And in the time of Paul, and later in the Church sounded various opinions as regards the rite and its role in the life of the church. And most of those who took seriously the spiritual life came to the conclusion that it should not be put in the first place. But does Paul speak only about it? Because in fact, he calls shadow of things...
And in the time of Paul, and later in the Church sounded various opinions as regards the rite and its role in the life of the church. And most of those who took seriously the spiritual life came to the conclusion that it should not be put in the first place. But does Paul speak only about it? Because in fact, he calls shadow of things to come all the existing Jewish religiosity at that time, and calls the Church literally only the body of Christ. And what thus: religiosity does not have a place in the Church? Probably, such a question sounds all the same a little bit categorical. It would have been more exact to ask: what religiosity could find a place in the Church? And of what could consist its role?
It is obvious to Paul Himself that the Church is not a religious community, as well as Christianity itself is not a religion. The Kingdom is Kingdom; it can’t be contained in any religious frame. But indeed, there are also again the forms, necessary for the non transformed world. Of course, for the very Kingdom they are not necessary. But they are necessary when the Kingdom through the Church enters our world, are necessary for this world, in order to receive at least a certain representation of what within the framework of the non transformed reality is impossible to imagine.
And here it is in particular the religious language that helps: because of all the existing cultural languages, it is the best adapted for the expression and the realization of the revelation received from God. That is why throughout our era, the era of the Kingdom to come, the Church speaks with the world in the religious language. But in the religious images and symbols, it puts new meanings, meanings connected already not to the religious life, but to the life of the Kingdom.
It is exactly in this meaning, apparently, that Paul calls the elements of the religious tradition, modern to him, the shadow of things to come, i.e. of what has to come into the world with Christ. And for Paul himself, the language of his religious tradition was close: all that was said by him about the Messiah, about the Kingdom, about salvation was said in particular in this language. And it is all the same very important not to confuse the tool of the acquisition of the purpose, even the most important, with the purpose itself, and that’s what Paul reminds us.
2
2:16 Therefore - Seeing these things are so. Let none judge you - That is, regard none who judge you. In meat or drink - For not observing the ceremonial law in these or any other particulars. Or in respect of a yearly feast, the new moon, or the weekly Jewish sabbaths.
2:17 Which are but a lifeless shadow; but the body, the substance, is of Christ.