Readings: Aug. 1, 2026

Starting after Sukkot 2024, Hallel Fellowship switched to a three-year cycle of Torah and parallel Bible readings (2024–2027), outlined by TorahResource. While there’s ancient evidence for a triennial cycle, a major benefit is to provide more time to mine more of Scripture for lessons.

Readings

• Leviticus 22–23
• Zechariah 14
• Colossians 2

Corresponding reading from the 1-year Torah cycle

Insights from this week’s readings

Leviticus 22–23, Zechariah 14 and Colossians 2 form one unfolding story. Leviticus establishes holy worship and the appointed times of the LORD. Zechariah projects those themes into the future, when the LORD reigns from Jerusalem and the nations celebrate Sukkot. Colossians identifies Messiah Yeshua as the reality toward which these sacred patterns point. The biblical festivals are not isolated rituals. They teach redemption, rehearse God’s promises and anticipate the kingdom.

The Septuagint, abbreviated LXX, is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Its vocabulary often supplies the bridge between the Torah, the Prophets and the Greek New Testament. The lexical correspondences below follow the Hebrew Masoretic Text, the Greek LXX and the Greek New Testament. Because translation is contextual, a Hebrew word does not always correspond to only one Greek word. The New English Translation of the Septuagint translation of Leviticus is especially useful for seeing how Greek Leviticus interprets the Hebrew text.

Holiness begins with honoring God’s holy Name

Leviticus 22 opens with the priests’ responsibility to treat Israel’s sacred offerings carefully. God commands them not to “profane My holy name” but to acknowledge Him as holy among Israel (Lev. 22:2, 31–33). This develops the larger Levitical command, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Lev. 19:2; 20:7, 26).

The central Hebrew root is קָדַשׁ qadash (“to be holy, set apart, consecrate”). Its related noun and adjective are קֹדֶשׁ qodesh (“holiness; something holy”) and קָדוֹשׁ qadosh (“holy”). The LXX normally represents this family with ἅγιος hagios (“holy”), ἁγιάζω hagiazō (“sanctify”) and ἁγιασμός hagiasmos (“sanctification”).

This same vocabulary appears throughout the New Testament:

• Yeshua teaches His disciples to pray, “Hallowed be Your name,” using ἁγιάζω hagiazō (Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2).
• He sanctifies His people in truth (John 17:17, 19).
• Believers are sanctified in Messiah Yeshua and called ἅγιοι hagioi, “holy ones” or “saints” (1Cor. 1:2).
• God’s will is the believer’s ἁγιασμός hagiasmos, “sanctification” (1Thess. 4:3, 7).
• Peter quotes Leviticus directly: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1Pet. 1:15–16).
• Messiah sanctifies His people through His offering (Heb. 10:10, 14; 13:12).
• Colossians calls believers “holy and beloved” and says that Messiah presents them “holy and blameless” (Col. 1:2, 22; 3:12).

Conversely, Leviticus warns against חָלַל ḥalal (“to profane, pollute or treat as common”). In Leviticus 22:2, 32 the LXX uses βεβηλόω bebēloō (“to profane”). Its related adjective βέβηλος bebēlos describes something irreverent or spiritually common. The verb occurs in Matthew 12:5, while the adjective appears in 1Timothy 1:9; 4:7; 6:20; 2Timothy 2:16 and Hebrews 12:16.

Thus, holiness does not mean merely appearing religious. It means recognizing what belongs to God and ordering one’s conduct accordingly. Priestly activity could profane God’s Name if separated from reverence and obedience. Paul makes a comparable distinction in Colossians 2: outwardly impressive religion can lack genuine connection to Messiah.

Bottom line: God’s holiness must shape how His people worship, speak and live. Religious activity does not automatically honor Him. True holiness comes from belonging to God, holding fast to Messiah and treating God’s Name and instructions with reverence.

The unblemished offering points toward the unblemished Messiah

Leviticus 22 repeatedly requires an acceptable offering to be תָּמִים tamim (“complete, whole, without defect”) and without מוּם mum (“blemish”; Lev. 22:19–25). The LXX renders תָּמִים here with ἄμωμος amōmos (“without blemish”) and mum with μῶμος mōmos (“blemish”).

This requirement was not based on the animal’s moral condition. Its physical completeness symbolized the wholeness appropriate for something presented to the perfect God. Malachi later rebuked priests who knowingly offered blind, lame and sick animals (Mal. 1:6–14).

