Let No Man Judge You

Tonight the kids were doing their daily Bible reading and they completed the book of Colossians. I felt the need to post this example as well, since it is quite often used to abolish the law.

"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; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 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: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 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, 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. 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, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 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." Colossians 2:14-23

I just wrote about the fact that during the time of Messiah, criminals were crucified along side a list of their offenses that led to the death sentence. Yeshua was crucified for claiming to be the King of the Jews, and that was why the sign hung above him saying as much. This is what is meant by the list of ordinances that was against us being nailed to the cross, because he took on our sins and was crucified for them. This does not mean the Torah law was nailed to the cross- the word for ordinances here is cheirographon, which means record of debts. Our list of sins was nailed to the cross.

Further proof that this is not talking about abolishing the law of God is found throughout this book, starting in verse 8 where he opens this specific passage with a warning not to let men lead us astray with traditions and rudiments of men. In verse 15 he says that Yeshua exposed the doctrines of men as a fraud and triumphed over them, and that segues into verses 16-21 where specific examples are given of what those false doctrines might look like. He is not referring to the Torah laws, because he concludes this list by calling them "the commandments and doctrines of men"!!!!!!!!! Yah wrote the Torah, so he is clearly not referring to the OT here.

The very last verse in chapter 2 tells us without a doubt what we are discussing- the practices of worship different people adopted. Some fasted twice a week, some gave a specific amount to the poor on holy days, and some 'mortified' their bodies by abstaining from wine or rich foods on holy days. Paul is saying these isn't anything intrinsically wrong with these ideas, but that no man can tell us how to celebrate the Holy Days except the Lord. Let no man judge you doesn't mean we are all free to do what we want, but rather that we are only required to abide by the Word and not what others have added to it.

Take the time to read through this book and check the cross-references. It is much easier to see the stream of thought in the whole of the scriptures rather than fracturing the law into applicable and not applicable (though Paul already said this is not so in 2 Timothy 3:16).

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua!
Amy

O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Psalm 119:97