Colossians Chapter 2 Verses 20-23

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, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.”   

The question arising from the above text is based on the principle that we are dead with Christ.  Now we should indeed reckon and understand that when Christ died we died with him and when he arose we arose with him.  As a result of Christ’s death and our being dead with him we are dead to the condemning affects of sin.  Thus, the question arises as to what authority do we worship and serve God under?  Do we worship under the authority of the world or of some religious system or even under a system that we have developed for ourselves?  Is our worship under an internal conviction that we worship and serve God based on the teaching of his word, or do we worship under an external authority after the commandments and doctrines of men such as previously stated?   

If we don’t have an internal conviction for how we worship and serve God, then we will attempt to worship under an external set of ordinances.  An example of this might be that we follow a set of dietary rules such as eating no meat or eating no pork or following only a vegan diet or vegetarian diet as a part of our religious exercises and condemn others who do not follow that particular set of dietary rules.  Or we may set up as ordinances that we must observe certain special days as Sabbath days or religious holidays that we must observe and condemn others who do not observe those days.  Or else, we may set up a set of rules that we do not observe certain days and condemn others for observing those days.   

“After the commandments and doctrines of men?”  There are other scriptures that teach that we are not worship after the commandments and doctrines of men: 

    1.  Matt. 15:9 “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

    2.  Mark 7:7 “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” 

    3.  Matt. 16:11 “How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” 

“Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.”  We are not to make a show of religion.  We are not to worship the will; we are to worship God.  We are not to make a show of humility but we are to be truly humble.  Also, there is no honor in satisfying the flesh, of which, worshipping the commandments and doctrines of men is designed to satisfy the flesh. All honor and glory belong to God.