The New Testament applies ἄμωμος amōmos directly to Yeshua and His people:

• Messiah is the lamb “unblemished and spotless” (1Pet. 1:19).
• He offered Himself “without blemish” to God (Heb. 9:14).
• God chose His people to be holy and blameless in Messiah (Eph. 1:4).
• Messiah intends to present His assembly holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:27).
• Believers are to appear blameless in a crooked generation (Phil. 2:15).
• Messiah will present His people holy, blameless and beyond reproach (Col. 1:22).
• Additional uses occur in Hebrews 9:14; 1Peter 1:19; 2Peter 3:14; Jude 24 and Revelation 14:5.

Significantly, Colossians 2 says that believers have been made complete in Messiah (Col. 2:10). The verb is πληρόω plēroō (“fill, make full”), related to πλήρωμα plērōma (“fullness”). What the flawless offering represented symbolically, Yeshua possesses inherently: the fullness of deity dwells bodily in Him (Col. 2:9).

Bottom line: The unblemished sacrifices prepared Israel to recognize a completely acceptable offering. Yeshua fulfills that pattern as the sinless Lamb who offered Himself to God. Those joined to Him are accepted in Him and are being shaped into a holy, blameless people.

God’s appointed times tell the redemption story

Leviticus 23 calls the festivals מוֹעֲדֵי יְהוָה moʿadei YHWH (“the LORD’s appointed times”). מוֹעֵד moʿed means an appointed time or meeting. The festivals are not introduced merely as Israel’s cultural holidays. God calls them “My appointed times” (Lev. 23:2, 4).

In this passage the LXX translates מוֹעֵד moʿed with ἑορτή heortē (“festival, feast”). It renders מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ miqraʾei qodesh (“holy convocations”) as κληταὶ ἅγιαι klētai hagiai, literally “holy called assemblies.” The associated Greek adjective κλητός klētos means “called” or “invited.”

The New Testament uses ἑορτή heortē for biblical festivals in Matthew 26:5; 27:15; Mark 14:2; 15:6; Luke 2:41–42; 22:1; John 2:23; 4:45; 5:1; 6:4; 7:2, 8, 10–11, 14, 37; 11:56; 12:12, 20; 13:1, 29; Acts 18:21 in some manuscripts; and Colossians 2:16.

Meanwhile, κλητός klētos becomes important identity language:

• Many are “called,” but few are chosen (Matt. 22:14).
• Paul is a called apostle (Rom. 1:1; 1Cor. 1:1).
• Messiah’s people are called by Yeshua and called to be holy (Rom. 1:6–7; 1Cor. 1:2).
• Those who love God are “called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
• Messiah is God’s power and wisdom to “those who are called” (1Cor. 1:24).
• The Lamb’s companions are “called and chosen and faithful” (Rev. 17:14).

The sequence of Leviticus 23 also creates a theological calendar:

• Shabbat establishes the rhythm of work and God-given rest.
• Pesach recalls redemption through the blood of the lamb.
• Unleavened Bread calls for separation from corruption.
• Firstfruits celebrates the beginning and promise of the harvest.
• Shavuot marks the fuller harvest and the presentation of leavened loaves.
• Yom Teruah announces the King with trumpet blasts.
• Yom Kippur centers on atonement, repentance and cleansing.
• Sukkot celebrates God dwelling with His redeemed people.

Bottom line: God placed the message of redemption into Israel’s calendar. Each appointed time remembers something God has done, teaches His people how to live and points ahead to something He will complete through Messiah.

Passover, Firstfruits and Shavuot anticipate Messiah’s work

The Hebrew פֶּסַח Pesaḥ (“Passover”) enters Greek as πάσχα pascha. The word appears in the New Testament in Matthew 26:2, 17–19; Mark 14:1, 12, 14, 16; Luke 2:41; 22:1, 7–8, 11, 13, 15; John 2:13, 23; 6:4; 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14; Acts 12:4; Hebrews 11:28 and 1Corinthians 5:7.

Paul makes the Messianic identification explicit: “Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed” (1Cor. 5:7). Yeshua’s death during Passover brings the Exodus pattern to a deeper level. He delivers His people from slavery to sin, condemnation and death.

Likewise, the firstfruits offering in Leviticus 23 uses רֵאשִׁית reʾshit (“beginning, first”) and עֹמֶר ʿomer (“sheaf”). The LXX uses ἀπαρχή aparchē (“firstfruits”) in sacrificial and harvest settings, including Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 2:12; 23:10 and Numbers 15:20–21. The New Testament calls Messiah “the firstfruits of those who are asleep” (1Cor. 15:20, 23). Other NT uses include Romans 8:23; 11:16; 16:5; 1Corinthians 16:15; James 1:18 and Revelation 14:4.

Then, Shavuot anticipates a gathered harvest. Acts 2 uses the Greek name Πεντηκοστή Pentēkostē (“Fiftieth”), reflecting the Torah’s count of fifty days (Lev. 23:15–16). The term occurs in Acts 2:1; 20:16 and 1Corinthians 16:8. At Shavuot, the Spirit empowers Messiah’s witnesses, and people from many nations hear God’s works proclaimed.

