Colossians 2:16 is one of the most popular verses that people bring up if you ask me and it says this, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or even in drink, or in respect of your holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: (Verse 17) "Which are shadow of things to come; but the body is the Messiah." So He's telling us do not let anybody judge you on these items.
The question that is a extremely important for us to ask is this: Is he saying don't judge you, don't allow them judge you for not keeping it? Or don't let them judge you for your way that you are keeping it? Both are very valid questions. Let's discover what the context is going to suggest by burning to verse eight which provides it all away. "Beware lest any man spoil you thru philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men, after the rudiments around the globe and not after Christ."
So right here, and as a matter of fact, he's going to say it again in verse 20 "Since you died with all the Messiah to the basic principles of the world, why, is that you still belonged into it, the world, do you submit to its rules." The world's rules, (Verse21) "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!" (22) They are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings."
They're based on human commands and teachings therefore we are seeing that Paul is warning his converts in the book of Colossians that there is likely to be a group of people that are going to come up to you and also they're going to judge you and thereby make an effort to get you to do things their way with all the traditions and doctrines of men. As we interpret Colossians 2:14 through 16, it is saying that this group of people is trying to get Paul's converts to keep the Sabbath.
We know for an absolute fact that the Sabbath may be the fourth commandment from Yahweh. It is not a tradition or perhaps a doctrine of men. It is not philosophy, it's not vain deceit. It never did tell worship angels or cut themselves because the rest of the chapter goes and covers all of these laws that Paul is against are the extra traditions and the doctrines of men that they made up that he's against. Now Colossians 2:16 is dumped the window because now we understand that he is not talking about the biblical Sabbath keeping, he's discussing them imposing the doctrines and traditions of males.
The question that is a extremely important for us to ask is this: Is he saying don't judge you, don't allow them judge you for not keeping it? Or don't let them judge you for your way that you are keeping it? Both are very valid questions. Let's discover what the context is going to suggest by burning to verse eight which provides it all away. "Beware lest any man spoil you thru philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men, after the rudiments around the globe and not after Christ."
So right here, and as a matter of fact, he's going to say it again in verse 20 "Since you died with all the Messiah to the basic principles of the world, why, is that you still belonged into it, the world, do you submit to its rules." The world's rules, (Verse21) "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!" (22) They are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings."
They're based on human commands and teachings therefore we are seeing that Paul is warning his converts in the book of Colossians that there is likely to be a group of people that are going to come up to you and also they're going to judge you and thereby make an effort to get you to do things their way with all the traditions and doctrines of men. As we interpret Colossians 2:14 through 16, it is saying that this group of people is trying to get Paul's converts to keep the Sabbath.
We know for an absolute fact that the Sabbath may be the fourth commandment from Yahweh. It is not a tradition or perhaps a doctrine of men. It is not philosophy, it's not vain deceit. It never did tell worship angels or cut themselves because the rest of the chapter goes and covers all of these laws that Paul is against are the extra traditions and the doctrines of men that they made up that he's against. Now Colossians 2:16 is dumped the window because now we understand that he is not talking about the biblical Sabbath keeping, he's discussing them imposing the doctrines and traditions of males.
About the Author:
I'm Jim Staley. It is my heart's desire that you will be challenged and transformed through the materials and resources that are in this article. Whether its about Jewish holidays, the sabbath day, or the origin of Christmas, we want you to know the truth because the truth will only do one thing!