COLOSSIANS 2:16

Ten Commandments, Sabbath or Ceremonial Law?

Sabbath of the Lord
Breaking the Sabbath is 'sin'
(1 John 3:4)

Ceremonial Sabbaths
These were 'kept because of sin'

Colossians 2:16 would have to be the most abused and misunderstood Bible passage in regards to the ordinances of the ceremonial law. So what actually is the ceremonial law, and is it possible for this passage on Colossians 2:16 to refer to the Ten Commandments or just the Lord's Sabbath as some claim?

The ceremonial law with its sacrificial system pointed the people to the coming of Christ. Every time the blood of an animal was shed in the old Jewish temple, it was a reminder to the onlooker that One would come and die for his sin. Hence, John the Baptist pointed to our Lord and declared the significant words, “Behold the Lamb of God.” When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, the veil of the great temple curtain was torn from top to bottom to signify that the entire ceremonial system was forever finished. No longer do the priests need to offer up sacrifices.

How do the Ten Commandments and this Ceremonial law relate to each other? If a man sinned, he broke LAW No. 1 - the Moral law of the Ten Commandments. So then he brought his offering, according to LAW No. 2 - the law of sacrifices, and he received forgiveness. LAW No. 1 defines sin, for sin is the transgression of the moral law. (1 John 3:4) LAW No. 2 defined sacrifices, the Ceremonial law which was the remedy for sin until the Seed--our only Mediator. When the Israelite sinned, he broke the first law. To secure forgiveness he had to obey the second law. So here are two very distinct laws.

NOTE: this 'law of Moses'--called this b/c God choose to give His law to His people again through Moses--it could just as easily be called the 'law of Abraham' there is no doubt that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob kept these laws. Then while in slavery their seed (the children of Jacob--who God called 'Israel'--12 sons/became twelve tribes), they lost these laws, yet God brought them out on the Passover, God has always known that man would need a Passover for reconciliation back to our God.

And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."(Genesis 26:4-5 NKJ) 


So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the BURNT OFFERING , and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3 NKJ)

But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a BURNT OFFERING ?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together. (Genesis 22:7-8 NKJ)

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a BURNT OFFERING instead of his son. (Genesis 22:13 NKJ)


These are the statutes and judgments and laws which the Lord made between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses. (Leviticus 26:46 NKJ)

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Hebrews 8:10 NKJ)

THE SABBATH ITSELF HAS BEEN SINCE CREATION WEEK. CREATED FOR MAN, MANKIND CREATED (BY GOD) THE 6TH DAY AND THE SABBATH CREATED (BY GOD) THE 7TH DAY.

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (Genesis 2:2-3 NKJ)

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:11 NKJ)

When the One great and perfect final Sacrifice was offered that Wednesday afternoon and the true Passover Lamb bowed His head and died and cried out, “It is finished”, the now obsolete ceremonial law that pointed the people to His sacrificial death was nailed to the cross. Jesus is now the permanent remedy for when we break LAW No. 1. When we now sin, we genuinely repent and ask Jesus for forgiveness.

While the word ceremonial is spoken frequently of in scripture, the term ceremonial law is not. In the KJV Bible, it is normally translated to ordinances which Strong's dictionary translates to as being a law of ordinances or ceremonial law. As it was a system of commandments given by God to Israel, there can be no doubt that it was a law which involved ceremonies so it will be frequently called the ceremonial law. Since this law ended at the cross it was only observed by literal Israel.

The key to understanding Colossians 2:16 is found two verses earlier in Colossians 2:14. The key phrase is, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances.” The Greek word for blotting is “exaleipho”, pronounced “ex-al-i'-fo”. Strong's dictionary gives the definition; “to smear out, that is, obliterate (erase tears, figuratively pardon sin): - blot out, wipe away.” The next keyword in this verse is “handwriting” and the Greek word is “cheirographon”, pronounced “khi-rog'-raf-on” and the definition is, “something handwritten (”chirograph”), that is, a manuscript (specifically a legal document or bond (figuratively)): - handwriting.” And the last and final very important word we need to look at is “ordinances”, Greek word is “dogma”, pronounced “dog'-mah” and the Strong's definition is “a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical): - decree, ordinance.”