Bottom line: The spring festivals form a sequence: the Passover Lamb dies, the Firstfruits rises, and the Spirit gathers a harvest. Yeshua’s death, resurrection and gift of the Spirit do not erase the festivals’ message; they reveal its center.

True humility differs from self-made religion

Yom Kippur provides a particularly striking connection between Leviticus 23 and Colossians 2. Israel is told to “humble” or “afflict” its members on that day. The Hebrew expression is וְעִנִּיתֶם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם weʿinnitem ʾet-nafshotekhem (“you shall humble your lives/souls”; Lev. 23:27, 32). עָנָה ʿanah here means “humble, afflict or deny,” while נֶפֶשׁ nefesh means the living self or person.

The LXX renders this command ταπεινώσατε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν tapeinōsate tas psychas hymōn, “humble your souls.” That makes the connection to Colossians especially revealing. Paul twice mentions ταπεινοφροσύνη tapeinophrosynē (“humility”) in Colossians 2:18, 23—but there it is a counterfeit humility associated with angelic worship, ascetic severity and human regulations.

The distinction is between:

• Humility commanded by God, which produces repentance and dependence on His mercy.
• Self-invented humility, which draws attention to human severity, mystical experience or religious accomplishment.

Ταπεινοφροσύνη tapeinophrosynē occurs in Acts 20:19; Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3; Colossians 2:18, 23; 3:12 and 1Peter 5:5. Its related verb ταπεινόω tapeinoō appears in Matthew 18:4; 23:12; Luke 3:5; 14:11; 18:14; 2Corinthians 11:7; 12:21; Philippians 2:8; 4:12; James 4:10 and 1Peter 5:6, among other passages.

Therefore, Colossians 2 is not criticizing biblical repentance. It warns against spirituality manufactured from human rules and visionary claims. Paul describes it as ἐθελοθρησκία ethelothrēskia (“self-made religion” or “self-chosen worship”), a word found only in Colossians 2:23 in the New Testament.

Bottom line: God-given humility leads people away from self-confidence and toward His mercy. Counterfeit humility makes strict behavior, mystical experiences or religious performance the center. The test is whether a practice draws attention to Messiah or to the practitioner.

Atonement makes continued fellowship possible

The Day of Atonement is יוֹם הַכִּפֻּרִים Yom haKippurim. The root כָּפַר kafar conveys making atonement, purging or covering. Leviticus 23:28 says that atonement is made “before the LORD your God.”

The LXX frequently translates כָּפַר with ἐξιλάσκομαι exilaskomai (“make atonement”), from the same family as ἱλάσκομαι hilaskomai (“make propitiation or atonement”), ἱλασμός hilasmos (“atoning sacrifice”) and ἱλαστήριον hilastērion (“place or means of atonement”).

The New Testament uses this family in several crucial passages:

• The tax collector asks God to be merciful to him, using ἱλάσκομαι (Luke 18:13).
• Yeshua makes atonement for the people’s sins (Heb. 2:17).
• God presented Messiah as ἱλαστήριον hilastērion, the atoning means or “mercy-seat” (Rom. 3:25).
• Hebrews calls the ark’s cover the ἱλαστήριον, “mercy seat” (Heb. 9:5).
• Yeshua is the ἱλασμός for sins (1John 2:2; 4:10).

Colossians 2 describes the result in complementary language. God forgives transgressions, cancels the hostile record and disarms the powers (Col. 2:13–15). Paul does not explain the entire Yom Kippur ritual there, but his message agrees with its purpose: sin must be dealt with so that God and His people can dwell together.

Bottom line: Atonement is not merely overlooking wrongdoing. God deals with sin so that fellowship can be restored. Yeshua embodies the effective atonement anticipated by Israel’s sacrifices and provides forgiveness that human regulations cannot produce.

Zechariah carries Sukkot into the Messianic kingdom

Zechariah 14 takes the appointed times beyond Israel’s earlier history. After severe conflict and divine intervention, the LORD becomes King over all the earth (Zech. 14:9). The surviving nations then go up to Jerusalem annually to worship the King and celebrate Sukkot (Zech. 14:16–19).

The Hebrew חַג הַסֻּכּוֹת ḥag haSukkot means “Festival of Booths.” חַג ḥag is a pilgrimage festival, and סֻכּוֹת sukkot are temporary shelters. The LXX uses ἑορτή heortē for “festival” and, in Zechariah 14:16, σκηνοπηγία skēnopēgia, literally “tent-pitching” or “Tabernacles.” The same specialized Greek word appears in John 7:2.

