Colossians 2:16

Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Paul writes to the Colossian believers immediately after describing Christ’s disarming of spiritual powers on the cross. He addresses a community facing external pressure to measure spiritual standing by ritual observance.

The words — κρινέτω (krinetō) literally means “should judge,” and βρώσει (brōsei) means “food.” The Greek construction places a direct negative prohibition on external evaluation.

The thread — The tension over judging dietary and calendar practices appears in Romans 14:5, 14:10, and 14:13. These passages consistently warn believers against passing judgment on one another over secondary matters.

Why it lands — The text commands readers to refuse external judgment over food, drink, and sacred days. It requires believers to anchor their standing in Christ rather than ritual compliance.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

ΜὴMēNot οὖνountherefore τιςtisanyone ὑμᾶςhumasyou κρινέτωkrinetōshould judge ἐνenin regard to βρώσειbrōseifood καὶkaior ἐνenin regard to πόσειposeidrink ἢēor ἐνenin μέρειmereiregard ἑορτῆςhe'ortēsto a feast ἢēor νεομηνίαςneomēniasa New Moon ἢēor σαββάτων,sabbatōnSabbaths,

King James Version

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:

Cross-references

Romans 14:5 One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
Romans 14:10 Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Galatians 4:10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
Romans 14:2 For one person has faith to eat all things, while another, who is weak, eats only vegetables.
Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace and not by foods of no value to those devoted to them.
Ezekiel 45:17 And it shall be the prince’s part to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings for the feasts, New Moons, and Sabbaths—for all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel.
1 Chronicles 23:31 Whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, they were to serve regularly before the LORD in the numbers prescribed for them.
Nehemiah 10:33 for the showbread, for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings, for the Sabbath offerings, for the New Moons and appointed feasts, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the duties of the house of our God.
Matthew 15:11 A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”