Paul’s purpose in his troubles and prayers
2
📚For I want you to know what a great struggle✭ I have for you, and for those at Laodicea✭, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 📚✭that their hearts might be encouraged✭, being knit together in love✭, and so enter into all the riches of the full assurance of understanding✭, into the complete knowledge of the mystery✭ of God, of the Father and of Christ✭. 3 📚✭In Christ are hidden✭ all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 📚✭And I say this so that no one may deceive you with persuasive words. 5 📚For though I am absent in the body, yet I am with you in spirit✭, rejoicing and seeing your order✭ and the firmness of your faith in Christ✭.Freedom and fullness in Christ
6 📚✭Therefore just as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to go forward✭ in him, 7 📚rooted and being built up✭ in him and established in the faith✭, as you have been taught, overflowing in it with thanksgiving✭.
Freedom from false teaching and philosophy
8 📚Beware✭ lest any man despoil you✭ through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men✭, according to the rudimentary things of the world, and not according to Christ.
God’s fullness is in Christ
9 📚✭For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily.
Believers have fullness in Christ alone
10 📚✭And you are complete in him, who is the head✭ of all sovereignty and power.
In Christ believers are a separated people
11 📚In him also you have been circumcised✭ with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh in the circumcision done by Christ, 12 📚and have been buried with him in baptism✭, in which you have also been raised with him✭ through faith in the working of God✭, who raised him from the dead.
In Christ they have freedom from the law, forgiveness, and new life
13 📚And when you were dead in your sins and the lack of circumcision in your flesh, he made you alive✭ together with him, forgiving✭ you all trespasses, 14 📚and blotting out the handwriting of decrees that was against us✭, which was opposed to us, and took it away, nailing it to his cross✭. 15 📚And having plundered principalities and powers✭, he made an open spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16 📚✭Therefore let no one✭ judge you in the matter of food or drink✭, or regarding a festival✭, or new moon observance, or sabbath days. 17 📚These are a shadow✭ of things that were to come, but the substance✭ is of Christ.
They are to avoid false worship and false teaching
18 📚✭Do not let anyone keep you from receiving your reward✭, by a self-willed humility✭ and worshipping of angels, entering into things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up✭ by his carnal mind✭, 19 📚and not holding to the Head✭, from whom the whole body is supplied and knit together by muscles and ligaments, and grows✭ with the increase God gives.
20 📚Therefore if you died with Christ✭ to the rudimentary things of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you submit to rules 21 📚✭(do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, 22 📚all of which are to perish with the using), according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 📚These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom✭ in their self-chosen worship✭, and humility, and bodily austerities✭, but have no value against fleshly indulgence.