Thomas Aquinas Commentary Colossians 2:16-23

"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: which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ`s. Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increasing with the increase of God. If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, Handle not, nor taste, nor touch (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; [but are] not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh." — Colossians 2:16-23 (ASV)

Above, Paul showed that the law was fulfilled in Christ because of the circumcision he received, for this is an acknowledgment of the law. Here, he concludes that they are not obliged to observe the ceremonial commands of the law. There were four kinds of ceremonial matters: sacrifices, sacred things, sacraments, and observances. The sacrifices were those things which were sacrificed to God, such as sheep, oxen, and the like. The sacred things included utensils and religious festivals. There were three sacraments: circumcision, the paschal lamb, and the consecration of priests. The observances were those matters that were related to the unique customs in the life of the people of Israel, such as food, clothing, and the like. Some of the above matters, such as the sacrifices and the utensils, pertained only to some of the people; other matters were connected to all the people. Paul does not mention those things which pertained just to some, but only those which affected all, just as baptism now affects us all.

He does mention the observances, because they abstained from certain foods, such as four-legged animals that do not have a divided hoof (Leviticus 11:26). In regard to drink, a vessel without a cover was unclean, as was anything in it. And so with respect to these matters he says, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink. That is, let no one condemn you for taking food and drink forbidden in the law: Let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him (Romans 14:3).

He also mentions sacred matters related to the religious festivals and ceremonies. Under the Old Law there were continuous religious ceremonies, like the morning and evening sacrifices. There were other ceremonies held at certain definite times. Some of these were held several times during the year, such as the sabbath every week and the new moon every month. Others came only once a year, such as the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and Pentecost. The reason for all this is that all religious ceremonies are held for the honor of God.

Now, we give honor to God either because of something which is eternal, and thus we have continuous religious ceremonies, or we honor him because of certain temporal benefits which affect all people. There are two such benefits. First is the gift of creation, and thus we have the religious ceremony of the sabbath: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8). The reason for keeping the sabbath is that God rested on the seventh day. The allegorical reason for the sabbath is that it signifies Christ’s rest in the tomb, and the anagogical reason is that it signifies the soul’s rest in God. The other gift is that of procreation and preservation, which are also for a time. And since the Jewish people calculated time by the moon, he says, a new moon. There are also other reasons for honoring God, such as a special rescue or deliverance, and so other festivals were added to the above. And so he says, or with regard to a festival or a new moon, every month, or sabbaths, every seventh period. He says sabbaths because a sabbath is a rest, and they had several sabbaths: the seventh day; seven weeks, that is Pentecost, which is the end of the seventh week following the Passover; the seventh month; the seventh year, when sins are forgiven; and after seven periods of seven years there was a Jubilee. With this in mind Paul says, or sabbaths, meaning: Let no one condemn you for not observing these feasts.

For these are only a shadow of what is to come, that is, of Christ. And when the truth comes, the shadow should cease, but the substance belongs to Christ. When someone sees a shadow, he expects the body or substantial reality to follow. Now the legal observances of the law were the shadow going before Christ, and they signified his coming. And so Paul says the substance, that is, the truth of the thing, belongs to Christ, but the shadow belongs to the law.

Then (verse 18), he speaks against those who were trying to seduce and deceive them. He does this in two parts. First, he warns them not to be misled. Second, he argues against those who were already misled (verse 20). Regarding the first point, he does three things: he cautions them about being misled, he shows how they might be deceived by those insisting on self-abasement, and he describes the shortcomings of those who would mislead them (verse 18b).

He says, let no one seduce you away from the truth that I have told you: Let no one deceive you with empty words (Ephesians 5:6).

For these pseudo-apostles were seducing them by their humility, bringing in observances taken from the law, for they pretended to be holy. But holiness consists of two things: a humble manner of life and the worship of God. Now these people appeared to lead a humble life since they seemed to have no care for the things of the world; and so Paul says they were insisting on self-abasement. There is one who is humble in an evil way, and within he is full of deceit . Again, they claimed to be preaching out of reverence for God; and so Paul says, and religion of angels. For religion, according to Cicero, consists in ceremonies and worship for a divine nature: Holding the form of religion but denying the power of it (2 Timothy 3:5).

The Gloss has this passage as reading, “in the religion of angels,” for in this way these seducers wanted to seem like angels, that is, as messengers of God: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing yet inwardly are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15). Or, “in the religion of angels,” can be understood in a literal sense, because the Old Law was made known by angels, as we see from Galatians (3:19): For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? (Hebrews 2:2). These people maintained that the worship mandated in the law had to be kept, because it had been given through angels.

