Letters to the Churches

being buried with him in the baptism, in which also ye rose with him through the faith of the working of God, who did raise him out of the dead.

And you--being dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh--He made alive together with him, having forgiven you all the trespasses,

having blotted out the handwriting in the ordinances that is against us, that was contrary to us, and he hath taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;

having stripped the principalities and the authorities, he made a shew of them openly--having triumphed over them in it.

Let no one, then, judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a feast, or of a new moon, or of sabbaths,

which are a shadow of the coming things, and the body is of the Christ;

let no one beguile you of your prize, delighting in humble-mindedness and in worship of the messengers, intruding into the things he hath not seen, being vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh,

and not holding the head, from which all the body--through the joints and bands gathering supply, and being knit together--may increase with the increase of God.

If, then, ye did die with the Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?

--thou mayest not touch, nor taste, nor handle--

which are all for destruction with the using, after the commands and teachings of men,

which are, indeed, having a matter of wisdom in will-worship, and humble-mindedness, and neglecting of body--not in any honour, unto a satisfying of the flesh.

If, then, ye were raised with the Christ, the things above seek ye, where the Christ is, on the right hand of God seated,

the things above mind ye, not the things upon the earth,

for ye did die, and your life hath been hid with the Christ in God;

when the Christ--our life--may be manifested, then also we with him shall be manifested in glory.

Put to death, then, your members that are upon the earth--whoredom, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and the covetousness, which is idolatry--

because of which things cometh the anger of God upon the sons of the disobedience,

in which also ye--ye did walk once, when ye lived in them;

but now put off, even ye, the whole--anger, wrath, malice, evil-speaking, filthy talking--out of your mouth.

Lie not one to another, having put off the old man with his practices,

and having put on the new, which is renewed in regard to knowledge, after the image of Him who did create him;

where there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, foreigner, Scythian, servant, freeman--but the all and in all--Christ.

Put on, therefore, as choice ones of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humble-mindedness, meekness, long-suffering,

forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any one with any one may have a quarrel, as also the Christ did forgive you--so also ye;