The Hebrew verb שָׁחָה shaḥah (“bow down, worship”) is translated προσκυνέω proskyneō. Zechariah says the nations will come προσκυνῆσαι proskynēsai, “to worship,” the King.

Προσκυνέω appears frequently in the New Testament. Particularly relevant examples include:

• The magi worship the King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2, 8, 11).
• Yeshua says only God may be worshiped (Matt. 4:10; Luke 4:8).
• People worship Yeshua after He stills the storm (Matt. 14:33).
• His disciples worship the risen Messiah (Matt. 28:9, 17).
• True worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:20–24).
• The nations worship before God in Revelation’s kingdom vision (Rev. 7:11; 11:1, 16; 15:4; 19:4; 22:9).

Meanwhile, “King” is מֶלֶךְ melekh, translated βασιλεύς basileus. Zechariah’s declaration that the LORD will be King over all the earth resonates with Revelation 11:15; 15:3–4; 19:16 and 21:22–26. Yeshua is revealed as “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

This future Sukkot observance is important for interpreting Colossians 2. Zechariah does not picture the nations abandoning the biblical calendar once the Messiah reigns. Instead, Sukkot becomes an international celebration of the King.

Bottom line: Sukkot points toward God dwelling with humanity under Messiah’s reign. Zechariah sees the festival expanding outward, as nations formerly hostile to Jerusalem come to worship its King. The goal is not Israel disappearing into the nations, but the nations joining Israel in honoring Israel’s God.

Living water flows from the King’s Jerusalem

Zechariah 14:8 promises מַיִם חַיִּים mayim ḥayyim (“living waters”) flowing east and west from Jerusalem. The LXX renders this ὕδωρ ζῶν hydōr zōn (“living water”).

In its ordinary setting, “living water” can mean fresh, flowing water rather than stagnant water. Prophetically, however, it also represents life and cleansing flowing from God’s presence. Related pictures appear in Ezekiel 47:1–12 and Joel 3:18.

The expression becomes prominent in the New Testament:

• Yeshua offers the Samaritan woman “living water” (John 4:10–14).
• During Sukkot, He invites the thirsty to come to Him and drink (John 7:37–39).
• The Lamb leads His people to springs of the water of life (Rev. 7:17).
• God gives the water of life without cost (Rev. 21:6).
• The river of the water of life flows from God’s and the Lamb’s throne (Rev. 22:1).
• The final invitation offers the water of life freely (Rev. 22:17).

John 7 is especially significant because Yeshua gives His announcement during Sukkot. The festival’s water ceremonies provided the immediate setting, while Zechariah supplied the prophetic horizon. Yeshua presents Himself as the source through whom God’s promised life reaches the thirsty.

Bottom line: Zechariah’s living water is more than an irrigation project. It pictures life flowing from God’s presence. During Sukkot, Yeshua identifies Himself as the giver of that life, and Revelation shows the promise reaching its fullness in God’s restored creation.

Festivals, new moons and Sabbaths are shadows whose reality is Messiah

Colossians 2:16 names a “festival, new moon or Sabbath.” This sequence reflects a familiar biblical pattern covering annual, monthly and weekly worship (1Chron. 23:31; 2Chron. 2:4; 8:13; 31:3; Neh. 10:33; Ezek. 45:17; Hos. 2:11).

The principal terms are:

Hebrew	LXX Greek	Colossians 2:16	Meaning
חַג ḥag מוֹעֵד moʿed	ἑορτή heortē	ἑορτή heortē	Festival or appointed celebration
חֹדֶשׁ ḥodesh	νεομηνία neomēnia	νεομηνία neomēnia	New moon/month
שַׁבָּת Shabbat	σάββατον sabbaton	σάββατα sabbata	Sabbath

Νεομηνία neomēnia occurs only in Colossians 2:16 in the New Testament, though the LXX uses it regularly for חֹדֶשׁ ḥodesh in passages such as 1Samuel 20:5, 18, 24; 2Kings 4:23; Isaiah 1:13–14 and Ezekiel 46:1, 6.

Σάββατον sabbaton occurs extensively in the Gospels and Acts, including Matthew 12:1–12; 24:20; 28:1; Mark 1:21; 2:23–28; 3:2–4; 6:2; 16:1; Luke 4:16, 31; 6:1–9; 13:10–16; 14:1–5; 23:54–56; John 5:9–18; 7:22–23; 9:14–16; 19:31; Acts 1:12; 13:14, 27, 42, 44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4 and Colossians 2:16. (See this article for more on how sabbaton and related Greek words for “Sabbath” and “week” are used in the Apostolic Writings.)

