Col 2:16-17 "Let no man judge you…"
Col 2:16 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 day:
Col 2:17 things which are a shadow of things to come; but the body of Messiah.
I hope you don't mind but I'd like to tell you what I think is a somewhat humorous story concerning this passage. Maybe 20 years ago I was discussing the feast days, food laws and Sabbath day with a co-worker. And he brought up Col 2:16-17 in an attempt to show me how we didn't have to obey those things any longer. So I brought my bible to work. It's always better to show someone from the Word, rather then simply give your opinion about what the bible says.
I asked him to read the two passages along with me to make sure I wasn't taking anything out of context. So he followed along as I read them. When we got to the word "are" in verse 17 I intentionally read the word "were" instead of the word "are, and said, "things which "were" a shadow of things to come". He corrected me and said, "no, it doesn't say they 'were' a shadow, it says that they 'are' a shadow.' I disagreed and said, "No they 'were' a shadow, they use to be." Getting a little frustrated and pointing at the word "are" in the passage, he said, "what are you looking at? It doesn't say they used to be, it says they still are a shadow." I said, "Oh, you mean at the time Paul wrote this he was saying, 'the feast days, food laws and Sabbath “are” still a shadow of what is to come?" Although my co-worker could clearly see that the Feast days, Food Law and the Sabbath Day, "are" not “were” a shadow of things to come, he was unwilling to change. My prayer is you won't follow his example in rejecting truth because of what you've been taught in your 'religion'.
The fact is this passage is often times twisted to say the exact opposite of what it's actually saying, "the feast days, food laws and Sabbath day" were never done away with, they still "are a shadow of things to come". They were when Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians in approximately 62 A.D., some 30 years after the resurrection and they still 'are' today.
What Paul is saying here to the saints at Colosse is that they should not let "any man" judge them concerning the feast days, food laws, and Sabbath day, the 'judging should be done by "the body of the Messiah". The end of verse 17 literally reads “but the body of the Messiah."
A brother years ago paraphrased verses 16 -17 this way.
Col 2:16-17 "Let no man therefore judge you but the body of Messiah. In regard to meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath: all of which are a shadow of things to come.
Paul is telling the brethren not to let “any man” judge them, the judging should be done by the “body of the Messiah”, in regard to meat, drink, a holydays, new moons and Sabbaths.
Paul had just gotten through telling the brethren earlier in chapter 2 not to be carried away "through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, rather than after Messiah." Col 2:8
Let me ask you, are the feast days, Passover, the Day of Atonement, Tabernacles, etc, "traditions of men" or commands of the Almighty? Speaking of the feast days in Leviticus chapter 23 we're told 4 different times that these feast days are to be a "statute forever, throughout your generations" (Lev 23:14, 21, 31, 41). And the Father did not change His mind.
In Leviticus chapter 11, the Almighty tells us 11 times that certain animals are an "abomination" not fit to be used as food. (Lev 11:10,11,12,13,20,23,41, 42). Again the Father, Yahuweh, did not change His mind.
The Sabbath day, the 7th day of the week, is one of the 10 commandments that almost all of Christianity refuses to obey (Ex 20:8-11; Deut 5:12-15). Yahuweh tells us that the Sabbath day is to be a sign between Him and His people "forever". (Ex 31:14-17) and He did not change His mind.
"I am Yahuweh and I change not" (Mal 3:6)
Please believe Him before it's to late, He did not change His mind. The feast day, Sabbath days, and the food laws “are” still a shadow of things to come.
Reuven