Nailed to the Cross

"NAILED TO THE CROSS?"

A CLOSER LOOK AT COLOSSIANS

Misinterpreting Colossians

Question: Doesn't Colossians 2:14 -17 tell us that it is no longer necessary to keep the Feasts or the Law of God? Weren't they done away with at the cross?

Answer: Whenever interpretation of a Scripture verse comes into question, it is always best to allow the bible to interpret itself. Preconceived notions should be set aside and the Holy Spirt should always be our guide in matters of the Scriptures. First let us look at the verses in question and see what they have to say:

"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 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: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Colossians 2:14-17 

Based upon this passage many have concluded that the laws of God, including the Sabbath and Feasts, were nailed to the cross and that it is now left to each individual to choose which day to keep holy and that no one can judge you for the decision you make. Is this line of thinking in accordance with the Scriptures? Let us consider the entire Word as we seek to discover the truth.

When Christ was nailed to the cross, His sacrifice did indeed bring and end to the Old Covenant ritual of sacrificing an animal on man's behalf. Recall that Jesus Christ as He approached the River Jordan was declared by John the Baptist to be the Lamb of God:

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29 

We know that Christ took away the need to sacrifice animals for the sins of man but did His sacrifice do away with the need to partake in the Feast of Passover? Consider the following verse:

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." Matthew 26:26-29

Recall that Christ was celebrating Passover with His disciples when He spoke these words. Note that Christ stated that He would not drink of THIS fruit signifying that specific period of time. The bread would represent the Body of the Lamb that was to be consumed ( see Exodus 12:8) and the juice would represent the blood that covered the lintel and doorposts which would signify the faith of the one who applied it according to God's command. Today we have no need to sacrifice an animal but we must still partake of the body of Christ and His shed blood through the emblems Christ Himself ordained for mankind. It would be done on "this'' day, meaning the Day of Passover. It should also be that God commanded that Passover to be commemorated and remembered as an everlasting ordinance. Note the following verse:

"So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it a feast by an everlasting ordinance." Exodus 12:14

This verse makes it very clear: the Feast of Passover was not nailed to the cross! The following verse should remove any notion that the Passover (or the Feast of Unleavened Bread for that matter) was nailed to the cross:

"Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the leavened bread of sincerity and truth."1 Corinthians 5:6-8

Note that this was written by Paul admonishing us to "keep the feast." Since most assume that the feasts were "nailed to the cross" at Christ's death, why would Paul tell us to keep the feast? Simply put Paul was following the Scriptural command to keep the feasts as an everlasting ordinance:

• Feast of Unleavened Bread: "So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for there on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance." Exodus 12:17

• Feast of First Fruits: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which i give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave a sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of hin. You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain untill the same day that you have brought an offering to your God: It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings." Leviticus 23:9-14

• Feast of Weeks: The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruit as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations." Leviticus 23:20-21

• Day of Atonement: "And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is he Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations." Leviticus 23:28-31

• Feast of Tabernacles: "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. Yous shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generation. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month." Leviticus 23:40-41

So if the Feasts were not done away with hen what exactly was the Apostle Paul referring to that was nailed to the cross? You must remember that it was the Apostle Paul who had written these verses to the Colossian people who were being imposed on by Jewish Christians that they were designed to make the law even stricter than originally required. This is evident in the following verses:

"Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations- "Do not touch, do not taste, and do not handle," which all concern things which perish with the using- according to the commandments and doctrines of men?" Colossians 2:20-22

These additions regulations were not from God but were commandments and doctrines of men. This is What is meant by "handwriting of ordinances." or "requirements" (the world is used in the New King James Version) is interpreted from the word "dogma"which means "rules made by man." The purpose of these additions was designed to cause separation between the Jew and Gentile. Note that Christ used this thinking in presenting the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to teach humbleness: 

"Two men went up tp the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that i possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast , saying, 'God be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14

As this passage indicates the Pharisee attempted to distinguish himself from the publican by pointing out his practice of fasting twice a week and tithing all that he possessed. This practice of separation was what Paul was condemning. Please note that at least four other biblical passages utilize the word "dogma" and refer to man-made laws (see Luke 2:1; Acts 16:4; Acts 17:7; and Ephesians 2:15.)

When considering Colossians 2:14-17 it is important to note that verse 14 says that the "handwriting of requirements that was against us." Were Christ's laws "against us?" Let's see what Scripture says:

"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which i command you today for your good?" Deuteronomy 10:12-13

"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;" Psalm 19:7

Notice that these verses tell us that the Law is for our own good and that it is perfect and converting the soul! Consider the following verses:

"Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." Romans 7:12

"If you love Me, keep My commandments." John 14:15

The Apostle Paul affirms that the law is holy, just, and good and Christ Himself uses the commandments as the standard by which we demonstrate love for Hiim. Notice that Christ does not restrict the demonstration of love to the Ten Commandments but to His commandments including those whom He established as everlasting covenants (the Feasts.)

So why did Paul state that no man should be allowed to judge you on feasts, food, drink, or sabbaths? Again, you must think back to the circumstances in which Paul was writing these things. When Paul preached and converted the people to Christ, Paul taught them the importance of God's laws, including the Feasts and Sabbath. People who had little to no understanding of what Paul was teaching began criticizing the Colossians for observing the days according to the Scriptures. So Paul had to reinforce the notion that "no MAN" should judge them. The Greek translation for "no man" is oun tiv umav meaning "outsider." So if you put the phrase "any outsider" in place of "no man" or "no one" the verse will read,

"Let no [outsider] therefore judge you in meat, or drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:"

Paul is instructing the Colossian believers to not allow any person outside the faith criticize them for what they were doing. This included what they ate which was in compliance of Leviticus 11 and the law concerning clean and unclean meats. The only Person who could judge the people was God Himself through the body of Christ.

This is evident when you consider verse 17. Please note that the word "is" italicized. It reads, "but the body is of Christ." The purpose of Italicizing in the Scriptures is that the translators inserted a word they felt would clarify the passage. In this instance, though, they made the translation worse. If you would say, " the body of Christ." If you read verse 16 and 17 together with their intended meanings you see what Paul was saying:

"Let no [outsider] therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body... of Christ"

As you can clearly see, Paul was telling the Colossians to not allow outsiders to judge them concerning their obedience but that only the body of Christ could do so. The evidence does not indicate that Paul was telling people  to disregard the Commandments of God (particularly the seventh day Sabbath) or the Feasts. It actually upholds them. When you allow the Scriptures to interpret themselves the Bible will always harmonize and the truth will always prevail!