Colossians 2

Setting the scene

Who wrote it: Paul (debated)
Who it was for: The believers in Colossae
What was happening: Warnings against empty philosophy and rules: in Christ you have the fullness, and have died and risen with him

Read the full background in the book overview

What’s happening

Paul wants them to know how great a struggle he has for them, for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen his face, that their hearts may be comforted, knit together in love, and attain all the riches of full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely Christ, "in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden." He says this so that no one will deceive them with persuasive words; though absent in body, he is with them in spirit, rejoicing to see their order and the steadfastness of their faith in Christ. "As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in your faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." Then the warning: "Beware that no one capture you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elemental principles of the world, and not after Christ. For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power." In him they were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, buried with him in baptism, in which they were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. "You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; having stripped off the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." So let no one judge them in food or drink or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day, "which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's." Let no one rob them of their prize by insisting on humility and the worship of angels, going into detail about visions, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with the growth of God. If they died with Christ from the elemental principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do they submit to regulations: "Don't handle, nor taste, nor touch" (all about things that perish with use), according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things have indeed a show of wisdom in self-imposed worship, humility, and severity to the body, but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Why the setting matters

Paul never names the teaching he opposes, and scholars debate what it was. From his answer it seems to have mixed Jewish practices (food laws, festivals, new moons, Sabbaths), strict self-denial, visions, and some veneration of angels or spiritual powers, and to have called itself "philosophy." The "elemental principles of the world" (stoicheia) are debated, as in Galatians 4: they may be basic religious teachings, or the spiritual forces thought to govern the world. The expression translated "worship of angels" can mean worshipping angels or sharing in the worship that angels offer, and "going into detail about visions" is also uncertain; both are among the hardest phrases in the letter. The "handwriting in ordinances" (cheirographon) was a signed record of debt, an IOU, which Paul says God canceled and nailed to the cross, likely echoing the notice fixed to a crucified person. The victory image, "triumphing over them," draws on a Roman triumph, with captives paraded behind the conqueror. Paul's rule of thumb is that these practices are shadow and Christ is the substance, and his central claim is that his readers have already died and been raised with Christ.

Read Colossians 2 (World English Bible)

Who’s in this chapter

Paul

Struggles for churches he has not seen.

The believers in Colossae

Warned not to be captured by empty deceit.

The teachers of "philosophy"

Whose rules about food, festivals, and visions Paul answers.

The rulers and powers

Disarmed and put to open shame at the cross.

Jesus

In whom the whole fullness dwells bodily.

Talk it through

Paul says all the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Christ. Why would that matter to people tempted by other sources of wisdom?
He says the rules about food and festivals are a "shadow" and Christ is the "substance." How can something be both valuable and not final?
"You have died with Christ." What does it mean to live as someone who has already died and risen?
Paul says that rules with a "show of wisdom" cannot stop the flesh. Why do you think rules fail at that?

Read Colossians 2

World English Bible

¹For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; ²that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, ³in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. ⁴Now I say this that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech. ⁵For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

⁶As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

⁸Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ. ⁹For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power. ¹¹In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, ¹²having been 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. ¹³You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵Having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

¹⁶Let no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day, ¹⁷which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s. ¹⁸Let no one rob you of your prize by self-abasement and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.

²⁰If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances, ²¹“Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch” ²²(all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men? ²³These things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources

