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.
1 I want you to know what a struggle I am going through for you, for God's people at Laodicea, and for all of those followers who have never met me. 2 I do it to encourage them. Then as their hearts are joined together in love, they will be wonderfully blessed with complete understanding. And they will truly know Christ. Not only is he the key to God's mystery, 3 but all wisdom and knowledge are hidden away in him. 4 I tell you these things to keep you from being fooled by fancy talk. 5 Even though I am not with you, I keep thinking about you. I am glad to know that you are living as you should and your faith in Christ is strong.
Christ Brings Real Life
6 You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. 7 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.
8 Don't let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world and not from Christ.
9 God lives fully in Christ. 10 And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority. 11 Christ has also taken away your selfish desires, just as circumcision removes flesh from the body. 12 And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death. 13 You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God's people. But God let Christ make you alive, when he forgave all our sins.
14 God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. 15 There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.
16 Don't let anyone tell you what you must eat or drink. Don't let them say you must celebrate the New Moon festival, the Sabbath, or any other festival. 17 These things are only a shadow of what was to come. But Christ is real!
18 Don't be cheated by people who make a show of acting humble and who worship angels. They brag about seeing visions. But it is all nonsense, because their minds are filled with selfish desires. 19 They are no longer part of Christ, who is the head of the whole body. Christ gives the body its strength, and he uses its joints and muscles to hold it together, as it grows by the power of God.
Christ Brings New Life
20 You died with Christ. Now the forces of the universe don't have any power over you. Why do you live as if you had to obey such rules as, 21 “Don't handle this. Don't taste that. Don't touch this.”? 22 After these things are used, they are no longer good for anything. So why be bothered with the rules that humans have made up? 23 Obeying these rules may seem to be the smart thing to do. They appear to make you love God more and to be very humble and to have control over your body. But they don't really have any power over our desires.
