Does Colossians 2:16 abolish the Fourth Commandment?

[reddogs]

Many people claim that the verse Colossians 2:16 abolishes the Fourth Commandment of Gods eternal Ten Commandments which deals with the keeping of Gods seventh day Sabbath, but something that most Christians are also NOT taught is that there are two distinctly separate sets of laws in the Holy Bible. Those laws were the Ten Commandments of God himself, and the Law of Moses, also known as the 'ceremonial law'.

We will first look at the verse itself, then study the bible to see which law the author of the verse is referring too.

Colossians 2:16
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:

We notice that this verse along with mentioning the 'sabbath days' also mentions 'meat', 'drink', 'a holy day' and 'the new moon'. If we study Gods Ten Commandments we will notice that none of the commandments have anything to do with meat, drink, a holy day or the new moon. These things all had to do with the festival days kept in the Ceremonial Law of Moses. The Ceremonial Law of Moses had 7 Festival Days that were also known as 'Sabbaths'. So this becomes a definite clue as to which law this particular verse belongs too.

Another clue as to which law this verse is referring to can be found just two verses earlier in Colossians 2:14 which reads:

Colossians 2:14
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;

Notice in this verse it specifically states that it was the 'handwriting of ordinances that was against us' that was nailed to the cross.

To better understand what the 'handwriting of ordinances against us' is lets study how each law came into being. First we will look at the Ten Commandments of God. The bible tells us that:
Exodus 31:18
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.

In this verse we specifically see that the Ten Commandments were written by God himself. God had engraved the commandments in stone with His own finger, they were not 'handwritten' by men. It should also be pointed out here that the Ten Commandments are the only part of the bible that God took the time to write Himself. These alone were written upon the tables, so this should be an indication of their importance to Him.

Next lets look at how the Ceremonial Law of Moses came into existence. In Deuteronomy 31:24-26 we read:

Deuteronomy 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.

Notice that it was the ceremonial law that was dictated to and handwritten by Moses that was placed beside the Ark of the Covenant as a witness 'against us', not the Ten Commandments of God. Gods Ten Commandments have never been 'against us'. If we believe that Colossians 2:14 above is actually a depiction of the Ten Commandments being nailed to the cross we have to ask ourselves why would God nail a law to the cross and 'take it out of the way' if that law stated that He was the only God? Also, if we believe that it was the Ten Commandments that were nailed to the cross we also must believe that the commandments concerning murder, theft, adultery, idol worship and others have also been removed, which simply would not make any sense.

Therefore it becomes easy to see with honest and accurate bible study that the law that was nailed to the cross and taken out of our way was the Ceremonial Law of Moses, NOT the Ten Commandments of God or any part of the Ten Commandments, because it was the Ceremonial Law of Moses that was the handwritten witness against us, which Colossians 2:14 shows as being nailed to the cross.

Applying any part of Colossians 2:14 or 2:16 to the Ten Commandments uses both verses completely out of context because the law that is a witness 'against us' is easily defined in the bible as the Ceremonial Law of Moses and also the 'Sabbath days' mentioned in Colossians 2:16 could only refer to the Festival Days of the Ceremonial law and still be used in context with the rest of that verse also.

It is also important to mention that the phrase 'Sabbath days' is used in its plural form to show a multiple set of days as you only find in the Ceremonial Law, whereas in the Ten Commandments there is only one singular Sabbath day.

It makes perfect sense that the Ceremonial Law would be nailed to the cross as it mainly pointed forward to the coming and sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, and also the Ceremonial Law dealt with sacrifices and other rituals of atonement that Israel had to carry out until the crucifixion. But once Jesus died on the cross sacrifices were no longer necessary and the Ceremonial Law was done away with forever and 'nailed to the cross'.

About His Ten Commandment God explicitly states:

Deuteronomy 5:29
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

He states His commandments are to last forever. And when He was on earth, Jesus also confirms for us:

Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Have Heaven and Earth 'passed away'? Obviously not, so how can any of the Law of God, His Ten Commandments have changed? Unless we wish to believe Jesus lied or was mistaken we can only accept that Gods Law has never changed. Jesus said none of the Law of God would change. Actually Heaven and Earth are just going to be recreated, they will never actually and cease to exist. What Jesus is saying is just another way to drive the point home that Gods law will last forever since Heaven and Earth will never truly cease to exist. As we can confirm in this next verse:

Isaiah 66:22-23
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.

