To answer this question, we need to see that in verses 11-14 Paul is contrasting the Jew’s religion (Judaism) with the truth of Christianity. He mentions “circumcision” in verse 11, which was a physical “cutting off the flesh of a Jewish male’s foreskin” that marked them out as being in an outward relation to God. It did not save them from their sins and make them fit for heaven. Verse 11 says, “And in Him (Christ) you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ” (NASB). The “circumcision of Christ” refers to Christ being cut off in death on the cross where our FLESH (the “sinful nature” …Romans 7:17-20) was judged by God. Every believer has had a “spiritual circumcision” resulting in the “removal of the sinful flesh” in God’s sight. Believers can say that “when Christ died, I died.” We DIED TO SIN (see Romans 6:6-11).

Let’s read those verses 13-14, “and you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, HAVING WIPED OUT THE HANDWRITING OF REQUIREMENTS that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nail it to the cross.” The “handwriting of requirements” refers to the Law, the Ten Commandments, which were against us because they commanded us to keep God’s holy requirements and then CONDEMNED US for not keeping them. But this also refers to the “ceremonial law” that was given to Israel where God commanded the Jews with respect to holy days, what food they could or could not eat, and many other laws pertaining to every aspect of life. As we shall see in verse 16-17, these things foreshadowed the Person and Work of Christ. They were not meant to “save one’s soul” but they taught man he needed a Savior, and they looked on to what Christ would do on the cross. Sadly, many Jews started to trust in these commandments; they thought they could be “saved from their sins” by obeying them. At the cross Christ died and endured “the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:10-14) and when He died the Law was “taken out of the way.” In this we learn that believers have also DIED TO THE LAW (Romans 7:1-4). Thus, we are “not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

Now let’s read Colossians 2:16-17, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Having learned we have “died to the Law” we should NOT “let anyone JUDGE US for not obeying all the commandments that were given to the Jews.” In Paul’s day I’m sure there were many Jews who were still not saved and were trying to “keep the Law to be saved,” including the laws pertaining to “food and drink, feast days, and the keeping of the Sabbath.” They would then JUDGE those who weren’t under the Law by commanding them to “keep the Law.” I would encourage you to read Acts 15:1-5 as an example and then read verses 6-11 to show that “the law could not save sinners but faith in Jesus Christ does.

In closing, I trust you see that in Colossians 2:16 we have a case where JUDGING is condemned. But there are things that we are to JUDGE. We are to “JUDGE sin that breaks out in a local church” (1 Corinthians chapter 5). We are to “JUDGE ourselves before partaking of the Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 11:17-32). We are to “JUDGE those who are prophesying (speaking for God)” by testing their words by Scripture” (1 Corinthians 14:29 with 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). There are other examples in Scripture where we are instructed to JUDGE, and we do have another clear example of when we are NOT TO JUDGE someone in Matthew 7:1-5 (which I would encourage you to read).  (DO)  (704.5)