Colosenses 2:6-23

Libertad en Cristo

6 Por eso, de la manera que recibieron a Cristo Jesús como Señor, vivan ahora en él,

7 arraigados y edificados en él, confirmados en la fe como se les enseñó, y llenos de gratitud.

8 Cuídense de que nadie los cautive con la vana y engañosa filosofía que sigue tradiciones humanas, la que está de acuerdo con los principios^[a] de este mundo y no conforme a Cristo.

9 Toda la plenitud de la divinidad habita en forma corporal en Cristo;

10 y en él, que es la cabeza de todo poder y autoridad, ustedes han recibido esa plenitud.

11 Además, en él fueron circuncidados, no por mano humana sino con la circuncisión que consiste en despojarse del cuerpo pecaminoso.^[b] Esta circuncisión la efectuó Cristo.

12 Ustedes la recibieron al ser sepultados con él en el bautismo. En él también fueron resucitados mediante la fe en el poder de Dios, quien lo resucitó de entre los muertos.

13 Antes de recibir esa circuncisión, ustedes estaban muertos en sus pecados. Sin embargo, Dios nos^[c] dio vida en unión con Cristo, al perdonarnos todos los pecados

14 y anular la deuda^[d] que teníamos pendiente por los requisitos de la ley. Él anuló esa deuda que nos era adversa, clavándola en la cruz.

15 Desarmó a los poderes y a las potestades, y por medio de Cristo^[e] los humilló en público al exhibirlos en su desfile triunfal.

16 Así que nadie los juzgue a ustedes por lo que comen o beben, o con respecto a días de fiesta religiosa, de luna nueva o de reposo.

17 Todo esto es una sombra de las cosas que están por venir; la realidad se halla en Cristo.

18 No dejen que les prive de esta realidad ninguno de esos que se ufanan en fingir humildad y adoración de ángeles. Los tales hacen alarde de lo que no han visto; y, envanecidos por su razonamiento humano,

19 no se mantienen firmemente unidos a la Cabeza. Por la acción de esta, todo el cuerpo, sostenido y ajustado mediante las articulaciones y ligamentos, va creciendo como Dios quiere.

20 Si con Cristo ustedes ya han muerto a los principios de este mundo, ¿por qué, como si todavía pertenecieran al mundo, se someten a preceptos tales como:

21 «No tomes en tus manos, no pruebes, no toques»?

22 Estos preceptos, basados en reglas y enseñanzas humanas, se refieren a cosas que van a desaparecer con el uso.

23 Tienen sin duda apariencia de sabiduría, con su afectada piedad, falsa humildad y severo trato del cuerpo, pero de nada sirven frente a los apetitos de la naturaleza pecaminosa.^[f]

Colosenses 2:6-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS 2

In this chapter the apostle expresses his great concern for the Colossians, and others he had never seen; exhorts them to constancy in the faith of Christ; warns them of false teachers, and their tenets; takes notice of various blessings and privileges they had by Christ, and cautions against several superstitions and corruptions, which were obtaining among the churches of Christ: in Col 2:1 the apostle declares the conflict he had for the persons he writes to, and for others, though they had never seen him, which he was desirous they might be acquainted with; partly for the comfort of their hearts, their cement in love, and the improvement of their knowledge of divine things, the treasures of which are in Christ, Col 2:2,3, and partly that they might not be deceived by the enticing words of the false teachers, Col 2:4, and should his absence and distance from them be objected to his professed concern and affection for them, he answers, that notwithstanding that, he was present with them in spirit, and had a discerning of their faith and order, and the steadfastness thereof, with pleasure, Col 2:5, wherefore he exhorts them to perseverance in the faith of Christ, and to an abounding: in it, Col 2:6,7, and to take heed of being hurt by the vain philosophy and traditions of the Jews, but to keep close to Christ, and the truths of his Gospel, seeing all fulness is in him, and they were full in him, who is over all, and superior to all, and therefore had no need to have recourse unto, and hearken to any other, Col 2:9,10, nor did they need any Jewish ordinances, particularly circumcision, since they were partakers of another and better circumcision in Christ; and besides, were buried in baptism with him; and even though they had been dead in sin, and in their fleshly uncircumcision, yet they were alive, quickened with Christ, and had the forgiveness of all their sins for his sake; who had freed them from the ceremonial law, and had rid them of all their former lords and masters, and had brought them into the liberty of the Gospel, Col 2:11-15, wherefore he concludes, by way of exhortation and advice, first with respect to Jewish ceremonies, not to suffer them to be imposed upon them, or to regard the censures of men for the non-observance of them, since these were but shadows, of which Christ is the substance, Col 2:16,17, and next with respect to the worship of angels, under a notion of humility, some were for introducing; who are described as bold intruders, vain, proud, and conceited persons, and as not holding the head Christ, to whom the body the church is joined, and by whom it is nourished and increased, Col 2:18,19, and seeing now they that are Christ's are dead with him to the ceremonial law, and that dead to them, the apostle argues that they should not be subject to the ordinances, commands, and doctrines of men; some of which he instances in, as if they were still under the rudiments of the world; and the rather, since these things had no true wisdom in them, only a show of it, and were no other than will worship and superstition, and lay in a negligence of the body, and were dishonourable and unsatisfying, Col 2:20-23.

Footnotes

• [a]. "los principios" . Alt. "los poderes espirituales" , o "las normas" ; también en v. 20.
• [b]. "cuerpo pecaminoso" . Lit. "cuerpo de la carne" .
• [c]. "nos" . Var. "les" .
• [d]. "la deuda" . Lit. "el pagaré" .
• [e]. "por medio de Cristo" . Alt. "mediante la cruz" .
• [f]. "los apetitos de la naturaleza pecaminosa" . Lit. "la satisfacción de la carne" .