The Continuing Obligation of the Sabbath Defended: Colossians 2:16

"Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath" (Colossians 2:16). 

I often get caught between two opposite in discussions regarding the continuing obligation of the Sabbath. On one side are the Seventh-Day Adventists, who claim that the Jewish Sabbath has continued in the Christian dispensation. I oppose their claims, and have addressed them here. On the other side are those who claim that there is no Sabbath of any kind for the Christian. Those folks are generally of two kinds. the first is those who claim that "Jesus is our Sabbath," so that there is no longer a Sabbath day. I have addressed that here. Others are of a dispensationalist type, who claim that the Sabbath was a Mosaic ceremony, and, therefore, abrogated by its fulfillment in the cross work of Christ. I have addressed that here.

Now, there is a third type that I want to address. That is those who hold that Sabbath-observance is now voluntary, no longer a commandment. These folks like to cite the verse quoted above, Colossians 2:16. 

Such folks claim that the Sabbath was a ceremony of the Jews, and, therefore, no more binding on Christians than are circumcision or the Passover. If a Christian profits from observing them, then he is free to do so. However, no one is required to observe that Sabbath any more than he is the other Jewish ceremonies. 

There are three main objections to that claim. First, the Sabbath was a creation ordinance, initially announced shortly after the creation of the first humans: "God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation" (Genesis 2:3). While it is certainly true that the Law recognized the Sabbath, the claim is false that the Sabbath was created under the Law. That's why the writer of Hebrews could tell us, "There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9). Especially considering the effort of that author to show the superiority of Christ over the Mosaic ceremonies, his insistence that the Sabbath remains is especially telling!

Second, look at the rest of the verse in Colossians. "Questions of food and drink." Where do we find rules about food? In the Mosaic ceremonial law. "With regard to a festival or new moon." Where do we find the creation of ceremonies and the celebration of the new moon? Again, in the Mosaic ceremonies. Therefore, when Paul here mentions Sabbaths, does the grammar not compel us logically to infer that he means Jewish Sabbaths? That would be seventh-day Sabbaths, not the first-day Christian Sabbath. Also, if we fail to make that distinction, then we put Paul in contradiction with Hebrews. 

And, finally, I have one question of logic, rather than Scripture. Considering that the Sabbath was a commandment, not just some Pharisaic tradition, can we really imagine that Paul would so blithely dismiss one of the Ten Commandments? I cannot believe that he would.