption by abuse) according to the injunctions and doctrines of men? 23Which things indeed hold forth an appearance of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and bodily mortification, though not of any value, but a gratification to the flesh.
[CHAP. III.]
IF ye then be risen with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Fix your minds on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ shall appear, who is our life, then shall you also with him be manifested in glory. 5Mortify therefore your members which are on the earth, fornication, impurity, the vile passion, evil concupiscence, and insatiable desire, which is idolatry: 6for which things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience; 7in which ye also walked formerly when ye lived among them: 8but now ye have put away all these things, anger, asperity, malice, scandal, obscenity, out of your mouth.
9Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his practices; 10and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him. 11Where there is no difference whether a man be Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman: but Christ is all and in all.
12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; 13forbearing one another, and freely forgiving one another, if any man hath a complaint against another: even as Christ hath freely forgiven you, so also do ye. 14But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of God set up its throne in your hearts, whereunto also ye have been called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing with grace in your heart unto the Lord. 17And everything that ye do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
18Wives be subject to your own husbands, as is fit in the Lord.
19Husbands, love your wives, and use no asperity against them.