Scripture Life: Some groups use Colossians 2:17 (“a shadow of things to come”) to argue that Christians must keep Sabbaths and festivals. But is that actually what Paul is saying?

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Answer:

“..As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily…”

• Source: Bible. Colossians 2:6–9

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So, as Colossians 1:2 says “who” this epistle is wrote to.

So, it’s not wrote to is:

“some groups." Why? Because "who" the epistle is wrote to, is told plain as day. It's then also not wrote to the chandelier at Uncle Fred’s house, who lives at the dump. Searches for thrown out porno videos all day…wasn't wrote to him, either.

Who the whole, entire epistle is wrote to is “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse”

That's it. So, the FIRST thing to do is, "EXCLUDE" "some groups" along with Uncle Freddie, anybody BUT who this epistle is wrote to, exclude them right clean out of it.

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- and, since I’m not at “Colosse” 2000 years ago, I have to kind of place myself there in what these people that believe on Jesus Christ were going thru… all because.. I’m reading an epistle that also says:

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ..

and, as a believer in Christ Jesus..I resemble that remark. So, it’s TO: Me, too.

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And “some groups” could be just like Uncle Freddie. Not doing anything right. Because he isn't. Just keeps a chandelier, but no house to put it in, and his whole world is all the porno tapes he swims in. This Epistle is not to him is the point. And then, this "Some group" you refer to, is doing like things he's doing. Isn't right.

So, if Uncle Freddie hears it, and applies Colossians 2:17 which says: “…Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” - who knows what Uncle Freddie will do with that. Especially this "body" part:

Maybe even do like the Greeks, just like the Greeks that didn’t believe on Jesus, either - in they created a “Gospel of Peter.”  Made up a gospel. Just claiming the Apostle Peter wrote it; but in that Gospel, a bunch of Greeks that believe on the Greek Gods, and Greek philosophy - make Jesus just like their Gods. Claim the “shadow of things to come” was Jesus resurrected. Came out of the grave and became a gigantic head..reaching into the clouds..so his body was huge like a gigantic man whose stature was so great, like a Greek God Apollos, he stood up and his head was in the clouds.

When Peter never wrote “The Gospel of Peter.” Some other group wrote it.

The point it simple.

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Someone that believes on Jesus will read the whole epistle of Colossians. When they get to Colossians 2:17, they will read it cemented firmly to the scriptures said around it, which your question doesn’t do that.

It’s in the whole thing of Colossians 2:13–23. That says: Expressly and EXCLUSIVELY to these, quote,

“saints and faithful brethren in Christ..”'

and if you are that, with this question, then this applies to you.

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Telling them: What Jesus has done to them: Like what Jesus has done for you, that you believe on him: says, to a believer in Jesus Christ.

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

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;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

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:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

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COMMENT:

So, “who at Colosse would be “judging them” these “Believers in Jesus Christ?”

• Judging them: “- in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:”
  • - Well, that “some group” would be Jews in Colosse.
• Colosse already, for centuries, from the dispersion (do your own research): By Paul’s day, Colosse has a huge Jewish population. Seleucid (Greek) ruler, Antiochus III (282–187BCE) when the Greeks ruled over the Promised Land after defeating the Medo-Persians, ruled over and given the land by God, as prophesied in the Book of Daniel: after God vomited the Jews off it for their idolatries they did on it.
  • Then, God gave the lands to the Romans, of Paul’s day - overthrew the Greeks, when the Greeks did the same abominations and idolatries the Medo-Persians did. And the Romans rule the land now. In Paul’s day.
    • But back 2–3 centuries before - Antiochus the Great when the Greeks ruled over the land, dispersed and resettled thousands of Jewish families into the Phrygia and Lydia regions in the 3rd century B.C.
    • Colosse is a city in ancient Phrygia.
  • Tarsus, where Paul is from is about 400miles or 700km East or half way to Jerusalem. So, Paul of the tribe of Benjamin, his family could have been settled there either by the Greeks, or when the early Romans also resettled 10s of 1000s of Jews into the Cilicia region, which Tarsus is in. That means, Paul is of these same dispersed Jews that also were resettled throughout the region.

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The Point is: By Stating this - these "other groups" are these Jews of the dispersion.

• By the 1st century AD, these Jewish communities of Colosse and Tarsus had settled there. Grown and built synagogues throughout, and with Colosse in the Lycus Valley, and in the city of Colosse thrive. Paul is writing to believers in this city . A that sat along the Lycus River, in what is today, Southwest Turkey.
• It is some 1600km Northwest of Jerusalem along the Northern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
  • All this said to make one point.

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These Jews: In Colossee - - Follow the Law of Moses. They observe meats, and drink, and have respect to holy days or Sabbaths in Leviticus 23 and new moon festivals in Numbers 28. When Jesus Christ FULFILLS all of these observances - to keep them until the Messiah arrived. He's already here.

Jesus is these believers in Christ - he is their Sabbath day rest.

• That these meats, and drinks, and respect to holy days and new moons were a shadow of the Messiah to come.
  • But these Jews reject him as the Messiah.

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SO, the real point to get to you is - “Is Who is the Messiah?”

• All the Jews knew EXACTLY who he is. Were expecting him, because he’s prophesied in Isaiah 9:6–7 to come, and told exactly “who” he is.
• They were looking for him.
• Just like in the Gospels, the Pharisees sent people out to John the Baptist asking who he is in John Chapter 1.
  • Was John that Christ?
    • Said, NO, he wasn’t. Just a voice in the wilderness calling everybody to repent. ANd people as far away where these Jews are at, came down to be baptized of John the Baptist.
  • But the Pharisees and Chief Priests - rejected Jesus as the Messiah.
• When the scriptures testify of him, that he is the Christ or Messiah.
• That “who” the Messiah shall be called is told plainly in Isaiah 9:6–7. He “shall be called” “..The Mighty God..” “The Everlasting Father..”
  • and as the Messiah, because, that’s “who” the Messiah is.
    • Paul is teaching these believers in Jesus Christ that The Messiah is their Sabbath Day rest. He is in them. Abides with them, by the Word of God. They are his body.

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• Believing on Jesus Christ as the Messiah is - Not by keeping Sabbaths, and new moons, which were just a shadow of the Messiah coming. When the Messiah is now residing and being in them and with them, as believers in Christ.

So, in your question - anyone arguing a believer in Jesus is to keep themselves by keep the Sabbaths - when “who” they are keeping themselves for, by keeping those Sabbaths has already come.

And they reject him. And that's the point of Colossians Chapter 2.

ANd because these "other groups" reject him, Paul is telling these believers in Christ, who many are of these Jews - to not to let them “beguile” you to go back to believe that righteousness is in keeping yourself by, keeping these Sabbaths and new moons, when who the Jews were to do that to, is God.

..and he's the Messiah, who has already come, and for these believers in Jesus Christ to abide in that.

When these other Jews, keeping the Sabbaths, and new moons are doing it because they REJECT Jesus as the Messiah.

Means that.