Did you note the last one? It means “a law”, but what type of law? The two words we should be very familiar with now are “ceremonial” i.e., “ceremonial law” and “ordinances” which comprised the things contained in the ceremonial law.

The Thayer dictionary is even clearer and you will note that it does not say the Ten Commandments. It directly and unmistakably says the “Law of Moses” outright. Thayer Definition: “The rules and requirements of the Law of Moses; carrying a suggestion of severity and of threatened judgment.”

So what was nailed to the cross as Paul explains in verse 14? The “Law of Moses,” which is also called the “Mosaic Law”, the “Book of the Law” and as we have just seen by the definition given by the KJV Bible, the “Ordinances.” There should be no doubt that the ceremonial law is not the Moral law

The ceremonial law was for Israel alone as the Gospel did not go to the Gentiles for 3.5 years after Jesus died on the cross. This is why there is so much confusion between the ceremonial law and the Ten Commandments. That one and final perfect sacrifice of Jesus ended this whole sacrificial system, thankfully giving us no requirement to obey this law. Since Jesus replaced this law, He has become the remedy for sin, which is the breaking of God's Ten Commandment law.

So just to make sure there can be no misunderstanding. The ceremonial law was practiced when one sinned and that sin was the breaking of the Ten Commandments. So which one of these is a ceremonial law? Which one do we practice if we sinned before the cross? Do we go and commit adultery to make reconciliation for our sin? Or do we take a lamb for sacrifice to the temple priest to cover our sin such as adultery? Note also that our God is “is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33) and did not place a ceremonial, sacrificial law that was practiced when we sinned, with a law that when broken was sin. We can rest easily knowing God is not some fool and all Ten Commandments are Moral laws.

Now that we have a clear distinction between these two laws, we can now look at all the verses that such an astonishing amount of controversy occurs over. The verses in contention are Colossians 2:16, Galatians 4:9-10 and Romans 14:5. Since Colossians 2:16 is the main area of confusion we will cover that first.

Colossians 2:16 reads “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink [offerings], or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:” And so the belief of some is the fourth Commandment was deleted from stone. What was actually done away with here was the ordinances (ceremonial law). This is clearly seen by noting what Paul said two verses earlier. Colossians 2:14 reads, “blotting out the handwriting (has to be Moses handwriting) of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.” Paul then goes on to say, so “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:“



NOTE: this is true for we are to let no "man" judge us, for God will be our Judge, and He gives all authority for judging His people, to His Son, Jesus Christ, the Firstborn Heir of the Kingdom of God and He will judge us by every word of God, God's true and faithful Witness.

Luke 1:6 KJV also demonstrates that the ordinances and the Ten Commandments are two totally different things. It states, “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the Commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” And Hebrews 9:1-2 says, “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. 2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary.” The first Covenant had also the ordinances as well as the Ten Commandments, but the New Covenant has only the Ten Commandments that God now writes in our hearts so it will be our hearts desire to obey Him. God said that the fault with the Old Covenant was the people would not obey it and nowhere does God say that His law lost any Commandments. When God said he will write His law on our hearts, He meant all of His Ten Commandment law.

Did you note in Hebrews 9:1-2 that these ordinances belonged to the Hebrew sanctuary sacrificial system. It was the ceremonial law that was nailed to the cross and “not one jot or one tittle” of any of the Ten Commandments. The obvious differences between the Ten Commandments and the ordinances of the ceremonial law are that the Commandments The Ten Commandments were placed in the Ark.were written by God's finger, written in stone, placed inside the Ark of the Covenant, are love, eternal, for all people and is sin to break them. The ordinances were in Moses handwriting, written in a book, placed in a pocket on the outside of the Ark of the Covenant, are not love, not eternal, were only for the Jews and were practised because of sin. When that One great and perfect and final Sacrifice was offered that Wednesday afternoon, when Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” and the true Passover Lamb bowed His head and died, that now obsolete ceremonial law that pointed people to His sacrificial death was nailed to the cross once and for all.

