What does Colossians 2:16 mean?
Colossians 2:16 says no one may judge Christians over food, festivals, new moons or a Sabbath. Those were shadows that pointed to Christ. Now that He has come, the shadow has no hold on you.
Colossians 2:16 means that no one may judge a Christian over food laws, holy days or the Sabbath. Those things were shadows. Jesus is the real thing they pointed to.
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
Colossians 2:16
Look at the list
Paul names three kinds of holy days. A festival came once a year. A new moon came once a month. A Sabbath came once a week. Yearly, monthly, weekly. He covers the whole calendar of the Law, and the weekly Sabbath is right there in the list.
Why no one may judge you
Read the next verse.
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Colossians 2:17
At sunset a long shadow stretches across the road, the shape of your dad coming home. A moment later he walks up. You don’t bend down and hug the shadow. You run and hug your dad.
The food laws and holy days are a σκιά skia, a shadow. The substance, the σῶμα sōma, the real body that casts the shadow, is Christ. Once He has come, you do not go back to hugging the shadow.
The verse right before it
Verse 16 starts with “Therefore.” So look back. Paul says Jesus canceled “the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). Your debt is gone. That is why no one can judge you over food or days. The bill is paid.
The verses right after it
Paul keeps going. Some teachers in Colossae said, “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (Colossians 2:21). Paul says such rules have “an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion” but “are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23). Rules about days and foods can look holy. They cannot change a heart.
What this does not mean
It does not mean you must not rest, or that you are wrong to worship on a certain day. Paul said, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). Rest on Saturday if you like, or Sunday. Rest is a good gift.
It also means you should not judge others. The verse cuts both ways. Don’t let anyone judge you, and don’t judge your brother.
Lift your eyes
Maybe you have spent years staring at the ground, checking the calendar and counting what you can eat. Lift your eyes. The real thing has come. Run to Him.
Go deeper
This answer comes from the teaching “The Shadow and the Real Thing”. The Sabbath, the feasts, and the food laws were shadows that pointed to Jesus. He is the real thing, and no one may judge you over a shadow.
Related questions
- Is Saturday the true Sabbath?Yes, the Sabbath of the Law was the seventh day, Saturday. But it was the sign of God’s covenant with Israel, and the New Testament says no one may judge Christians over a Sabbath. Our true rest is Jesus.
- Do Christians have to keep the Sabbath?No. The Sabbath was the sign of God’s covenant with Israel and a shadow pointing to Jesus. Christians rest in Him every day. Taking a day off is still wise, but as a gift, not a law.
- Are Christians under the Law of Moses?No. The Law of Moses was a covenant God made with Israel. It was a guardian that led people to Christ. Now that faith has come, believers are not under it. They live under the law of Christ, which is love.