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Living in the Light

1 Since you are God’s dear children, you must try to be like him.

2 Your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God.

3 Since you are God’s people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you.

4 Nor is it fitting for you to use language which is obscene, profane, or vulgar. Rather you should give thanks to God.

5 You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Do not let anyone deceive you with foolish words; it is because of these very things that God’s anger will come upon those who do not obey him.

7 So have nothing at all to do with such people.

8 You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord’s people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light,

9 for it is the lightthat brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth.

10 Try to learn what pleases the Lord.

11 Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light. (

12 It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.)

13 And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed;

14 for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light.That is why it is said,

“Wake up, sleeper,

and rise from death,

and Christ will shine on you.”

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like ignorant people, but like wise people.

16 Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days.

17 Don’t be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do.

18 Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit.

19 Speak to one another with the words of psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts.

20 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always give thanks for everything to God the Father.

Wives and Husbands

21 Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord.

23 For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body.

24 And so wives must submit themselves completely to their husbands just as the church submits itself to Christ.

25 Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.

26 He did this to dedicate the church to God by his word, after making it clean by washing it in water,

27 in order to present the church to himself in all its beauty—pure and faultless, without spot or wrinkle or any other imperfection.

28 Men ought to love their wives just as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself. (

29 None of us ever hate our own bodies. Instead, we feed them, and take care of them, just as Christ does the church;

30 for we are members of his body.)

31 As the scripture says, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.”

32 There is a deep secret truth revealed in this scripture, which I understand as applying to Christ and the church.

33 But it also applies to you: every husband must love his wife as himself, and every wife must respect her husband.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/EPH/5-93d447e4b1afb3c5bd3310036b2121de.mp3?version_id=68—

Ephesians

Children and Parents

1 Children, it is your Christian duty toobey your parents, for this is the right thing to do.

2 “Respect your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise added:

3 “so that all may go well with you, and you may live a long time in the land.”

4 Parents, do not treat your children in such a way as to make them angry. Instead, raise them with Christian discipline and instruction.

Slaves and Masters

5 Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling; and do it with a sincere heart, as though you were serving Christ.

6 Do this not only when they are watching you, because you want to gain their approval; but with all your heart do what God wants, as slaves of Christ.

7 Do your work as slaves cheerfully, as though you served the Lord, and not merely human beings.

8 Remember that the Lord will reward each of us, whether slave or free, for the good work we do.

9 Masters, behave in the same way toward your slaves and stop using threats. Remember that you and your slaves belong to the same Master in heaven, who judges everyone by the same standard.

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power.

11 Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks.

12 For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.

13 So put on God’s armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy’s attacks; and after fighting to the end, you will still hold your ground.

14 So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate,

15 and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace.

16 At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One.

17 And accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God as the sword which the Spirit gives you.

18 Do all this in prayer, asking for God’s help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God’s people.

19 And pray also for me, that God will give me a message when I am ready to speak, so that I may speak boldly and make known the gospel’s secret.

20 For the sake of this gospel I am an ambassador, though now I am in prison. Pray that I may be bold in speaking about the gospel as I should.

Final Greetings

21 Tychicus, our dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord’s work, will give you all the news about me, so that you may know how I am getting along.

22 That is why I am sending him to you—to tell you how all of us are getting along and to encourage you.

23 May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give to all Christians peace and love with faith.

24 May God’s grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying love.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/EPH/6-49a40030e6fc7ffe7b23fce314a8c3dd.mp3?version_id=68—

Philippians

Philippians Introduction

Introduction

Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

was written to the first church that Paul established on European soil, in the Roman province of Macedonia. It was written while the apostle was in prison, and at a time when he was troubled by the opposition of other Christian workers toward himself and was distressed by false teaching in the church at Philippi. Yet this letter breathes a joy and confidence that can be explained only by Paul’s deep faith in Jesus Christ.

The immediate reason for writing the letter was to thank the Philippian Christians for the gift which they had sent to help him in his time of need. He uses this opportunity to reassure them, so that they may have courage and confidence in spite of all his troubles and their own as well. He pleads with them to have the humble attitude of Jesus, rather than to be controlled by selfish ambition and pride. He reminds them that their life in union with Christ is a gift of God’s grace which they have received through faith, not through obedience to the ceremonies of the Jewish Law. He writes of the joy and peace that God gives to those who live in union with Christ.

This letter is marked by its emphasis on joy, confidence, unity, and perseverance in the Christian faith and life. It also reveals the deep affection Paul had for the church at Philippi.

