Albert Barnes Commentary Colossians 2:16

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:" — Colossians 2:16 (ASV)

Let no man therefore judge you.

The word "judge" here is used in the sense of pronouncing a sentence. The meaning is, "since you have in this way been delivered by Christ from the evils that surrounded you; since you have been freed from the observances of the law, let no one sit in judgment on you, or claim the right to decide for you in those matters. You are not responsible to man for your conduct, but to Christ; and no man has a right to impose on you as a burden that from which he has made you free."

In meat. The meaning is, "in respect to the various articles of food and drink." There is reference here, undoubtedly, to the distinctions that the Jews made on this subject, implying that an effort had been made by Jewish teachers to show them that the Mosaic laws were binding on all.

Or in respect of an holyday. The meaning is, "in the part, or the particular of a holy day; that is, in respect to it." The word rendered "holyday"—eorth—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 grain offering, were required to be presented to God (Numbers 10:10; Numbers 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 (Leviticus 23:24–25).

Or of the sabbath days. The Greek text reads, "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 end of their great festivals. There is, doubtless, reference to those days here, as 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 in mind the great number of days that 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—no 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.