"He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
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. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ."
(Col. 2:15-17)
I for one will take the word of the Apostle Paul over your own authority any time. It's God's word on it too.
I cannot believe you folks continue to use, as proof of your position, the very scripture that shows your error.
Paul is speaking to newly converted, previously pagan Greeks. Why in the world would he bother to mention something that they had no knowledge of? He is instructing them in the observance of New moon Festivals, Sabbaths etc.
Look at the previous statement in verse 8. Would you say the observance of these things are a tradition of men?
If you think that Paul is saying that the holy days God commanded to be observed in scripture are no longer to be observed than you must believe Paul is a liar or an idiot.
You must believe that because Paul says that he is talking about these kinds of practices in Colossians 2:
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
The Lord's feast days are NOT philosophy or vain deceit. They are not traditions of men. They are not rudiments of the world. They are divine commandments from the living God.
Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Col 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
The Lord's feast days are NOT commandments and doctrines of men, but ARE commandments and doctrines of God.
So you MUST believe that Paul was so idiotic as to believe that scriptural holy days were NOT scriptural...OR that he was lying to the Colossians and telling them that the holy days created by God were actually created by men.
Choose your poison or study God's word further to see where you have erred.
Here's what the KJV says:
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Too often people read the letters of Paul as if they were written to us here in the 21st century. It sure looks to me that Paul was making a "what comes first, the chicken or the egg?" argument. He is saying that yes, obedience to the Law is required, but your motivation is the key. Do you obey God because of your faith, or are you going along with the crowd trying to be self-righteous. You cannot be saved by works, but your works will illustrate your faith. Here is a quote from Paul that I seldom see posted here on FR (except by me)
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
The quotes in Acts about what the Gentiles ought to do:
Act 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. Act 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well, Fare ye well. Act 21:25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. When coupled with:
Rom 2:15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
and
Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
and
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and plot to change times and laws. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and one-half time.
Sure puts things in a different light, huh? If the Gentiles were not to eat meat sacrificed to idols, then certainly they didn't keep the pagan festivals, no? No objective theologian (backyard or otherwise) can deny the pagan origins, or at least the non-scriptural origin, of the holiday Easter. For when Jesus said:
Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
They were celebrating Passover
Luk 22:8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.