WHAT ABOUT COLOSIANS 2:16
16. 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]:
After reading this text many people think that the seventhy day Sabbath was
nailed on the cross, but is that the true context of this text ??? is pail suggesting
that the seventh day is now obsolute ???
Peter has a warning for us concerning paul`s writings
2 peter 3: 15-16
15. And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation; even as our
beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written
unto you;
16. As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some
things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as
[they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
When we read the writings of paul lets not rush to conclude on certain matters lest
we twist the writing of paul to our own distruction.
Basically the bible speaks of two great laws
1. Ten commandiments/ moral law/ law of god / Decalogue
2. Mosaic law/ ceremonial law/ law of moses/ the book of covenant.
Nb failure to distinguish btwn these two laws has led to some serious religious
debates and disputes.
It is necessary that we look at the two laws separately and identify the differences
btwn them.
1. The moral law ( exodus 20 : 2-17)
Records the ten commandiments as they came straight from the mouth of the load.
Lets see how moses review these commandiments to the isralites ………
dueto 5:22
22. These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the
midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he
added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto
me.
God first spoke the 10 comandiments to the entire isralites, he added no more
meaning he was setsfied to make no changes to the moral law, he then wrote them
in two tables of stone and gave them to moses.
Exodus 31:18
18. And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him
upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger
of God.
Here the verse emphasizes the fact that the tablet of stone were written with the
figure of god, he did not delegate the task to moses, he did it himself……..exodus
32: 16. And the tables [were] the work of God, and the writing [was] the writing of
God, graven upon the tables.
2. The law of moses/ ceremonial law.
Leviticus 23:1, tells us that god command moses to speak the ceremonial law to
the isralites. God did not speak this law to the isralites himself as he did for the
moral law.
Who wrote the ceremonial law???
Deuto 31; 24-26
24. And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this
law in a book, until they were finished,
25. That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the
LORD, saying,
26. Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the
LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
There are keys points to note from this text
1. The law was written by moses not god
2. It was written in a book not on tablets
3. It was put besides the ark not in the ark
4. It stood as a witness against the isralites.
Deuto 29; 20-21
20. The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his
jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this
book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.
21. And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel,
according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law:
This text tells us that this book of law written by moses contains curses against the
isralites.
Why was this law given???
Lets look at ezekel 20:24-25
24. Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes,
and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
25. Wherefore I gave them also statutes [that were] not good, and judgments
whereby they should not live;
This was given because the 10 commandiments were being violated as ezekels
says here.
The mosaic law / law of moses, was added because of sin , it had curses for those
that would break the 10 commandment as galatians 3:19 says Wherefore then
[serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come
to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a
mediator.
This mosaic law contained some festivals, practices, sacrifies and ceremonial
ordinances that pointed to Christ as the true lamb. It was temporary not eternal, It
had limited life span, it was a contract which would only last until the coming of
Christ.
Romans 10:4-5
4. For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.
5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which
doeth those things shall live by them.
The law of moses pointed to Christ see luke 24:44
44. And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I
was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of
Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me.
Moral law Mosaic law
Was spoken by god Was spoken by moses
Was written by god Was written by moses
Was written on stone Was written in a book
Was stored inside the ark Was stored beside the ark
Existed before sinai After sinai
Before entrance of sin After entrance of sin
Romans 7:7; 3:20 shows that the moral Galatians 3:19 tells us that the
law points out sin ceremonial law was added because of
sin
Romans 7:12 tells that the moral law is Ezekel 20:24-25 tells us that the law of
hood and holy moses is not good
Psalms 101:7-8 shows that god`s law is Ephisians 2:15 shows that the law of
eternal moses was temporary
1 john 5:3 shows that law of god is not Deuto 29:21 shows that law of moses
grevious contains curses against us
These comparisons help to understand collosians 2:16 in the Sabbath subject, since
in the bible there are two types of Sabbath, the weekly Sabbath and the yearly
Sabbath. Now which Sabbath days are being reffered to here by paul???
Ceremonial Sabbaths (yearly Sabbaths)
Leviticus 23:24, 39
24. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first
[day] of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an
holy convocation.
39. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the
fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day
[shall be] a sabbath, and on the eighth day [shall be] a sabbath.
Weekly Sabbath
Exodus 20:8-11
Exodus 16:26. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, [which is] the
sabbath, in it there shall be none.
Leviticus 23: Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day [is] the sabbath of
rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work [therein]: it [is] the sabbath of the
LORD in all your dwellings.
Lets look now on the verse and see wat are the Sabbaths which are nailed on the
cross…
Collosians 2: 14
14. 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;
This verse tells us that when jesus died, he blot out the handwriting of ordinances
that was against us …… which means that the mosaic law / the law of moses was
the one which was against us according to deuto 31:26. And the mosaic law was
written by moses.
So the law of moses was the one which was nailed on the cross when jesus died,
not the law of god because psalms 101 :7-8 says the law of god is eternal.
So when paul says no man shall judge you concerning the Sabbath… he was
referring to the mosaic law not the law of god.
