Happy New Year and I hope you have a blessed new year.
There is a lot of context Paul gives us in this passage. There is so much more that I could have touched on but was trying to keep it as short as possible.
There are several different Sabbaths in the Bible that uses the same word, but has very different meanings.
There is the seventh day Sabbath- instituted at Creation Exo20:11 Gen2:1-3, came before sin, reaffirmed in the Ten Commandments Exo20:8-11, written by God personally Exo31:18, placed inside God’s ark Exo40:20 God called it “the holy day of the Lord” Isa58:13
There are the annual sabbath(s) feast days that are always tied to animal sacrifices, they don’t always fall on the seventh day can be on any day and came after the fall and were handwritten by Moses, placed besides the ark of God’s covenant came after sin.
- 1st day of Unleavened Bread
- 7th day of Unleavened Bread
- Pentecost
- Trumpets
- Day of Atonement
- 1st day of Tabernacles
- 8th day of Tabernacles
We see these in Leviticus 23 and these are additional feasts
besides the Sabbath of the Lord- the seventh day Sabbath Lev 23:37-38
There is the Day of Atonement Sabbath where fasting is required Lev16:31 Lev 23:27-32
There is the seventh year Sabbath that is every 7th year where the land should rest Lev25:1-7
The Jubilee Sabbath (50th) year Lev 25:8-17
So I think we are being quick to assume by seeing the word Sabbath that has different meanings and assuming it means
the Holy Day of the Lord that comes with God's blessing and sanctification , without looking at the context that Paul carefully gave and we should let the Bible interpret itself.
Col 2:14 KJV Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.
Col 2:14 NASB having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Greek word for handwriting
: χειρόγραφον (cheirographon)
Literally: “something written by hand
Ordinances
τοῖς δόγμασιν (tois dogmasin)
Meaning: “decrees,” “regulations,” “legal demands”
It is a legal document that condemns sinners why Paul used the word “against us” and “contrary to us”. The law does not condemn the righteous, it condemns the sinners.
Just from this context that Paul gave we can eliminate the Ten Commandments, but lets let Scripture interpret Scripture.
Who wrote the handwritten ordinances?
2 Chron 33:8 and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers—only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes
and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.
What law is the law that was contrary and against?
Deut 31:24-26 So it was,
when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished,
25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying:
26 “Take this Book of the Law,
and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness
against you;
It appears from the text that this is not referring to the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments that was written by God Himself by His finger Exo31:18 placed inside the ark of the covenant, not besides like the annual sabbath(s) connected to animal sacrifices.
This is the law that was taken away at the Cross.
Col 2:16 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:
This is the exact language referring to the annual sabbath(s) that were handwritten by Moses, placed besides the ark that refer to annual feasts days, sacrifices and offerings that some were also called sabbath(s)
Eze 45:17 and it shall be the prince's part to give
burnt offerings, and
meat offerings, and
drink offerings, in
the feasts, and in the
new moons, and i
n the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare
the sin offering,
and the meat offering, and
the burnt offering, and
the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.
What did Jesus say He would come to put an end to? (compared to magnifying another law- by placing it in our hearts Isa42:21 Heb8:10)
Dan 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
Col 2:17
which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ
What are the shadows laws? Lets let the Scriptures define what they are
Heb 10:1
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.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once []purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’ ”
8 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),
9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, []O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
10 By that will we have been []sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once
for all
This fits the context of this passage perfectly and makes the Bible harmonize because we see Sabbath-keeping (every Sabbath) 30+ years after the Cross just as Jesus Himself indicated Isa 56:6-7 Acts 13:42, Acts 13:44 Acts 15:21 Acts 18:4 and up to His Second Coming Mat24:20-30 and forever Isa66:22-23
