Colos sians 2:16-23

Colossians 2:16–23 NKJV

16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. 20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Last week we talked about the importance of not being deceived or cheated out of reward in Christ. Another way to say that, according to the NIV, is to be disqualified. The phrasing means to be taken captive or robbed of what rightfully belongs to you.

Today, Paul tells us some of the many ways that the Colossian Christians were being

The Bible Knowledge Commentary (2:13–14)

This new life came when God forgave us all our sins for He canceled the written code. Before God’s written Law, His “written code,” people stood condemned (cf. Rom. 3:19) , so it worked against them and opposed them. But in Christ the Law is fulfilled (Rom. 8:2) and done away with (Gal. 3:25; Heb. 7:12). Legalism is wrong because believers are dead to the Law in Christ. He fulfilled its demands in His life and by His death, and Christians are in Him (Norman L. Geisler).