Judging the Sabbath: Discovering What Can't Be Found in Colossians 2:16

Sabbatarians have argued for centuries that the sabbath of Colossians 2:16 refers to the Jewish ceremonial sabbaths, and not the Decalogue Sabbath, based on a plain-sense reading of the context. Traditional Christian interpretation of that passage has generally bypassed the context and relied on other arguments, often unexamined by careful exegesis. In this book, du Preez examines those other arguments. In a wide-ranging engagement with Scripture, he considers relevant exegetical, linguistic, structural, syntactical, and intertextual factors that could be used to support them. In the process, he finds the evidence pointing forcefully against the traditional interpretation. Grounded firmly on a high view of scripture, du Preez's conclusions challenge any argument that relies on Colossians 2:16 in order to deny the continuing moral imperative of the seventh-day Sabbath.