COLOSESNSES 2:14-17

QUESTION: According to Colossians 2:14-17, was not God's Law nailed to the cross and

Do we not need to observe the Sabbath?

ANSWER: If the Law of God had been nailed to the cross, then not only

The Sabbath commandment was annulled, but so were the other nine. It is evident

that this has not happened, because in all Christian churches it is still taught

that this law must be respected. By not keeping the Sabbath, it is explained that it is the day
of

the rest that was changed to Sunday, thus admitting that the commandment remains.

On the other hand, the same apostle refers to the Law of God in all his epistles, which is
what he says.

which refutes the idea that for him it was abolished. Note that in this same epistle to the

Colossians, points out as sins to be abandoned, fornication, idolatry, blasphemy,

lying, etc., sins marked by commandments of God's Law (ch. 3:5-9). It is also convenient to

remember that the Ten Commandments are quoted throughout the New Testament directly
or

Indirectly, which signals the permanence of God's Law.

The apostle Paul's main purpose in writing the contents of chapter 2 was to refute

teachings founded on "philosophies and empty subtleties, according to the tradition of

men, in accordance with

the rudiments of the world," with "worship of angels" and the fruit of a "carnal mind" (ch.
2:8, 18).

That is, an apparent e ort by some to reconcile apostolic teachings with Judaic doctrines,

Hellenistic and pagan, but who were not according to Christ," but "in conformity with
commandments and doctrines

of men" (ch. 2:8,2

Note that after noticing the error of those doctrines presented by the false teachers
described in verse 8, the apostle presents the divine personality of Christ (vv. 9, 10) and His

work of redemption by "the power of God which raised him from the dead" (v. 12), which is
why

"To you, being dead in sins... He gave you life together with him, forgiving you all the

sins" (ver. 13).

With this background we come to verse 14, where it says: "Annulling the act of decrees

that was against us" (Versión Valera, 1960); "and canceled the certificate of the decree
signed against

us" (Torres Amat Version). Were these "acts" or "decrees against us"

the Ten Commandments of God's Law? It would be impossible to admit it for two reasons:
(1) The Ten

Commandments are not decrees "against us," but are precepts of a holy, just, and

good (Romans 7:12), whose obedience means well-being and happiness, so no

commandment

it is "against us". (2) The same apostle who recalls "the forgiveness of all sins" (v. 13)

by Christ, he twice made it clear to the Romans that where there is no law there is no sin
(Romans 4:15;

5:13) Therefore, if there are sins to be forgiven, it is because there is a law that points them
out (Romans 7:7;

3:20) We conclude then that the "record of decrees which was against us" and which was
nailed to the

the cross has to be something else, but in no way the Law of God. Otherwise, the
contradiction

of the apostle would be evident, for on the one hand he recognizes the law of God, and on
the other he annuls it.

The Greek word translated "acta" or "record" in verse 14 is "cheirographon."

Primarily it means "written contract" or "certificate of debt" resulting from some

transgression. Also "book with record of sins" used for the condemnation of the
transgressor. This is what we
It helps us to understand that what was nailed to the cross were the records of our sins that
we were able to find.

"they were against us" condemning us to death (Romans 6:23).

That was the crowning work of Christ, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world" (St. John

1:29). His work was not to take away God's Law, but sin, which is the transgression of that
law (1

John 3:4). Therefore Christ nailed to the cross the "cheriographon," or "record of our

sins, or "the certificate of our debt" of sins that "were against us, which was not our

contrary". Thus the promise was fulfilled: "I, I am the one who blot out your
transgressions..." (Isaiah 43:25).

In this way, by destroying the "cheriographon," or the evidences of our sins, Christ

He stripped "principalities and powers, he publicly exhibited them, they on the cross"
(2:15).

In fact, "the accuser of our brethren, the one who accused them before our God day and
night"

(Revelation 12:10), was defeated and his fallacy discovered. The Popular Version of the
New Testament

God comes to man, thus presenting verses 14 and 15: "God has cancelled the account that
was against him."

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us and that condemned us for its legal requirements. He put an end to that account, nailing
it to the

cross. Christ, by dying on the cross, overcame the spiritual authorities and powers, and
humbled them

publicly, taking them as prisoners in his victorious parade."

It is made clear that what was nailed to the cross was not the Law of God but all records

of our sins, forgiven by Christ's death and thus symbolically nailed to

The cross, let's turn now to verses 16 and 17. Meals, drinks, Sabbath days or Saturdays
mentioned in verse 16 are identified by verse 17, where it says, "All of which is

a shadow of things to come; but the body is Christ's." In fact, in the whole ritual of the
temple

and Levitical priesthood, there were feasts, meals, drinks, and Sabbaths or Sabbaths that
were "shadow"

the symbols of Christ.

Passover was a day of rest celebrated with food and drink in remembrance of the
deliverance

of slavery in Egypt. Since Christ, with his sacrifice, freed us from the slavery of the

sin (Romans 6:17, 18), he became our Passover "sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians

5:7) Thus the apostle recognizes at the Passover a shadow of Christ. The great feast of the
Purification

of the sanctuary, celebrated every year on the 10th day of the seventh month, another day
of rest or Saturday,

He was also a "shadow" of Christ fulfilled by His only sacrifice (Hebrews 9:23-26). And the
same

it could be said of other feasts or Sabbaths such as unleavened bread, Pentecost, booths,

etc. This being so, contrary to what those "hollow philosophies and subtleties" would teach
against

which Paul warned the Colossians, the Christians did not need to take into account for
their

salvation that symbolic ceremonial, since the "shadows" gave way to reality: Christ.

We could say the same about the seventh Sabbath, the Sabbath appointed by the Law

of God, for when it was established by the blessing and sanctification of the Lord (Genesis
2:1-3), even though it was

sin had not entered the world, therefore it could not have been established as a shadow of

something that had not happened. Note that the same commandment gives as the reason
for his sanctification
The creation of the world: "Remember the Sabbath day, that you may keep it holy. . . .
because in six days he made

the Lord the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all things in them, and rested on the
seventh

day..." (Exodus 20:8-11). Here it is helpful to say that the apostle Paul declares that creation
is a work

(ch. 1:15-18). Therefore, being the Creator, it was He who blessed and sanctified the

Saturday. That is why he once told the Jews that the "Son of Man is Lord even though he is
Lord."

of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28).

The same apostle once compared the Sabbath rest to spiritual rest to the Jews

(Hebrews 3:4). But with that fact he did not annul the first reason for his sanctification, to
be a memory

of creation, for the creation of the world was not annulled, nor was its Creator. It was a way

used by the apostle to make the Jews understand that with the only physical Sabbath rest,

they could not attain spiritual rest without accepting Christ. The only one who could give us
rest

By forgiving our sins, it was Christ.

We conclude by saying that the feasts mentioned in verse 16 were a direct reference to

the symbolic feasts or "shadows" of Christ of the ritual of the temple and of the Levitical
priesthood, which

they no longer had an object. Therefore, if someone did not want to celebrate them, it was
not necessary and therefore

he was not to be judged as a transgressor.