Colossians 2:20

KJV1611 – Modern English

Therefore if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations,

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Εἰ οὖν ἀπεθάνετε σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἀπὸ τῶν στοιχείων τοῦ κόσμου, τί, ὡς ζῶντες ἐν κόσμῳ, δογματίζεσθε,

Transliteration

If therefore you apethanete with the Christō from the stoicheiōn of the kosmou, why, as zōntes in kosmō, are you dogmatizesthe,

Grammar Details

• *apethanete*: aorist active indicative, 2nd person plural - you died
• *Christō*: dative, masculine, singular - Christ
• *stoicheiōn*: genitive, neuter, plural - elements/principles/rudiments
• *kosmou*: genitive, masculine, singular - world/universe/ordered system
• *zōntes*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, plural - living
• *kosmō*: dative, masculine, singular - world
• *dogmatizesthe*: present passive indicative, 2nd person plural - you are subjected to regulations

Word Meanings

• *apethanete*: died/passed away
• *stoicheiōn*: elements/principles/rudiments/elemental spirits
• *kosmou*: world/universe/ordered system/age
• *zōntes*: living/alive/dwelling
• *dogmatizesthe*: subjected to regulations/ordinances/rules

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  If you died with Christ to the elemental principles of the world, why, as though still living in the world, do you submit to its decrees?

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  {G3767} If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Wherfore if ye be deed with Christ fro ordinaunces of the worlde why as though ye yet lived in the worlde are ye ledde with tradicios of them that saye?

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Wherfore yf ye be deed with Christ from the ordinaunces of the worlde, why are ye holden the with soch tradicions, as though ye lyued after the worlde? As whan they saye:

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ fro the ordinances of the world, why, as though ye liued in ye world, are ye burdened with traditions?

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Wherfore, yf ye be dead with Christe from ye rudimentes of the world: why, as though lyuyng in the worlde, are ye led with traditions,

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  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?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  If you were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders

• World English Bible (2000)

  If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world?

Referenced Verses

• Gal 4:3 : 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the basic principles of the world:
• Col 2:8 : 8 Beware lest anyone spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the basic principles of the world, and not after Christ.
• Col 2:14 : 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
• Col 2:16 : 16 Let no one therefore judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days;
• Gal 4:9-9 : 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how do you turn again to the weak and beggarly principles, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. 12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you: you have not injured me at all.
• Gal 6:14 : 14 But God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.
• Eph 2:15 : 15 Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, to create in Himself of the two one new man, so making peace;
• John 15:19 : 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
• John 17:14-16 : 14 I have given them your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
• Rom 7:4-6 : 4 Therefore, my brothers, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ; that you may be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, worked in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
• 2 Cor 10:3 : 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh:
• Gal 2:19-20 : 19 For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
• Col 3:3 : 3 For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
• Heb 13:9 : 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
• Jas 4:4 : 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
• 1 Pet 4:1-3 : 1 Since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind: for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin; 2 That he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have done the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in sensuality, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
• 1 John 5:19 : 19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
• Rom 6:2-9 : 2 Certainly not. How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer in it? 3 Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. 6 Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 7 For he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. 9 Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.