Eternity 95 - Holding Fast To Christ, Not To Angels
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(Colossians 2:16-23 NKJV) So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, {17} which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. {18} Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, {19} and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. {20} Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations; {21} "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," {22} which all concern things which perish with the using; according to the commandments and doctrines of men? {23} These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
In these verses a false spirituality and a true spirituality are contrasted. The false spirituality is a "shadow of things to come" and worships angels and is full of rules about "new moons and Sabbaths' and regulations about what can be tasted, touched and handled. The true spirituality is the substance, and holds to Christ the Head, and grows with a growth that is from God and is grounded in the previous discussion of the cross.
Angels had a prominent place in pre-Christian religion. The OT Law was ordained by angels (Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19, Hebrews 2:2) and they had a prominent role in its administration. On the other hand the Gentiles had religions administered by demons - that is by fallen angels.(1 Corinthians 10:20,21). As this is a rather unusual topic I have included the references in full below.
The Jewish Law was appointed through angels and administered by it:
(Acts 7:53 NKJV) "who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it."
(Galatians 3:19 NKJV) What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
(Hebrews 2:2 NKJV) For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,
Angels were even involved in punishing those who disobeyed the Law:
(Exodus 23:20-21 NKJV) "Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. {21} "Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.
Gentile religions sacrificed to fallen angels - that is to demons:
(1 Corinthians 10:20-21 NKJV) Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. {21} You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.
The book of Hebrews opens with the contrast between the system based in Christ the Son of God (Christianity) and the system based on the administration of angels (Judaism). Hebrews chapter one shows that Christ is superior to angels in every way. Hebrews chapter 2 shows that angels administered the law of Moses and thus since Christ was higher than the angels so Christianity is a much better way than Judaism. Colossians 2 is a briefer form of the same argument. The spirituality based in the administration of good angels (the Law) or bad angels (the Gentile religions) is inferior to that based on the true Head which is Christ and from which all true spiritual life flows.
The administration by angels follows a certain structure - high priests, temples, sacrifices, new moons, Sabbaths, taboos, dietary restrictions. So there would be a temple for Yahweh and a temple for Zeus, a high priest of Yahweh, and a high priest of Zeus etc. The forms were basically the same whether Jew or Gentile. But in Christ all these old forms are done away with because the angelic layer of mediation is done away with and we have risen beyond that administration (of angels, principalities and powers) to sit with Christ. (see Ephesians 2-4)
This radical difference in spiritual authority and the transition between the Old Testament and the New is commented on by Jesus when He talks about John the Baptist. (Matthew 11:11-13 NKJV) "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. {12} "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. {13} "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
The astounding spiritual fact is that the least born-again Christian is "greater than" John the Baptist and all the OT saints! Why? Because we are born of God and seated in heavenly realms with Christ. This great status is not deserved but is a promotion by grace that will display God's goodness to sinners. (Ephesians 2:5-8 NKJV) even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), {6} and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, {7} that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. {8} For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Thus Christians who go back to the old religious structures of priests, temples etc are acting as if they were still under angelic administration and thus deny what God has done for them in Christ. In Galatians Paul says that this going back to old religious requirements such as festivals and circumcision can even imperial our salvation (Gal 4:9-11, 5:1-11) To go back to all those rules and regulations is to let go of our spiritual Head - Christ and to let an angelic and priestly structure be our head instead. This has occurred to a great extent in traditional Roman Catholicism which is greatly compromised. These old religious structures may seem wise (verse 23) but are of no use in restraining the flesh. Only born-again, Christ-centered, Spirit-filled Christian faith is effective in bringing self-control and spiritual freedom.
Why then do Christians cave in to observe festivals and Sabbaths and religious taboos? Because someone "judges them" and criticises them, demanding they observe this holy day or this dietary rule and on face value that person seems authoritative, traditional and wise. Thus Paul exhorts us: "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, {17} which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." We are not to cave in to those who demand submission to their rules and regulations. We are to cling to Christ alone - who is the true substance of our faith.
Blessings,
John Edmiston
Asian Internet Bible Institute
https://www.aibi.ph/
email: johned@aibi.ph