Complete in Christ

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week's Study: Colossians 2; Heb. 7:11; Isa. 61:3; 1 Cor. 3:6; Deut. 31:24-26; Rom. 2:28-29; Rom. 7:7

Memory Text: "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ" (Colossians 2:16-17, NKJV).

Have you ever been asked why you keep the Sabbath? Perhaps even this week's memory text was used as "evidence" against it. Yet, the text was written not about the fourth commandment, but in response to errors taught by some false teachers in the church. What were these errors?

First, the false teaching is described as "philosophy," "the tradition of men," "the basic principles of the world," and "not according to Christ" (Col. 2:8, NKJV).

It also involved circumcision and the keeping of Jewish festivals (Col. 2:11, 16), along with Jewish purity rituals and regulations connected with food (Col. 2:16, 21). It involved the worship of or with angels or an attempt to emulate angelic worship (Col. 2:18).

And, finally, it was based on "the commandments and doctrines of men" and possibly involved ascetic practices (Col. 2:22-23).

These false teachers were clearly religious and sincere, but they also got the gospel wrong. This week we'll see why. And we will see why the memory verse has nothing to do with our keeping the seventh-day Sabbath.

* Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, March 7.