Days and Seasons

“Paul’s advice regarding disagreements about food also applies to our differences over the observation of days and seasons. We are no worse if we do not and no better if we do.”

While Advent is an important part of the Christmas season for many, others seem to ignore it. How should we treat these differences? Paul describes such matters as “disputable” (see Rom. 14:1). Here, the Greek term expresses the idea of something that is doubtful or argued about. It can be something we do or something we avoid doing. In Paul’s day, disputes within the church often revolved around food and religious days (Rom. 14:2, 5).

Although the apostle allowed for such differences, he did not automatically consider them neutral. For example, Paul criticized the Galatians for “observing special days and months and seasons and years” (Gal. 4:10). This was probably a situation where Gentile converts to Christ had begun to treat the observances of the Jewish calendar as a legal obligation. It was not merely the fact that they considered certain days as more sacred than others that troubled Paul, but that they saw them as necessary for maintaining salvation. It seems they were pressuring others to practice the same observances.

Paul urged the Colossians not to “let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day” (Col. 2:16). His perspective was more cautionary than permissive because interest in these observances had begun to obscure the work of Christ. It had caused them to lose sight of the reality that “is found in Christ” (Col. 2:17). Paul’s language helps us understand the place of the Law of Moses in God’s plan. The Law looked forward to the work of Christ. Colossians 2:17 calls Jesus and His sacrifice the substance (literally, “the body”) of the righteousness described in the Law.

Treating certain days and seasons as special is not wrong. The New Testament church had a particular regard for the first day of the week, “the Lord’s day” (Rev. 1:10; see also Acts 20:7). But Paul’s advice regarding disagreements about food also applies to our differences over the observation of days and seasons. We are no worse if we do not and no better if we do (1 Cor. 8:8).

For Further Study

To learn more, read From Heaven by A. W. Tozer (Moody Publishers).