Bible Study from June 29, 2020 - Colossians 2:16-23

This study begins with a quick reminder that Chapters 1 through 2:15 of Colossians are focused primarily on Jesus - who He is, as true God and true man Who came for us and our salvation, and what that saving work has accomplished for us, forgiving every sin and giving us new and eternal life, and breaking the power of Satan and the forces of evil for us. Jesus has done everything we need.

“Therefore,” Paul says, beginning in Chapter 2, verse 16, to the Christians at Colossae, do not be distracted by the many things that the false teachers are trying to get you to focus upon, as if these things are essential for your Christian life and salvation - and that you must do things the way they tell you. Paul gives a long list of items these Christians should be concerned about, according to these false teachers.

It is vitally important what you are doing or not doing, the false teachers say, about: the food you eat, what you drink, whether you are following various religious festivals and new moon events and sabbath days, if you are being humble and hard enough on yourself (asceticism), if you are worshipping angels properly, if you are paying attention to dreams and visions that others are telling you they have had and you need to know about, if you are following their regulations about what you should not handle, taste, or touch, if you are treating your body in a severe way to control it, and on and on (v.16-23).

Paul gives this long list of what to watch out for and says to “let no one pass judgment on you in questions” about these things (v.16). He does not tell us, though, how to react to all these; but he points us back to Jesus and listening to him in His Word. Many of these things, he says, are only a shadow from the Old Testament, preparing the way for the real substance, the body, our Savior Jesus Himself and His work and teaching for us (v.17). He is the “Head” and only as we “hold fast” to Him, will we grow and be nourished as we need to be (v.19).

On many of these concerns, we find help in other Scriptures. We looked at Romans, Chapter 14, as an example. Paul deals with the the question of what we can eat or not eat and which days are most important. He says that we have much freedom about these issues, and that Christians can honestly differ and don’t need to judge each other about these. We are free from Old Testament rules about clean and unclean foods, and we are even free from the sabbath day as Saturday. We need to worship our Lord, but the day is not crucial. Christians moved to Sunday as the day of worship, because each Sunday is like a mini-Easter celebration of our new life in Christ. But we could worship at other times and even work on Sunday, if necessary. We have much freedom, within what the New Testament now tells us. We don’t need to judge one another, but should be sensitive to others and their needs. We can help others know more of what Scripture says; but we also don’t want to try to get new or“weak” Christians to do things that they really think are wrong, though they actually are not. “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)

Above all, our worship and life are now led by Christ and His Word. For our spiritual life, we have the food and drink of the Word of God and the gifts of Baptism and Christ’s presence in our life and uniquely, personally (His very Body and Blood, in and with and under the bread and wine) in the Lord’s Supper (John 6:35-51. 7:37; 1 Corinthians 11:23-31). Christ is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:6-8) and in Him we find the Sabbath rest we need, in His peace and promises.(Hebrews 4:9-10).

(The quotation from Dr. Martin Franzmann is from the Concordia Self-Study New Testament Commentary (c) 1971,1979, p. 203.)