Colossians 2: 16-17

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in RESPECT of a Set-Apart Day, or of the New Moon, or of the Shabbawth Days: which are a shadow of things to come was written by the apostle Shaul[Paul] in Colossians 2: 16-17 (KJV). This passage is often misinterpreted. What does it really say? Shaul[Paul] was combating a local heresy. False teachers had introduced their own religious philosophy, which was a blend of Yehudaish[Jewish] and gentile concepts. Their distorted ideas were founded on human tradition and principles of the world, not on the Word of YHWH. Shaul[Paul] warned the Colossians to beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to The Anointed One (earlier in verse 8). These false teachers introduced their own rules and regulations for their idea of proper conduct (addressed in verses 20-22). The content of Shauls[Pauls] warning to the Colossian Assembly strongly indicates that these heretics were the forerunners of a major heresy that developed into Gnosticism, which is a belief system that holds that secret knowledge [gnosis is Greek for knowledge, hence the term Gnosticism] can enhance ones religion. Gnostics claimed to be so spiritual that they disdained virtually everything physical, regarding it as beneath them. The false teachers in Colosse rejected the physical - the perishable things that could be touched, tasted or handled (see verses 21-22) particularly when it related to worship. Their philosophy encouraged neglect of the physical needs of the body to attain heightened spirituality. In reality, however, their self-imposed religion did nothing of the sort and accomplished nothing in combating human nature. As Shaul[Paul] wrote, it was of no value against the indulgence of the flesh (verse 23). The heretics condemned the Colossian Congregation for the manner in which the Colossians observed the Set-Apart Days. Notice that they didnt challenge the Days themselves. It was the physical enjoyment of them- rejoicing and feasting- that provoked the objections of these false teachers. The original Greek in verse 16 for meat, or in drink- enbroosei and en posei-means in eating and in drinking. Notice Shauls[Pauls] words again: So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or REGARDING [Greek meros, meaning PART, or REGARDING ANY PORTION OF] a Festival or a New Moon or Shabbawth (Colossians 2:16 [KJV]). Many English versions have miss-translated this word on purpose, to be misleading, in order to help support their false theology that these Feast have been done away with. Please consult a Greek Lexicon for confirmation of the true definition to this Greek word meros.

Shaul[Paul] was actually telling the Colossians to ignore these heretics judgments and criticisms about their enjoyment of the eating and drinking aspects of YHWHs Festivals. There is no mention of the abolition of YHWHs Torah (Set of Instructions for righteous living within the Kingdom of YHWH) or His Set-Apart Days. Nothing is done away with in these verses. In fact, it is just the opposite. The very criticism the Colossians were receiving about their observance of these Days confirms they were keeping them. How could they be criticized with regard to days they were not keeping? Rather than showing disregard for the Days YHWH established as Set-Apart, Shauls [Pauls] comments in this passage confirm that the Colossian Assembly - who were primarily gentiles ( Colossians 2:13)- were observing the weekly Shabbawths and SetApart Days of YHWH more than 30 years after Yehoshuah The Anointed Ones death and resurrection. The once-pagan Colossians never kept these Set-Apart Days of YHWH before! They were heathen prior to conversion. Now that they had learned the Gospel, they were keeping Set-Apart Days that Yahuwah Sanctified. And Shaul[Paul] is warning them not to be ridiculed into mixing their old pagan ways with YHWHs Set-Apart Days - the ways of those who hated YHWHs Instructions for Set-Apart Living within His Kingdom[Torah] and His Festivals in the first place. Let no man therefore judge you (verse 16) in these matters, said Shaul[Paul], but [rather] the body of The Anointed One (Colossians 2:17, last part). This verse has troubled many. Yet it should not. Notice that the word is in the King James[Yahmez] Version is in italics. It does not appear in the original. The original Greek says only, but, the body of The Anointed One. What is the body of The Anointed One? How does Shaul[Paul] use this expression in Colossian? Turn to chapter 1. In verse 18 we find that The Anointed One is the head of the body, THE CONGREGATION. See also Colossians 2:19. The true Congregation of YHWH is the Body of The Anointed One. Just as the Spirit of YHWH once dwelled in the earthly body of Yehoshuah The Anointed One so now the Set-Apart Spirit dwells in each member of the Congregation and together the members constitute One Body, doing the very work The Anointed One did. The Congregation is therefore The Anointed Ones Body today! And The Anointed One is the Head as the husband is the head of the wife (Ephesians 5:23). Shaul[Paul] is declaring in Colossians that no gentile [pagan] person is to sit in judgment of a true Believers conduct. The pagan society is not to determine how we are to live. But it is the responsibility of the Assembly -The Body of The Anointed One- to determine these matters! The Congregation is to teach how to observe the Festivals- to explain the meaning of self-control in eating and drinking, etc.

