What does Colossians 2:22 mean?
The first part of this verse continues the thought Paul began in verse 21. There, he labelled generic rules such as "do not touch…" or "do not eat…" as human regulations. Paul's point here is that the foods or other items false teachers treat as so important are only temporary. Whether we use them, or avoid them, physical things and human laws are only a shadow of things to come, in contrast with the eternal greatness of Christ (Colossians 2:17).In addition, these teachings were not based on godly thinking, but on deceptive human assumptions. This is very similar to the warning Paul gave in Colossians 2:8 against being tricked by false arguments. While the Torah was truly given by God, the incorrect interpretations of these false teachers were grounded in human authority.
This is a crucial separation: Paul makes a clear distinction between God's perfect Word and the imperfections of those who teach it. Not all interpretations of the Scriptures are valid, and the error of an interpreter is not the fault of the Bible. This is why Paul would tell Timothy to study to show himself approved (2 Timothy 2:15). The ability to teach God's truth accurately was a requirement of those who led the local church as elders (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9).
Colossians 2:16–23 is an application of the ideas Paul mentions in the previous verses. Verses 6 through 15 explained the supremacy of Christ over deceptive, human-based thinking. In this passage, Paul explicitly states that rules, rituals, and self-denial are not the path of spiritual growth. Trying to grow, spiritually, through these efforts is as impossible as a body part developing naturally while severed from the head! Living under severe rules might look good to others, but it's not how God has called us to relate to Him as Christian believers.
In this passage, Paul warns Christians not to be taken in by deceptive arguments. These claims are attractive, but are merely tricks: they sound true, but they are not. Arguing for self-denial, legalism, visions, and other practices only looks good to observers. None of these are the real source of spiritual growth. Paul emphasizes the way Christ accomplished everything we need to be justified before God. As a result, there is no reason for believers to pursue these false, shallow ''shadows.'' We have the real substance: Jesus, so we should follow Him.