So is the phrase “sabbath days” in Colossians 2:16 referring to the Lord's Sabbath? Of course not. Firstly, every Greek scholar will tell you that “sabbaths” is definitely plural here, which there were several in the ordinances of the ceremonial law, and secondly, everything in verse 16 belonged purely and solely to the ordinances, which Paul specifically tells us is in verse 14. Paul also exhorts that the contents of verse 16 was nailed to the cross because that is what had to be practiced because of sin prior to the cross, and of course why it ended at the cross. Sin is breaking of the Ten Commandments (1 John 3:4) and the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments. Think very carefully about what God actually calls HIS Sabbath. We find more than once the phrase, “But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God:” It is the Lord's Sabbath! The ceremonial sabbaths belonged to Israel only and were very significantly called “Her sabbaths” and are never referred to as the Sabbath of the Lord yet alone the Sabbath of the Lord your God. The Sabbath of the Lord was not kept for breaking the Sabbath of our Lord or any other Commandment for that matter. This as you can see is just ridiculous.


NOTE: THE SABBATHS OF THE ORDINANCE DIFFER FROM THE 7 ANNUAL SABBATHS OF THE LORD OUR GOD. ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF MOSES, WHEN CERTAIN SABBATH TRANSGRESSORS TRANSGRESSED THE LAW THEY HAD TO KEEP EXTRA SABBATHS TO THE LORD TO REDEEM THEMSELVES, OTHER THAN THE 7TH DAY SABBATH AND OTHER THAN THE 7 ANNUAL SABBATHS--"FESTIVALS OF THE LORD".

Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect or of the sabbath days?:

Who exactly is the YOU, that Paul and Timotheus is speaking directly too?? the answer is found one chapter back in Col. 1:2.

Col 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse:

Knowing this how is it possible that preachers of today use this verse to do away with the seventh day sabbath??

Clearly Paul was encouraging the Saints, who were surrounded by pagan gentiles, telling the Saints, don't let these gentiles judge you in keeping Gods days, don't be discouraged, don't give up and have hurt feelings.

He was lifting the Saints up.

Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

Col 2:4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Col 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward:

This whole chapter, in fact this whole book is about encouraging the Saints.

For preachers to show Col.2:16, saying this says we don't have to keep the sabbath day, IS completely wrong, IF anything it is encouraging us TO keep the sabbath day.

Although this verse has been used to infer that the Sabbath has been discarded, there is nothing to suggest this in the wording of the verse. Are the Colossians being criticised for the manner in which they were eating, drinking, and keeping feasts, new moon celebrations and Sabbaths or were they being criticised for their abandonment of food and drink restrictions, festivals, and Sabbaths? A clue is given in the identity of their accusers whose traits were: false humility, worship of angels, preoccupation with the supernatural world, holding man-made commandments and doctrines, false wisdom, self-imposed religion, false humility, neglect of the body. It would appear that these critics were not "Judaizers" but Ascetics who were trying to impose their oppressive rules upon the worshippers of God in the Church of God at Colosse.

The "you" in this verse is referring to gentile converts in the gentile pagan city of Colossi that Paul had taught the way. The way included doing all these things, this verse is written as encouragement to continue do these things, to live the way Paul taught them, in the face of opposition and persecution from the outside world. Who was the outside world in their case? It was the pagan gentiles who were upset that these folks no longer lived the way they used to, but followed the way set by the Almighty God in His Torah.

Interpreting this verse to say that the Sabbath and Festivals and clean and unclean meats are not required of followers of Messiah Y'shua, is just plain deception.

