The fullness and freedom that are ours in Christ ought to motivate us to maintain our devotion to the one who gave us that fullness and set us free. We have no reason to become enslaved by legalistic living, mystical experience, or rigid self-denial. In view of Christ’s victory over His enemies, we should not be controlled by those powers and practices over which Christ has already triumphed. The false teachers in Colosse were tempting the Colossians to bind themselves with the outward observations of Judaism, such as the Jewish dietary restrictions. These were merely a shadow of Christ. Judaism and its rites pointed to Christ. Paul warns the believers in Colosse not to let others bind them to regulations from which Christ has already freed them. People who do not champion salvation in Christ alone can appear to be humble. But their search for a new spiritual experience or advocacy of some work as necessary for salvation is actually human pride. They do not want to submit to God’s plan of salvation revealed in the Bible
Legalism—measuring your own or someone else’s spirituality by the ability to keep man-made rules—is a rigid, confining, and lifeless way to live. It is easy because all it requires is a list of rules coupled with dutiful compliance. Wisdom or the skillful application of biblical principles to life’s situations is unnecessary. Just comply. Legalism is not only rigid and lifeless, but it also fosters hypocritical pride.
Since believers have been released from ritualistic observances, why should they let others bind them down again (Rom 6:3-14)? No human work can be added to the merit of Christ’s death. His work on the Cross is the only acceptable work in God’s eyes. The legalistic commands of others are a “self-made religion” and “are of no value” for salvation.
16 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— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 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, 19 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. 20 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, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 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. (NASB)
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Christians have complete freedom in Christ. Jesus is our source of life and we are free through Him
- Jesus is central. Not rules or regulations. Not experiences. Just Jesus.
- Knowing the truth that fullness, forgiveness, and freedom are found in Jesus strengthens us against “attractive” but empty deception
CLOSER LOOK:
Verses 16-17: As a result of Christ disarming the rulers and authorities, believers are delivered from these evil powers which inspire legalistic rules about foods and festivals. No one should judge you by what you eat or drink because Christians are free from the Law’s legalistic requirements (such as those in Lev. 11; 17; Deut. 14). Because of our fullness in Christ (declared in 2:10 and described in 2:11–15), Paul tells us that we should not allow others to judge us. The term judge means “pass unfavorable judgment on, criticize, or find fault with.” We are not to allow others to intimidate us or question our spirituality. God does not condemn those who eat everything (Rom. 14:1–4). Actually, God says that all foods may be eaten since they were “created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth” (1 Tim. 4:3). The teaching that forbids this, Paul wrote, is “taught by demons” (1 Tim. 4:1) whom Christ has disarmed (Col. 2:15).
How might others attempt to convince us that our spirituality is suspect? Apparently some in Colosse tried to convince the believers that spirituality was based on how well they observed certain codes of behavior. Paul mentions diets (what you eat or drink) and days (religious festival, New Moon celebration, Sabbath day). The false teachers said that the truly spiritual maintained a particular diet and properly observed all the right holy days.[1]
This liberation of believers also pertains to festivals such as a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day (cf. Gal. 4:10). Those who would bring Christians under the bondage of the Law make artificial distinctions between the “ceremonial” and “moral” law, and so they say the Sabbath has not passed away. The reason this is false can be seen from the following: “(1) The Sabbath command is the only one of the Ten Commandments not repeated in the New Testament. (2) The early believers, following Christ’s resurrection and appearance on Sunday (Mark 16:1; John 20:1), met on Sundays (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2). (3) The Bible nowhere distinguishes between the so-called “moral” and “ceremonial” laws (this distinction was not made before the 13th century a.d.) (4) This Colossian passage explicitly condemns those who command Sabbath obedience. (5) As Paul put it, the Old Testament Law (including the Sabbath) was only a shadow of the things that were to come.”[2]
The reality or “substance” (sōma, literally “body”), however, is to be found in Christ (cf. Heb. 8:5; 10:1). What the OT foreshadowed, Christ fulfilled (cf. Matt. 5:17; Rom. 8:3–4). A “shadow” (skia) is only an image cast by an object which represents its form. Once one finds Christ, they no longer need to follow the old shadow.
