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Paul W Primavera

Male. Lives in Lancaster, United States. Born on April 18, 1958. Is married.

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Orthodox Catholic, Conservative Constitutionalist, Nuclear Energy Professional, Latinist

Paul W Primavera

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Paul W Primavera

April 24, 2022 9:32 pm

Colosians 2:16-23 16 Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17 These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the su... View MoreColosians 2:16-23 16 Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17 These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God. 20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”? 22 All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment. Legalism - Radical Traditionalism (copied from one of my many study Bibles) At the time of Christ and the early church, Jews made much of rules and laws in their understanding of religion. This was natural to them because God had given his law to the Jewish people as a mark of his favor upon them and as a way for them to ratify the covenant agreement he had made with them. However, many Jews added to the laws that God had given his people, trying to develop rules for virtually every situation in which they might find themselves. Their motivation was often a positive desire not to transgress any of God's laws. As Jesus often pointed out, however, the rules developed by rabbis sometimes became obstacles to obeying God's instructions (Mark 7:1-15). Furthermore, many Jews thought that following the law would automatically endear them to God. Paul apparently confronted a situation of this kind in Col 2:16-23. False teachers, influence by Jewish beliefs, were insisting that Christians follow certain rules as a way of expressing their faith. Paul criticized this in light of faith in Christ. As the culmination of all God's plans and purposes, Christ is the center of all true piety. This does not mean that rules for conduct are inherently bad. Some rules, such as the prohibition on lying (3:9), clearly manifest an aspect of Christ's character. Paul also had no problem with individual Christians imposing rules on themselves that they think are conducive to their own growth in Christ (cp. Rom 14:5; 1 Cor 8). But they must not require others to obey these self-imposed rules.

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