Outline of Contents

Introduction (1.1-11)

Paul’s personal circumstances (1.12-26)

The life in Christ (1.27—2.18)

Plans for Timothy and Epaphroditus (2.19-30)

Warnings against enemies and dangers (3.1—4.9)

Paul and his Philippian friends (4.10-20)

Conclusion (4.21-23)

Philippians

Philippians 1

1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus—

To all God’s people in Philippi who are in union with Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and helpers:

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul’s Prayer for His Readers

3 I thank my God for you every time I think of you;

4 and every time I pray for you all, I pray with joy

5 because of the way in which you have helped me in the work of the gospel from the very first day until now.

6 And so I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus.

7 You are always in my heart! And so it is only right for me to feel as I do about you. For you have all shared with me in this privilege that God has given me, both now that I am in prison and also while I was free to defend the gospel and establish it firmly.

8 God is my witness that I tell the truth when I say that my deep feeling for you all comes from the heart of Christ Jesus himself.

9 I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment,

10 so that you will be able to choose what is best. Then you will be free from all impurity and blame on the Day of Christ.

11 Your lives will be filled with the truly good qualities which only Jesus Christ can produce, for the glory and praise of God.

To Live Is Christ

12 I want you to know, my friends, that the things that have happened to me have really helped the progress of the gospel.

13 As a result, the whole palace guard and all the others here know that I am in prison because I am a servant of Christ.

14 And my being in prison has given most of the believers more confidence in the Lord, so that they grow bolder all the time to preach the messagefearlessly.

15 Of course some of them preach Christ because they are jealous and quarrelsome, but others from genuine good will.

16 These do so from love, because they know that God has given me the work of defending the gospel.

17 The others do not proclaim Christ sincerely, but from a spirit of selfish ambition; they think that they will make more trouble for me while I am in prison.

18 It does not matter! I am happy about it—just so Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy,

19 because I know that by means of your prayers and the help which comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ I shall be set free.

20 My deep desire and hope is that I shall never fail in my duty, but that at all times, and especially right now, I shall be full of courage, so that with my whole being I shall bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.

21 For what is life? To me, it is Christ. Death, then, will bring more.

22 But if by continuing to live I can do more worthwhile work, then I am not sure which I should choose.

23 I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing;

24 but for your sake it is much more important that I remain alive.

25 I am sure of this, and so I know that I will stay. I will stay on with you all, to add to your progress and joy in the faith,

26 so that when I am with you again, you will have even more reason to be proud of me in your life in union with Christ Jesus.

27 Now, the important thing is that your way of life should be as the gospel of Christ requires, so that, whether or not I am able to go and see you, I will hear that you are standing firm with one common purpose and that with only one desire you are fighting together for the faith of the gospel.

28 Don’t be afraid of your enemies; always be courageous, and this will prove to them that they will lose and that you will win, because it is God who gives you the victory.

29 For you have been given the privilege of serving Christ, not only by believing in him, but also by suffering for him.

30 Now you can take part with me in the battle. It is the same battle you saw me fighting in the past, and as you hear, the one I am fighting still.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/PHP/1-c9d64e85d7bef5239deacf04911e7ba3.mp3?version_id=68—

Philippians

Philippians 2

Christ’s Humility and Greatness

1 Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit,and you have kindness and compassion for one another.

2 I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind.

3 Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves.

4 And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own.

5 The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had:

6 He always had the nature of God,

but he did not think that by force he should try to remainequal with God.

7 Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had,

and took the nature of a servant.

He became like a human being

and appeared in human likeness.

8 He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—

his death on the cross.

9 For this reason God raised him to the highest place above

and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.

10 And so, in honor of the name of Jesus

all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below

will fall on their knees,

11 and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Lights in the World

12 So then, dear friends, as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey me now while I am away from you. Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation,

13 because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing,

15 so that you may be innocent and pure as God’s perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky,

16 as you offer them the message of life. If you do so, I shall have reason to be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because it will show that all my effort and work have not been wasted.

17 Perhaps my life’s blood is to be poured out like an offering on the sacrifice that your faith offers to God. If that is so, I am glad and share my joy with you all.

18 In the same way, you too must be glad and share your joy with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 If it is the Lord’s will, I hope that I will be able to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be encouraged by news about you.

20 He is the only one who shares my feelings and who really cares about you.

21 Everyone else is concerned only with their own affairs, not with the cause of Jesus Christ.

22 And you yourselves know how he has proved his worth, how he and I, like a son and his father, have worked together for the sake of the gospel.

23 So I hope to send him to you as soon as I know how things are going to turn out for me.

24 And I trust in the Lord that I myself will be able to come to you soon.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you our brother Epaphroditus, who has worked and fought by my side and who has served as your messenger in helping me.

