March 8, 2026 “When Good Becomes God”

Colossians 2:6-23
English Standard Version
Alive in Christ
6 (A)Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 (B)rooted and (C)built up in him and (D)established in the faith, just (E)as you were taught, abounding (F)in thanksgiving.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by (G)philosophy and (H)empty deceit, according to (I)human tradition, according to the (J)elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For (K)in him the whole fullness of deity dwells (L)bodily, 10 and (M)you have been filled in him, who is (N)the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also (O)you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by (P)putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 (Q)having been buried with him in baptism, in which (R)you were also raised with him through faith in (S)the powerful working of God, (T)who raised him from the dead. 13 (U)And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God (V)made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by (W)canceling (X)the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 (Y)He disarmed the rulers and authorities[b] and (Z)put them to open shame, by (AA)triumphing over them in him.[c]

Let No One Disqualify You
16 Therefore let no one (AB)pass judgment on you (AC)in questions of food and drink, or with regard to (AD)a festival or (AE)a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 (AF)These are a shadow of the things to come, but (AG)the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one (AH)disqualify you, (AI)insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, (AJ)going on in detail about visions,[d] (AK)puffed up without reason by (AL)his sensuous mind, 19 and (AM)not (AN)holding fast 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.

20 If with Christ (AO)you died to the (AP)elemental spirits of the world, (AQ)why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 (AR)“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 ((AS)referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to (AT)human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in (AU)promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are (AV)of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

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Footnotes
Colossians 2:8 Or elementary principles; also verse 20
Colossians 2:15 Probably demonic rulers and authorities
Colossians 2:15 Or in it (that is, the cross)
Colossians 2:18 Or about the things he has seen

Colossians 2:6 : ch. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:1
Colossians 2:7 : Eph. 3:17
Colossians 2:7 : Acts 20:32; Eph. 2:20; See 1 Cor. 3:9
Colossians 2:7 : Heb. 13:9
Colossians 2:7 : Eph. 4:21
Colossians 2:7 : ch. 4:2; Eph. 5:20
Colossians 2:8 : [1 Tim. 6:20]
Colossians 2:8 : Eph. 5:6
Colossians 2:8 : See Matt. 15:2
Colossians 2:8 : ver. 20
Colossians 2:9 : ch. 1:19; John 1:14
Colossians 2:9 : [ver. 17]
Colossians 2:10 : Eph. 3:19
Colossians 2:10 : See Eph. 1:21, 22
Colossians 2:11 : [Eph. 2:11]; See Rom. 2:29
Colossians 2:11 : ver. 15; ch. 3:9
Colossians 2:12 : Rom. 6:4
Colossians 2:12 : ch. 3:1; [Rom. 6:5]
Colossians 2:12 : [1 Cor. 6:14]; See Acts 2:24; Eph. 1:19
Colossians 2:12 : [1 Cor. 6:14]; See Acts 2:24; Eph. 1:19
Colossians 2:13 : See Eph. 2:1
Colossians 2:13 : See Eph. 2:5
Colossians 2:14 : See Acts 3:19
Colossians 2:14 : See Rom. 7:4
Colossians 2:15 : [See ver. 11 above]; ver. 15; ch. 3:9
Colossians 2:15 : [Gen. 3:15; Ps. 68:18; Isa. 53:12; Matt. 12:29; Luke 10:18; John 12:31; 16:11; Eph. 4:8; Heb. 2:14]
Colossians 2:15 : Eph. 2:16
Colossians 2:16 : Rom. 14:3, 10, 13
Colossians 2:16 : Rom. 14:17; Heb. 9:10; See Lev. 11:2
Colossians 2:16 : Lev. 23:2; Rom. 14:5
Colossians 2:16 : [Mark 2:28]; See Num. 28:11
Colossians 2:17 : Heb. 8:5; 10:1
Colossians 2:17 : [ver. 2]
Colossians 2:18 : 1 Cor. 9:24
Colossians 2:18 : ver. 23
Colossians 2:18 : [Ezek. 13:7; 1 Tim. 1:7]
Colossians 2:18 : [Eph. 4:17]
Colossians 2:18 : [Rom. 8:7]
Colossians 2:19 : See Eph. 4:15, 16
Colossians 2:19 : Rev. 2:13; 3:11
Colossians 2:20 : See Rom. 6:2
Colossians 2:20 : ver. 8
Colossians 2:20 : [Gal. 4:9]
Colossians 2:21 : ver. 16; 1 Tim. 4:3
Colossians 2:22 : 1 Cor. 6:13
Colossians 2:22 : Isa. 29:13; Matt. 15:9; [Titus 1:14]
Colossians 2:23 : ver. 18
Colossians 2:23 : [1 Tim. 4:8]