Una rilettura filologica di Colossesi 2,23

This research on Col 2,23 attempts to clarify some intricate problems of the text from a philological point of view and tries to suggest some solutions: 1) The punctuation: it seems to me that it is to be the following: ἅτινά ἐστιν, λόγον μὲν ἔχοντα σοφίας ἐν ἐθελοθρησκίᾳ καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ [καὶ] ἀφειδίᾳ σώματος, οὐκ ἐν τιμῇ τινι πρὸς πλησμονὴν τῆς σαρκός. 2) The syntagma ἅτινά ἐστιν is united to οὐκ ἐν τιμῇ τινι in its modal sense and, therefore, is adjectival and is to be considered as a predicate: “these things are of no value/advantage” means “these things are without value/are disadvantageous”. 3) The expression λόγον μὲν ἔχοντα σοφίας introduces a long conjunctive participial clause of concessive value: “having indeed a fame/ reputation of wisdom”; it underlines that it is an unmerited fame: the practices, the prohibitions, the teachings of a certain φιλοσοφία (Col 2,8) can produce an illusion of a superior wisdom; the reality is another. 4) The syntagm ἐν ἐθελοθρησκίᾳ καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ [καὶ] ἀφειδίᾳ σώματος does not refer to σοφίας, but to λόγον μὲν ἔχοντα σοφίας as a whole and is translated as: “in the sphere of an arbitrary worship made of humility and bodily austerity”. Therefore, it seems to me that Col 2,23 is to be translated as: “Such human teachings, having indeed a reputation of wisdom in the sphere of an arbitrary worship made of humility and of bodily austerity, are without value/disadvantageous even in contrasting the insatiable satisfaction/ avidity of the flesh”.