The Bible as a whole, and especially the New Testament, is written for folks who had been converted and were learning to follow the Way. It's meaning is hidden WITHOUT GOD'S REVELATION!!

http://truheat.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-about-galatians-49-10.html

Sabbath of the Lord
Spoken by God personally
(Exodus 20:1, 8-11)

Ceremonial Sabbaths
Spoken by Moses
(Exodus 24:3)

Sabbath of the Lord
Written in stone by God Himself
(Exodus 31:18)

Ceremonial Sabbaths
Written by Moses hand on paper
(Exodus 24:4)

Sabbath of the Lord
Put inside the Ark of the Covenant
(Deuteronomy 10:5)

Ceremonial Sabbaths
Stored on the outside of the Ark
(Deuteronomy 31:26)


Sabbath of the Lord
Was made at creation
(Genesis 2:1-3)

Ceremonial Sabbaths
Were made after Sinai
(Exodus 20:24)


Sabbath of the Lord
Was established before sin
(Genesis 2:1-3)

Ceremonial Sabbaths
Were established after sin
(Exodus 20:24)

Sabbath of the Lord
It is a law of love
(Matthew 22:35-40, Isaiah 58:13-14)

Ceremonial Sabbaths
They were not love
(Colossians 2:14, Galatians 4:9-10)


Sabbath of the Lord
It is a law of liberty (freedom)
(James 1:25, 2:10-12)

Ceremonial Sabbaths
They were bondage
(Galatians 4:9-10, Colossians 2:14)


Sabbath of the Lord
The Sabbath is for everyone
(Mark 2:27, Hebrews 4:9-10)


Ceremonial Sabbaths
Only for the children of Israel & Jews
(Old Testament)



Sabbath of the Lord
God calls it MY Sabbath
(Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:20)


Ceremonial Sabbaths
God calls them HER sabbaths
(Hosea 2:11, Lamentations 1:7)


Sabbath of the Lord
The Sabbath is eternal
(Exodus 31:16-17, Isaiah 66:22-23)


Ceremonial Sabbaths
Were nailed to the cross
(Colossians 2:14, Ephesians 2:15)


Observe how every single part of Colossians 2:16 and associated verses do refer to the ceremonial law.

So much gets lost when the translators do not have a good understanding of Jewish culture and terminology. To be referring to clean or unclean foods here would be totally out of context for this passage. But when kept in context, every single point here refers to sacrificial sanctuary system. Further clarification can be found in the book of Hebrews. Note that the context of this passage is undoubtedly the sanctuary service in regards to sacrifices and offerings, of which Jesus Christ became the final perfect sacrifice for us.

Paul is possibly the author of Hebrews and we see that the meat and drink has to be meat and drink offerings by the unmistakable context of this passage in Hebrews 9:7-14 below. The author speaks of meat and drink [offerings] and carnal ordinances which were imposed until the time of reformation, being Jesus Christ who obtained eternal redemption for us and brought an end to the sacrifices prescribed by the ordinances of the ceremonial law once and for all.

This continues to illustrate the perfect context of Colossians 2:16 and as per Colossians 2:14, we see everything described is part of the ordinances of the ceremonial law, which Paul said in this verse was against us and contrary to us, and it was taken out the way and nailed to the cross by Jesus' perfect sacrifice.

Hebrews 9:7-14 “But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

As you can plainly see, like Colossians 2:16, nowhere in this passage are clean and unclean foods referred to and nowhere in the Bible where clean and unclean foods are discussed, are there issues of unclean drinks. In fact there is no mention of unclean drinks anywhere in the Bible as they do not exist. What is spoken of in Colossians and Hebrews are references to meat and drink offerings that were part of the sanctuary service and were in the ordinances of the ceremonial law. This is all that can be referred to and when done so fits the context perfectly of both passages as it remains harmoniously in context with the sanctuary service.

Since many Bibles have failed in the translation of meat and drink [offerings] in Colossians 2:16, some try and make meat and drink about dietary laws etc, so let's clarify further. When Paul says “therefore,” he is referring to what he just spoke of in Colossians 2:14 that was nailed to the cross. So why did Jesus die on the cross? Did He die for the food we eat? Did Jesus die for any type of religious practise that involved eating and drinking? Of course not! Jesus died on the cross for one thing only and that was our SIN. Is this really so hard to understand? It is meat and drink offerings that were practised because of sin. So simple and perfectly in context.