Paul calls these institutions a σκιά skia (“shadow”) of things to come, while the σῶμα sōma (“body, substance”) belongs to Messiah (Col. 2:17). In the LXX, σκιά commonly translates צֵל tsel (“shadow”), as in Genesis 19:8; Judges 9:15; Psalm 91:1 and Isaiah 9:2. Its NT occurrences are Matthew 4:16; Mark 4:32; Luke 1:79; Acts 5:15; Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5 and 10:1.

A shadow is not necessarily false or evil. Hebrews similarly calls the Tabernacle a “copy and shadow” of heavenly realities (Heb. 8:5) and the sacrificial system a shadow of coming good things (Heb. 10:1). A genuine shadow reveals the outline of a genuine reality. The error is treating the shadow as self-sufficient or using it apart from the One who gives it meaning.

Moreover, Paul says the festivals “are” shadows of τῶν μελλόντων tōn mellontōn, “the things coming.” The present tense and future-oriented expression keep an anticipatory dimension in view. Passover, Firstfruits and Shavuot illuminate Messiah’s completed work, while Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot continue to direct attention toward judgment, restoration, resurrection and the coming kingdom.

Interpretively, Colossians 2 should not be reduced to “God’s festivals no longer matter.” Paul’s immediate instruction is that believers must not allow others to judge them concerning food, drink or sacred times. His larger concern is captivity to human philosophy, elemental powers, ascetic decrees and self-made worship (Col. 2:8, 18, 20–23). Hallel.info’s Sukkot teaching similarly describes Torah and the festivals as a God-given framework whose enduring substance is Messiah, rather than treating “shadow” as a synonym for worthless.

Bottom line: The appointed times are not competitors to Messiah. They are God-given signs whose message becomes intelligible in Him. Believers should neither replace Messiah with calendar observance nor let human judgment rob them of the festivals’ Messiah-centered meaning.

Messiah is the fullness, not one spiritual power among many

Colossians answers false spirituality by proclaiming that “all the fullness of Deity” dwells bodily in Messiah (Col. 2:9). The key words are πλήρωμα plērōma (“fullness”), θεότης theotēs (“deity, divine nature”) and σωματικῶς sōmatikōs (“bodily”).

Πλήρωμα often corresponds in the LXX to Hebrew מְלֹא meloʾ or מְלוֹא melo (“fullness, that which fills”). Psalm 24:1, for example, says that the earth and its “fullness” belong to the LORD. New Testament occurrences include Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21; 8:20; John 1:16; Romans 11:12, 25; 13:10; 15:29; 1Corinthians 10:26; Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 1:10, 23; 3:19; 4:13; Colossians 1:19 and 2:9.

Θεότης theotēs occurs only in Colossians 2:9 in the New Testament. It is stronger than merely saying that Yeshua resembles God or possesses certain divine qualities. Paul says the fullness of what constitutes deity dwells permanently in Him.

Σῶμα sōma can represent several Hebrew embodiment words in the LXX, including בָּשָׂר basar (“flesh”) and גְּוִיָּה gewiyyah (“body”). It becomes a major word in Colossians 2:

• The fullness of deity dwells bodily in Messiah (2:9).
• Believers undergo a spiritual putting off of the “body of flesh” (2:11).
• Messiah’s body or substance gives meaning to the shadows (2:17).
• The entire body receives nourishment from the Head (2:19).
• Ascetic rules have an appearance of wisdom but cannot master fleshly indulgence (2:23).

Paul therefore redirects the Colossians away from angels, elemental powers and severe practices. They do not need spiritual intermediaries to supplement Yeshua. They have been made full in the One who rules every authority (Col. 2:10).

Bottom line: Yeshua is not one piece in a larger religious system. God’s fullness dwells in Him bodily. Consequently, neither mystical beings, human regulations nor religious severity can add the spiritual completeness believers already receive through union with Him.

Messiah cancels the hostile record and defeats the powers

Colossians 2:14 says God removed the χειρόγραφον cheirographon, literally a “handwritten record” or certificate of indebtedness. This rare word occurs only here in the New Testament. It appears in the Greek book of Tobit for a written debt agreement (Tobit 5:3; 9:5), but it has no consistent Hebrew equivalent in the canonical LXX.

The record contained δόγματα dogmata, “decrees” or binding ordinances. In the LXX, δόγμα dogma represents royal edicts and laws, including Aramaic דָּת dat (“law, decree”) in Daniel and related terms in Esther. Its complete NT occurrence list is Luke 2:1; Acts 16:4; 17:7; Ephesians 2:15 and Colossians 2:14.

The context does not say that God erased His definition of goodness. The object removed is the record “against us,” the document that testifies to indebtedness and condemnation. God removes that hostile claim by fastening it to the cross.

