1I want you to know how hard I am working for you. I’m concerned for those who are in Laodicea. I’m also concerned for everyone who has not met me in person. 2My goal is that their hearts may be encouraged and strengthened. I want them to be joined together in love. Then their understanding will be rich and complete. They will know the mystery of God. That mystery is Christ. 3All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him. 4But I don’t want anyone to fool you with words that only sound good. 5So even though I am away from you in body, I am with you in spirit. And I am glad to see that you are controlling yourselves. I am happy that your faith in Christ is so strong.
Having All Things in Christ
6You received Christ Jesus as Lord. So keep on living your lives in him. 7Have your roots in him. Build yourselves up in him. Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before.
8Make sure no one controls you. They will try to control you by using false reasoning that has no meaning. Their ideas depend on human teachings. They also depend on the basic spiritual powers of this world. They don’t depend on Christ.
9God’s whole nature is living in Christ in human form. 10Because you belong to Christ, you have been made complete. He is the ruler over every power and authority. 11When you received Christ, your circumcision was not done by human hands. Instead, your circumcision was done by Christ. He put away the person you used to be. At that time, sin’s power ruled over you. 12When you were baptized, you were buried together with Christ. And you were raised to life together with him when you were baptized. You were raised to life by believing in God’s work. God himself raised Jesus from the dead.
13At one time you were dead in your sins. Your desires controlled by sin were not circumcised. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. 14He wiped out what the law said that we owed. The law stood against us. It judged us. But he has taken it away and nailed it to the cross. 15He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross.
Freedom From Human Rules
16So don’t let anyone judge you because of what you eat or drink. Don’t let anyone judge you about holy days. I’m talking about special feasts and New Moons and Sabbath days. 17They are only a shadow of the things to come. But what is real is found in Christ. 18Some people enjoy pretending they aren’t proud. They worship angels. But don’t let people like that judge you. These people tell you every little thing about what they have seen. They are proud of their useless ideas. That’s because their minds are not guided by the Holy Spirit. 19They aren’t connected anymore to the head, who is Christ. But the whole body grows from the head. The muscles and tendons hold the body together. And God causes it to grow.
20Some people still follow the basic spiritual powers of the world. But you died with Christ as far as these powers are concerned. So why do you act as if you still belong to the world? Here are the rules you follow. 21“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” 22Rules like these are about things that will pass away soon. They are based on merely human rules and teachings. 23It is true that these rules seem wise. Because of them, people give themselves over to their own kind of worship. They pretend they are humble. They treat their bodies very badly. But rules like these don’t help. They don’t stop people from chasing after sinful pleasures.
1Quiero que sepáis que sostengo una gran lucha por vuestro bien y por el bien de los que están en Laodicea, y de tantos que no me conocen personalmente. 2Quiero que lo sepan para que cobren ánimo, permanezcan unidos por amor, y tengan toda la riqueza que proviene de la convicción y del entendimiento. Así conocerán el misterio de Dios, es decir, a Cristo, 3en quien están escondidos todos los tesoros de la sabiduría y del conocimiento. 4Os digo esto para que nadie os engañe con argumentos capciosos. 5Aunque estoy físicamente ausente, os acompaño en espíritu, y me alegro al ver vuestro buen orden y la firmeza de vuestra fe en Cristo.
Libertad en Cristo
6Por eso, de la manera que recibisteis a Cristo Jesús como Señor, vivid ahora en él, 7arraigados y edificados en él, confirmados en la fe como se os enseñó, y llenos de gratitud.
8Cuidaos de que nadie os cautive con la vana y engañosa filosofía que sigue tradiciones humanas, la que está de acuerdo con los principios2:8 los principios. Alt. los poderes espirituales, o las normas; también en v. 20. de este mundo y no conforme a Cristo.
9Toda la plenitud de la divinidad habita en forma corporal en Cristo; 10y en él, que es la cabeza de todo poder y autoridad, vosotros habéis recibido esa plenitud. 11Además, en él fuisteis circuncidados, no por mano humana, sino con la circuncisión que consiste en despojarse del cuerpo pecaminoso.2:11 cuerpo pecaminoso. Lit. cuerpo de la carne. Esta circuncisión la efectuó Cristo. 12Vosotros la recibisteis al ser sepultados con él en el bautismo. En él también fuisteis resucitados mediante la fe en el poder de Dios, quien lo resucitó de entre los muertos.
13Antes de recibir esa circuncisión, vosotros estabais muertos en vuestros pecados. Sin embargo, Dios nos2:13 nos. Var. os. dio vida en unión con Cristo, al perdonarnos todos los pecados 14y anular la deuda2:14 la deuda. Lit. el pagaré. que teníamos pendiente por los requisitos de la ley. Él anuló esa deuda que nos era adversa, clavándola en la cruz. 15Desarmó a los poderes y a las potestades, y por medio de Cristo2:15 por medio de Cristo. Alt. mediante la cruz. los humilló en público al exhibirlos en su desfile triunfal.
16Así que nadie os juzgue a vosotros por lo que coméis o bebéis, o con respecto a días de fiesta religiosa, de luna nueva o de reposo. 17Todo esto es una sombra de las cosas que van a venir; la realidad se halla en Cristo. 18No dejéis que os prive de esta realidad ninguno de esos que se ufanan en fingir humildad y adoración de ángeles. Los tales hacen alarde de lo que no han visto; y, envanecidos por su razonamiento humano, 19no se mantienen firmemente unidos a la Cabeza. Por la acción de esta, todo el cuerpo, sostenido y ajustado mediante las articulaciones y ligamentos, va creciendo como Dios quiere.
20Si con Cristo vosotros ya habéis muerto a los principios de este mundo, ¿por qué, como si todavía pertenecierais al mundo, os sometéis a preceptos tales como: 21«No tomes en tus manos, no pruebes, no toques»? 22Estos preceptos, basados en reglas y enseñanzas humanas, se refieren a cosas que van a desaparecer con el uso. 23Tienen sin duda apariencia de sabiduría, con su afectada piedad, falsa humildad y severo trato del cuerpo, pero de nada sirven frente a los apetitos de la naturaleza pecaminosa.2:23 los apetitos de la naturaleza pecaminosa. Lit. la satisfacción de la carne.