So these little-understood verses ought to be translated clearly: Let no man therefore judge you but [rather let] the body of The Anointed One [determine it]. Let The Anointed Ones Body judge these Congregational matters. Greek scholars recognize the last clause but [rather] the body of The Anointed One demands that a verb be added, but have often not seen that the missing verb should be supplied from the most logical and grammatically parallel clause so as to read properly Let the body of The Anointed One judge [these matters]! Had they not been observing these Days, the heretics would have had no basis for their objections to the eating and drinking aspects- the feasting portion- of the Shabbawths, New Moons, and the Set-Apart Days. Colossians 2:16 was written as a warning to the Gentile Believers at Colosse to protect them from false teachers-teachers who were subtly perverting the message Shaul[Paul] taught. Notice what Shaul[Paul] wrote: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink [margin- for eating or drinking], or in respect of a Set-Apart Day, or of the New Moon, or of the Shabbawth Days, which are a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16). Yehoshuah said How often I would have gathered you under my wings but you would not. The Set-Apart Days are a shadow of things to come, Yehoshuah is the One to come, and He would have often protected us under the Shadow of His Wings (the Set-Apart Days of YHWH) but we would not. Keeping the Shabbawths and Festivals of YHWH are the Wings of our Savior that He, Yehoshuah, would have us to gather under. Shaul[Paul] was not talking to people being harassed by other true believers, or the Yehudeem[Jews], for not wanting to observed YHWH's Set-Apart Days, he was encouraging them not to fall for a/the False Gospel taught by Gnostics. Walking in the Spirit of YHWH fulfilling the Law YHWH is not the same as walking in the flesh trying to keep or not trying to keep the Law of YHWH. For if one crucifies their flesh to allow Yehoshuah The Anointed One to live in them through the Set-Apart Spirit, this Set-Apart Spirit will live out the Law of YHWH through them. Anything we do of the flesh is as filthy rags in the site of YHWH (and considered to be adulteress), and only the deeds done by His Set-Apart Spirit [which we are to receive after we accept Yehoshuah as our Savior and Adon] through us are to be counted as Righteous. So no we do not gain Salvation by our works of the flesh but if we are truly salvaged the Set-Apart Spirit will walk out the Law of YHWH through us, if we crucify the flesh and quench not the Set-Apart Spirit. This would include leading us to observe the Shabbawth and the Feast Days. Again not done to gain salvation, but allowed to be done through us for the sake of the will of the One Whom sent the One Whom salvaged us (because They asked it of us - not as payment for services rendered, but as a duty to our Adon's will, that is if we really accepted Him as our Adon and Savior.

I'll be quite frank here - no Adon no Savior - no deeds of the Spirit no faith, no salvation. YHWH seeks those whom will worship Him in Spirit and Truth: FOR THERE SHALL BE A TIME WHEN THEY SHALL NOT BEAR SOUND TEACHING, BUT ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN DESIRES, THEY SHALL HEAP UP FOR THEMSELVES TEACHERS TICKLING THE EAR[1], [Footnote: [1] Isa. 30:10, Jer. 5:31, Rom. 16:18.] AND THEY SHALL INDEED TURN THEIR EARS AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, AND BE TURNED ASIDE TO MYTHS). So no part of the Torah/Law/Instructions for Set-Apart living within the Kingdom of YHWH Eloheem was ever done away with. The sacrifices are taken care off once and for all (not done away with), everything else still goes as well including the Priestly duties being carried out by Yehoshuah HaMashiach[The Anointed One] in the Heavenly Temple of YHWH, even as we speak. So they (the priestly duties) are no longer needed to be attended to by the tribe of Laywee[Levi] any more upon the face of this earth either, same way the sacrifices no longer are need to be performed. These are the only parts of the Torah/Law/Instructions for Set-Apart living within the Kingdom of YHWH Eloheem that Yehoshuah fulfilled or is fulfilling - everything else is still a go.