Bible Study Tool

1 For I desire that you know what a great battle I have because of you and of those who are at Laodicea, even for as many as have not seen me face to face in the body,
2 that their innermost minds might be called close: to be knitted together in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to have precise and correct knowledge of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, *
3 in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 And this I say so that no one deceives you by using false reasoning with persuasive words.
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoice and be glad and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your supernatural belief and trust, into Christ.
6 As you have therefore joined Christ Jesus the Lord, make progress living your life in Him:
7 Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the supernatural belief and trust as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the lies and rituals of the world, and not after Christ. *
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And you are fulfilled in Him, Who is the head of all principality and power:
11 In Whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with Him in baptism, in which you are also risen with Him through the supernatural belief and trust, the working of God, Who has raised Him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 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;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no one defraud you out of your reward in a desire to have a humble opinion of yourself and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which the person has not seen, vainly puffed up by the person's own fleshly mind,
19 And not taking hold of the Head, from which all the body by joints and ligaments having nourishment supplied and knit together, increases with the increase of God.
20 Therefore if you are dead with Christ from the lies and rituals of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have, indeed, an utterance of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.