Colossians 2:16 “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, (2:17) which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” 

We mentioned this verse in the closing of our previous article. It has rocked a few readers’ minds by looking at the replies we have received. Bear in mind that we did not write this verse. It is a direct quote from the Bible. This is one of the concerns of the Apostle Paul in writing to the Church of Colossae. Food did not have to be Kosher as the Christian Jews wanted to be part of the Christian platform of standards. The same is true of “drink” or beverage standards. Feasts and festivals were another major issue.  

Sabbaths…This is one of the BIG issues. Judaism has many celebratory holidays as do/did some Gentiles. Jewish converts to Christianity did not want to abandon them and Gentile converts did not wish to recognize or practice Jewish holidays. Even today this is a major no-no to consider any day but Sunday as the official day of worship. Paul is saying that a believer’s day of worship is 24/7. That in and of itself is misunderstood. Today’s church has almost restricted it to Sunday and, a mid-week service or two we lovingly call a Bible study. 

Hebrews 10:25 includes more than a statement for believers to gather. It does not even mention a Sabbath being a Jewish Friday evening through Saturday at sunset, or Sunday for protestants. This verse simply commands that believers gather to encourage one another.  

Colossians 2:17-19 is well summarized in verse 20 of chapter 2… “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—…”  

A new believer having died with Christ means one, as is symbolized in baptism, is dead of his or her old sin nature and risen as a new creature in Christ…no longer in or of this world. Read the entirety of verse 20. Why verse 20 is not preached or studied more often is a mystery to this website. We find ourselves believing in human-caused routines, habits of old, and traditions not even mentioned as part of our worship and never in scripture. 

Colossians 2:21-23. Found in the concluding verse in Colossians chapter 2 mention a few of those things we feel obliged to adhere to while the Apostle Paul is putting them to question. What Paul is pointing out is far too often in today’s church we adhere to man’s regulations and denominational doctrine as much and perhaps even more than what Paul is telling us in Colossians.  

In short, Paul has laid out Christianity not only to the Church of Colossae but to us today. 

Rev. Dr. Jstark – 2024