King James Version · Under Rome
Colossians 2
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For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at , and for as many as have not seen in ; That their might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of of , and of , and of Christ; In whom are hid all the of and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in , yet am I with you in , joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ , so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the , as ye have been taught, abounding therein with . Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and : In whom also ye are with the made without hands, in putting off the body of the of by the of Christ: Buried with him in , wherein also ye are with him through the of the operation of , who hath him from . And you, being in your and the uncircumcision of your , hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of , nailing it to his ; And having spoiled , he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the , or of the days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of , intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his , And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of . Wherefore if ye be with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to with the using;) after and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of in will , and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any to the satisfying of .
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
Christians read this chapter differently
- How does the death of Jesus save? · Colossians 2:13-15
- Who should be baptized, and what does it do? · Colossians 2:11-12
- Should Christians keep the biblical feasts? · Colossians 2:16-17
Every view at its strongest, with who holds it and what it has to answer for.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.