Is the Christian bound to strict observance of diets and days? No. Two passages of Scripture make answer this: Heb. 9:10; Gal. 4:8–11. Here in Colossians 2:17, Paul informs us that rule keeping is just a shadow: there is no real spiritual substance. The reality (literally the “body” which casts the shadow) is found in Christ. Again and again, whatever the topic, Paul brings believers back to Christ.
Verse 18: Those who turn believers from the reality in Christ to the shadow of the Law defraud or disqualify them from the prize. That is, they essentially rob (katabrabeuetō, meaning “to decide against giving out a reward”; cf. brabeuetō in 3:15) believers of their spiritual rewards. As a judge disqualifies those who do not run the race correctly, so believers who turn from faithfully following Christ will be disqualified of their rewards from Him (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10–15).
Some heretics who turn believers away from faithful service have a false humility (“self-abasement”), which is only “a form of godliness” but denied its power” (2 Tim. 3:5) that is in Christ (Rom. 8:3–4). This fake godliness of legalists was connected with the worship of angels which Scripture forbids (Ex. 20:3–4; cf. Rev. 22:8–9). Legalism is a teaching inspired by fallen angels (1 Tim. 4:1) who as “elemental spirits” (Gal. 4:3) would bring people into slavery by their mystical meditations.[1] These legalistic mystics dwell on what they have seen in visions.[2] Far from being humble, such is a person who is inflated by their fleshly mind[3] because of the pride in their visions.
Verse 19: While believing that their mysticism brings them in touch with some “higher” reality, a legal mystic has actually not held fast (i.e. lost connection) with the Head (Christ) who alone supplies life for it to grow “with a growth which is from God” (cf. John 15:1–5). True spirituality does not come by compliance with laws (which are only a shadow) but by connection with Jesus (“the Life,” who is the reality). Without a vital connection to its Head, the body of Christ cannot grow. Using a parallel image, Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, ESV).
Verses 20–21: An association of legalism and mysticism is asceticism. It is the pseudo-spiritual position that revels in rules of physical self-denial.[1] “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” These prohibitions increase from not handling or tasting to not even touching. This same legalism was manifest in Eve’s fleshly exaggeration, “You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die” (Gen. 3:3, NASB; cf. Gen. 2:16–17). Asceticism[2] arises out of guilt. But Christ has taken away all human guilt by His death (Col. 2:13–14). Since believers died with Christ to the elementary principles (stoicheia) of this world, they are no longer obligated to obey them. “Living in the world” is living by the world’s rules and submitting to them. It includes those people that have a show of humility and some alleged “angelic” source or what we may hear as “spirit guides.” Christian spirituality is living by the power of the Spirit in union with Christ by whom the believer has died to sin. “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Rom. 6:6).
Verses 22–23: Asceticism[1] is a man-made system of rules (often taken out of context from God’s Law) “in accordance with the commands and teachings of” human beings. One example of legalism in the New Testament was the Old Testament command of circumcision which God intended for the Jews as a sign of faith (Rom. 4:11) but which the legalists wanted to make a condition of grace (Gal. 2:21).[2] Living by such self-abasement (humility), self-made religion, and severe treatment of the body has a certain “appearance of wisdom” (sophias; cf. Col. 1:9; 2:3, 4:5), but it has absolutely no value in restraining fleshly (“sensual”) indulgence. These things would perish with use. The warning suggests that the focus was limited to this world and that which passes away. Also, the objects of their concern had no value in sanctification
When we deny the body its desires, it can arouse them, as is well known by many of us who have tried to lose weight by sticking to a strict diet. When Jesus is given control, He not only gives us the Holy Spirit to fight against the flesh, but He also gives us new desires as well. We do not need rules for the outside because we have the Spirit on the inside. We simply need to yield to Jesus. So what do we do? We will see in the next chapter what Paul recommends for a nourishing and enriching life.
[1] Asceticism is a religious philosophy which teaches that depriving the body of its normal desires is a means of achieving greater holiness and approval from God
[2] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 679.
[1] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 679.
[2] Means severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons
[1] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 679.
[2] Earlier, in Galatians 3:4, Paul called these visions as being idle notions (eikē, “vain, to no avail”)
[3] literally “the mind of the flesh”; cf “the body of the flesh,” v. 19
[1] Max Anders, “Colossians,” in Holman New Testament Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians (Nashville, B&H Publishers, 1999), n.p.
[2] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 678.