In verse 8 of this passage, Paul warns the Christians of Colossae not to let anyone lead them astray with false doctrine according to human traditions or "elementary principles of the world", since we are made complete in Christ when we accept His righteousness (verse 10) rather than our own. As was seen previously in Galatians 4:9-10, the "days and months and seasons and years" were defined as part of the "elemental things of the world" that kept the Christians of Galatia in bondage and from entering into the fullness of the Gospel of Christ. Paul here cautions Christians from falling into the trap of legalistically trying to keep precepts of the Old Covenant while under the New Covenant. This is like pouring new wine into old wineskins (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-38). The result is disastrous!

In verses 11-12, Paul takes the Old Covenant sign of circumcision and illustrates how Christ symbolically fulfilled it and connects it to baptism. Circumcision was the entrance sign into the Old Covenant community for the sons of Israel. Baptism is the entrance sign into the New Covenant community for the Christian Church. This passage also shows that circumcision pointed forward to Christ and was not to continue as a sign in the New Covenant, but is replaced by baptism. As a side note, the continuing sign in the Old Covenant was Sabbath observance (Exodus 31:12-18), while the continuing sign in the New Covenant is the celebration of the Lord's Supper (Luke 22:19-20).

In verses 13-14, a question to ask is this: What was the "certificate of debt consisting of decrees" nailed to the cross? The context so far has been the Old Covenant. How was the Old Covenant "against us"? According to Deuteronomy, one of the functions of the Old Covenant law was to act as a "witness" against Israel if they broke it, or sinned.

In the Greek text, the word for "Sabbath" in verse 16, sabbáton, could be translated "Sabbath days." But the fact this is so does not mean it cannot have a singular meaning. In the Greek text for the following Scriptural passages the word "Sabbath" appears in the plural, but the context requires a singular translation.

In light of these examples, it would be illogical to say that since "Sabbath" appears in the plural in the Greek text of Colossians 2:16 that it must not be referring to the weekly Sabbath.

In many other places in the Bible, the weekly Sabbath day is mentioned along with a new moon day. In such places, the new moon is considered by the Jewish people to be at the same level of significance as the weekly Sabbath. Good examples of this can be found in 2 Kings 4, Isaiah 66, Ezekiel 46, and Amos 8.

As implied earlier in the Isaiah 66:22-24 passage, it is inconsistent to say that the Sabbath day mentioned there is binding while at the same time declaring the new moon days to be ceremonial and no longer binding. These passages also show that a weekly Sabbath cannot be separated from the other Sabbath days of the Mosaic Law, since it too is often mentioned along with new moon days. As Colossians 2:17 says, all these days, including the weekly Sabbath, were "mere shadows" that pointed to Christ, the "substance" of true Sabbath rest. Consider these verses in John 6 and Matthew 11.

Matthew 11:28
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

A common saying during the time of the Roman Empire, and one that is still used even today, is that "all roads lead to Rome." In Scripture, Christ is the way to life. He is the center. The sacrificial and dietary laws, and days of the Old Covenant all pointed to Christ. He is the end of the road, the destination for all our needs. Jesus is our food. Jesus is our drink. Jesus is our rest. In Christ we are complete (Colossians 2:10). Therefore food, drink, and the day of worship are no longer significant issues, and they should not be points of contention among Christians. The focus should always be on Christ, our all in all.

This passage further emphasizes the point that the day in which one chooses to assemble for worship should not be used as an opportunity by Christians to judge other Christians and cause divisions, since it is the relationship with the Lord that really matters, not the day one chooses to assemble for worship. The day one chooses to worship is left between that person and God. It is a personal matter of conscience or conviction, and this passage warns Christians not to judge their fellow siblings in Christ in this matter. The same goes for diet as well.