26 He is anxious to see you all and is very upset because you had heard that he was sick.

27 Indeed he was sick and almost died. But God had pity on him, and not only on him but on me, too, and spared me an even greater sorrow.

28 I am all the more eager, then, to send him to you, so that you will be glad again when you see him, and my own sorrow will disappear.

29 Receive him, then, with joy, as a believer in the Lord. Show respect to all such people as he,

30 because he risked his life and nearly died for the sake of the work of Christ, in order to give me the help that you yourselves could not give.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/PHP/2-45238615adc4760f4ddeb706fb8937ab.mp3?version_id=68—

Philippians

Philippians 3

The True Righteousness

1 In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I don’t mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer if I do so.

2 Watch out for those who do evil things, those dogs, those who insist on cutting the body.

3 It is we, not they, who have received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not put any trust in external ceremonies.

4 I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way.

5 I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee,

6 and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault.

7 But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ’s sake.

8 Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ

9 and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith.

10 All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death,

11 in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.

Running toward the Goal

12 I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.

13 Of course, my friends, I really do notthink that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.

14 So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.

15 All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you.

16 However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now.

17 Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you.

18 I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ’s death on the cross.

19 They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world.

20 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.

21 He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/PHP/3-a15da3739501de530a7c0aaa8973c491.mp3?version_id=68—

Philippians

Philippians 4

Instructions

1 So then, my friends, how dear you are to me and how I miss you! How happy you make me, and how proud I am of you!—this, dear friends, is how you should stand firm in your life in the Lord.

2 Euodia and Syntyche, please, I beg you, try to agree as sisters in the Lord.

3 And you too, my faithful partner, I want you to help these women; for they have worked hard with me to spread the gospel, together with Clement and all my other fellow workers, whose names are in God’s book of the living.

4 May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!

5 Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon.

6 Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.

7 And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.

8 In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.

9 Put into practice what you learned and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you.

Thanks for the Gift

10 In my life in union with the Lord it is a great joy to me that after so long a time you once more had the chance of showing that you care for me. I don’t mean that you had stopped caring for me—you just had no chance to show it.

11 And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have.

12 I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little.

13 I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.

14 But it was very good of you to help me in my troubles.

15 You Philippians know very well that when I left Macedonia in the early days of preaching the Good News, you were the only church to help me; you were the only ones who shared my profits and losses.

16 More than once when I needed help in Thessalonica, you sent it to me.

17 It is not that I just want to receive gifts; rather, I want to see profit added to your account.

18 Here, then, is my receipt for everything you have given me—and it has been more than enough! I have all I need now that Epaphroditus has brought me all your gifts. They are like a sweet-smelling offering to God, a sacrifice which is acceptable and pleasing to him.

19 And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs.

20 To our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

Final Greetings

21 Greetings to each one of God’s people who belong to Christ Jesus. The believers here with me send you their greetings.

22 All God’s people here send greetings, especially those who belong to the Emperor’s palace.

23 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/PHP/4-5a45552d02dbcc5a087f113f07be7afb.mp3?version_id=68—

Colossians

Colossians Introduction

Introduction

Paul’s Letter to the Colossians

was written to the church at Colossae, a town in Asia Minor east of Ephesus. This church had not been established by Paul, but was in an area for which Paul felt responsible, as he sent out workers from Ephesus, the capital of the Roman province of Asia. Paul had learned that there were false teachers in the church at Colossae who insisted that in order to know God and have full salvation one must worship certain “spiritual rulers and authorities.” In addition, these teachers said, one must submit to special rites such as circumcision and must observe strict rules about foods and other matters.

Paul writes to oppose these teachings with the true Christian message. The heart of his reply is that Jesus Christ is able to give full salvation and that these other beliefs and practices actually lead away from him. Through Christ, God created the world and through him he is bringing it back to himself. Only in union with Christ is there hope of salvation for the world. Paul then spells out the implications of this great teaching for the lives of believers.

It is noteworthy that Tychicus, who took this letter to Colossae for Paul, was accompanied by Onesimus, the slave on whose behalf Paul wrote

Philemon

Outline of Contents

Introduction (1.1-8)

The nature and work of Christ (1.9—2.19)

The new life in Christ (2.20—4.6)

Conclusion (4.7-18)

Colossians

Colossians 1

1 From Paul, who by God’s will is an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy—

2 To God’s people in Colossae, who are our faithful friends in union with Christ:

May God our Father give you grace and peace.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

3 We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.

4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all God’s people.

5 When the true message, the Good News, first came to you, you heard about the hope it offers. So your faith and love are based on what you hope for, which is kept safe for you in heaven.

