Introduction

• Colossians 2:21 – “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”
• Colossians 2:20-22 – Context.

Consider the original meaning …

… in that culture.

• Proverbs 31:31 – “let her works praise her in the gates”
  • “Gates” was a common cultural idiom.
• Matthew 5:20 – “scribes and Pharisees”
  • Matthew 23:1-3; Mark 7:3 – More information about scribes and Pharisees and why Jesus rebuked them.
• Matthew 18:17 – “as a Gentile and a tax collector”
  • In that culture, Gentiles and tax collectors were hated and the Jews would not associate with them.

… to those people.

• Jeremiah 29:11 – “… plans for welfare”
  • The context is the exile in Babylon.
• John 16:13 – “the Spirit … will guide you into all truth”
• I Corinthians 7:27 – “Do not seek a wife.”

… using those words.

• “Samaritan”

  • This word has a good connotation today, but it didn’t then!

  • John 4:9

  • John 88:48 – They used it as a bad name to call someone!

• “church”

  • Acts 8:3 – The word church means “people.”

• “fellowship”

• “baptism”

Even if specifics have changed, find what is relevant to us.

• Jeremiah 29:11

• I Corinthians 14

  • I Corinthians 14:5 – Our concern should be edification.

  • I Corinthians 14:40 – Worship should be orderly.

• II Timothy 3:15 – Young people can study scripture. The Old Testament is valuable to study.

• None of the Bible was written to us, but it was written for us!

Beware of wild interpretations that stray from the original meaning.

• Example: “Puff the Magic Dragon”
• Example: Jehovah’s Witnesses and Daniel 4:23-25

Bringing it all together

• Test case: Matthew 24

  • Matthew 24:1-2 – The destruction of the temple was the context.

  • Matthew 24:34 – The events would happen within the lifetime of those present. The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., which fits the prophecy by Jesus.