Next, God “disarmed” the rulers and authorities and “triumphed over them” through Messiah (Col. 2:15). Θριαμβεύω thriambeuō (“lead in triumph”) appears only in 2Corinthians 2:14 and Colossians 2:15 in the New Testament. Paul evokes a public victory procession: the powers that appeared to hold humanity captive have been exposed as defeated enemies.

Bottom line: The cross does not declare evil to be good. It answers the legitimate charge against sinners. Through Yeshua, God forgives the debt, removes its condemning record and breaks the authority of the powers that used sin and death to enslave humanity.

Colossians 2: Was the Torah nailed to the cross?

Messianic scholars Tim Hegg of TorahResource and David Wilber note that Colossians 2 does not portray God’s Torah, Sabbaths or appointed festivals as the problem. Paul confronts teachings that compete with Messiah, impose humanly devised restrictions and disconnect religious practices from their Messiah-centered purpose. However, Hegg and Wilber offer somewhat different reconstructions of the false teachers.

Hegg: The Torah was not nailed to the cross

Tim Hegg’s most relevant discussion appears in his study “The Dividing Wall” in Ephesians 2:14. Although the paper focuses on Ephesians, pages 9–11 examine the parallel use of δόγμα dogma (“decree”) in Colossians 2:14 and Paul’s subsequent references to food, festivals, new moons and Sabbaths.

The “written record” is hostile indebtedness, not God’s Torah

Colossians 2:14 says that God canceled the χειρόγραφον cheirographon, a handwritten record of indebtedness, which was “against us.” Hegg emphasizes that the hostile object is not identified as ὁ νόμος ho nomos, “the Torah.” Instead, Paul describes a record containing δόγματα dogmata, “decrees.”

Hegg argues that δόγμα usually refers to an authoritative ruling or enacted decree. In the LXX it represents royal or governmental enactments in Esther 4:8; 9:1 and Daniel 6:8–12. In the New Testament it describes Caesar’s decrees (Luke 2:1; Acts 17:7) and the Jerusalem Council’s rulings (Acts 16:4). His lexical conclusion is that the term was “used of man-made laws, and not of the God-given Torah of Sinai.” (Hegg, p. 10)

Accordingly, the cross did not cancel God’s standard of righteousness. It canceled the believer’s hostile indebtedness and the condemning decrees standing against the sinner.

This distinction fits the immediate context. Colossians 2:13 says that God forgave the believers’ transgressions. Verse 14 then explains the removal of the record against them. Therefore, what is nailed to the cross is not the definition of sin but the condemning account produced by sin.

Human “fences” must not displace God’s commandments

Hegg connects the “decrees” with humanly constructed legal fences governing food, drink and sacred times. Paul’s warnings against “philosophy,” “human tradition” and regulations such as “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch” identify the problem as humanly imposed religious rules (Col. 2:8, 20–23).

Hegg writes that believers should be free from “man-made fences” whenever those fences “effectively set aside the direct commands of God.” (Hegg, p. 10)

Importantly, Hegg does not reject every interpretive tradition. He notes that Yeshua sometimes accepted traditional Jewish practices. The issue arises when a tradition:

• Becomes equal or superior to Scripture.
• Separates Jewish and non-Jewish believers whom Messiah has united.
• Condemns people on the basis of human rulings.
• Nullifies or obstructs a command God actually gave.

Thus, Colossians 2:16 should be read as protection from illegitimate judgment, not as permission to disregard God’s appointed times.

Messiah’s victory liberates believers for faithful obedience

The movement of Colossians 2 is important. Believers are circumcised “without hands,” buried and raised with Messiah, forgiven, freed from the hostile record and liberated from spiritual rulers and authorities (Col. 2:11–15). Therefore, they must not submit again to a human religious system as though Messiah’s work were insufficient.

In this reading, grace and Torah are not opponents. Grace releases people from condemnation and enslavement so they can live as God’s people. Obedience is the fruit of redemption, not its purchase price.

Wilber: Paul defends celebratory observance against ascetics

Wilber’s most developed treatment is his January 2026 article “Does Colossians 2:16–17 Abolish the Sabbath and Festivals?”. He also provides a shorter video treatment and a chapter-wide message, “In Him You Have Been Filled”.

The Colossians were probably observing the biblical calendar

Wilber begins by identifying an assumption frequently imported into the passage: that Torah-observant critics were condemning the Colossians for not keeping Jewish practices. Colossians 2:16 itself does not tell us which group practiced the festivals. Either interpretation is grammatically possible.

