“So let no one judge you in food or 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. Let 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, and 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." (Col 2:16–19)
Let no one judge you in food, drink, festival, new moon, or sabbaths.
Despite the passage of time, the issue of the Sabbath and new moons still divides the church. Some groups insist on following Jewish laws and traditions. Still today, there are small groups and individuals that, while holding to the belief that Jesus is the Messiah and initiator of the new covenant, still hold tenaciously to tenants of the Levitical law. Some Christian groups insist on worshiping on the Sabbath and holding to a kosher diet; some exclude meat altogether. Others insist that Jewish holidays and feasts should replace Christian holidays. And if you look at some of these believers, you will think they were Jewish despite not having a drop of Semitic blood.
Granted, it is difficult to conceive that Jewish believers abruptly abandoned their cultural and dietary customs in the first century preceding the temple's destruction. The gospel's message was not focused on cultural transformation but on spiritual rebirth and a changed heart. The Colossian church probably comprised both Jewish and Gentile believers. Paul's cautionary remarks in this text suggest that there were two potential dangers, namely, Jewish traditions and mysticism on the one hand and mystery religions and Gnosticism on the other, which posed a threat to the church.
Each believer must be free to obey their conscience and follow the path God has laid out for them. God can give different directions to different individuals, such as abstaining from eating pork or some other action. However, Paul's warning is not to allow others to impose their convictions on you and elevate trivial matters to undue importance. He cautions against any teaching that fails to keep Christ and his salvific work at the core.
Certain groups within the church were encountering individuals who advocated for new or existing Christians to adopt Jewish customs, laws, and traditions. Additionally, there were indications that Gnostic or mystery religions threatened the church by promoting asceticism. In response to these dangers, Paul emphatically warned the Colossian church to be vigilant and not be deceived or robbed of their reward.
Paul's reasoning is that these things were only shadows that pointed to Christ, and now that Christ has come, the shadows are no longer necessary. Therefore, Christ’s Followers should focus on Christ, the substance of the shadows of the Jewish law. By focusing on Christ, those that follow Jesus can be liberated from the burdensome requirements of the Mosaic system and experience true freedom in their faith.
Let no one cheat you of your reward.
In the first century, several mystery religions were prevalent throughout the Roman Empire, such as Mithraism and the worship of Isis. Some of these mystery religions also incorporated elements of asceticism, which involved denying oneself physical pleasures and comforts to achieve spiritual enlightenment or connection with the divine. This idea of asceticism may have influenced some of the false teachings Paul warns against in the New Testament.
Here, Paul warns the Colossian church not to be deceived by those who promote false humility and the worship of angels. These false teachers were influencing the church by mixing mystery religious concepts with the message of Christ. The “mysteries” often involved the worship of powerful spiritual beings.
In 1 Timothy 4:1-5, Paul warns Timothy of false teachers who will forbid marriage and require abstinence from certain foods. These distractive teachings led some Christians to focus on their own spiritual experiences and practices rather than on the saving grace of Jesus Christ. By putting their trust in their own ascetic practices and the supposed mediation of angels, they may have been cheated out of the true reward that comes from faith in Christ alone. Paul warns against anything that detracts from the gospel message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and urges the Colossians to remain steadfast in their faith and not be deceived by false teachings.
As Christians, we should be aware of false teachings that can lead us astray from the valid gospel message. We should not let anyone cheat us out of our reward. By placing our faith in Jesus, we can experience salvation and be assured of our reward in heaven. We must remain steadfast in our faith and not be deceived by false teachings to receive the fullness of God's blessings in our lives.