Bible Text: Colossians 2

First, let us notice that nowhere in this chapter (or in Paul's writings, for that matter) does he state that the Sabbath should not be kept. This verse does not say "DO NOT eat or drink or keep the new moons or Sabbath days." The verse DOES say to not let anyone judge you in how you do these things. A common problem is that people rarely examine the context of a text to see why the writer even wrote it. Let's examine the context of this chapter.

The heading at the beginning of the book of Colossians in the New Cambridge Study Edition of the New American Standard Bible has a revealing and accurate description of the point of Paul's letter. "The epistle to the Colossians was the result of a visit from Epaphras, the evangelist of the church in Colossae (1:7,8), who reported that the Colossians were falling into serious error, the result of a deep consciousness of sin leading to a desire to attain moral perfection by mechanical means, the careful observance of external ordinances (2:16) and ascetic restrictions (2:20), coupled with special devotion to a host of angelic mediators."

It is most significant to read the words, "attain moral perfection by mechanical means." Notice what Paul says in verse 6 of chapter 2, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." The error of the Colossians was that they no longer depended upon Christ alone for salvation! There were men who were teaching the Colossians that they had to do certain things in certain ways in order to win their salvation. This is the root of heretical legalism!. The Colossians, attempting to reach moral perfection, were quite willing to accept these new teachings. Consequently, they began a rigid practice of eating particular foods and drinking particular drinks at particular times, and rigidly following certain special regulations regarding observance of ceremonial holy days, and they even began keeping parts of the old ceremonial law. The heretical teachers were ever attempting to bind Christians again under the abolished Jewish ceremonial rites! So, in attempting to become holy, the Colossians attempted to add their own definition of holiness to that which Christ had established. Their efforts to regulate every aspect of life, including Sabbath observance, resembled the Jews with their added Sabbath regulations. |0+| They forgot the fact that the ceremonial law was abolished at the cross, and that the moral law can never make one righteous or win for one salvation!

Finally, they had begun to worship angels as the result of the some of these teachers' visions. Paul shot that idea down by revealing the source of the visions, men who were "delighting in self-abasement and the worship of angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshy mind."

Now that we understand more about the condition of the Colossians, we can understand more about what Paul was saying to them. Paul was warning them about their attempts to establish specific rules and regulations concerning how to eat and drink and keep holy days. Paul did not say that they should not do any of the above. He said that they should stop trying to judge each other's performance in keeping their own regulations. The main point Paul was making was that no man has the right to stand as another man's judge of salvation. Even his words, "things which are a mere shadow of what is to come" are understood now that the context is clear. He is not saying that there should be no eating, drinking, or keeping of the Sabbath. He is simply saying that only in Christ is the point to eating, drinking, and keeping the Sabbath fulfilled.

Verse 14 is another seriously misunderstood text. Many people take that verse to prove that the Ten Commandments were "nailed to the cross." However, despite this theory's popularity, it is simply not what Paul was saying.

Again, let us not read into a text that which is not there. In the entire letter to the Colossians, the word, "law," is never used. Although people like to supply the word, "law," in place of, "certificate of debt," or, "handwriting of ordinances," this practice is not supported by the original Greek. The word that appears in verse 14 is "cheirographon" and it appears one time in the entire Bible: only in Colossians 2:14. A study of apocalyptic literature does reveal its meaning: "record-book of sin." Certainly, neither the moral nor the ceremonial laws can be construed as a "record-book of sin."

What Paul was actually saying in verse 14 is very clear, once we recognize the correct definition of the Greek word. He was saying to the radically legalistic Colossians that Christ had "nailed to the cross" the written record of our sins. Not the legal basis of our guilt (the law), but the written record of our guilt was erased. This approach was carefully crafted to turn the Colossians' attention away from the moral law and their keeping of it to earn salvation, and turn their attention toward the salvation that Christ had already provided them by "nailing to the cross" the record of their guilt! If one's guilt is removed, then one is already righteous in the sight of God. If one is already righteous in the sight of God, then one has no further need to earn that righteousness!

This interpretation concurs exactly with the following verse. Because He had erased the record of our guilt at the cross, He had also "disarmed the principalities and powers" that would make use of that record, namely Satan, the accuser, and wicked men who would attempt help Satan in his work.

We must conclude, then, that the document nailed to the cross was not the law in general, or the Sabbath in particular, but rather the record of our sins. This is good news indeed, and we can make the promise of this verse a reality in our own lives by accepting what Christ has done on our behalf and repenting of our sins. Then Christ will erase our record books clean of all our sins, just as He did for believing people back in the time of the Colossians.