Wilber therefore looks at the larger historical picture. Acts depicts Paul continuing to organize his life around Sabbaths and festivals:

• Paul teaches Jews and Gentiles on Shabbat (Acts 13:14–44; 17:2; 18:4).
• He hurries to reach Jerusalem for Shavuot (Acts 20:16).
• Luke dates the voyage to Rome in relation to Yom Kippur, “the Fast” (Acts 27:9).
• Paul tells the Corinthians, “Let us celebrate the feast,” in a Passover context (1Cor. 5:7–8).
• He plans to remain at Ephesus until Shavuot (1Cor. 16:8).

Wilber also notes that Christians in Asia Minor continued observing Passover on Nisan 14 during the later Quartodeciman controversy. Because Colossae was in Asia Minor, that history makes an early abandonment of the biblical calendar less likely.

His conclusion is that Paul and the Colossians were probably keeping the Sabbath and appointed times and were being criticized for doing so.

“Food and drink” probably mean festive eating and drinking

Wilber argues that βρῶσις brōsis and πόσις posis in Colossians 2:16 refer to the activities of eating and drinking, not specifically to the categories of clean and unclean animals.

That interpretation fits the following references to festivals, new moons and Sabbaths—occasions normally marked by fellowship, rejoicing, food and wine. The Torah does not generally command abstinence from drink, except in limited circumstances such as priestly service or a Nazirite vow.

Consequently, Wilber proposes that ascetic critics objected to the Colossians’ joyful meals. Paul’s instruction would then mean: Do not let ascetics condemn you for eating and drinking as you celebrate God’s appointed times.

Paul’s opponents were ascetics, possibly influenced by Cynic philosophy

Wilber observes that the false teachers promoted:

• Ascetic “humility” (Col. 2:18, 23).
• Severe treatment of the body (2:23).
• “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch” regulations (2:21).
• Angelic worship or participation in angelic worship (2:18).
• Visions that produced spiritual pride (2:18).
• Teachings based on human tradition rather than Messiah (2:8, 22).

These characteristics do not describe ordinary Torah observance. With the exception of Yom Kippur, biblical Sabbaths and festivals emphasize rest, rejoicing and communal meals rather than habitual fasting and bodily severity.

Drawing particularly upon Troy Martin’s scholarship, Wilber suggests that the critics may have been influenced by Cynic philosophy. Ancient Cynics sometimes rejected wine, elaborate meals, cultural calendars and physical comforts. That profile could explain why they criticized believers who organized their lives around a sacred calendar and celebrated with food and drink.

Wilber presents the Cynic identification as a historical proposal, not as something Colossians states explicitly. The firmer contextual conclusion is that the critics’ restrictions arose from “human precepts and teachings,” not from Torah.

“Shadow” gives the festivals meaning rather than declaring them worthless

Wilber pays close attention to Paul’s grammar:

ἅ ἐστιν σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων
ha estin skia tōn mellontōn
“which are a shadow of the things coming”

The verb ἐστιν estin means “are,” not “were.” Furthermore, τῶν μελλόντων tōn mellontōn refers to things that are coming. Wilber therefore argues that the sacred times continued to point forward from Paul’s perspective.

Their horizon includes:

• Messiah’s return and revelation in glory (Col. 3:4).
• The resurrection and glorification of His people.
• The Messianic banquet (Isa. 25:6–9).
• Worldwide Sabbath and new-moon worship (Isa. 66:22–23).
• The nations celebrating Sukkot under the King (Zech. 14:16–19).

A shadow is dependent upon the reality casting it, but it also reveals the reality’s outline. Thus, calling the festivals a shadow does not make them deceptive or pointless. Wilber concludes that the passage “does not invalidate the Sabbath and festivals, but rather affirms their ongoing value.” (Wilber)

Messiah is both the source and goal of the sacred times

Wilber does not detach the festivals from Yeshua. Paul says the σῶμα sōma—the “body,” “reality” or “substance”—belongs to Messiah. The festivals are not alternative ways of attaining spiritual fullness. They have significance because they reveal God’s redemption through Messiah and anticipate His kingdom.

This agrees with the chapter’s governing statement: “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily, and in Him you have been made complete” (Col. 2:9–10). Observance cannot supplement Yeshua, purchase justification or provide access to a higher spiritual rank. Instead, Messiah gives the appointed times their redemptive content.

Pronomian.com: the governing interpretive framework

Pronomian.com defines pronomian Christians as followers of Yeshua who affirm the Torah’s “ongoing validity and authority.” Its overview, “Pronomian Theology,” describes pronomianism as a way of reading Scripture that affirms the continuing authority of the Law of Moses.

Applied to Colossians 2, that framework yields several principles.

A disputed Pauline passage should not be made to repeal clear commandments implicitly

A pronomian reading does not begin by assuming that “shadow” means “abolished.” If Paul intended to announce the repeal of Shabbat, the festivals and biblical food distinctions, the argument should be explicit—especially given Yeshua’s warning against thinking that He came to abolish the Torah and Prophets (Matt. 5:17–19).

