1. 2:16-23

2. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

3. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ~~~~~~~~~~ Special dietary laws (no shrimp/lobster, et al) were a part of the Jewish legal system. Judaizers always followed the message of the cross. Acts 10:9-23 deals with the food issue.

4. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ~~~~~~~~~~ The Judaizers would also emphasize entering into the Jewish calendar, which for non-Jews, is not necessary at all. It is certainly profitable to study the prophetic significance of the various feasts and festivals, but we need not camp out for one week a year as a memorial to the wilderness wanderings.

5. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ~~~~~~~~~~ What about the Sabbath? Should we observe it as believers in Jesus? Be careful before you say “Yes!” because the Sabbath falls on Saturday and there is no Biblical imperative to have switched it to Sunday. Sabbath observance is not commanded in the New Testament. Would a slave have a choice in this matter? Example of Sabbath day judgment. (full of interpretative errors/heretical)

6. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ~~~~~~~~~~ These days were foreshadowings of the person and work of Christ. As such, they became obsolete now that Christ has been fully revealed. It does not make a lot of sense to focus on the shadow and not the body that casts it.

7. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. ~~~~~~~~~~ You cannot question such a person without calling them a liar or a lunatic. (“God told me... ”) How much focus is there on communication with angels in Scripture? Conversations with Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, Shepherds (related to the Incarnation), ministry directly to Jesus during high stress times, Resurrection related, Peter’s jail break of Acts 5:19, the strangers of Hebrew 13:2, and the angel who spoke to John in Revelation.

8. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. ~~~~~~~~~~ Bill Wiese saw the searing flames of hell, felt total isolation, and experienced the putrid and rotting stench, deafening screams of agony, terrorizing demons, and finally, the strong hand of God lifting him out of the pit. Bill Wiese saw the searing flames of hell, felt total isolation, and experienced the putrid and rotting stench, deafening screams of agony, terrorizing demons, and finally, the strong hand of God lifting him out of the pit. "Tell them I am coming very, very soon!" Tell them I am coming very, very soon!" Wiese's visit to the devil's lair lasted just twenty-three minutes, but he returned with vivid details etched in his memory. Since this life-changing ordeal, he has spent the last seven years studying the Scriptures to find answers and has listed more than 150 Bible verses referencing hell. Wiese's visit to the devil's lair lasted just twenty-three minutes, but he returned with vivid details etched in his memory. Since this life-changing ordeal, he has spent the last seven years studying the Scriptures to find answers and has listed more than 150 Bible verses referencing hell.

9. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. ~~~~~~~~~~ His visions are not from God, but from his/her own mind. Stay connected with the basics and ignore those who seek to stress visional/angelic revelations. (Note Paul’s humility in II Corinthians 12:1-6.) It is the simply basic walk with Christ that is needed for all of us to grow, interconnected to each other, in our relationship with him.

10. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. ~~~~~~~~~~ How dependant should we be on angelic communications in our relationship with Christ?

11. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ~~~~~~~~~~~ Because Christ has freed us from the Law, we no longer need to worry about it in seeking to please God. We are not trying to gain his favor (or avoid condemnation) by means of good behavior. A slaves obey commands because they have no choice. Children obey, once they are mature, because they love and trust their parents. Eventually, they need no rules at all because they have learned how to live from their relationship with their parents.

12. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ~~~~~~~~~~~ handle ~ to put one thing to another; spoken of fire as applied to things, to set fire to, kindle, light. taste ~ flavor sampling touch ~ a very light touching If you hold hands with a girl, you might be tempted to sit close to her. Sitting close to her might lead to put your arm around her which might lead to an embrace. Embracing might lead to longer embracing and we all know the steps from there that lead right to the act of fornication itself. Therefore, do not hold a woman’s hand. Maybe you just ought to steer clear of them altogether.

13. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.~~~~~~~~~~ “destined to perish” ~ phthora: a spoiling, corruption, destruction, generally the bringing or being brought into a worse state. “use” ~ apochr ē sis: a using up, consumption by use or abuse Romans 7:7-9 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.

14. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.~~~~~~~~~~ “destined to perish” ~ phthora: a spoiling, corruption, destruction, generally the bringing or being brought into a worse state. “use” ~ apochr ē sis: a using up, consumption by use or abuse They do not work. “Do not look to the left!” simply makes you want to look to the left. “Do not even think about that warm chocolate chip cookie sitting on the counter.”

15. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.~~~~~~~~~~ Don’t think about sex. (Like that will have a huge impact.) Merely adding rules has no impact on sin whatsoever. We always can find a way around the rule. We always can find a way around the rule. Adding laws to the Law did not make the Jews better people.

16. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. ~~~~~~~~~~ It makes sense that I should just be able to say “No!” to sin, except that it usually doesn’t work too well. “I can defeat this! I am strong!” When it does work, I have opportunity to be proud. Oops. Fasting, exercise (yoga), over working, “spiritual disciplines” and the like are not cures for sensual indulgence!

17. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. ~~~~~~~~~~ So we are supposed to live without rules altogether? You can’t anyway! See Romans 7.

18. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. ~~~~~~~~~~ So we are supposed to live without rules altogether? When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ~ Colossians 2:13-14

19. How then should we live? (See 3:1-4)