Colossians 2:17

Colossians 2:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
• New International Version (NIV)These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
• English Standard Version (ESV)These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
• New King James Version (NKJV)which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Context of Colossians 2:17

15On the cross, Christ took away the power of the bad spirits that have authority to rule people. He showed clearly that he himself has won against them. Now everyone can see that those bad spirits have no power. 16Some people may tell you that it is wrong for you to eat or to drink certain things. Or they make rules about special festival days, about new moons, or about the Jewish days for rest. Do not agree with people like that. Rules like that are only like shadows of real things that would happen later. But now we have what is real, Christ himself! 18Some people may tell you that you must always serve other people like a slave. They may tell you that you must worship angels. Do not let those people speak bad things against you. They like to talk a lot about the special things that God has shown them. They think that they are very clever. But their ideas only come from human minds. 19False teachers like that do not receive their message from Christ. As God's people, we are like a body and Christ is like our head. He is the one who causes the whole body to be strong. He helps us to work well together, like the different parts of a body. Then we can all grow properly, because it is God who is helping us to grow.

Colossians 2:17 word by word

ἅ ἐστιν σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων, τὸ δὲ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• a shadowσκιάskia · shadowG4639
• of things to comeμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
• butδέde · thenG1161
• the bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• of ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547

Cross-references for Colossians 2:17

• John 1:17God gave his Law to us through Moses. But Jesus Christ brought God's grace and his truth to us.
• Hebrews 8:5But the way that those Levite priests work is only like a picture of the true things in heaven. It is like a shadow of what would happen in heaven. Long ago, when Moses was ready to make the tabernacle, God warned him about it. God said to Moses, ‘Be careful to make everything just like the plan which I showed you on the mountain.’
• Hebrews 9:9This is like a picture that means something for us today. It teaches us about the gifts and sacrifices that people offered to God, to worship him. When someone gave those things to God, it could not make him clean again in his mind.
• Hebrews 10:1God's laws which he gave to Moses are like a shadow of the good things that would come later. But those laws do not show exactly what those good things are like. They say that the priests must continue to offer the same sacrifices on behalf of the people, year after year. So those sacrifices can never make the people completely clean when they come to worship God.
• Matthew 11:28Come to me all of you who are tired. You are like people who have worked for a long time. You are like people who have carried heavy things. Come to me. If you do that, you will find a place to rest.
• Hebrews 4:1God promised his people that they could go to his special place of rest. That promise is still true for us today. So we must be very careful. Do not fail to arrive in that place. We certainly do not want that to happen.

Commentaries on Colossians 2:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Which are a shadow - All these things were types, and must continue in force till the Christ, whom they represented, came; the apostle therefore says that the body - the substance or design of them was of Christ - pointed him out, and the excellent blessings which he has procured. The word , shadow, is often used to express any thing imperfect or unsubstantial; while the term , body, was used in the opposite sense, and expressed any thing substantial…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Which are a shadow of things to come - See the notes at Hebrews 8:5; Hebrews 10:1, note. They were only a dim outline of future things, not the reality. But the body is of Christ - The reality, the substance. All that they signified is of or in Christ. Between those things themselves which are in Christ, and those which only represented or prefigured them, there is as much difference as there is between a body and a shadow; a solid substance and a mere…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-17Verses 8-17 There is a philosophy which rightly exercises our reasonable faculties; a study of the works of God, which leads us to the knowledge of God, and confirms our faith in him. But there is a philosophy which is vain and deceitful; and while it pleases men's fancies, hinders their faith: such are curious speculations about things above us, or no concern to us. Those who walk in the way of the world, are turned from following Christ. We have in Him…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17The Old Testament ceremonies anticipated the coming of Christ, which Paul refers to as shadows (see also Hebrews 10:1).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. things to come--the blessings of the Christian covenant, the substance of which Jewish ordinances were but the type. Compare "ages to come," that is, the Gospel dispensation (Ep 2:7). He 2:5, "the world to come." the body is of Christ--The real substance (of the blessings typified by the law) belongs to Christ (He 8:5; 10:1).Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 2:17

• Law
• Philosophy
• Types

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Complete
• Conflict
• Shadow
• Subject
• Treasure
• Trespass
• Apostolic Age
• Astrology

Commentaries on Colossians 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings