Col 2:16 "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or
regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of
Christ.
18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in
false humility and worship of angels,
intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up
by his fleshly mind,
There was a heretical problem in Colosse that arose being taught by
the legalists Judaizers and errorists called the Gnostics.
The Judaiizers taught that salvation is not complete in Christs, in
order to be complete one must follow certain Jewish practices and
regulations like eating only certain kinds of food, drinking only
certain kinds of drink and respecting certain days v. 16
But these things were only symbols, representations and shadows of
Christ. Like for instance the 'Sabbath' day, these day is
typological of the rest that Christ would give to everyone who will
believe/trusts in Him, now that Christ has come these are already
gone,
v.17 these are mere shadows pointing to Christ, Christ is the
substance.
Another heretical group are the Gnostics, they claim to have all
these esoteric knowledge which the Christians do not have. One
likely teachings of the gnostics is that God must be approached to
the mediation of angels [a belief common in RC today], so one must
pray to the angels for intercession.
In verse 18, the word "worship" actually means having beliefs and
practices toward supernatural powers, in this case angels. And
prayer certainly fits that category. Paul says do not do these
things. these may outwardly look humble but no these things [the
things taught by the Judaizers and gnostics v. 16, 18] are actually
pride.
It is just saying that I can be spiritually mature without Christ
Jesus the head. Read it again and take note of the last verse,
verse 19, our growth is not in these false teachings but in
Christ.
16 Therefore, do not let any one judge you in food or in drink, or
in respect of feast, or a new moon, or of sabbaths:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of
Christ.
18 Let no one condemn you in willing humility and worship of
angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly
puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not
holding the Head, from whom all the body nourished and knit
together by joints and ligaments, increases to the increase from
God.
Praying to angels is strictly forbidden and sinful, it is
tantamount to worshipping them.
