SUBJECT: Colossians 2:16

QUESTION: What is the explanation of Colossians 2:16 about Holydays, New Moons and Sabbath

ANSWER:

Colossians 2:16-17
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, nor in drink, or in respect of an Holyday, or of the New Moon, or of the Sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Note: Many use this verse as an excuse to do away with the fourth commandment. But does this verse say the Sabbath is done away? No. It says, Let no man JUDGE you concerning these things. Now, if you were a Greek convert who had been previously worshipping idols all your life, but now were keeping these things [stated in the verse], this verse would make sense. For just as the Pharisees were JUDGING Jesus concerning his keeping of the Sabbath, so Paul was warning here how MEN could sabotage your keeping these things by the same kinds of judgments resulting in, on the one extreme, either binding heavy burdens on you, or, on the other, doing away with the Sabbaths altogether.

"Which are a shadow of things to come points to Isaiah 66:23 and Zechariah 14:17 which are promises that the keeping of the Sabbaths, Holy Days, and New Moons shall be restored to all mankind at the return of Jesus Christ in his kingdom.

There is no word 'is' in the last part of the verse, so it should read, "but the body of Christ" In other words, "let not any MAN judge you, but the body of Christ, let that judge you concerning these things." This ties in with the theme of the rest of the chapter. In verse 8 it says, "Beware lest any man SPOIL you"; and again, "Let no man JUDGE you"; and again, "Let no man BEGUILE you". These are all ways that men may sabotage your faith in Christ. There is no place in the Bible that says plainly that the Sabbath is done away, but there are many ASSUMPTIONS based on hard to understand verses such as this one by which men have been DECEIVED into rejecting the commandments of God.

Another scripture which people use to sabotage the fourth commandment is Romans 14. However, Paul was not talking here about Sabbath keeping (The Sabbath day is not actually mentioned is it?) but about fast days. This is the whole context. A man could eat or not eat, keep a day of fasting or not keep a day, according to his own convictions. These could be the fast days mentioned in Zechariah 7:5-6 which the Jews kept, but they were never commanded by God. (Compare Romans 14:6-7 & Zechariah 7:5-6)

Romans 14:6-7

6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

Zechariah 7:5-6

5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

Another scripture which people use to justify not keeping the Sabbath is Galatians 4:9-10. "Ye observe days and months and times and years..." First, who was Paul talking to? Converted Gentiles who had been accustomed to observing days and months and times and years according to their pagan gods. (comp Leviticus 19:26 and Deuteronomy 18:10-14) He is admonishing them not to return to those weak and beggarly elements. The Sabbath is not the weak and beggarly element he was talking about, but their previous pagan worship.