Notice that this verse takes place in the future, after judgment day, when Heaven and Earth have been recreated. They have not ceased to exist but will continue on for eternity. Also notice the verse boldly states that 'all flesh', not just Jews, will be expected to 'come to worship' before God from one Sabbath to another.

If Colossians 2:16 nailed the Ten Commandments and more precisely the Fourth Commandment Sabbath day to the cross, why is God telling us here that we are expected to keep it forever?

Remember the bible tells us in the New Testament book of Revelation that:

Revelation 22:14
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

 

[Mark51]

Many people claim that the verse Colossians 2:16 abolishes the Fourth Commandment of Gods eternal Ten Commandments which deals with the keeping of Gods seventh day Sabbath, but something that most Christians are also NOT taught is that there are two distinctly separate sets of laws in the Holy Bible. Those laws were the Ten Commandments of God himself, and the Law of Moses, also known as the 'ceremonial law'.

We will first look at the verse itself, then study the bible to see which law the author of the verse is referring too.

Colossians 2:16
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:

We notice that this verse along with mentioning the 'sabbath days' also mentions 'meat', 'drink', 'a holy day' and 'the new moon'. If we study Gods Ten Commandments we will notice that none of the commandments have anything to do with meat, drink, a holy day or the new moon. These things all had to do with the festival days kept in the Ceremonial Law of Moses. The Ceremonial Law of Moses had 7 Festival Days that were also known as 'Sabbaths'. So this becomes a definite clue as to which law this particular verse belongs too.

Another clue as to which law this verse is referring to can be found just two verses earlier in Colossians 2:14 which reads:

Colossians 2:14
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;

Notice in this verse it specifically states that it was the 'handwriting of ordinances that was against us' that was nailed to the cross.

To better understand what the 'handwriting of ordinances against us' is lets study how each law came into being. First we will look at the Ten Commandments of God. The bible tells us that:
Exodus 31:18
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.

In this verse we specifically see that the Ten Commandments were written by God himself. God had engraved the commandments in stone with His own finger, they were not 'handwritten' by men. It should also be pointed out here that the Ten Commandments are the only part of the bible that God took the time to write Himself. These alone were written upon the tables, so this should be an indication of their importance to Him.

Next lets look at how the Ceremonial Law of Moses came into existence. In Deuteronomy 31:24-26 we read:

Deuteronomy 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.

Notice that it was the ceremonial law that was dictated to and handwritten by Moses that was placed beside the Ark of the Covenant as a witness 'against us', not the Ten Commandments of God. Gods Ten Commandments have never been 'against us'. If we believe that Colossians 2:14 above is actually a depiction of the Ten Commandments being nailed to the cross we have to ask ourselves why would God nail a law to the cross and 'take it out of the way' if that law stated that He was the only God? Also, if we believe that it was the Ten Commandments that were nailed to the cross we also must believe that the commandments concerning murder, theft, adultery, idol worship and others have also been removed, which simply would not make any sense.

Therefore it becomes easy to see with honest and accurate bible study that the law that was nailed to the cross and taken out of our way was the Ceremonial Law of Moses, NOT the Ten Commandments of God or any part of the Ten Commandments, because it was the Ceremonial Law of Moses that was the handwritten witness against us, which Colossians 2:14 shows as being nailed to the cross.

Applying any part of Colossians 2:14 or 2:16 to the Ten Commandments uses both verses completely out of context because the law that is a witness 'against us' is easily defined in the bible as the Ceremonial Law of Moses and also the 'Sabbath days' mentioned in Colossians 2:16 could only refer to the Festival Days of the Ceremonial law and still be used in context with the rest of that verse also.

It is also important to mention that the phrase 'Sabbath days' is used in its plural form to show a multiple set of days as you only find in the Ceremonial Law, whereas in the Ten Commandments there is only one singular Sabbath day.

It makes perfect sense that the Ceremonial Law would be nailed to the cross as it mainly pointed forward to the coming and sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, and also the Ceremonial Law dealt with sacrifices and other rituals of atonement that Israel had to carry out until the crucifixion. But once Jesus died on the cross sacrifices were no longer necessary and the Ceremonial Law was done away with forever and 'nailed to the cross'.

