How does Colossians 2:16 guide our view on religious festivals and practices? Setting the Context Colossians 2 unfolds the supremacy of Christ: - v.9 – “In Christ all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily.” - v.13 – He “forgave us all our trespasses.” - v.14 – He “canceled the record of debt.” Because His cross completed the work, the apostle can now say what follows. Key Verse “Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath.” – Colossians 2:16 What Paul Forbids - Allowing anyone to sit in judgment over believers concerning: • Diet (“what you eat or drink”) • Annual feasts (Passover, Pentecost, Booths) • Monthly observances (New Moon) • Weekly Sabbaths - The issue is not whether these practices once had value—they did. The issue is letting others measure our standing with God by them. Why We Are Free - v.17 adds, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body belongs to Christ.” Shadows point; bodies fulfill. When the Substance arrives, clinging to shadows as obligations misplaces our focus. - Hebrews 10:1 echoes the same thought: “The law is only a shadow … not the very image of the things.” - Galatians 3:24–25: the law was a guardian “until Christ,” but “now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” How to View Festivals Today - Appreciating them as historical foreshadows is good; treating them as salvation requirements is not. - Believers may voluntarily observe a feast (e.g., Passover Seder) to deepen appreciation of Christ, yet must not impose it on others (Romans 14:5–6). - Freedom in Christ eliminates condemnation, not celebration. Joyful remembrance is welcome; legalistic coercion is forbidden. Related Scriptures for Balance - Romans 14:3–4 – “God has accepted him; who are you to judge?” - Galatians 4:9–11 – Paul fears for those returning to “special days and months.” - 1 Corinthians 5:8 – “Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven … but with sincerity and truth.” Celebration is Christ-centered, sin-cleansed. Guarding Our Freedom Without Neglecting Worship - Liberty is not license for irreverence; Hebrews 4:9 speaks of a “Sabbath rest” that endures in trusting Christ’s finished work. - Regular worship with the church (Hebrews 10:25) remains vital, though its timing and form are not tied to Mosaic calendars. - What counts is faith working through love (Galatians 5:6), expressed in orderly, Spirit-led gatherings (1 Corinthians 14:40). Practical Takeaways • Refuse judgmental pressure—Christ has satisfied every ceremonial requirement. • Celebrate or abstain from festivals as conscience directs, keeping Christ pre-eminent. • Welcome diversity in non-essential practices; unity rests in the gospel. • Invest energy in the realities the shadows predicted: gospel proclamation, holy living, thankful worship. |
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