An Exposition Upon Colossians, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 2 · Verse 16
VERS. 16.
Let no man therefore condemne you in meat or drinke, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new Moone, or of the Sabbath daies.
17.
Which are but a shaddow of things to come, but the body is in Christ.
Hitherto of the seuen reasons of the dehortation. The conclusion followes in these words and the rest to the end of the chapter: and it hath three branches; For 1. he concludes against Iudaisme in these words. 2. Against philosophie, vers. 18.19. 3. Against traditions, vers. 20. to the end.
In these words is contained both the conclusion it selfe vers. 16. and the reason vers. 17. and the drift is to shew that the ceremonies of Moses are abolished, and therefore they should not receiue them, or hold themselues bound vntounto them. This was foretold Dan. 9.17. it was signified by the renting of the vaile; and these ceremonies were solemnly and publickelie laid downe, in the first councell, which was held by the Apostles, at Ierusalem, Act. 15. And they were then so laide downe that the Apostle after giues order to the Church that those ceremonie… should neuer be vsed, nor any other deuises, but such as might be to edification, order and decencie, and were without offence.
The ceremonies named in the text, are the difference of meates and drinkes, and the obseruation of times, concerning which he writes more sharpely, Gal. 3.1.3. & 4.10. & 5.9. & 6.12.
In the law there were three sorts of meates that legallie were required, 1. The meate offrings. 2. The shewe bread. 3. The cleane beasts. The meate offring was a type of Christ our nourishment. The shewe bread was a type of the Church in her mysticall vnion. And the cleane beasts (knowne by chewing the end, and diuiding the hoofe) were types of the Christians both meditation and discretion, in the meanes of his holy conuersation. And for the confirmation of this place, the Apostle elsewhere shewes euidently that the difference of meates is taken away, 1. Tim. 4.1.2.3.4.
The difference of times in the law is here said to be threefold; of daies, of monthes, of Sabbaths.
In respect of an holy day] The originall and most translations word for word hauehave it thus, in part of an holy day; but in diuers senses: some say in part of an holy day: First, in partition of a festiuall day from a not festiuall day, aswell in daies, as in monthes, or Sabbathes. Some say, in part, for they could not obserue all ceremonies, being absent from Ierusalem. Therefore the Apostle would hauehave them to receiue none at all, seeing they could not receiue them all. Some say in part of an holy day, that is in that part of them which concernes daies &c. but it is more plainly as it is here rendred.
Or of the new moone] They did obserue the Calends, or first daies of eueryevery month.
Or of Sabbath daies] There were diuers sorts of Sabbathes, of daies, of yeares▪ or seuens of yeares, The Sabbathes of daies were either morrall, viz. the seuenth day, which God did chuse; or ceremoniall: the ceremoniall Sabbathes were either more solemne, such as were the three great feasts, passeouer, pentecost, and tabernacles; or lesse solemne, such as were the feasts of blowing the trumpets aLeuit. 23.24, and the feast of expiation bLeuit. 16.32 33.34.. The Sabbath of yeares, was eueryevery seuenth yearecLeuit. 25.4.5.6. to 11.. The Sabbath of seuens of yeares, was the Iubile, which returned eueryevery fiftie yeares. We see here then that the Apostle shewes that we are deliuered from the bondage of the obseruation as before of meates, so now of Sabbathes.
Obiect. But is the Sabbath day that was morrall abrogated? Sol. No, the Apostle speakes here of the ceremoniall law, not of the morrall, and of ceremoniall Sabbathes, not of the morrall Sabbath, the word is in the plurall number.
The manner of propounding the conclusion is to be obserued.
Let no man condemne you] These words may bee referred either to Gods children or to false teachers; in the first sense it is thus: let none condemne you, that is, doe not shew such louelove to these ceremonies, hereafter, that thereby you incu…re iustly the blame and censure of Gods children. And if they bee referred to false teachers, then it is thus: let no man whatsoeuer perswade you that you are condemned, or iudged of God for omitting the obseruation of the ceremonies; care not for their censures, neuer trouble your consciences about it.
Which are shaddowes of things to come] Here the Apostle with full saile driues into the hauen, by shutting vp with this vnauoidable argument. These cerenies are but shaddowes of that substance which now we hauehave, and therefore it is a foolish thing, to striue about the shaddow when we hauehave the substance.
Ceremonies were shaddowes in diuers respects,Ceremonies were shadowes in diuers respects. 1. In respect of certainty of signification: the shadow is a sure signe of the body; so was this of Christ to come. 2. In respect of causation; the body causeth the shaddow, so is Christ the cause of all ceremonies. 3. In respect of the obscuritie of signification: a shaddow is darke so were the ceremonies. 4. In respect of cessation, a shaddow is quickly gone, so were the ceremonies, they were not to last for any long time. Lastly, they were shadowes as they were types, so the lambe was a shadow of Christ, and the arke of the Church &c. They were shadowes not giuen to iustifie, but to shew iustification by Christ.
It is added of things to come] to keepe off the blow from our sacraments, which are no shadowes of things to come, but of things past.
But the body is in Christ] The words are diuerslie interpreted: some referre the words to the next verse, but without reason: some supplie a word body, and read, but the body is the body of Christ: but the plaine meaning is, that the truth and substance of all the ceremonies is now inioyed by the Church in and by Christ, in whom all is now fulfilled, and therefore heauen should now suffer violence, and the children of Sion should now reioice in their King; and Christians should stand fast in the libertie that is brought vntounto them in Christ Iesus.