So let's re-examine Colossians 2:14 and Colossians 2:16-17 again to see if everything does actually refer to the ceremonial law by the fact that the context of the passage remains the same throughout. “Blotting out the handwriting”, the ceremonial law was written in Moses handwriting. “Ordinances”, Strong's dictionary also directly translates this word to ceremonial law, “that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way”, the ceremonial law is now against us and contrary to us, as Christ has become that One and perfect sacrifice for us. “Nailing it to his cross”, and of course now that Christ has become that perfect sacrifice for us, no longer are meat and drink offerings and animal sacrifices necessary, so the ceremonial law was nailed to the cross. Moving onto verse sixteen, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink”, and as we have now seen were part of the ceremonial law.

Some will argue this sign and perpetual covenant that was to last forever was only made with Israel, but note that we are children of Israel as is Abraham. Galatians 3:29 “And if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” We are and have to be children of Israel as both covenants were only made with the house of Israel. Hebrews 8:10, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel…says the Lord: I will put My Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” See also Romans 2:28-29, Romans 9:6-8, 1 Corinthians 10:18 and Galatians 6:16. [THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL(JACOB) ARE ABRAHAM'S SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL SEEDS--B/C OF CHRIST, FROM THE TRIBE JUDAH].

Note below the perfect parallel between Colossians 2:16 and Ezekiel 45:17 and that this was a sin offering, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel for breaking God's Moral law (Ten Commandments) as prescribed by the ceremonial law until such time that Jesus nailed this law to the cross. This is what Israel had to do to make atonement for sin, which is the breaking of the Ten Commandments which of course includes the fourth Commandment, the Seventh Day Sabbath. It clearly demonstrates the issue and leaves no doubt as to what Paul was explaining to the Colossians. A comparison is also given in table format for those who prefer that.

2 Chronicles 33:8 “Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.”

Since Colossians 2:14 says “handwriting of ordinances” which Moses wrote in a book.The Ten Commandments were written with God's own finger. It should be clear to all that if God intended for His Sabbath to be temporary, He would have had Moses put it in his own handwriting along with the rest of the ordinances that included all the other temporary Sabbaths that were nailed to the cross. However, the fact is, God did not include the Sabbath that He blessed and sanctified in the beginning at creation, and wrote in stone with His own finger along with the other nine Commandments, and placed inside the Ark of the Covenant of which the original is in heaven right now and will be for all time. This leaves us with only two options. Either God is not omniscience (all knowing) as the Bible tells us and our perfect God made a mistake, or the only other possible answer there can be — God never did have any intentions on changing or abolishing it and it is to last as long as Heaven and Earth just as Jesus told us. Matthew 5:18 Perhaps Jesus actually meant what He said!

Blotting out the handwriting - The word rendered handwriting means something written by the hand, a manuscript; and here, probably, the writings of the Mosaic law, or the law appointing many ordinances or observances in religion. The allusion is probably to a written contract, in which we bind ourselves to do any work, or to make a payment, and which remains in force against us until the bond is cancelled. 

That might be done, either by blotting out the names, or by drawing lines through it, or, as appears to have been practiced in the East, by driving a nail through it. The Jewish ceremonial law is here represented as such a contract, binding those under it to its observance, until it was nailed to the cross. The meaning here is, that the burdensome requirements of the Mosaic law are abolished, and that its necessity is superseded by the death of Christ.

Of ordinances - Prescribing the numerous rites and ceremonies of the Jewish religion.

Which was contrary to us - Operated as a hindrance, or obstruction, in the matter of religion. The ordinances of the Mosaic law were necessary, in order to introduce the gospel; but they were always burdensome.

Nailing it to his cross - As if he had nailed it to his cross, so that it would be entirely removed out of our way. The death of Jesus had the same effect, in regard to the rites and institutions of the Mosaic religion, as if they had been affixed to his cross.

