(referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Colossians 2:22
What does Colossians 2:22 mean?
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Colossians 2:22
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These rules are described as "things that all perish as they are used." This highlights the absurdity of giving eternal significance to earthly things like food and drink, which are inherently temporary and meant for consumption. They are ultimately based on "human precepts and teachings," not divine authority, making them empty and meaningless for spiritual life.
(referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is concluding his argument against the false teachers who are imposing man-made rules and regulations on the believers in Colossae. He has already established that these rules are ineffective for spiritual growth and are a return to the weak and beggarly elements of the world. He argues that since believers have died with Christ, they are no longer bound by these human-made ordinances.
Paul drops a truth bomb here: some things are literally designed to disappear. What does that tell us about what we should base our lives on?
Paul calls out the rules about not touching, tasting, or handling certain things. He points out a crucial fact: these things are 'destined for corruption in the using.' Think about it – food is meant to be eaten, and when you eat it, it's gone! It nourishes the body for a time, but it doesn't last forever.
This isn't just about food; it's about any rule or practice that focuses on external, temporary things. If something is designed to be used up and disappear, it can't be the foundation for something eternal like our relationship with God. Attaching deep spiritual significance to these fleeting items is like building a house on sand – it just won't hold up.
Paul contrasts these perishing rules with their origin. Why does it matter so much that they come from humans and not from God?
The verse ends by asking if these rules are 'according to human precepts and teachings.' This is the nail in the coffin for these regulations. Paul isn't just saying they're old rules; he's saying they are man-made.
Why is this distinction so critical? Because God's truth is eternal and unchanging, while human ideas are flawed and temporary. When we follow rules created by people, we're grounding our faith in something that will eventually fade away, just like the food they tried to regulate. True spirituality, according to Paul, isn't found in adhering to human traditions but in aligning ourselves with God's commands and His Son, Jesus Christ.
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Understand the original words
phthoran · Greek Noun
Refers to the temporal, transient nature of material things. Scripture contrasts these decaying physical elements with the eternal realities of the kingdom of God.
entalmata · Greek Noun
Refers to rules or traditions established by people rather than those ordained by God. In the New Testament, these are often contrasted with the authoritative commands of Christ and the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
The 'commandments and doctrines of men' Paul addresses were not just abstract rules, but practices influenced by existing Jewish traditions, Hellenistic philosophies, and ascetic groups like the Essenes, all of which offered a false path to spirituality that bypassed Christ's finished work.
c. 49 BC
Rise of Essene Communities
The Essenes, a Jewish sect known for their asceticism, communal living, and strict adherence to purity laws, emerged during this period. Their practices likely influenced some of the early Christian ascetical teachings.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Ministry and Teachings
Jesus directly challenged the Pharisees' traditions and human interpretations of God's law, emphasizing inner purity over outward ritual. His teachings, particularly on dietary laws and the weightier matters of the law, formed a foundation for Paul's arguments.
c. AD 49
Council of Jerusalem
This council addressed whether Gentile converts to Christianity needed to follow Jewish law, including circumcision and dietary restrictions. The decision to not require these for Gentiles underscored a move away from strict adherence to Mosaic law for salvation.
c. AD 50-52
Paul's Ministry in Ephesus
Paul spent a significant amount of time in Ephesus, a major city in the Roman province of Asia Minor, near Colossae. During this period, he would have encountered and ministered to the churches in the Lycus Valley, including Colossae.
c. AD 60-62— this verse
Paul's Imprisonment and Letter to the Colossians
While imprisoned, likely in Rome or Caesarea, Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians. He addressed a specific heretical teaching that was influencing the church, which included elements of asceticism, angel worship, and adherence to various regulations.
Jesus teaches that what enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated, highlighting that food itself doesn't corrupt a person's inner spiritual state.
1 Corinthians 6:13Paul states that 'food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food,' and God will destroy both, emphasizing the temporary and physical nature of such things.
Romans 14:17This passage clearly states that 'the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,' directly contrasting outward regulations with true spiritual realities.
Isaiah 29:13Jesus quotes this prophecy about people honoring God with their lips while their hearts are far away, directly connecting human-made religious rules to a lack of true devotion.
henryColossians 2:18-23: "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,"
2:18-23 It looked like humility to apply to angels, as if men were conscious of their unworthiness to speak directly to God. But it is not warrantable; it is taking that honour which is due to Christ only, and giving it to a creature. There really was pride in this seeming humility. Those who wors…
calvinColossians 2:20-23: "Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,"
- If ye are dead. He had previously said, that the ordinances were fastened to the cross of Christ. (Colossians 2:14.) He now employs another figure of speech -- that we are dead to them, as he teaches us elsewhere, that we are dead to the law, and the law, on the other hand, to us. (Galatians 2:19.) The term death means abrogation, [416]…
These rules are described as "things that all perish as they are used." This highlights the absurdity of giving eternal significance to earthly things like food and drink, which are inherently temporary and meant for consumption. They are ultimately based on "human precepts and teachings," not divine authority, making them empty and meaningless for spiritual life.
Paul is concluding his argument against the false teachers who are imposing man-made rules and regulations on the believers in Colossae. He has already established that these rules are ineffective for spiritual growth and are a return to the weak and beggarly elements of the world. He argues that since believers have died with Christ, they are no longer bound by these human-made ordinances.
Paul is concluding his argument against the false teachers who are imposing man-made rules and regulations on the believers in Colossae. He has already established that these rules are ineffective for spiritual growth and are a return to the weak and beggarly elements of the world. He argues that since believers have died with Christ, they are no longer bound by these human-made ordinances.
"(referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?" — These rules are described as "things that all perish as they are used." This highlights the absurdity of giving eternal significance to earthly things like food and drink, which are inherently tempor…
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Last reviewed October 2026