Focused Passage

Colossians 2:16-23

Fullness in Christ and Freedom from Christ-Plus Religion

Paul moves from his pastoral struggle for the churches, to the command to continue rooted in Christ, to the declaration that all fullness is in Christ, to the warning against deceptive captivity, and finally to the exposure of legalistic, mystical, and ascetic substitutes as shadows without true spiritual power.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

16Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath.

17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.

19He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.

20If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations:

21“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”?

22These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

23Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

ThereforeοὖνG3767Conjunction{let} noΜὴG3361AdverboneτιςG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularjudgeκρινέτωG2919Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person SingularyouὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person PluralbyἐνG1722Prepositionwhat you eatβρώσειG1035Noun - Dative Feminine SingularorκαὶG2532Conjunction-ἐνG1722PrepositiondrinkπόσειG4213Noun - Dative Feminine SingularorG2228ConjunctionwithἐνG1722Prepositionregard toμέρειG3313Noun - Dative Neuter Singulara feastἑορτῆςG1859Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-G2228Conjunctiona New MoonνεομηνίαςG3561Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularorG2228Conjunctiona SabbathσαββάτωνG4521Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Verse 17

Original words

TheseG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter PluralareἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulara shadowσκιὰG4639Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularof the thingsτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Pluralto comeμελλόντωνG3195Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Neuter PluralbutδὲG1161ConjunctiontheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter Singularbody [ that casts it ]σῶμαG4983Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularbelongs toτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Literally but the body is of the Christ
Verse 18

Original words

[Do not let anyone]μηδεὶςG3367Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singularwho delightsθέλωνG2309Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722Preposition[false] humilityταπεινοφροσύνῃG5012Noun - Dative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction[the] worshipθρησκείᾳG2356Noun - Dative Feminine Singular-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralof angelsἀγγέλωνG32Noun - Genitive Masculine PluraldisqualifyκαταβραβευέτωG2603Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person SingularyouὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Pluralwith speculation aboutἐμβατεύωνG1687Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularwhatG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Pluralhe has seenἑόρακενG3708Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular[Such a person] is puffed upφυσιούμενοςG5448Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singularwithout basisεἰκῇG1500AdverbbyὑπὸG5259PrepositionhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularvvvτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularunspiritualσαρκὸςG4561Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularmindνοὸςG3563Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 19

Original words

-καὶG2532ConjunctionvvvοὐG3756AdverbHe has lost connectionκρατῶνG2902Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularto theτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularheadΚεφαλήνG2776Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularfromἐξG1537PrepositionwhomοὗG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine SingulartheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularwholeπᾶνG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularbodyσῶμαG4983Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularsupportedἐπιχορηγούμενονG2023Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionknit togetherσυμβιβαζόμενονG4822Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter SingularbyδιὰG1223Preposition[its]τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Feminine PluraljointsἁφῶνG860Noun - Genitive Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionligamentsσυνδέσμωνG4886Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralgrowsαὔξειG837Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularasτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularcauses it to growαὔξησινG838Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 20

Original words

IfΕἰG1487Conjunctionyou have diedἀπεθάνετεG599Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralwithσὺνG4862PrepositionChristΧριστῷG5547Noun - Dative Masculine SingulartoἀπὸG575PrepositiontheτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Pluralspiritual forcesστοιχείωνG4747Noun - Genitive Neuter Pluralof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularworldκόσμουG2889Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularwhyτίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularas thoughὡςG5613Adverbyou still belongedζῶντεςG2198Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluraltoἐνG1722Preposition[the] worldκόσμῳG2889Noun - Dative Masculine Singulardo you submit to [its] regulationsδογματίζεσθεG1379Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Verse 21

Original words

{Do}ΜὴG3361Adverbnot handleἅψῃG680Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 2nd Person Singular{do}μηδὲG3366Conjunctionnot tasteγεύσῃG1089Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 2nd Person Singular{do}μηδὲG3366Conjunctionnot touchθίγῃςG2345Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular
Verse 22

Original words

[These]G3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter PluralwillἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularallπάνταG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural-εἰςG1519PrepositionperishφθορὰνG5356Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularwithτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularuseἀποχρήσειG671Noun - Dative Feminine Singularbecause they are based onκατὰG2596PrepositionvvvτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralhumanἀνθρώπωνG444Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralcommandsἐντάλματαG1778Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionteachingsδιδασκαλίαςG1319Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Verse 23

Original words

Such [restrictions]ἅτινάG3748Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter PluralindeedμὲνG3303ParticlehaveἔχονταG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Neuter Pluralan appearanceλόγονG3056Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularof wisdomσοφίαςG4678Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularwith [their]ἐνG1722Prepositionself-prescribed worshipἐθελοθρησκίᾳG1479Noun - Dative Feminine Singular-καὶG2532Conjunction[their false] humilityταπεινοφροσύνῃG5012Noun - Dative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction[their] harsh treatmentἀφειδίᾳG857Noun - Dative Feminine Singularof [the] bodyσώματοςG4983Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular[but] they areἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularofἐνG1722PrepositionnoοὐκG3756Adverb-τινιG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Dative Feminine SingularvalueτιμῇG5092Noun - Dative Feminine SingularagainstπρὸςG4314Preposition[the] indulgenceπλησμονὴνG4140Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularfleshσαρκόςG4561Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.