COL 2:6-23

Alive with Christ

6Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, [2:7] rooted and being built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. [2:8] Watch out that no one will be carrying you off as plunder through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental principles of the world, and not according to Christ. [2:9] For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, [2:10] and you have been made complete in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. [2:11] In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made by hand — in the stripping off of the body of flesh — the circumcision of Christ. [2:12] Having 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. [2:13] And you — being dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh — God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, [2:14] having canceled the bond standing against us with its legal demands. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. [2:15] Having stripped off the rulers and the authorities, he publicly displayed them, leading them in triumph in him. [2:16] Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in eating and drinking or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. [2:17] These are a shadow of things to come, but the body belongs to Christ. [2:18] Let no one deprive you of your prize, insisting on self-abasement and the worship of angels, going into detail about visions, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, [2:19] and not holding to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. [2:20] If you died with Christ to the elemental principles of the world, why — as though living in the world — do you submit to decrees: [2:21] do not handle, do not taste, do not touch? [2:22] All these things perish with use — according to human commands and teachings. [2:23] These things indeed have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and harsh treatment of the body, but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

In the world it was spoken into

In the first-century Greco-Roman world, philosophy and religious traditions were deeply intertwined with daily life, often shaping societal norms and personal identity. The mention of 'philosophy and empty deceit' would have resonated with listeners familiar with competing schools of thought like Stoicism, Epicureanism, or Gnosticism, which offered varying paths to truth and virtue. The term (stoicheia) likely evoked the elemental spirits or cosmic forces believed to govern the natural world, a common concept in both pagan and Jewish thought. The warning against being 'taken captive' would have been vivid in a culture where military conquest and enslavement were realities. The imagery of 'stripping off' would have been understood in the context of removing burdensome practices or oppressive spiritual forces. The reference to 'rules and authorities' would have been familiar to those living under Roman imperial rule, where hierarchical power structures were pervasive. The passage contrasts these human traditions and cosmic powers with the sufficiency of Christ, who embodies the fullness of deity and grants believers freedom and completeness.

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How other translations render this

COL 2:6

KJV: As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
BSB: Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him,
Koinōnos: Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,

COL 2:7

KJV: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
BSB: rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Koinōnos: rooted and being built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

COL 2:8

KJV: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
BSB: See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
Koinōnos: Watch out that no one will be carrying you off as plunder through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

COL 2:9

KJV: For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
BSB: For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.
Koinōnos: For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

COL 2:10

KJV: And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
BSB: And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
Koinōnos: and you have been made complete in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.

COL 2:11

KJV: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
BSB: In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.
Koinōnos: In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made by hand — in the stripping off of the body of flesh — the circumcision of Christ.

COL 2:12

KJV: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
BSB: And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Koinōnos: Having 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.

COL 2:13

KJV: And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
BSB: When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses,
Koinōnos: And you — being dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh — God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

COL 2:14

KJV: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
BSB: having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!
Koinōnos: having canceled the bond standing against us with its legal demands. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

COL 2:15

KJV: And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
BSB: And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Koinōnos: Having stripped off the rulers and the authorities, he publicly displayed them, leading them in triumph in him.

COL 2:16

KJV: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
BSB: Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath.
Koinōnos: Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in eating and drinking or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.

COL 2:17

KJV: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
BSB: These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
Koinōnos: These are a shadow of things to come, but the body belongs to Christ.

COL 2:18

KJV: Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
BSB: Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.
Koinōnos: Let no one deprive you of your prize, insisting on self-abasement and the worship of angels, going into detail about visions, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

COL 2:19

KJV: And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
BSB: He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.
Koinōnos: and not holding to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

COL 2:20

KJV: Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
BSB: If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations:
Koinōnos: If you died with Christ to the elemental principles of the world, why — as though living in the world — do you submit to decrees:

COL 2:21

KJV: (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
BSB: “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”?
Koinōnos: do not handle, do not taste, do not touch?

COL 2:22

KJV: Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
BSB: These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
Koinōnos: All these things perish with use — according to human commands and teachings.

COL 2:23

KJV: Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
BSB: Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Koinōnos: These things indeed have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and harsh treatment of the body, but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

COL 2:8

is taking captive:The word translated 'is taking captive' here refers to carrying someone off as plunder or booty, suggesting a forceful and deceptive abduction rather than a simple leading astray.
principles:The term translated 'principles' originally referred to the basic elements or fundamental components of something, like the letters of an alphabet or the primary constituents of the universe.

COL 2:11

removal:The word translated 'removal' carries the vivid imagery of stripping off clothing, emphasizing a complete and decisive putting away or divestment.

COL 2:18

should disqualify:The word translated 'should disqualify' comes from the context of athletic contests, meaning to act as an unfair judge who deprives someone of their rightful prize.