It No Longer Matters What We Eat or Drink- Colossians 2:16

The Objection

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.  (Colossians 2:16-17)

Paul tells us those things don't apply to Christians and nobody should judge us for it.

The Response

Part 1: Context

As is often the case, the context reveals Paul's true meaning in these verses.  Earlier in the chapter, Paul writes this:

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.  (Colossians 2:8)

So, Paul is talking about the traditions of men.

Immediately after verses 16-17, we find this:

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.  If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?  These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.  (Colossians 2:18-23)

Worship of angels?

Teachings of men?

Self-made religion?

Surely Paul is not speaking of the divine commandments of G-d, which he had previously described as "holy, righteous, and good", is he?  (Romans 7:12)  Indeed he is not.  Paul never mentions "the Law" in the entire book of Colossians!

Paul is speaking about man-made teachings that involved "the worship of angels" (v 18) and "severe treatment of the body" (v 23), which are Gnostic teachings.

Paul is not speaking about G-d's Law. 

Since he isn't speaking of G-d's Law, how should we understand this verse?  Who would be judging the believers in Colossae?  It appears to be the Gnostics because they did teach a man-made religion of self-abasement and severe treatment of the body.  The only way Gnostics would be judging the believers in Colossae is if they were keeping the food laws, festivals, new moons, and Sabbaths; otherwise, they wouldn't care.

So, the believers in Colossae were doing these things, the Gnostics were objecting, and Paul tells the believers: let nobody judge you for obeying the commandments of G-d.

This situation is the exact opposite of what the objection claims.

Part 2: Translation

Two observations about this particular translation:

First, this verse is from the NASB, which is generally a good, literal translation.  This particular passage, however, reveals the bias of the translators:

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.  (Colossians 2:16-17)

The translators added the word "mere", likely to be dismissive.  However, it is not present in the text or implied by the context.

Second, if we dive into this verse, we find that food, festivals, Sabbaths, etc., are a shadow of what *is* to come, present tense.  But, they are not a shadow of what was to come (past tense).

Paul is saying these are a shadow of what is coming?  Then the real thing—that which is casting the shadow—which is coming must look like food, festivals, and Sabbaths.  It sounds like the millennial reign of Christ!  May He return soon!

• Colossians