These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
Colossians 2:17
What does Colossians 2:17 mean?
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Colossians 2:17
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse contrasts "shadow" with "body," highlighting that the Old Testament rituals were mere outlines, while Christ himself is the full, vibrant reality. It's not just that Christ fulfills the shadows; the text emphasizes that the very substance of these things belongs to Christ, pointing to his unique role as the source and embodiment of all God's promises.
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing a dangerous spiritual threat in Colossae, where people were being swayed by false teachers who mixed Jewish ceremonial laws with human philosophies. He has just argued that these practices, like dietary restrictions and festivals, have no real spiritual power and cannot make anyone truly complete. This verse explains why those old regulations are now obsolete: they were merely foreshadowing, and the reality they pointed to has arrived in Christ.
Why does Paul compare Old Testament practices to mere shadows? What's the difference between a shadow and the real thing?
Paul is drawing a clear contrast between the ceremonial laws and festivals of Judaism and the reality found in Jesus Christ. The practices like special days, dietary rules, and even circumcision were like shadows – they pointed to something real, but they weren't the reality itself.
Think of it like this: a shadow can show you the shape of a person, but it has no substance, no life of its own. It depends entirely on the object casting it. In the same way, these Old Testament practices were temporary and pointed forward to the true substance, which is found only in Christ.
The Fullness in Christ
When Christ came, He fulfilled the purpose of all these shadows. His life, death, and resurrection are the substance. The rituals and regulations were a temporary, dim outline, but Christ is the full, vibrant reality. Because we now have Christ, the substance, the shadows lose their binding power and significance for believers.
Why were those Old Testament practices no longer binding for Christians? What does this mean for our relationship with rules and traditions today?
Paul is addressing a situation where some believers were being pressured to follow Old Testament regulations, like specific holy days or dietary laws, as if they were still essential for salvation or spiritual maturity. He argues that these were part of the 'shadow' that has now been fulfilled in Christ.
Ask a follow-up
Christ's Fulfillment Abolishes the Shadow
Because Christ is the substance and has accomplished all that those shadows represented, these specific regulations are no longer mandatory for Christians. They were designed for a specific time and purpose, pointing towards the ultimate reality found in Jesus. To insist on them now, as if Christ's work were insufficient, is to misunderstand the Gospel.
This doesn't mean rules and order are unimportant. However, any rules or traditions that aim to bind consciences in the way these Old Testament shadows did, and especially if they detract from the sufficiency of Christ, are to be questioned. True spiritual life comes from our union with Christ, not from adherence to external regulations that have served their prophetic purpose.
Understand the original words
skia · Greek Noun
A temporary, faint representation or outline of an object, used in Scripture to describe Old Testament ceremonial laws that prefigured the reality found in Christ.
soma · Greek Noun
The body or reality itself, as opposed to a mere outline or image; it represents the fulfillment of divine promises and ceremonial types in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament ceremonial laws, including feasts, Sabbaths, and dietary rules, were divinely given signs pointing forward to the ultimate reality found in Jesus Christ. When Christ came, He fulfilled these foreshadowing elements, rendering the shadows obsolete for believers who now possess the substance in Him.
~1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, establishing them as a nation and giving them the Law, including detailed ceremonial and ritualistic instructions.
~1000 BC
Temple in Jerusalem Established
King David plans, and Solomon builds, the First Temple in Jerusalem, serving as the central place for Israel's worship and sacrificial system.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the First Temple, and exile many Israelites, marking a profound crisis for Jewish religious life and identity.
c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Temple
After returning from exile, the Jewish people, with permission from the Persian Empire, rebuild the Second Temple in Jerusalem, restoring their sacrificial and ritual practices.
c. 50 BC - AD 60s
Roman Rule in Judea
The Roman Empire exerts significant political control over Judea, influencing the social and religious landscape where early Christianity emerges.
c. AD 50-60— this verse
Paul Writes to the Colossians
The Apostle Paul, likely imprisoned, writes his letter to the church in Colossae to combat false teachings that were diminishing Christ's supremacy, emphasizing that the Mosaic Law's shadows found their substance in Him.
This passage directly parallels the imagery of shadows and realities, emphasizing that the earthly tabernacle was a copy and shadow of the heavenly reality, which is ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
Hebrews 10:1This verse speaks about the Old Testament law having only a shadow of the good things to come, rather than the true form of those things, directly supporting the 'shadow' aspect of Colossians 2:17.
John 1:14This verse states that 'the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth,' highlighting Christ as the embodiment of truth and reality, the 'substance' that the Old Testament shadows pointed to.
Galatians 3:23-25Paul explains that the law acted as a guardian leading to Christ, but once faith in Christ came, they were no longer under that guardian, showing how the 'shadow' (the law) served its purpose until the 'substance' (Christ) arrived.
barnesColossians 2:17: "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."
Which 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…
vincentColossians 2:17: "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."
Which areExplanatory. Seeing they are. Referring to all the particulars of Colossians 2:16.Shadow of things to comeShadow, not sketch or outline, as is shown by body following. The Mosaic ritual system was to the great verities of the Gospel what the shadow is to the man, a mere general type or resemblance.The body is Christ'sThe substance belongs to the Christian economy. It is derived from Christ, and can be r…
The verse contrasts "shadow" with "body," highlighting that the Old Testament rituals were mere outlines, while Christ himself is the full, vibrant reality. It's not just that Christ fulfills the shadows; the text emphasizes that the very substance of these things belongs to Christ, pointing to his unique role as the source and embodiment of all God's promises.
Paul is addressing a dangerous spiritual threat in Colossae, where people were being swayed by false teachers who mixed Jewish ceremonial laws with human philosophies. He has just argued that these practices, like dietary restrictions and festivals, have no real spiritual power and cannot make anyone truly complete. This verse explains why those old regulations are now obsolete: they were merely foreshadowing, and the reality they pointed to has arrived in Christ.
Paul is addressing a dangerous spiritual threat in Colossae, where people were being swayed by false teachers who mixed Jewish ceremonial laws with human philosophies. He has just argued that these practices, like dietary restrictions and festivals, have no real spiritual power and cannot make anyone truly complete. This verse explains why those old regulations are now obsolete: they were merely foreshadowing, and the reality they pointed to has arrived in Christ.
"These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." — The verse contrasts "shadow" with "body," highlighting that the Old Testament rituals were mere outlines, while Christ himself is the full, vibrant reality. It's not just that Christ fulfills the s…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026