Looking at Col. 2:16

[djconklin74]

Question on my mind: what does the first "or" mean, or how does it affect the interpretation of the text?

Col. 2:16: "Let no man therefore judge you in eating and in drinking
or in respect of [i.e., in that part of] a feast,
or of the new moon,
or of the sabbath-days"

[Fenris]

The next verse seems to make the meaning clear:

"Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."

Paul is making the point that in his estimation, Biblical law is no longer in effect.

[RabbiKnife]

The next verse seems to make the meaning clear:

"Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."

Paul is making the point that in his estimation, Biblical law is no longer in effect.

I love it when our Jewish space laser toting rabbi in training understands New Testament theology better than many Christians…

In particular Paul is pointing out that the physical isn’t deterministic

[davy]

I think some in Christ abuse that Col.2:16 Scripture, as also 1 Timothy 4:3-5 about the subject of God's health law.

I see God's health laws first given in the Old Testament time more like science than just religious dogma.

Shellfish is on God's do-not-eat list, and the reason ought to be simple. It's because shellfish are scavengers God created to cleanse the oceans and seas. That's too bad because I love shrimp, crab, and lobster. Yet eating a lot of shellfish can clog up your arteries, just as other scavenger meat will also do. So there's good reason why God originally commanded the Israelites to not eat from the unhealthy list of meats.

But under the New Covenant, the 'science'... behind that DID NOT CHANGE. It is still unhealthy to our flesh body to eat a lot of shellfish and scavenger meats. So can we really... say God's health law is now done away with in Christ Jesus? No, not really.

The difference is that in Christ we are FREED from religious penalties if we eat from the unhealthy list in God's law. Doesn't mean our flesh bodies will be as healthy if we continually eat from the unhealthy list, and that because of the 'science' of the poisons in the scavenger meats, God having designed scavengers to cleanse the earth of impurities.

[watchinginawe]

Question on my mind: what does the first "or" mean, or how does it affect the interpretation of the text?

Col. 2:16: "Let no man therefore judge you in eating and in drinking
or in respect of [i.e., in that part of] a feast,
or of the new moon,
or of the sabbath-days"

The Textus Receptus doesn't seem to make any distinction on the first "or". What are your thoughts? Are you intrigued by the difference between the TR and the NA26 perhaps?

I would guess the NASB where it says "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--", it probably could be read as "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to "food or drink", or in respect to a festival, or a new moon, or a Sabbath day...

So, in the NASB, you get "food and drink" as one thing in the list as opposed to the list in the KJV which is "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:..." all with the commas and everything with all uses of "or" by the same Greek word. Thus, meat is first in the list, drink is second, and so on.