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.
1 Es gribu, lai jūs zinātu, cik liela cīņa man ir jāizcīna par jums un par tiem, kas ir Lāodikejā, un par pārējiem, kas mani nepazīst pēc izskata; 2 lai viņu sirdis tiktu iepriecinātas, vienotas mīlestībā un visā atziņas bagātībā, ka izprastu Dieva noslēpumu – Kristu; 3 viņā ir apslēpti visi gudrības un atziņas krājumi. 4 To es jums saku, lai neviens, pārliecinoši runādams, jūs nepieviltu. 5 Ja arī pats neesmu klāt, tomēr garā es esmu kopā ar jums, vērodams ar prieku, ka jūs stipri un nelokāmi stāvat savā ticībā uz Kristu.
Brīvība un pilnvērtīga dzīve Kristū
6 Tā kā jūs esat pieņēmuši Kristu Jēzu par Kungu, tad viņā arī dzīvojiet, 7 iesakņojieties, topiet kā nams, kas uz viņa būvēts, esiet ticībā stipri, kā esat mācīti, pāri plūzdami pateicībā. 8 Raugieties, ka neviens jūs nepieviļ ar cilvēciskās gudrības tukšo maldināšanu, kas pamatojas cilvēku iedibinātās tradīcijās un pasaules pirmspēkos, bet ne Kristū. 9 Viņā mājo visa Dieva pilnība miesā, 10 un jums ir dota pilnība viņā, kas ir galva ikvienai valdīšanai un varai. 11 Viņā jūs esat saņēmuši arī apgraizīšanu – ne to, kas rokām veikta, bet, atbrīvoti no miesas dabas, jūs esat saņēmuši apgraizīšanu Kristū: 12 jūs esat līdz ar viņu apbedīti kristībā, kurā arī jūs caur ticību esat augšāmcelti Dieva spēkā, tā spēkā, kas viņu atmodināja no mirušajiem. 13 Jūs, kas bijāt miruši savos grēkos un miesā neapgraizīti, Dievs darīja dzīvus līdz ar Kristu, dāvādams mums visu grēku piedošanu. 14 Dievs izdzēsa parādrakstu ar tiem noteikumiem, kas bija vērsti pret mums, un to iznīcināja, pienaglodams pie krusta, – 15 viņš atbruņoja visas valdīšanas un varas un, tās atklāti kaunā likdams, svinēja pār tām uzvaru Kristū. 16 Tad nu lai neviens jūs netiesā par ēdienu un dzērienu un par attieksmi pret svinamām dienām vai jaunmēness svētkiem, vai sabatu – 17 tas viss ir kā nākamības ēna, bet pati nākamība jau ir Kristū. 18 Neviens lai jums nenolaupa uzvaras balvu, tīksminoties ar pazemību un eņģeļu pielūgšanu, aizraujoties ar redzējumiem un tukši uzpūzdamies savā miesas prātā, 19 tāds nepatur saikni ar galvu, no kuras viss ķermenis, muskuļu un dzīslu savienots un uzturēts, aug dievišķā augšanas spēkā. 20 Ja jau līdz ar Kristu esat miruši pasaulīgajiem pirmspēkiem, kādēļ tad jūs, it kā vēl pasaulē dzīvodami, pakļaujaties tās noteikumiem – 21 neņem! neēd! nepieskaries! –, 22 kas lemti iznīcībai un nolietojas, – tas viss ir pēc cilvēku izdomātiem priekšrakstiem un mācībām. 23 Tas viss gan ārēji izskatās gudri viņu pašizdomātajā dievkalpošanā ar visu viņu pazemību un miesīgu atturēšanos, nicinot miesas vajadzību apmierināšanu.
