seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
This is from the commentary.Taking delight in false humility and worship of angels: These aspects of false humility and the worship of angels were parts of the false teaching troubling the Colossian Christians. That is why Paul touches back on these themes throughout the letter of Colossians. The antidote for both of these false teachings is simply more of Jesus, exalting Him above angels, and realizing that because of His finished work there is nothing to take pride in.
Intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head: This describes the spiritual arrogance of these false teachers and those who believed what they taught. There are few things more dangerous among Christians than spiritual pride and arrogance.
Intruding into those things which he has not seen: “That is a mistranslation. The correct translation should be ‘making a parade of things which he has seen.’ The Gnostic prided himself upon the special visions of secret things which were not open to the eyes of ordinary men and women.” (Barclay)
Vainly puffed up: “Vainly characterizes the emptiness of such pretension; puffed up, the swelling intellectual pride of those who make it. The humility is thus characterized as affected, and the teachers as charlatans.” (Vincent)
Do not… do not… do not: This is a perfect description of legalistic religion, defined more by what we don’t do than by what we do. Christianity is a moral religion; it does have clear moral boundaries. But at its foundation, Christianity is a religion of positive action.
Self-imposed religion is man reaching to God, trying to justify himself by keeping a list of rules. Christianity is God reaching down to man in love through Christ.
I wonder just how much people listened to Paul in person while he was imprisoned. I'm sure they read his letters and discussed them as a church, but did the guards ignore him? After all, these verses say "I'm not guilty because I'm a Christian and your rules are silly!". It's like saying finding a man guilty of plucking grain on the Sabbath was a capital offense. But Paul was a prisoner and he's saying the rules these men live by are stupid! Do they listen or do they just shrug and say.... "Sure Paul, you're innocent. Was it you who stole the body?"
Paul preached a lack of respect for circumcision, kosher living, and the Sabbath. He said you didn't need to follow rules "based" on the "Ten Commandments".
God, through Moses, told them to "Remember the Sabbath" and Paul said.... "Oh, that's just hogwash. It's a stupid human rule."
I wonder just how ignorant did it seem to those Jews around him...
Jesus said there are two laws now... not ten... Love God and Love Others. That's it. If you follow those two laws.... you'll be ok. You won't step on anyone else's toes. Love God... He'll take care of you like a Father. Love Others... Being kind will not land you in prison.
Paul says... We are free from human rules.
