Colossians 2:22 says that the strict rules people set about food, touch and similar matters are things that wear out and disappear once they are used, because they are based on human opinions rather than on God’s own word. Paul is warning the believers in Colossae not to let outside teachers pressure them into rules that look religious but do not actually change the heart. The verse is written by the apostle Paul, who wrote this letter to the church at Colossae, a city in what is now western Turkey.
(all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?
Colossians 2:22 (WEB)
What Colossians 2:22 Means
The phrase “all of which perish with use” describes these rules as temporary. A cup, a piece of bread or a rope is used up or worn out, and the rules attached to such things work the same way. They are concerned with things that pass away, not with anything eternal. Paul is not saying that physical things are evil. He is saying that a faith built on them will not last.
The second half, “according to the precepts and doctrines of men,” identifies where those rules come from. They are teachings invented by people, not commands given by God. Paul is not condemning all human teaching, since he himself teaches constantly in this letter. He is condemning human teaching that is placed on the same level as God’s authority, especially when it claims to be necessary for salvation or spiritual growth.
What the verse does not promise is that obeying such rules will make anyone more holy. It does not teach that the believer should ignore their body or despise ordinary life. It simply makes clear that outward regulations cannot reach the inner person, and that a Christian’s standing before God rests on Christ himself.
The Context of Colossians 2:22
The letter to the Colossians was written by Paul, probably while he was in prison, and it was sent to a small church he had not personally founded but for whom he cared deeply. Some false teaching was circulating in the area, mixing Christian faith with ideas about angels, special visions, dietary laws, and festival observances. Paul responds by pointing the believers back to Christ, whom he describes as the head over every power and authority.
Just before verse 22, Paul writes that the Colossians have died with Christ and are no longer governed by the basic forces of the world. Verse 21 quotes the restrictive slogans the false teachers were promoting. Verse 23 then says these rules look wise but do not restrain the flesh. Read in this setting, verse 22 is not a general comment about rules but a specific rebuke: since you belong to Christ, do not return to human regulations that cannot give you life.
Key Phrases in Colossians 2:22
Mark 7:15
There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.
(WEB)
Jesus teaches here that what goes into a person does not defile them, but what comes out of the heart does. This aligns with Paul’s point that outward rules cannot change the inner person. Reading the two together shows that Christ himself redirected attention from external regulations to the heart.
Romans 14:17
For God’s Kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
(WEB)
Paul writes here that the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This verse expands on Colossians 2:22 by showing what truly matters in the Christian life. It moves the focus from restrictive rules to the lasting fruit of God’s presence.
A Short Prayer From Colossians 2:22
Lord, thank you that my life with you does not depend on the rules that people build around faith. Please keep me from trusting in customs that cannot change my heart. Help me to hold tightly to Christ, the head over all things, and to receive every good practice as a gift rather than a requirement. Teach me to measure what I hear by your word, and give me a peace that rests in what you have already done for me. Amen.