The shortcomings of such people were threefold: they were defective in their knowledge, in their justice, and in their faith. As to their knowledge, Paul says that such a person was taking his stand on things that were not seen, that is, things that were not understood. Such a person did not know why the law was given: Desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions (1 Timothy 1:7).

As to the justice of such persons, he says they were puffed up without reason, in vain, although they pretended to be humble. And he mentions two things. First, that their religion was useless, because they went about without reason, in vain, that is, doing things that were of no value for eternal life: Their labors are unprofitable ; Though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear restraining her (Job 39:16). They also showed a false humility, and so he says that such a person was puffed up by his sensuous mind. There is a difference between one who is puffed up and one who is robust. A person who is robust is full of truth, while one who is puffed up is empty and just extended with wind. Therefore, those who are truly humble are full, but those who are only puffed up are empty. He will burst those who are puffed up (Wisdom 4:19, Vulgate). This is the meaning of the verse, Knowledge puffs up (1 Corinthians 8:1).

With regard to their faith, he says that they were not holding fast to the Head, that is, Christ, by faith. Such people are deceived, because without Christ they are in the dark: If any one does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing (1 Timothy 6:3).

Why is Christ the Head? Paul answers: because the entire good of the body, which is the Church, depends on him. For there are two goods in a natural body: the union or joining together of its members and its growth. And the Church obtains these from Christ, for the entire body depends on him: We, though many, are one body in Christ (Romans 12:5). In a body the members are joined in two ways. One way is by contact, as the hand is joined to the wrist, and the wrist to the forearm, and so on. The other way is by a connection, as being joined by nerves. And so Paul refers to joints and ligaments. So also in the Church, its members are joined by faith and understanding: One Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5). But this is incomplete without the ligaments of charity and the sacraments. Thus Paul says, nourished through ligaments, because it is through charity that one person supplies another. This body is developed by Christ, because it grows with a growth that is from God, that is, with a growth that God produces in us: Blessed are the men whose strength is in thee,... they go from strength to strength (Psalms 84:5). Or, from God, that is, from Christ, who, as God, increases the body, the Church being enlarged: For the equipment of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).

Then (verse 20), he rebukes those who have already been deceived. He bases the reason for his rebuke first on the condition of those who have been deceived, and second on the matters about which they were misled (verse 22).

Their condition was one of freedom, because just as they were dead to sin, so also they were dead to the law. Thus they were not obliged to keep it. Paul says, therefore, if you died with Christ to the elements of the world (for the Jewish people served the true God, but under the elements, while the Gentiles served the elements themselves), why, since you know the truth, do you live as if you still belonged to the world, like the Jews live? Why do you submit to regulations about what is to be handled and eaten, regulations such as do not handle, because it is a sin; do not taste pork or eels (Leviticus 11:7, 11)?

Then (verse 22), he describes these legal observances, saying that they are harmful, vain, and burdensome. Thus Paul says they all perish as they are used, because after the passion of Christ they were deadly to all those who placed their hope in them. But after grace had been spread among the people, such things were deadly to all, absolutely. (I am saying this because it is the opinion of Jerome and Augustine which I mentioned in commenting on the second chapter of Galatians). And so they lead to destruction and death. Why, then, do we still read the Old Testament? I answer that we read it as a witness, but not as something to be observed. Thus Paul says they all perish as they are used, that is, if they are not regarded merely as a witness, but are observed.

Further, things that are not founded on reason or authority are vain. But these things are not founded on divine authority, but on human authority. Thus Paul says they are according to human precepts. But these precepts were from God, were they not? I say that they were, but were to be only for a time, until the truth should come: For the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God (Matthew 15:6). Furthermore, they are not founded on reason, because they have indeed an appearance of wisdom in superstition, meaning, they are based on reasons that lead to superstition, that is, to a religion that is extreme and past its time. And their reasons lead to self-abasement, which is not genuine, because a person who has been freed from the slavery of the law by Christ should not submit himself to this slavery again: Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1). Sometimes precepts that do not rest on divine authority are observed because they are useful for some human purpose.

But this is not the case here, for these precepts considered in themselves are a burden. We desire three things: rest, honor, and a fullness; and these are not produced by these legal observances. For the ban on foods is opposed to fullness and becomes a burden because so many rules are involved. Further, these observances do not produce honor, but bring much confusion, as when ashes are sprinkled about, and the like: A yoke upon the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear (Acts 15:10). Such practices lead to a severity to the body, that is, the Church, and not to the honor of God; rather they serve only to indulge the flesh, that is, to satisfy carnal desire.