Key words

agṓn · contest, struggle
"How greatly I struggle for you" (2:1).
plērophoría · full assurance
"All the riches of the full assurance of understanding" (2:2).
symbibázō · knit together
"Knit together in love" (2:2, 2:19).
thēsaurós · treasure, storehouse
"In whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden" (2:3).
apókryphos · hidden
"Hidden" (2:3).
pithanología · persuasive words
"With persuasive speech" (2:4).
paralogízomai · deceive
"Let no one deceive you" (2:4).
táxis · order, arrangement
"Rejoicing and seeing your order" (2:5).
stéréōma · steadfastness
"And the steadfastness of your faith" (2:5).
peripatéō · to walk, to live
"So walk in him" (2:6).
rhizóō · to root, to put down roots
"Rooted" (2:7).
epoikodoméō · build up
"And built up in him" (2:7).
bebaióō · establish
"Established in the faith" (2:7).
eucharistía · thanksgiving
"Abounding in it in thanksgiving" (2:7).
sylagōgéō · take captive
"That no one takes you captive" (2:8).
philosophía · philosophy
"Through his philosophy and vain deceit" (2:8).
apátē · deceit
"And vain deceit" (2:8).
paradosis · tradition
"After the tradition of men" (2:8).
stoicheîon · elemental principle, basic element
"After the elemental principles of the world" (2:8, 2:20).
theótēs · Godhead
"All the fullness of the Godhead" (2:9).
sōmatikôs · bodily
"Dwells bodily" (2:9).
peritomē · circumcision
"In whom you were also circumcised" (2:11).
acheiropoíētos · made without hands
"With a circumcision not made with hands" (2:11).
apékdysis · putting off
"In the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh" (2:11).
synthápto · bury with
"Having been buried with him in baptism" (2:12).
synegeírō · raise with
"In whom you were also raised with him" (2:12).
egeirō · to raise, wake, rise
"Through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead" (2:12).
synzōopoiéō · make alive together
"He made alive together with him" (2:13).
charizomai · to forgive, to give freely
"Having forgiven us all our trespasses" (2:13).
paráptōma · trespass, false step
"You were dead through your trespasses" (2:13).
exaleíphō · wipe out
"Wiping out the handwriting" (2:14).
cheirógraphon · handwriting
"The handwriting in ordinances which was against us" (2:14).
dógma · decree, ordinance
"In ordinances" (2:14, 2:20).
hypenantíos · against
"Which was against us" (2:14).
prosēlóō · nail to
"Nailing it to the cross" (2:14).
apekdýomai · disarm
"Having stripped off the principalities and the powers" (2:15).
deigmatízō · make a public example
"He made a show of them openly" (2:15).
parrēsia · boldness, openness
"Openly" (2:15).
thriambeúō · to lead in triumph
"Triumphing over them in it" (2:15).
krinō · to judge, to decide
"Let no one judge you in food or in drink" (2:16).
brôsis · food
"In food" (2:16).
pósis · drink
"Or in drink" (2:16).
heortē · feast, festival
"Or in respect of a feast day" (2:16).
neomēnía · new moon
"Or a new moon" (2:16).
sabbaton · Sabbath
"Or a Sabbath day" (2:16).
skiá · shadow
"Which are a shadow of the things to come" (2:17).
méllō · be about to
"Of the things to come" (2:17).
katabrabeúō · rob of your prize
"Let no one rob you of your prize" (2:18).
tapeinophrosýnē · humility, lowliness of mind
"By a voluntary humility" (2:18, 2:23).
thrēskeía · worship
"And worshipping of the angels" (2:18).
angelos · angel, messenger
"The worshipping of the angels" (2:18).
embateúō · go into detail
"Dwelling in the things which he has seen" (2:18).
physióō · to puff up, to inflate
"Vainly puffed up" (2:18).
kratéō · hold firmly
"And not holding firmly to the Head" (2:19).
kephalḗ · head
"To the Head" (2:10, 2:19).
aúxēsis · growth
"Grows with the growth of God" (2:19).
dogmatízō · submit to ordinances
"Why do you subject yourselves to ordinances?" (2:20).
geúomai · taste
"Nor taste" (2:21).
thiggánō · touch
"Nor touch" (2:21).
apóchrēsis · use
"Which all perish with use" (2:22).
éntalma · commandments
"According to the commandments" (2:22).
didaskalía · teaching, doctrine
"And doctrines of men" (2:22).
ethelothrēskía · self-imposed worship
"In self-imposed worship" (2:23).
aphedía · severity
"And severity to the body" (2:23).
timḗ · value
"Not of any value" (2:23).
plēsmonḗ · indulgence
"Against the indulgence of the flesh" (2:23).
sarx · flesh
"The indulgence of the flesh" (2:11, 2:13, 2:18, 2:23).

See all word studies

Cross-references

Galatians 4:8-11, how can you turn back to the weak and worthless elementary principles?
Romans 6:3-11, we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death
Ephesians 2:1-6, dead in trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ
Hebrews 10:1, the law has only a shadow of the good things to come

Also linked by other readers

Ephesians 3:17, from Colossians 2:7, Colossians 2:12
1 Timothy 6:20, from Colossians 2:8
Ephesians 5:6, from Colossians 2:4, Colossians 2:8

Ranked by reader votes: OpenBible.info Cross References, CC BY. About our sources