Colossians 2:17
New International Version
These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

New Living Translation
For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.

English Standard Version
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Berean Standard Bible
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

Berean Literal Bible
which are a shadow the things coming. But the body is of Christ.

King James Bible
Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

New King James Version
which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

New American Standard Bible
things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

NASB 1995
things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

NASB 1977
things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Legacy Standard Bible
things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Amplified Bible
Such things are only a shadow of what is to come and they have only symbolic value; but the substance [the reality of what is foreshadowed] belongs to Christ.

Christian Standard Bible
These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah.

American Standard Version
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.

Contemporary English Version
These things are only a shadow of what was to come. But Christ is real!

English Revised Version
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body [that casts the shadow] belongs to Christ.

Good News Translation
All such things are only a shadow of things in the future; the reality is Christ.

International Standard Version
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Messiah.

Majority Standard Bible
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

NET Bible
these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ!

New Heart English Bible
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.

Webster's Bible Translation
Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Weymouth New Testament
These were a shadow of things that were soon to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

World English Bible
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
which are a shadow of the coming things, but the body [is] of the Christ;

Berean Literal Bible
which are a shadow the things coming. But the body is of Christ.

Young's Literal Translation
which are a shadow of the coming things, and the body is of the Christ;

Smith's Literal Translation
Which are a shadow of things about to be; and the body of Christ.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For these are a shadow of the future, but the body is of Christ.

New American Bible
These are shadows of things to come; the reality belongs to Christ.

New Revised Standard Version
These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
These are shadows of things to come; but the main objective is Christ.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because these things are shadows of those things that were future, but The Messiah is the body.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
which things are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is in Christ,

Godbey New Testament
which things are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Haweis New Testament
which are merely shadows of things to come: but the body is Christ?s.

Mace New Testament
for these were only the shadows of future things, prefiguring Christ, who is the substance.

Weymouth New Testament
These were a shadow of things that were soon to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Worrell New Testament
which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is Christ's.

Worsley New Testament
which are a shadow of good things to come, but the body is of Christ.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Alive in Christ
16Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. 17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.…

Cross References
Hebrews 10:1
For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.

Hebrews 8:5
The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Galatians 3:24-25
So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. / Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 9:9-10
It is an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and sacrifices being offered were unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper. / They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.

Matthew 5:17
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.

John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:15
by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace

Romans 10:4
For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.

1 Corinthians 10:11
Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

Hebrews 9:23
So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

Galatians 4:9-10
But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? / You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

Romans 6:14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

2 Corinthians 3:14
But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.

Hebrews 7:18-19
So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless / (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.


Treasury of Scripture

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

a shadow.

John 1:17
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 8:5
Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

Hebrews 9:9
Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

the body.

Matthew 11:28,29
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…

Hebrews 4:1-11
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it…

Jump to Previous
Belongs Body Christ Christ's Found However Image Mere Reality Shadow Soon Substance
Jump to Next
Belongs Body Christ Christ's Found However Image Mere Reality Shadow Soon Substance
Colossians 2
1. Paul still exhorts them to be constant in Christ;
8. to beware of philosophy, and vain traditions;
18. worshipping of angels;
20. and legal ceremonies, which are ended in Christ.














These are a shadow
The phrase "These are a shadow" refers to the ceremonial laws and rituals of the Old Testament, such as dietary laws, festivals, and Sabbaths. The Greek word for "shadow" is "skia," which implies a mere outline or a foreshadowing of something greater. In the context of the Bible, shadows are often used to signify things that are temporary and not the ultimate reality. The Old Testament laws served as a precursor to the coming of Christ, who is the fulfillment of the law. This understanding is crucial for Christians, as it emphasizes that the rituals were not the end goal but pointed towards something more substantial and eternal.

of the things to come
This phrase indicates that the Old Testament laws and rituals were prophetic, pointing towards future realities. The "things to come" are the spiritual truths and realities brought about by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a historical context, the Jewish people were awaiting the Messiah, and these laws were a preparation for His coming. Theologically, this points to the new covenant established through Christ, which brings a deeper, more profound relationship with God, transcending the old covenant's limitations.

