You Are Built Up in Christ

2 For I want you to know how great a ^(A)struggle I have in your behalf and for those who are at ^(B)Laodicea, and for all those who have not ^[a]personally seen my face, ² that their ^(C)hearts may be encouraged, having been ^(D)knit together in love, and that they would attain to all ^(E)the wealth ^[b]that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a ^(F)true knowledge of ^(G)God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, ³ in whom are hidden all ^(H)the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ^4 (I)I say this so that no one will deceive you with ^(J)persuasive arguments. ⁵ For even though I am ^(K)absent in body, I am nevertheless with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[c]to see ^[d]your ^(L)orderly manner and the ^(M)stability of your faith in Christ.

⁶ Therefore, as you have received ^(N)Christ Jesus the Lord, so ^[e](O)walk in Him, ⁷ having been firmly ^(P)rooted and now being ^(Q)built up in Him and ^(R)established ^[f]in ^[g]your faith, just as you ^(S)were instructed, and overflowing ^[h]with gratitude.

^8 (T)See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through ^(U)philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the ^(V)elementary principles of the world, ^[i]rather than in accordance with Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the ^(W)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been ^(X)made ^[j]complete, and ^(Y)He is the head ^[k]over every ^(Z)ruler and authority; ¹¹ and in Him ^(AA)you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of ^(AB)the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been ^(AC)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also ^(AD)raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who ^(AE)raised Him from the dead. ¹³ And ^[l]when you were ^(AF)dead ^[m]in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He ^(AG)made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, ¹⁴ having canceled ^(AH)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and ^(AI)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had ^[n](AJ)disarmed the ^(AK)rulers and authorities, He ^(AL)made a public display of them, having ^(AM)triumphed over them through ^[o]Him.

¹⁶ Therefore, no one is to ^[p](AN)act as your judge in regard to ^(AO)food and ^(AP)drink, or in respect to a ^(AQ)festival or a ^(AR)new moon, or a ^(AS)Sabbath ^[q]day— ¹⁷ things which are only a ^(AT)shadow of what is to come; but the ^[r]substance ^[s]belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Take care that no one keeps ^[t](AU)defrauding you of your prize by ^(AV)delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, ^[u]taking his stand on visions he has seen, ^[v](AW)inflated without cause by his ^(AX)fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding firmly to ^(AY)the head, from whom ^(AZ)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ^[w]ligaments, grows with a growth ^[x]which is from God.

^20 (BA)If you have died with Christ ^[y]to the ^(BB)elementary principles of the world, ^(BC)why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to ^(BD)decrees, such as, ²¹ “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” ²² (which all refer ^(BE)to things destined to perish ^[z]with use)—in accordance with the ^(BF)commandments and teachings of man? ²³ These are matters which do have the ^[aa]appearance of wisdom in ^[ab](BG)self-made religion and humility and ^(BH)severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against ^(BI)fleshly indulgence.