Colossians 2:16-23--Let No One Disqualify You

Let No One Disqualify You​
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. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

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The issue of Judaisers seems to be at the heart of this passage as once again, Paul has to address that Gentiles don't need to first become Jewish and adhere to all the of the Law before becoming Christians.  None of these Gentile Christians were to let anyone pass judgment on them for not eating what we would call a Kosher diet or their for not celebrating the Jewish holy days (holidays).  Paul says that all of the things that the Jews celebrate in their feasts, festivals, and even Sabbath days are but a foreshadowing of the better things that are to come when we are united with Christ.

Also, they should not listen to the "wisdom" of the Greek philosophers that were trying to mix their paganism with Christianity and make a false gospel--for example, the Gnostics.  There were various false gospels and false doctrines that Paul is summing up in these few words here, but essentially Paul is telling the Colossians like he told the Galatians not to believe any other gospel.  They need to hold fast to Jesus and Him alone because it is by Him through Him and for Him that we exist and are held together.

If we died to the world through the work of the crucifixion, then why would anyone turn to the world and its systems to tell them how to be a Christian?  The world has no valid input to give here, even if it was from a system such as Judaism that was somehow closely connected with those who were the first Christians.  The laws were there to protect us and if we obey the Law, we do so out of love for the one who is the Law-Giver, but not out of a desire to earn favor with God.  We are not saved by religion that weighs our good deeds against our bad deeds, but by a relations and if we are "in Christ" or "in Adam."  No amount of good works or acts of contrition will save us.  We are sinful by nature and only a change in nature brought about by the gospel (and eventually Christ conquering sin, death, the devil and all those who have rebelled against God) will free us from the very presence of sin.  Until then, only the gospel and allowing the Holy Spirit to fight for us and live through us will give us victory over the power of sin in our lives.