but the body that casts it
The term "body" here is translated from the Greek word "sōma," which signifies the substance or reality as opposed to the shadow. The "body" represents the true form and essence of what the shadows pointed towards. In a spiritual sense, this means that the reality of salvation, grace, and truth is found in Christ. The "body" is the fulfillment and completion of what the Old Testament laws symbolized. This highlights the transition from the old covenant, based on adherence to the law, to the new covenant, centered on faith in Christ.

belongs to Christ
This phrase underscores the centrality of Christ in Christian faith and theology. Everything that the Old Testament foreshadowed finds its fulfillment in Jesus. The Greek word for "belongs" is "estin," which denotes possession or ownership. This indicates that the reality and substance of all spiritual truths are found in Christ alone. Historically, this was a radical shift for early Christians, especially those from a Jewish background, as it redefined their understanding of the law and their relationship with God. From a conservative Christian perspective, this affirms the belief that salvation and spiritual fulfillment are found exclusively in Jesus Christ, who is the cornerstone of faith.

(17) Which are a shadow . . . but the body (the substance) is of Christ.--The spirit of the passage is precisely that of the argument which runs through the Epistle to the Hebrews. "The Law had a shadow of good things to come, not the very image (or, substance) of the things" (Hebrews 10:1). When St. Paul deals with the legal and coercive aspect of the Law, he calls it "the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ." (See Galatians 3:24, and Note there.) When he turns to its ritual aspect, he describes it as simply foreshadowing or typifying the substance; and therefore useful before the revelation of the substance, useless or (if trusted in) worse than useless, after it. In every way "Christ is the end of the Law" (Romans 10:4).

Verse 17. - Which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is of Christ (Galatians 3:23-25; Galatians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 3:11, 13; Hebrews 7:18, 19; Hebrews 9:11-14; Hebrews 10:1-4). The apostle's opponents, we imagine, taught in Platonic fashion that these things were shadows of ideal truth and of the invisible world (comp. Hebrews 8:5), forms necessary to our apprehension of spiritual things. With St. Paul, they shadow forth prophetically the concrete facts of the Christian revelation, and therefore are displaced by its advent. The singular verb (literally, is) quite grammatically combines the particulars of ver. 16 under their common idea of a foreshadowing of the things of Christ; and the present tense affirms here a general truth, not a mere historical fact. How this was true of the "sabbath," e.g., appears in Hebrews 4:1-11; comp. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 19:36, for the Christian import of the Passover feast. The figurative antithesis of "shadow" and "body" is sufficiently obvious; it occurs in Philo and in Josephus: to refer to ver. 19 and Colossians 1:18 for the sense of body, is misleading. For "the things to come" (the things of Christ and of the new, Christian era, now commencing), comp. Romans 4:24; Romans 5:14; Galatians 3:23; Hebrews 2:5; Hebrews 10:1. This substance of the new, abiding revelation (2 Corinthians 3:11) is "Christ's," inasmuch as it centres in and is pervaded and governed by Christ (Colossians 1:18; Colossians 3:11; Romans 10:4; 2 Corinthians 3:14). Nothing is said here to discountenance positive Christian institutions, or the observance of the Lord's day in particular, unless enforced in a Judaistic spirit. The apostle is protecting Gentile Christians from the re-imposition of Jewish institutions as such, as impairing their faith in Christ (comp. Galatians 5:2-9), and as, in the case of the Colossians, involving a deference to the authority of angels which limited his sovereignty and sufficiency (vers. 8-10, 18, 19). This verse contains in germ much of the thought of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
These
(ha)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

are
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

a shadow
σκιὰ (skia)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4639: Apparently a primary word; 'shade' or a shadow (darkness of error or an adumbration).

of the things
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

to come,
μελλόντων (mellontōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3195: A strengthened form of melo; to intend, i.e. Be about to be, do, or suffer something.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[the] body [ that casts it ]
σῶμα (sōma)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4983: Body, flesh; the body of the Church. From sozo; the body, used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.

belongs to
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Christ.
Χριστοῦ (Christou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.


Links
Colossians 2:17 NIV
Colossians 2:17 NLT
Colossians 2:17 ESV
Colossians 2:17 NASB
Colossians 2:17 KJV

Colossians 2:17 BibleApps.com
Colossians 2:17 Biblia Paralela
Colossians 2:17 Chinese Bible
Colossians 2:17 French Bible
Colossians 2:17 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: Colossians 2:17 Which are a shadow of the things (Coloss. Col Co)
Colossians 2:16
Top of Page
Top of Page