“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him — 'Rulers and authorities' (archē, exousia, likely demonic powers) are disarmed (apekdyō, stripped naked) by the cross. 'Put to open shame' (deigmatizō, expose publicly) shows their defeat is evident. 'Triumphing over them' (thriambeuo, lead in triumph) uses military imagery: Christ is victorious general. The cosmic powers' defeat is cross-sealed. Believers share this triumph.
Church Fathers on Colossians 2:14
“Having forgiven us all our trespasses; having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the Cross; having put off from himself the principalities and the powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” “Having forgiven us,” he says, “all our trespasses,” those which produced that deadness. What then? Did He allow them to remain? No, He even wiped them out;…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a reflection on this verse
No reflections on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!