A Warning Against Traditions of Men
Colossians 2:16-17 (KJV) "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.”
The word, “therefore,” tells us we need to pay attention to the verses that come before it to understand the intent of Paul’s words in Col. 2:16-17. I encourage anyone reading this post to read the entire chapter before moving on.
So what do you want us to pay attention to? I read in v 14
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;
What ordinances that were against us do you want to talk about? Ordinances are laws. Paul focus is on what we call ceremonial ordinances in v 16. All of those things are the very issues the Apostles considered in Acts 15 and said no to.
Having said that, Paul’s argument wasn’t against keeping a commandment of God, but rather a warning against falling victim to a legalistic system "according to the tradition of men” (Col. 2:8). It was a salvation by works theology that Paul was objecting to, not the binding nature of the fourth commandment.
Keeping the law is legalism no matter how it is sliced. If you want to say you keep the law because you love God and want to please Him, what happens if you do not keep the law? Would you not be found guilty? What happens tot he guilty? I think they are condemned and receive punishment. If we are delivered from the condemnation of the law as some say, what power does the law have?
Condemn and condemned both are defined as:
sentence (someone) to a particular punishment, especially death.
condemnation is defined as:
the action of condemning someone to a punishment; sentencing.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Jn 5
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. Rom
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Gal 5
If you are under something, you are obligated to its weight/force whatever that might be. What would be the weight (force/obligation/result) of the law?
Instead of looking to Jesus as the only way to salvation (John 14:6), advocates of this false gospel relied heavily on human effort to secure a place in heaven. What Jesus accomplished on the cross wasn’t good enough for them, they had to add something more to that sacrifice, as if to give the impression God needed an extra pair of hands to save the elect.
I am having problems with what you are calling a false Gospel. Is it the keeping of the law, ordinances of Col 2? or is it Jn 14:6? From your wording I think you are trying to play a switch-a-roo. For me that means switching from law to grace.
The Colossians were warned not to let such people judge them in this way, for their thoughts weren’t right with God. When the righteousness of Christ should have been the focal point of their faith, their eyes were locked on a list of rules and regulations.
I’m reminded of something Jesus said to the Pharisees: John 5:39 (NKJV) “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”
Sabbaths
Regarding the word, “Sabbath” (v. 17), it appears in some translations like so. However, the underlying Greek is “sabbaton,” which can be singular or plural depending on the context. Here, it is plural. This can be seen even in the NIV, which makes use of the indefinite article, “a Sabbath day”.
The NKJV has a more accurate rendering, “sabbaths”.
I am not convinced that verse 17 is inclusive of the fourth commandment. For I see no place in Scripture where the seventh day Sabbath is called a “shadow”. Moreover, Paul was speaking out against traditions of men (v.8), not commandments of God. The Sabbath is not the byproduct of a man made tradition, but was made by God (Gen. 2:2-3). Therefore, it doesn’t seem likely Paul was referring to the fourth commandment here.
I do not see how when v 16 and 17 are the same sentence. V 17 has to include holy day (the sabbath). You then go back to Gen 2 for support of the sabbath. The word sabbath does not appear in the chapter or even the book of Genesis. Yet the same order of (holy) days appears in Lev 23 and Col 2.
Nevertheless, I am open to the possibility that “sabbaton” is inclusive of the Sabbath here. But it will take some strong evidence to persuade me to accept this. For the context referring to traditions of men doesn’t seem to support this conclusion.
Col 2:16 is a list. These same problems were addressed in acts 15 by the Apostles, who all said no to the law for the (gentile) believer. Then the issue becomes a gentile believer becomes part of Israel and obligated to the covenant issued at Sinai. There is no passage in Scripture supporting that idea. I will be happy to take on your idea of sabbath observance and what you actually do.
But even if it is inclusive of the fourth commandment, that doesn’t mean Paul is suggesting that God no longer requires us to keep the command. I don’t see Paul saying that the Sabbath has been done away with or changed. What I see him saying to the Colossians is that it’s our faith in Jesus that leads to salvation, not the traditions of men.
Acts 15 really says it all. Paul was at the heart and center of the debate issues.
Another Matter
But now there’s another matter that needs to be discussed, which puts a twist on things.
Paul warned the Colossians not to let others judge them according to the tradition of men. But what about judgement according to the Spirit?
What specific tradition of men are you aiming at? Is your post not a discussion and argument for keeping the sabbath?
John 16:8 (NKJV) “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”
The Bible is clear that God expects us to keep His commandments.
What are these commandments? You claim its the famous 10 Cs. Jesus says no in Jn 15:10. Jesus kept the 10 Cs as He stated. Those have to be the commandments of His Father which Jesus did not require. John also says -
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. I Jn 3
1 John 2:4 (NKJV) “He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
You have the pronouns misaligned or improperly assigned. I had this problem for years.
Furthermore, we are instructed to test the spirits.
1 John 4:1 (NKJV) “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
I beg every one here to do exactly that.
So if God’s word tells us that we must keep His commandments, and someone who claims to be His messenger says we don’t have to keep God’s commandments, then according to the Bible, that man is a liar. Was it a tradition of man that exposed him as a liar or did we arrive at that conclusion because the Scriptures opened our eyes to the truth?
The Scripture and especially the Gospel of john disagree with your position. Your above statement clearly intends to place all under the law issued at Sinai fully denying the NC.
It’s not our judgment that exposed the lie, but God’s word that made it known to us.
Yeppers!!!!!!
Having said that, if keeping the Sabbath day holy is required, and I go out and tell others to keep the command, but some pastor comes along and says, "Paul said it doesn’t matter anymore.” then who is the liar? The liar is the person who twists the Scriptures in order to support a tradition of men.
You just said Paul is a liar right along with the Apostles. Acts 15.
It's not I who judges the man, but God's word which judges him, exposing him as a liar.
That person is no better than those whom Paul warned the Colossians of.
Yeppers!!!!!!
bugkiller