Instead, Colossians 2 explicitly identifies the problem as philosophy, empty deception, elemental principles, angelic devotion, human tradition and self-made religion. None of those descriptions is synonymous with the written Torah.

Messiah-centeredness and Torah obedience are not mutually exclusive

Pronomian theology distinguishes between:

• Obeying God because one has been redeemed.
• Attempting to earn redemption through human performance.
• Following human tradition when it agrees with Scripture.
• Submitting to human tradition as though it possessed divine authority.

Consequently, the statement “the substance belongs to Messiah” means that sacred practices must be interpreted through Him. It does not logically mean that practices pointing to Him become disobedient after He comes.

Human regulations must be tested by Scripture

Colossians 2:20 asks why believers submit to regulations as though they still belonged to the world’s spiritual order. The relevant verb, δογματίζω dogmatizō, concerns being subjected to decrees. A pronomian reading asks whether those decrees came from God or from people. Paul answers that the regulations in view are “according to the commandments and teachings of men” (2:22).

Therefore, the chapter warns equally against two errors:

• Abandoning God’s commandments because a human theological system calls them obsolete.
• Adding human restrictions and treating them as though God commanded them.

Where TorahResource and Wilber agree — and differ

Question	Tim Hegg	David Wilber	Pronomian
Was Torah nailed to the cross?	No; the hostile debt and decrees were removed.	No; Messiah canceled the condemning record.	No; Paul does not explicitly repeal Torah.
What were the false teachings?	Human legal fences, including divisive halakhic decrees.	Ascetic human teachings, possibly influenced by Cynic philosophy.	Any human system that displaces Scripture or Messiah.
Were the Colossians keeping the festivals?	They were being freed from human judgments governing their observance.	Probably yes; ascetics criticized their festive observance.	Their observance should not be assumed irrelevant or condemned.
What does “shadow” mean?	A God-given pattern whose reality is Messiah.	A present sign pointing toward the coming Messianic kingdom.	A dependent but meaningful witness to Messiah.
What is Paul’s main remedy?	Freedom from human fences and unity in Messiah.	Fullness in Messiah rather than asceticism or mystical elitism.	Messiah-centered obedience grounded in Scripture.

The main difference concerns the opponents’ identity. Hegg emphasizes rabbinic or community-made legal fences. Wilber’s newer study argues more specifically for non-Torah ascetics and regards Cynic influence as historically plausible. These proposals should not simply be blended: both agree that Paul opposes human regulations, but they reconstruct the source of those regulations differently.

The strongest shared conclusion is more modest and textually secure: Colossians 2 never calls God’s Torah “human tradition,” “self-made religion” or “elemental principles.” Paul’s target is a system that claims spiritual advancement through regulations, ascetic severity, angelic devotion and visionary experience. His answer is that believers already possess fullness, forgiveness, victory and life in Messiah. Therefore, no human authority may condemn them for Messiah-centered participation in God’s appointed times.

Moving from temporary booths to God dwelling with humanity

Sukkot reminds Israel that its ancestors lived in temporary shelters after leaving Egypt (Lev. 23:42–43). Yet the festival also celebrates God’s faithful presence during that vulnerable journey. Zechariah then transforms the memory into a kingdom promise: the nations come to Jerusalem for Sukkot, living water flows outward, and even ordinary cooking pots become “holy to the LORD” (Zech. 14:20–21).

This final holiness inscription uses קֹדֶשׁ לַיהוָה qodesh laYHWH (“Holy to the LORD”), the wording engraved on the high priest’s gold plate in Exodus 28:36. Zechariah envisions priestly holiness spreading beyond the sanctuary. What once distinguished the high priest’s forehead will characterize bells, household vessels and the entire city.

The New Testament completes the trajectory with σκηνόω skēnoō (“to tabernacle, dwell”). The verb is related to σκηνή skēnē (“tent, tabernacle”), though it is distinct from Colossians’ word σκιά skia, “shadow.” John says the Word became flesh and “tabernacled” among us (John 1:14). Revelation then announces that God’s dwelling is with humanity (Rev. 21:3). Other uses of σκηνόω occur in Revelation 7:15; 12:12 and 13:6.

Thus, the story moves from Israel dwelling in booths, to God dwelling among Israel, to the Word dwelling bodily among humanity, and finally to God’s permanent dwelling with a renewed creation.

Bottom line: The goal of redemption is not escape from creation but God dwelling with a holy, restored people. Leviticus supplies the pattern, Zechariah reveals its international kingdom horizon, Colossians identifies its center in Messiah, and Revelation shows its completion.

Related studies