What is the meaning of Colossians 2:22? These will all perish with use - Paul has just listed man-made rules such as “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch” (Colossians 2:21). He now points out their temporary nature: “These will all perish with use.” - Anything material—foods, rituals, external observances—disappears as soon as it is consumed or performed. “Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food, but God will destroy them both” (1 Corinthians 6:13). - Eternal matters, not perishable rituals, are what truly count. Jesus reminded His followers, “Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life” (John 6:27). - Believers are called to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Dependence on rules attached to perishable objects shifts attention from Christ to things that fade away. Because they are based on human commands and teachings - The reason the rules are powerless is that they spring from human invention, not divine revelation. Isaiah foresaw this danger: “Their reverence for Me is a tradition learned by rote” (Isaiah 29:13; echoed in Matthew 15:9). - Jesus confronted the same issue: “You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8). - Human commands often look wise—“appearance of wisdom in self-imposed worship” (Colossians 2:23)—yet they lack the Spirit’s power to change the heart. - Genuine holiness flows from new life in Christ, “for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Rules written by people can restrain outward behavior for a moment, but only the gospel remakes the inner person (Ezekiel 36:26-27; Galatians 5:22-23). - Therefore, Paul urges the Colossians—and us—to cling to the Head, Christ (Colossians 2:19), rather than to man-made systems that promise much yet perish quickly. summary Colossians 2:22 exposes the weakness of religious regulations that revolve around perishable items and originate in human tradition. Such rules vanish the moment they are used and lack the divine authority or power to transform hearts. True, lasting righteousness is found in Christ alone, not in man-made commands that fade with the things they govern. |
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