Colossians 2 v 16 - 22 - Chasing Shadows

v16 - 17
oooh cool, Jewish laws. Paul says to not let people make rules for you about eating, drinking about a religious feast, a new moon festival or a sabbath day. So, the Jewish law is made up of the moral stuff (ten commandments and such) and ceremonial law (we're talking rules for sacrificing, jewish festivals and whatnot). Okay, so we all know Christ came and changed everything, which is why we don't celebrate "New Moon festivals" and we don't sacrifice or etc. But the people in Colosse hadn't grasped that, they were still doing these sorts of things. Paul is sitting there going, woah people, no. The people were also looking down and judging the people who weren't doing these sorts of things. Lets go back 2000 years though, it must have been a bit of a shock factor, to be living in a culture where having jewish festivals were the norm, and people did it. To then have to change your entire lifestyle, and everything you believe in, must have been a little confusing for these people. It must have been hard at the time to completely comprehend everything, especially Jesus. They had the idea that because of all these good Jewish things, they would be saved. Paul is going no no no, you're saved through Jesus, you'll never be good enough! (JEwish, JEsus. meant to happen?) All these things like festivals are a shadow of what's to come, but Jesus has now come, wooo. Think about the differences between religions. We don't believe rules will get us into heaven, but other religions do. We believe that JESUS and his mercy and grace get's us into heaven. 


Acts 4:12 Jesus is the only One who can save people. No one else in the world is able to save us. (but no one, and nothing, yaa?)


v18
Paul says to not let anyone disqualify you by humiliating yourself by worshiping angels, they have a human way to thinking. So, the people were having this idea that to be saved, you had to humiliate yourself (i do that on a daily basis, i don't get saved though haha)  and you had to worship angels who acted as a mediator between people and God. And if you didn't have special visions or experiences then you were looked down on. pretty harsh. Again, Paul';s like no no no, through J.C. angels aren't mediators, only Jesus is. 


v20 - 21
we died with christ, and made free from the ruling spirits, the people were still acting as if they weren't. they basically, as i was saying above thinking that ritiuals and such would get them to heaven. nooppeee. I think we can relate this to us too, or at least i'll try. I didn't really realize when becoming a christian / being baptised how much emphasis there was on before / after christianity. it's not just a public display, everything changes. we died with christ, our old selves die. yes i still get a bit confused. because we still sin, we still have free will, but our old selves die, our motives change, we want to do everything for God, and love God, no longer rule ourselves and do things for our own purposes :)


v22
these rules are only earthly commands and teachings that are gone as soon as they are used.  Remember people yelled at Jesus? 


Mark 7:8 you have let go of the commands of God and are holding onto the traditions of Jews


Slightly ironic isn't it, the people yelled at Jesus for not being a good Jew, and he's the one telling them how to do things.




v23
these people seem to be wise, but it is a human religion. they make people pretend not to be proud and make them punish their bodies but they don't control the evil desires of the sinful self.