Study Notes

16So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18Let 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, 19and 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. 20Therefore, 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– 21Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22which all concern things which perish with the using–according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23These 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.  Col 2:16-23
 

The “Sabbath(s)” of Colosians 2:16

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths . . . “

Four interpretations – 3 Sabbatarian & 1 Non-Sabbatarian:

1.      Sabbath = “Ceremonial” Sabbaths and not the Sabbath of the 4th Commandment. (Common among Sunday Sabbatarians such as the puritans).

2.      Sabbath = Old Testament ceremonial and civil elements which are abolished. However, a 1 day in 7 cycle still remains.

3.      Sabbath = a perverted “Sabbath” practiced in Collose which bears no resemblance to the Sabbath of the 4th Commandment. The condemnation is against this new and perverted “Sabbath” with no reference being made to the true Sabbath.

4.      Sabbath = The Weekly Sabbath day of the 4th Commandment.

Reasons why the “Sabbath” of Colossians refers to weekly Sabbath of the 4th commandment:

1.  When the word “Sabbath” occurs in the context of “festival, new moon, Sabbath” it always refers to the weekly Sabbath. 

The triad “festival, new moon, sabbath” refer to the yearly, monthly and weekly solemn days on Israel’s calendar. Reference to these days always occur in order of regularity; in either descending order (i.e. weekly, monthly, yearly) or ascending order (i.e. yearly, monthly, weekly).

Descending order of regularity:

2 Chron 31:3-4 (Here the order is daily, weekly, monthly, yearly).

3The king also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings (daily), the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths (weekly) and the New Moons (monthly) and the set feasts (yearly), as it is written in the Law of the LORD.

1 Chron 23:30-31

 31and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the LORD on the Sabbaths (weekly) and on the New Moons (monthly) and on the set feasts (yearly), by number according to the ordinance governing them, regularly before the LORD;

Ascending order of regularity (as per Col 2:16):

Ezek 45:17

17Then it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts (yearly), the New Moons (monthly), the Sabbaths (weekly), and at all the appointed seasons of the house of Israel. . . .

Hos 2:11

11I will also cause all her mirth to cease,

Her feast days (yearly),

Her New Moons (monthly),

Her Sabbaths (weekly)–

All her appointed feasts.

This order has its basis in Numbers 28&29


Numbers 28 & 29

  • vs 2-8 = daily offerings,
  • vs 9-10 = weekly Sabbath offerings,
  • vs 11-15 = monthly offerings,
  • vs 16ff = yearly offerings  

2.  The weekly Sabbath is always grouped with the other solemn days.  It is considered to be in the same category. 


They stand and fall together. See for example Exodus 23:10-19, Numbers 28&29, and Leviticus 23. The weekly Sabbath is also considered to be in the same category as the yearly feasts. It heads the list of the holy days listed as feasts in Leviticus 23. The Sabbath is also grouped with ceremonies such as those listed in Exodus 25 to 31.3.  If the weekly Sabbath was excluded why use the term “Sabbaths” when the term “festivals” (feasts) and “new moons” has already been employed? 


All other “Sabbaths” are covered in the expression “Festivals” and “new moons” leaving the term “Sabbaths” as a reference to the weekly Sabbath.4.  The term “Sabbaths” most commonly refers to the weekly Sabbath. The Colossian readers would have assumed this fact.

5.  If the term “Sabbath” refers to Sabbaths other than the weekly Sabbath then it is the only exception in the New Testament.


The word “Sabbath” in the New Testament always means either the weekly Sabbath or a one week cycle terminating with the Sabbath.7.  The preceding verses speak of the “certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us” which is most likely a reference to the 10 Commandments handwritten by the finger of God.


This makes it impossible to exclude weekly Sabbath from the reference in verse 2.

See also Colossians 2:14 and compare 2 Corinthians 3:7.

8.  The “Sabbaths” in Colossians 4:16 are called shadows, which must refer to genuine “Sabbaths” as revealed in Scripture. 

This specifically refutes the position that the Sabath referred to is a perverted “Sabbath” practiced in Collose which bears no resemblance to the Sabbath of the 4th Commandment. How can a “Sabbath” which bears no resemblance to anything revealed in Scripture be a shadow of which the body is Christ?
 

9.  Understanding Colossians 2:16 as speaking of the weekly Sabbath is consistent with other passages that bear directly on the subject of Sabbath keeping, such as Romans 14:4,6 and Galatians 4:8-11.

 10.  The Sabbath was given to Israel in the wilderness as a sign of God’s covenant with them.

See Exodus 31:12-18, Ezek 20:12-20, Neh 9:13,14.

This is the consistent testimony of Scripture. As an Old Covenant sign it is understood to be classed as a shadow.

Response to some “Questionable Answers”:

1.  The plural form “Sabbaths” occurs in Colossians 2:16 demonstrating that it is referring to Sabbaths other than the weekly Sabbath.

  • The plural form commonly refers to the seventh day Sabbath in the New Testament. For example, Matt 28:1, Luke 4:16, and Acts 16:13.
  •  In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the O.T available at the time of the Apostles, the plural form occurs in both accounts of the Decalogue (10 commandments) – Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

2.  The lack of the definite article (”The”) in Colossians 2:16 demonstrates that it is referring to Sabbaths other than the weekly Sabbath.

3.  Paul was referring to ceremonies and sacrifices practiced on those days rather than the abrogation of the days themselves.

  • Paul uses all encompassing terms, which captures everything to do with those days. If Paul had meant any less he would have said as much. It seems a stretch to argue, that when Paul made such broad statements as “let no one judge you . . . regarding . . . Sabbaths”, he expected his readers to have such a refined and nuanced understanding of his expression that would lead them to exclude only the ceremonial and typical elements of the Sabbath yet leave the keeping of the day itself in tact as a basis for judgement. (This is especially strained in light of the absence of any explicit command from Paul in any of his writings to keep a Sabbath.) 
  • Paul states that all the days mentioned are in the same category or class (Greek “en merei” – translated in respect to) which means festivals, new moons and Sabbaths are all in same category. Are keeping these festival days holy continued as well as the Sabbath? It can’t be both ways in the context – they are in the same category.

“Festivals, New Moons, Sabbaths” – See Numbers 28 & Leviticus 23.

Festivals = Yearly:

Month 1      

Day   

14               Day of the Passover

15 to 21     Feast of Unleavened Bread.

                                               

Month 3     Feast of Weeks (Penticost) & Firstfruits.

Month 7      

Day     

1                 Day of Blowing Trumpets.

10               Day of Atonement

15 to 21     Feast of Tabernacles/Booths.

Month 12    

Day   

14 & 15      Purim

New Moons = Monthly.

Sabbaths = Weekly.