Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
Colossians 2:16-19
16. Itaque ne quis vos iudicet 382 vel in cibo,
vel in potu, vel in parte 383 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat,
or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the
diei festi, vel
new moon, or of the sabbath-days:
neomeniae, vel sabbatorum:
17. Which are a shadow of things to come; 17. Quae sunt umbra futurorum, corpus autem
but the body is of Christ.
Christi.
18. Let no man beguile you of your reward 18. Ne quis palmam eripiat, volens in
in a voluntary humility and worshipping of humilitate et cultu Angelorum, (id facere,) in ea
angels, intruding into those things which he hath quae non vidit se ingerens, frustra inflatus a
not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, mente carnis suae,
19. And not holding the Head, from which 19. Et non tenens caput, ex quo totum corpus
all the body by joints and bands having per iuncturas et connexiones subministratum et
nourishment ministered, and knit together, compactum crescit increments Dei.
increaseth with the increase of God.
16. Let no one therefore judge you. What he had previously said of circumcision he now extends
to the difference of meats and days. For circumcision was the first introduction to the observance
of the law, other things 384 followed afterwards. To judge means here, to hold one to be guilty of a
crime, or to impose a scruple of conscience, so that we are no longer free. He says, therefore, that
it is not in the power of men to make us subject to the observance of rites which Christ has by his
death abolished, and exempts us from their yoke, that we may not allow ourselves to be fettered
by the laws which they have imposed. He tacitly, however, places Christ in contrast with all mankind,
lest any one should extol himself so daringly as to attempt to take away what he has given him.
In respect of a festival-day. Some understand τὸ μέρος to mean participation. Chrysostom,
accordingly, thinks that he used the term part, because they did not observe all festival days, nor
did they even keep holidays strictly, in accordance with the appointment of the law. This, however,
is but a poor interpretation. 385 Consider whether it may not be taken to mean separation, for those
that make a distinction of days, separate, as it were, one from another. Such a mode of partition
was suitable for the Jews, that they might celebrate religiously 386 the days that were appointed, by
separating them from others. Among Christians, however, such a division has ceased.
But some one will say, “We still keep up some observance of days.” I answer, that we do not
by any means observe days, as though there were any sacredness in holidays, or as though it were
not lawful to labor upon them, but that respect is paid to government and order — not to days. And
this is what he immediately adds.
17. Which are a shadow of things to come. The reason why he frees Christians from the
observance of them is, that they were shadows at a time when Christ was still, in a manner, absent.
382 “Juge, ou, condamne;” — “Judge, or condemn.”
383 “En partie, ou, en distinction, ou, de la part, ou, au respect;” — “In part, or, in distinguishing, or, of the part, or, in respect
of.”
384 “Les autres ceremonies;” — “Other rites.”
385 “Mats c’est vne conjecture bien maigre;” — “But this is a very slender conjecture.”
386 “Estroittement;” — “Strictly.”
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John Calvin