Bible Studies

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Paul Warns the Colossian Beleivers to Stay Clear of False Worship, but Cling only to Christ Jesus Our Lord Part 1

Colossians 2:16-17 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. KJV

The people of Israel were required to observe many sacred days unto the Lord God because these days and observances were a picture or forshadowing of the Messiah Christ Jesus our Lord, however, now that He has come and has sacrifiiced Himself once and for all for the sins of man, there is no need for these Mosaic observances to be required as being something necessary for salvation or for forgiveness of sins. Paul now is reinforcing this reality to these believers in Colosse begining with these words, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:" (Colossians 2:16) (KJV). The idea Paul is conveying here is that none of these festivals or feast days or even the desire for someone to refrain from eating certain foods or drinking certain things are wrong or bad for any believer to partake therein, but the Colossian believers were never to make these mandates of the Old Covenant be of like significance now that Christ has died and rose again and ascended back to heaven for they have all been satisfied in Him as this same Apostle Paul wrote to the Hebrews with these words, "For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second." (Hebrews 8:4-7) (NKJV).

Also with these words to these same Hebrew believers, "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come ---  In the volume of the book it is written of Me ---  To do Your will, O God.' Previously saying, 'Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them' (which are offered according to the law), then He said, 'Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.' He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:1-10) (NKJV). Paul is once and for all time declaring the Ceremonial Law to be null and void for these Colossian Christians and likewise for Christians of all time. Note: "When the Apostle Paul speaks here of 'sabbath days', he is speaking of the many sabbath obsevances made by the Jews that were not meant by the 'Sabbath' one day of rest and worship soley yielded to God the Father, this is why we see Paul use the small case only for the term the 'sabbath days'."

The Apostle Paul now directly and clearly states why these Ceremonial Laws are no longer required for the believer in Christ, for the Ceremonial Law, "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." (Colossians 2:17) (KJV). Paul is saying here that the only purpose for the Old Covenant Ceremonial Laws were to serve as a forshadowing of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that was to come at the fullness of time in the future. The English word 'shadow' is translated by the Greek word skia meaning figuratively shade as it would be cast upon the ground by a tree; a faint and imperfect representation of what was to come. In other words, the Law of Moses or the Ceremonial Laws were but a frail, weak, or inadequate way to forshadow the coming of the Perfect One Jesus Christ as even Moses spoke of His coming to Israel with these words, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear" (Deuteronomy 18:15) (NKJV). The shadow (the Ceremonial Laws) have no life in them, but the Body (Christ Jesus our Lord) is Life as the Apostle John stated with these words, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4) (NKJV). Note: "The old saying of 'A picture is worth a thousand words' is great and well meaning, but if you have but a picture of the woman you love, no amount of words will ever make that picture touchable, holdable, sqeezeable, or loveable, but the actual woman in the picture (whom you love) standing right in front of you breathing, talking, and alive able to be touched, held, and kissed is more than the most beautiful picture you could have photographed or painted of her ever done."

"All that they signified is of or in Christ. Between those things themselves which are in Christ, and those which only represented or prefigured them, there is as much difference as there is between a body and a shadow; a solid substance and a mere outline. Having now, therefore, the thing itself the shadow can be to us of no value; and that having come which was prefigured, that which was designed merely to represent it, is no longer binding." Albert Barnes

"The person who judges a believer because that believer is not living under the Jewish laws is really judging Jesus Christ. He is saying that Christ did not finish the work of salvation on the Cross, and that we must add something to it. He is also saying that Jesus Christ is not sufficient for all the spirtual needs of the Christian. The false teachers in Colosse were claiming a 'deeper spiritual life' for all who would practice the law. Outwardly, their practices seemed to be spiritual; but in actual fact, these practices accomplished nothing spiritual." Warren W. Wiersbe

"The Apostle Paul having grown up under the strictest of Jewish Ceremonial Law keeping seeing that he was a Hebrew amongst Hebrews and a Pharisee going back probably many generations knew that hard lesson of abolishing the Old Covenant Laws observed for hundreds of years, but he also now knows that those things were only limited and obscure representations of the real thing or real substance found in the Gospel of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, for as he wrote to the Hebrew believers (that we documented above) if the Ceremonial Law could have given men and women spiritual life, eternal life, then our Lord Jesus Christ would have never put on human flesh and blood and suffer for man's sin, therefore, to return to the Mosaic system is to spit in the face of the Redeemer declaring to Him that His Blood is not enough to satisfy God's Wrath against man's sin at Calvary." Clifford D. Tate, Sr.  

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

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