Colossians 2:16
“Let no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,”
What does Colossians 2:16 mean?
Paul is telling the Colossian church not to let anyone make them feel guilty about their choices around food, drink, or religious observances. Jewish law had detailed rules about what was clean or unclean to eat, and special days to observe, and some believers were apparently trying to impose these practices on others as requirements for being truly faithful. What Paul emphasizes here is that Christ has freed us from the burden of proving our spiritual worth through external rules. If someone is judging you for what you eat, how you fast, or which days you keep holy, that's their problem to work through, not something you need to accept as truth about yourself. This doesn't mean all choices are the same, but it means your relationship with God isn't secured or lost based on following a checklist of religious practices. For people in difficult seasons especially, this is a gentle reminder: you don't need to earn God's acceptance through perfect behavior or strict rule-keeping. You're already accepted.