The bottom line as I see it, and my signature displays, is that I am complete in Christ alone. I need not add sabbath days to Christ, especially when Christ is the body that cast the shadow of sabbath days back in time. And to tell someone they are lost if they do not keep sabbath is removing them from a complete position in Christ. Fullness of the Godhead in Christ is not so much talking about Father, Son and Holy Ghost as it is talking about everything we need from God being in Christ. Saying that being in Christ means we lack something and have to ALSO keep sabbath to be saved is spoiling us from Christ.
Context of
Colossians 1 through 2 is focusing on how God chose that in Christ should all the fullness dwell.
Colossians 1:19.. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
That's what fullness of the Godhead is talking about.
Colossians 1:20-23.. And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. ..(21).. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled ..(22).. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: ..(23).. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
If we continue IN HIM and not be removed by thinking it's not enough for our righteousness to be in HIm, apart from keeping days or any other deeds, then we remain holy.
Paul sought to see everyone he ministered to remain solid and perfect and complete in Him.
Colossians 1:28.. Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Those who feel we're lost without keeping sabbath are weak in the faith that in Christ we are complete, and Christ was foreshadowed by the sabbath and all other rites from Law.
The obvious reference to law as elements or rudiments of the world is patently denied by sabbath keepers as if it was something else, when elements and rudiments clearly mean basal and necessary principles from God for greater more spiritual things.
Colossians 2:8-9.. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ..(9).. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And after we read this, we see a distinct reference to every sabbath that exists in a natural physical day.
Colossians 2:14-17.. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; ..(15).. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. ..(16).. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: ..(17).. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
There can be no way in which those verses are speaking about people keeping sabbath days and meant to keep them, and being told to not let anyone discourage them, after being told what all of the verses beforehand said. It's saying they were wrong to keep them because they had not yet come to the full understanding of deliverance from Law, and therefore are weak in faith.
Paul said Law, not a pharisaical distortion, as confirmed in
Gal 3:12's reference to
Lev 18:5, puts one under a curse. The reasoning is that if one thinks ONE MUST keep tenets of law then one must keep ALL of them without fail or die.
Hebrews 9 was likewise not referring to a pharisaical tradition of Law when it said that all the rites and ceremonies were done away with in the reformation of the new covenant.
Hebrews 9:10.. Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
Sabbath day was a carnal ordinance, an element of the world with the sense of world being temporal and passing away, since it was a shadow.
Exo_18:20.. And thou shalt teach them
ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Lev_18:3.. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their
ordinances.
Lev_18:4.. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine
ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 18:5.. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments:
which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
Paul spoke of genuine Mosaic law:
Romans 7:6.. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Law incites sin because it's pushing us to act in the flesh by forcing mere will power on our own flesh to do good, without any work fo the Spirit.
Romans 6:14.. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Since law commanded Paul to not covet, and Paul suddenly found himself coveting, he noted God delivered us from law so that reaction does not cause him to sin and instead he walks after the Spirit in faith to see that righteousness that law tried to instill within man, fulfilled.
Brethren, to me it's weakening people's faith. It's not sinning, but it does weaken faith.
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