About His Ten Commandment God explicitly states:

Deuteronomy 5:29
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

He states His commandments are to last forever. And when He was on earth, Jesus also confirms for us:

Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Have Heaven and Earth 'passed away'? Obviously not, so how can any of the Law of God, His Ten Commandments have changed? Unless we wish to believe Jesus lied or was mistaken we can only accept that Gods Law has never changed. Jesus said none of the Law of God would change. Actually Heaven and Earth are just going to be recreated, they will never actually and cease to exist. What Jesus is saying is just another way to drive the point home that Gods law will last forever since Heaven and Earth will never truly cease to exist. As we can confirm in this next verse:

Isaiah 66:22-23
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.

Notice that this verse takes place in the future, after judgment day, when Heaven and Earth have been recreated. They have not ceased to exist but will continue on for eternity. Also notice the verse boldly states that 'all flesh', not just Jews, will be expected to 'come to worship' before God from one Sabbath to another.

If Colossians 2:16 nailed the Ten Commandments and more precisely the Fourth Commandment Sabbath day to the cross, why is God telling us here that we are expected to keep it forever?

Remember the bible tells us in the New Testament book of Revelation that:

Revelation 22:14
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

In support of your post, Christ’s sacrifice brought the Law to its end. (Colossians 2:14) Our having a righteous standing with God depends on faith in Christ, not on keeping a weekly Sabbath. Compare Matthew 22:36-39.

 

[reddogs]

In support of your post, Christ’s sacrifice brought the Law to its end. (Colossians 2:14) Our having a righteous standing with God depends on faith in Christ, not on keeping a weekly Sabbath. Compare Matthew 22:36-39.

And yet Christ says 'I you love me, keep the commandments', so clearly the Sabbath remains...

 

[Hopeful 2]

And yet Christ says 'I you love me, keep the commandments', so clearly the Sabbath remains...

By that logic, (said by Jesus to the those still under the OT), circumcision is still in effect.
But it, and Sabbath keeping, are not in effect to the repentant of the NT.

To Christians, every day is the Lord's day.

 

[Who Me]

And yet Christ says 'I you love me, keep the commandments', so clearly the Sabbath remains...

We are saved through faith in Jesus not by keeping the ten commandments.
Jesus talking to the women at the well, did away with sacred places of worship and taught we are to worship in spirit and in truth.
paul told us that special days are nothing special, but that we were to be consistent in how we worshipped.

So if you hold that Saturday is the day to worship God on, do so, but don't say any other day is invalid, ditto for those of us who hold to the day Jesus Rose from the dead.

 

[Vinny37]

[Does Colossians 2:16 abolish the Fourth Commandment?]​

No, no biblical text could/can abolish prior biblical text. But the cross abolished the covenant-specific commands (eg literal sabbath-day keeping), even as it annulled the Sinai covenant. See D A Carson’s From Sabbath to Lord’s Day. Christianity is the true sabbath this side of eternity, the sabbath of the new creation which Genesis & the Decalogue prophesied.

 

[Mark51]

And yet Christ says 'I you love me, keep the commandments', so clearly the Sabbath remains...

Please provide a scriptural reference when making a Bible quote.

Your quote (John 14:15) has nothing to do with the observing the Sabbath. Consider Romans 6:14; 7:6; Galatians 5:18.

 

[reddogs]

By that logic, (said by Jesus to the those still under the OT), circumcision is still in effect.
But it, and Sabbath keeping, are not in effect to the repentant of the NT.

To Christians, every day is the Lord's day.

The Sabbath was the only day that God blessed and hallowed (made holy) from Creation, no other day was this done, and Christ confirmed He made it for man, so its one day.

 

[Hopeful 2]

The Sabbath was the only day that God blessed and hallowed (made holy) from Creation, no other day was this done, and Christ confirmed He made it for man, so its one day.

Sounds good, if one is still keeping the Law.
But as a Christian of the NT, I have entered into the Lord's rest, and ceased from my own works forever.
Everyday is the Lord's day.

 

[Gary K]

By that logic, (said by Jesus to the those still under the OT), circumcision is still in effect.
But it, and Sabbath keeping, are not in effect to the repentant of the NT.

To Christians, every day is the Lord's day.

What do you say to Galatians 5?

Galatians 5: 22 And the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,
23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law;

No law means no law. All is a very powerful word as it excludes nothing when used in a negative context. So it means there is no law against keeping the Sabbath. Therefore the Sabbath is still in force.

 

[Hopeful 2]

What do you say to Galatians 5?

Galatians 5: 22 And the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,
23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law;

No law means no law. All is a very powerful word as it excludes nothing when used in a negative context. So it means there is no law against keeping the Sabbath. Therefore the Sabbath is still in force.

As the sabbath's only power came from the Law, we are dead to it.

