… why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?
Summary: Understanding Paul’s writings often requires an understanding of the world Paul is writing about. We call this “context,” but even that concept has limits. Because God’s thoughts are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9) we have to stretch our minds to try and understand God’s.
Reading this passage without context is dangerous! It is very easy to look at Paul’s words and come away with the idea that Christians don’t have to follow any rules. Like most words in the English language, the word “rule” has many applications.
Paul is not talking about the “rules of the road.” Christians don’t get a free pass to ignore speed limits or drive toward oncoming traffic. We don’t get a “pass” when we go the wrong way on a “one way street.” Christians, like everyone else in the world, still have to follow the traffic rules.
Continue reading “Colossians 2:20c-21 – Rules About Rules”