1I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces2:8 Or the basic principles; also in verse 20 of this world rather than on Christ.
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh2:11 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 13. was put off when you were circumcised by2:11 Or put off in the circumcision of Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you2:13 Some manuscripts us alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.2:15 Or them in him
Freedom From Human Rules
16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
1Mepɛ sɛ mema mo ne nnipa a wɔwɔ Laodikea no ne wɔn a wɔnhunuu me da no hunu aperepereɛ denden a meredi wɔ wɔn ho. 2Me botaeɛ ne sɛ, wɔbɛnya nkuranhyɛ wɔ wɔn akoma mu na wɔatena ase ɔdɔ mu sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wɔbɛnya nteaseɛ a ɛwie pɛyɛ. Na wɔbɛhunu Onyankopɔn ahintasɛm a ɛne Kristo no. 3Ɔno so na wɔnam hunu Onyankopɔn nyansa ne nʼadwene. 4Meka kyerɛ mo sɛ, mommma obiara mfa akyinnyehunu nnaadaa mo. 5Ɛwom sɛ menni mo nkyɛn wɔ ɔhonam fam deɛ, nanso mewɔ mo nkyɛn wɔ honhom fam. Ɛyɛ me anigye nso sɛ monam Kristo mu gyidie so aka mo ho abom gyina hɔ pintinn.
Kristo Mu Asetena
6Esiane sɛ moagye Kristo sɛ mo wura enti, mo ne no mmom ntena. 7Monnye nhini wɔ ne mu; momfa mo nkwa nto ne so na mo gyidie mu nyɛ den daa sɛdeɛ wɔkyerɛɛ mo no, na monna no ase.
8Monhwɛ yie na obi amfa ne nnaadaa a ɛfiri nnipa nkyerɛkyerɛ ne ewiase ahonhom mu a ɛmfiri Kristo no amfa mo nnommum.
9Ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn tebea nyinaa ara te Kristo onipadua mu, 10na mo nso Kristo ahyɛ mo ma, na tumidie ne mpaninnie biara hyɛ Kristo ase. 11Mo ne no ka bɔɔ mu no, wɔtwaa mo twetia a ɛnyɛ onipa na ɔtwaa mo, na mmom, ɛyɛ Kristo no ankasa na ɔtwaa mo twetia de tee mo firii onipadua a ɛho nteɛ no tumi ase. 12Wɔbɔɔ mo asu no nso, wosiee mo ne Kristo. Afei wonyanee mo baa nkwa mu, ɛfiri sɛ na mowɔ gyidie wɔ Onyankopɔn tumi mu a ɛnyanee Kristo firii awufoɔ mu no.
13Esiane mo bɔne enti, ɛberɛ bi a atwam no, na moyɛ honhom mu awufoɔ ne amanamanmufoɔ a monni Mmara. Nanso, afei Onyankopɔn anyane yɛn ne Kristo. Onyankopɔn de yɛn nyinaa bɔne akyɛ yɛn. 14Onyankopɔn pepaa yɛn mmarato; na ɔde ne nyinaa kɔɔ asɛnnua so kɔbɔɔ no asɛnnua mu. 15Ɛhɔ na Kristo dii mpaninnie ne tumidie nyinaa so. Ɔmaa ewiase nyinaa hunuu sɛdeɛ ɔfaa wɔn sɛ nneduafoɔ ɛberɛ a ɔhyɛɛ ne nkonimdie ho fa no.
16Enti, mommma obiara nnhyehyɛ mmara a ɛfa deɛ modi anaa monom, deɛ ɛfa nna kronkron anaa deɛ ɛfa asrane foforɔ afahyɛ anaa deɛ ɛfa home nna ho mmma mo. 17Saa nneɛma no nyinaa yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ a ɛkyerɛ deɛ ɛyɛ nokorɛ a ɛbɛba no. Kristo ne nokorɛ no. 18Mommma nnipa a wɔboa pa brɛ wɔn ho ase anaa wɔsom abɔfoɔ nnaadaa mo; wɔhoahoa wɔn ho sɛ wɔanya anisoadehunu. Saa ahantanfoɔ yi wɔ anifire su. 19Saa nnipa yi nyɛ Kristo a ɔyɛ onipadua no nyinaa Ti no dea bio. Kristo na ɔma onipadua no ahoɔden na ɔka onipadua no akwaa nyinaa bɔ mu, ma ɛnyini sɛdeɛ Onyankopɔn pɛ sɛ ɛnyini no.
20Mo ne Kristo awu enti, moate mo ho afiri ahonhom a wɔdi ewiase so no ho. Adɛn enti na mobɔ mo bra sɛ nnipa a wɔhyɛ saa ewiase no ase? Adɛn enti na modi saa mmara no a ɛkyerɛ sɛ, 21“Monnsɔ yei mu, monnni yei, mommfa mo nsa nka!” no so? 22Saa mmara ahodoɔ yi nyinaa yɛ nnipa ahyɛdeɛ ne ne nkyerɛkyerɛ a ɛfa nneɛma a yɛyɛ wɔ asase yi so a daakye ɛbɛtwam. 23Ayɛ sɛ saa Mmara yi so die yɛ pa ara, na ɛma wodɔ Onyankopɔn, anaasɛ ɛma wobrɛ wo ho ase ma wohyɛ wo ho so. Nanso, saa mmara yi nni tumi biara wɔ onipa akɔnnɔ bɔne so.