Colossians 2:16 - Or in respect of a holy day - Margin, part. The meaning is, “in the part, or the particular of a holy day; that is, in respect to it” The word rendered “holy-day” - ?????? heorte - means properly a “feast” or “festival;” and the allusion here is to the festivals of the Jews. The sense is, that no one had a right to impose their observance on Christians, or to condemn them if they did not keep them. They had been delivered from that obligation by the death of Christ; Colossians 2:14.
Or of the new moon - On the appearance of the new moon, among the Hebrews, in addition to the daily sacrifices, two bullocks, a ram, and seven sheep, with a meat offering, were required to be presented to God; Num 10:10; Num 28:11-14. The new moon in the beginning of the month Tisri (October) was the beginning of their civil year, and was commanded to be observed as a festival; Lev 23:24, Lev 23:25.

Or of the Sabbath days - Greek, “of the Sabbaths.” The word Sabbath in the Old Testament is applied not only to the seventh day, but to all the days of holy rest that were observed by the Hebrews, and particularly to the beginning and close of their great festivals. There is, doubtless, reference to those days in this place, since the word is used in the plural number, and the apostle does not refer particularly to the Sabbath properly so called. There is no evidence from this passage that he would teach that there was no obligation to observe any holy time, for there is not the slightest reason to believe that he meant to teach that one of the Ten Commandments had ceased to be binding on mankind. If he had used the word in the singular number - “the Sabbath,” it would then, of course, have been clear that he meant to teach that that Commandment had ceased to be binding, and that a Sabbath was no longer to be observed. But the use of the term in the plural number, and the connection, show that he had his eye on the great number of days which were observed by the Hebrews as festivals, as a part of their ceremonial and typical law, and not to the moral law, or the Ten Commandments. No part of the moral law - not one of the Ten Commandments could be spoken of as “a shadow of good things to come.” These Commandments are, from the nature of moral law, of perpetual and universal obligation.”

Sadly, there is no shortage of Christians that have not understood Colossians 2:16 or the other passages. They often call the Sabbath a shadow which as we have seen is impossible, and some have gone to extreme lengths to even try and prove the “Sabbath Of The LORD” is a ceremonial law, which is what did have the shadows. The Fourth Commandment was never practised because of sin. The ceremonial law was written in a book and why it was also called the “Book of the Covenant.” This is where God would have written it if it was for Israel only but God wrote it in stone with the other nine Commandments. This one demonstrates ignorance that leaves me lost for words. These people are leading many astray with their ignorance. The “Law of Moses” (ceremonial law) is not the Ten Commandments as the Ten Commandments were not practiced because of sin. It is sin to break them. We have also seen how God differentiates between the ceremonial sabbaths and His Sabbath by calling His Sabbath, “My Sabbath” and calling the ceremonial sabbaths that were only for Israel, “Her Sabbaths.” Others have even attacked certain denominations and said that they are at a loss to explain how Colossians 2:16 says the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross, and that only the blind and deceived could miss the simple truth of Colossians 2:16. I could not agree with them more in that they are very blind and deceived, and I for one have had no trouble proving they are wrong, and that their statement is foolishness! They even expressed their statements with animated graphics of one Christian punching another one's lights out! What spirit is behind this? These same people claimed that antichrist is Grandma in a rocking chair because she does not believe in Jesus Christ. What can anyone possibly say to that? They also denied that the word sabbaths in Colossians 2:16 is plural, because they say other places were the Greek is plural for Sabbath, it has been translated in the singular. I wonder if they know that other Bible translations did translate those verses in the plural and that it is the translators that were in error, and not the ORIGINAL Greek text, which is intact and definitely not in error. These have to be deliberate attacks as I do not believe that anyone could really be that deceived. The extreme lengths that these people go to just to avoid one Commandment of God absolutely saddens me. Do they truly love God or not? Many of these people also say that the early Church habitually worshipped on Sunday and that is an outright lie. Habitually? Not even close! There are two scriptures, and the one most typically used is actually a Saturday night meeting and if these irresponsible Christians teaching this heresy actually knew their Bibles, they would know this.