 

[Gary K]

As the sabbath's only power came from the Law, we are dead to it.

Then you don't believe Paul was an inspired prophet?

 

[Hopeful 2]

Then you don't believe Paul was an inspired prophet?

Yes I do believe he was.
In fact, he wrote..."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:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." (Col 2:16-17)
Sabbaths were only the shadow of what was to come later.

 

[Iconoclast]

Please provide a scriptural reference when making a Bible quote.

Your quote (John 14:15) has nothing to do with the observing the Sabbath. Consider Romans 6:14; 7:6; Galatians 5:18.

Hebrews4:9 Consequently, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

 

[Iconoclast]

As the sabbath's only power came from the Law, we are dead to it.

You have no idea what scripture teaches on this

 

[Gary K]

Yes I do believe he was.
In fact, he wrote..."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:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." (Col 2:16-17)
Sabbaths were only the shadow of what was to come later.

If you believe Paul was inspired then why do you attempt to make him argue with himself? Inspired prophets are consistent with themselves. The Bible is not a book of contradictions.

 

[Gary K]

You have no idea what scripture teaches on this

I have no idea what he believes but he's right on the money about what Hebrews 4: 9 says.

Hebrews 4: 7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Whose example of unbelief? The Israelites.

 

[Hopeful 2]

If you believe Paul was inspired then why do you attempt to make him argue with himself? Inspired prophets are consistent with themselves. The Bible is not a book of contradictions.

Do you have a teaching by Paul that counters his words in Col 2:16-17?
Anything saying Gentiles are still under the Law of Moses ?

I will add this...
"Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." (Rom 7:1-6)

Are you not dead to the Law ?
If not, then circumcision is still necessary for your salvation.

 

[Gary K]

Do you have a teaching by Paul that counters his words in Col 2:16-17?
Anything saying Gentiles are still under the Law of Moses ?

I will add this...
"Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." (Rom 7:1-6)

Are you not dead to the Law ?
If not, then circumcision is still necessary for your salvation.

The law of Moses is different than the law of God. Christ wrote those with His own finger on Sinai. The rest Moses transcribed as he was given them most likely on animal skins or something like them. They were made to pass away such as the temple services. the object lesson laws such as don't wear clothing out of linen and wool, and don't plant different kinds of seeds in the same field. Those two were to illustrate that we are to wear the rove of Christ's righteousness alone not a combination of our filthy rags and His clean robe of righteousness.

The rest of them were types and symbols that Paul talks about when he said don't let anyone judge you for holy days and sabbaths. Not the Sabbath, but the sabbaths associated with the annual feasts. Those were required by the Pharisees. They made a really big deal out of them as the Jews had been keeping them for thousands of years. They held very strongly to those traditions that pointed forward to Jesus. And since they rejected Jesus as the Messiah they were harassing the Gentile Christians about them. They would follow Paul around and when he left an area they would move in and teach the Gentiles those must be kept as required for salvation.

That's why Paul asked:

Galatians 3: 1 O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

 

[Hopeful 2]

The law of Moses is different than the law of God. Christ wrote those with His own finger on Sinai.

There was no Christ until Christ was born of a woman.

The rest Moses transcribed as he was given them most likely on animal skins or something like them. They were made to pass away such as the temple services. the object lesson laws such as don't wear clothing out of linen and wool, and don't plant different kinds of seeds in the same field. Those two were to illustrate that we are to wear the rove of Christ's righteousness alone not a combination of our filthy rags and His clean robe of righteousness.

They were written on tablets of stone.

The rest of them were types and symbols that Paul talks about when he said don't let anyone judge you for holy days and sabbaths. Not the Sabbath, but the sabbaths associated with the annual feasts. Those were required by the Pharisees. They made a really big deal out of them as the Jews had been keeping them for thousands of years. They held very strongly to those traditions that pointed forward to Jesus. And since they rejected Jesus as the Messiah they were harassing the Gentile Christians about them. They would follow Paul around and when he left an area they would move in and teach the Gentiles those must be kept as required for salvation.

Thanks be to God, we can be dead with Jesus and free from the Law.
All the Law and the prophets are summarized with..."Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind...and love your neighbor as you love yourself."

That's why Paul asked:
Galatians 3: 1 O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

If we are subject to circumcision, (what Paul was actually confronted with), we are also subject to sabbath day observances and every other precept that has been deemed ineffective at producing salvation.
But we are subject to none of it.

I will treat every day as the Lord's day.