Colossians 2:16

^Intralinear:

     ^{Colossians 2:16} עַל־כֵּן (Therefore) לֹא־יָדִין (let no one judge) אֶתְכֶם (you) בְּמַאֲכָל (in eating) וּבְמַשְׁקֶה (and in drinking): אִם (whether) בְּחֵלֶק (when partaking of) חַג (a feast) אוֹ (or) רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ (new moon) אוֹ (or) שַׁבָּתוֹת (Sabbaths) — ^v17 אֲשֶׁר (which) הֵם (are) צֵל (a shadow of) הַדְּבָרִים (the things) לָבֹא (to come):

^Hebrew:

      עַל־כֵּן לֹא־יָדִין אִישׁ אֶתְכֶם בְּמַאֲכָל וּבְמַשְׁקֶה, אִם בְּחֵלֶק חַג אוֹ רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ אוֹ שַׁבָּתוֹת אֲשֶׁר הֵם צֵל הַדְּבָרִים לָבֹא׃     

English:

     Therefore, let no one judge you in eating and in drinking, either when partaking of a feast or new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of the things coming.

Μὴ οὖν τις ὑμᾶς κρινέτω ἐν βρώσει καὶ ἐν πόσει ἢ ἐν μέρει ἑορτῆς ἢ νεομηνίας ἢ σαββάτων, ἅ ἐστιν σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων.

Comment:

     The Byzantine and Critical texts differ; NA-27th edition reads "eating and in drinking" while the Byzantine text reads "eating or in drinking".  Which text is correct?  The Byzantine text would go as folows, "Let no one judge you in eating or in drinking, or in part of a feast, or new moon, or sabbaths....";  This would make the instruction not to judge to apply equally to eating, drinking, feast day observance, new moon observance, and sabbath observance.  It would declare that if someone were to work on Sabbath, then nobody should judge that as sin.   The problem with this is that it contradicts the Torah!  Yet, the Byzantine translation is what is read in most bibles, even bibles that claim they are following the critical text.

     On the other hand, if "eating and in drinking" are coordinated by the conjunction, "and", then the rest of the text is an explanatory clause that explains at what times eating and drinking is not to be judged.  The conjunction sequence, "ἢ ... ἢ ... ἢ" should be translated "either ... or ... or", (or "whether ... whether ... whether" for linguistic purists);  "either ... or .. or" is the gloss supplied by the third edition of BDAG.   This sequence is illustrated in 1Corinthians 14:6 of the KJV:  "except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?"  The Greek word not only conjunctionally coordinates, it subordinates clauses.  Also, the words "ἐν μέρει" literally mean "in part of"; this is another clear indicator that the clause after eating and drinking is explanatory.  Yet many translations can be faulted for ignoring the literal sense with circumlocutions like "in respect to" (NAU) or "with regard to" (NIV).  Also it should be noted that the Greek word "ἐν" is used in the sense of "when" or "while" in temporal clauses.

      Eating and drinking primarily does not refer to the kind of food eaten and the kind of drink.   It refers to feasting rather than fasting.  The context of the passage indicates that Paul was dealing with ascetics who advocated, "Touch not; taste not; handle not" (Col. 2:21), which are characterized as "commandments and doctrines of men" (Co. 2:22).  There were Jewish groups in the first century that advocated fasting on holy days.  These were a minority, but they existed even though the majority of Rabbis disapproved of their practices.  Somehow the thinking of these groups infiltrated the Western Church, which instituted the practice of fasting on the Sabbath.  The tradition was justified as a measure against the Jews.  But the Eastern Church refused to fast on Sabbath and staunchly opposed the Western Church until the issue, among other issues, resulted in the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Pope excommunicating each other.

     Therefore, let no one judge you in eating and in drinking, either when partaking of a feast or new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of the things coming.

     The text is actually a defense against divisive teachers teaching that the Sabbath should become a day of mourning by fasting.  (The argument was that since Yeshua lay in the grave on the Sabbath while the Jews feasted, then Christians should fast and mourn.)  We should take Paul's negative statement about what not to do concerning feasting and draw positive implications.  Paul implies that we should eat and drink on biblical feast days.  He implies that we should enjoy new moons and sabbaths, because they are a shadow of blessings and joys that are coming in the age to come.  With this last clause, Paul implies that the holy days serve us well to remind us of the future.  But this only works if we are obeying the commandments to keep and guard them.