6 The gospel keeps bringing blessings and is spreading throughout the world, just as it has among you ever since the day you first heard about the grace of God and came to know it as it really is.

7 You learned of God’s grace from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is Christ’s faithful worker on ourbehalf.

8 He has told us of the love that the Spirit has given you.

9 For this reason we have always prayed for you, ever since we heard about you. We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will, with all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives.

10 Then you will be able to live as the Lord wants and will always do what pleases him. Your lives will produce all kinds of good deeds, and you will grow in your knowledge of God.

11-12 May you be made strong with all the strength which comes from his glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with patience. And with joy give thanks tothe Father, who has made you fit to have your share of what God has reserved for his people in the kingdom of light.

13 He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son,

14 by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.

The Person and Work of Christ

15 Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things.

16 For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him.

17 Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place.

18 He is the head of his body, the church; he is the source of the body’s life. He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first place in all things.

19 For it was by God’s own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God.

20 Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son’s bloodon the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.

21 At one time you were far away from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and thought.

22 But now, by means of the physical death of his Son, God has made you his friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and faultless, into his presence.

23 You must, of course, continue faithful on a firm and sure foundation, and must not allow yourselves to be shaken from the hope you gained when you heard the gospel. It is of this gospel that I, Paul, became a servant—this gospel which has been preached to everybody in the world.

Paul’s Work as a Servant of the Church

24 And now I am happy about my sufferings for you, for by means of my physical sufferings I am helping to complete what still remains of Christ’s sufferings on behalf of his body, the church.

25 And I have been made a servant of the church by God, who gave me this task to perform for your good. It is the task of fully proclaiming his message,

26 which is the secret he hid through all past ages from all human beings but has now revealed to his people.

27 God’s plan is to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God.

28 So we preach Christ to everyone. With all possible wisdom we warn and teach them in order to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature individual in union with Christ.

29 To get this done I toil and struggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/COL/1-b03c0c370c386d71968a46b4a0c1f1df.mp3?version_id=68—

Colossians

Colossians 2

1 Let me tell you how hard I have worked for you and for the people in Laodicea and for all others who do not know me personally.

2 I do this in order that they may be filled with courage and may be drawn together in love, and so have the full wealth of assurance which true understanding brings. In this way they will know God’s secret, which is Christ himself.

3 He is the key that opens all the hidden treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge.

4 I tell you, then, do not let anyone deceive you with false arguments, no matter how good they seem to be.

5 For even though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I am glad as I see the resolute firmness with which you stand together in your faith in Christ.

Fullness of Life in Christ

6 Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with him.

7 Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving.

8 See to it, then, that no one enslaves you by means of the worthless deceit of human wisdom, which comes from the teachings handed down by human beings and from the ruling spirits of the universe, and not from Christ.

9 For the full content of divine nature lives in Christ, in his humanity,

10 and you have been given full life in union with him. He is supreme over every spiritual ruler and authority.

11 In union with Christ you were circumcised, not with the circumcision that is made by human beings, but with the circumcision made by Christ, which consists of being freed from the power of this sinful self.

12 For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ through your faith in the active power of God, who raised him from death.

13 You were at one time spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were Gentiles without the Law. But God has now brought you to life with Christ. God forgave us all our sins;

14 he canceled the unfavorable record of our debts with its binding rules and did away with it completely by nailing it to the cross.

15 And on that cross Christ freed himself from the power of the spiritual rulers and authorities;he made a public spectacle of them by leading them as captives in his victory procession.

16 So let no one make rules about what you eat or drink or about holy days or the New Moon Festival or the Sabbath.

17 All such things are only a shadow of things in the future; the reality is Christ.

18 Do not allow yourselves to be condemned by anyone who claims to be superior because of special visions and who insists on false humility and the worship of angels. For no reason at all, such people are all puffed up by their human way of thinking

19 and have stopped holding on to Christ, who is the head of the body. Under Christ’s control the whole body is nourished and held together by its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God wants it to grow.

Dying and Living with Christ

20 You have died with Christ and are set free from the ruling spirits of the universe. Why, then, do you live as though you belonged to this world? Why do you obey such rules as

21 “Don’t handle this,” “Don’t taste that,” “Don’t touch the other”?

22 All these refer to things which become useless once they are used; they are only human rules and teachings.

23 Of course such rules appear to be based on wisdom in their forced worship of angels, and false humility, and severe treatment of the body; but they have no real value in controlling physical passions.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/COL/2-f00293aa9c3969d556d723f7fd16e300.mp3?version_id=68—