In the Greek it is SABBATON (NT:4521, from OT:7676). Look it up. I'm not going to do your homework for you.
In
Colossians 2:16 (NKJV), the verse reads:
“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,”
What Sabbaths are Being Referenced?
The "sabbaths" mentioned in Colossians 2:16 are generally understood to refer not to the
weekly Sabbath (the seventh day of the week, as commanded in the
Fourth Commandment, Exodus 20:8-11), but to a broader category of ceremonial sabbaths that were part of the Jewish ritual calendar. Here's why:
- Ceremonial Sabbaths (e.g., Leviticus 23:1-44)
- The annual sabbaths or festivals mentioned in the passage are part of the Jewish ceremonial law. These included various feasts (like the Passover, Feast of Weeks, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, etc.) which were celebrated with specific days of rest and worship.
- Sabbaths could also refer to these special feast days which often fell on days other than the weekly seventh-day Sabbath. For example, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was a high holy day and was considered a type of Sabbath, a day of solemn rest.
- The New Moon Festival
- The new moon celebration was another ritual observed by Israel, marking the beginning of a new month. It was a time of feasting, sacrifices, and rest, and it is sometimes referred to as a "sabbath" in certain parts of Scripture (e.g., 1 Samuel 20:5, 2 Kings 4:23, Amos 8:5).
Why the Distinction?
In
Colossians 2:16, Paul is addressing a situation where some people in the early Christian community, likely from a Jewish background, were still insisting that Christians must observe these Old Testament ceremonial laws, including the special sabbaths. Paul's point is clear:
Christ has fulfilled the ceremonial laws, and the observance of these days is
not a requirement for Christians. The believer's standing before God is based on
faith in Christ, not adherence to the ritual laws.
Paul emphasizes that these rituals and observances were "a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ" (Colossians 2:17). In other words, the Old Testament feasts, Sabbaths, and festivals were
types and
shadows pointing forward to the ultimate fulfillment found in Jesus Christ. With Christ's work of redemption, believers are not bound by these ceremonial laws but are free in Him.
Summary of the Sabbaths in Colossians 2:16:
- Weekly Sabbath: The 7th-day Sabbath is not the primary focus of this verse, though it would fall under the broader category of "sabbaths."
- Ceremonial Sabbaths: The sabbaths here likely refer to the annual feast days and other ritual observances in the Jewish law, such as the Passover, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and others that included rest days or Sabbaths associated with the festivals.
- New Moon Festivals: These were also part of the Jewish calendar, marked by rest and celebration.
Paul's argument is that these
ceremonial sabbaths are no longer binding on Christians, who are called to find their rest and fulfillment in
Christ alone, rather than in the observance of these ritual days. The days and festivals were
shadows of the reality found in Jesus.
The "sabbaths" referred to in
Colossians 2:16 are not referring to the weekly Sabbath (the 7th day of the week) as commanded in the
Fourth Commandment, but rather to the
ceremonial sabbaths tied to the Jewish
feasts and the
new moon festivals. These days were part of the Old Covenant system, which was fulfilled in Christ, and Paul’s teaching is that Christians are not obligated to observe these laws.
IMPORTANT: Deuteronomy's Test for Prophets
In
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and
Deuteronomy 18:20-22, God gives clear tests for determining whether a prophet is true or false:
- Deuteronomy 13:1-5: If a prophet or dreamer of dreams urges you to follow other gods, or if their prophecy leads you away from the commandments of God, they are to be considered a false prophet. Even if their prophecy comes true, they are to be rejected if they lead people away from God’s revealed law.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22: A true prophet speaks in the name of the Lord. If what the prophet says does not come to pass or leads people to follow other gods or break God's commandments, they are a false prophet.
So, if Paul were teaching against God's commandments, as recorded in the
Old Testament law, particularly the
Fourth Commandment regarding the Sabbath, he would indeed be in serious conflict with these standards, as
Deuteronomy clearly says that anyone who contradicts God's commandments, especially a prophet claiming to speak for God, would be considered false.
Was Paul Teaching Against the Commandments?
Here's where context comes in. Paul is not, in fact, teaching against God’s
moral commandments—such as the Ten Commandments, including the Fourth Commandment regarding the
Sabbath. The key is understanding that Paul's letters, including his teachings on
the law and
the Sabbath, are often addressing the
ceremonial law (laws related to the rituals, festivals, sacrifices, etc.) and not the
moral law.
The Difference Between Moral and Ceremonial Law
- Moral Laws (e.g., the Ten Commandments) reflect God's eternal principles for how we should live. These include laws on worshiping only God, honoring parents, not committing murder or adultery, and so on. The Sabbath command (Exodus 20:8-11) is moral in nature, as it reflects God's design for human rest and the principle of keeping one day a week holy, dedicated to God.
- Ceremonial Laws (e.g., feasts, sacrifices, clean and unclean foods, etc.) were specific to Israel and pointed to the coming of Christ. These laws were temporary, symbolic, and ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. After Jesus' death and resurrection, Christians are no longer bound by the ceremonial laws, because Christ is the fulfillment of those types and shadows (see Colossians 2:16-17 and Hebrews 10:1).
Paul teaches that
Christ fulfilled the ceremonial law (e.g., sacrifices, festivals, dietary restrictions), and Christians are no longer required to observe those parts of the law because they were types and shadows of Christ. However, Paul still upholds the
moral law as a reflection of God’s will for how Christians should live.
Regarding the
Sabbath, there is
no indication in Paul’s teachings that he is rejecting the moral principle of rest or the holiness of the seventh day as established by God. In fact, Jesus and Paul both emphasize that
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Sabbath rest:
- Matthew 11:28-30: Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
- Colossians 2:16-17 (NKJV): "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come; but the substance is of Christ."
What Paul is teaching here is that
Christ is the fulfillment of the ceremonial aspects of the Sabbath (which includes the feasts, sacrifices, and special holy days). Therefore, these ceremonial observances (such as the specific days of rest tied to festivals or the annual Sabbaths) are no longer required for Christians. But the
moral principle of rest and honoring God still stands as part of Christian living.
If we read Paul’s letters in their context, it becomes clear that he is
not teaching against God's
moral commandments, including the Sabbath command. He is teaching against
legalism—the idea that observance of the
ceremonial laws is necessary for salvation or a requirement for the Christian life. He is not rejecting the moral law but showing that
Christ has fulfilled the ceremonial law.
In
Colossians 2:16-17, Paul is warning against the belief that Christians must continue observing these
ceremonial sabbaths (such as the weekly Sabbath, festivals, and new moon festivals) in order to be faithful to God. These were merely
shadows that pointed to Christ. Paul was not undermining the moral law of God; rather, he was clarifying that the
ceremonial law (which includes specific sabbaths) is fulfilled in Christ.
Paul’s teachings on the law, including his statements about Sabbaths in
Colossians 2:16, do
not make him a false prophet. He is not advocating against the
moral commandments (like the Fourth Commandment regarding the Sabbath), but rather he is teaching that Christians are
not bound by the ceremonial laws which were a temporary shadow of the true rest found in Christ.
Paul's teachings are consistent with the idea that the
moral law remains valid, while the
ceremonial law (including specific sabbaths related to Jewish feasts) has been fulfilled in Jesus and is no longer binding on Christians. Therefore,
he does not contradict the moral commandments of God, and his teachings are in line with the New Covenant principles established by Christ.
