Colossians 2:11 NKJV and Colossians 2:17 NKJV

Many would point to this chapter as proof that God's laws are no longer in effect.

We could read plenty of Paul's other writings about the law to clearly show he meant nothing of that sort.

Here, I just want to point out that the subtitle reads "Not Legalism but Christ" when this portion of the chapter isn't about God's law or legalism.

Paul was addressing a problem the brethren in Colosse were having with ascetics trying to push their ideas on them.

"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come..."

Now this is interesting. The less than stellar translation of 2:17 in the NKJV reads "... but the substance is of Christ." leading one to think that Paul is telling the brethren that those things aren't important— it's all about Christ, which isn't entirely inaccurate. But that's not at all what Paul wrote.

My NKJV margin notes point out that "substance is" should be translated as "body." So, it should read as follows:

"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, (which are a shadow of things to come) but the body of Christ."

By reading Paul's other writings, it's clear to see that the body of Christ is the Church. So, Paul's message here to the brethren in Colosse was that the ascetics don't set policy on how/what we are to eat, drink and observe. The Church has authority to make those decisions.

While the ascetic's ideas of depriving the body of good foods and comfort make a certain amount of sense to the human logic, we have to remember Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."