Peril of Philosophy (2:8-15) [Continued]
The Results of Our Position in
Him (2:13-15).
Paul now turns to the application
of our position in Christ. The shift of attention is emphasized by the personal
pronoun you in this clause. The shift
is from God’s accomplishments in Christ to its benefits for the believer. These
accomplishments are centered in four Greek finite verbs in the text:
1. Sunedsoopoiesen—you hath he quickened (2:13 KJV), or as the NASV has it, He made you alive together with Him. The
great need for this is found in the words: “you
were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh.”
Paul is speaking of the condition of spiritual death, not physical (cf. Rom.
7:9-11). It was brought about by our sin or transgressions, which alienated us
from the promises of God (cf. Eph. 2:11-12). The word for transgressions which
emphasizes a deliberate act of disobedience, or rebellion. Outside Christ we
are sinners by practice and nature. The word were (eimi) is a present participle
suggesting that we existed in a state of spiritual death before salvation.[1] The word
and is a connective with “the uncircumcision of your flesh.” It
points to the condition of us Gentiles to which the text seems to be directed.
The reference to uncircumcision speaks from the Jewish perspective of the
Gentile lawlessness. It speaks to the reality of their state who formerly were
excluded from the commonwealth of Israel and God (cf. Eph. 2:11-12). In the
Jewish perspective they were dead not only because of their sin, but because of
their status of being outside the covenant.
There is a clear past/present
contrast here. We were dead; now we are made alive. The past is recalled to
remind us of the wonder of God’s quickening us with Christ. Being quickened or
made alive is a variation of being spiritually resurrected. This finite verb
(used only here and Eph. 2:5) denotes: (1) a resurrected life. It is a benefit
of our identification with Christ being raised from the dead. By this act we
have experienced a spiritual resurrection and passed from death to life. (2) It
is an action done to us, not by us. It is God, who made Jesus alive from the
dead that made us alive. It is His work upon us. The word “always refers to the Divine life
that is in God the Father and Son and is extended to believers.”[2] He made
us alive with Christ.
The last clause, “having forgiven us all our transgressions”
is the counterbalance to being dead in transgressions. “Having forgiven” is an adverbial participle and can be taken as
temporal (when he forgave) or causal (for he forgave).[3] Both are
acceptable in the Greek. It also is qualifying in its nature. It qualifies how
one was made alive together with Christ. It is aorist which expresses that this
happened in a point of time. It “refers
to action prior to the leading verb, i.e., God having forgiven the; then He
made the alive in Christ.”[4] The word
forgiven (charidsomai)
is related to grace (charis), which indicates that
forgiveness was a free and gracious action of God (cf. Eph. 2:8-9).
2. Erken (having canceled out or took
out of the way [KJV]) is the second main finite verb. This explains how
forgiveness was accomplished. Moo points out this is “contemporaneous and describes the
means by which forgiveness was attained.”[5] Our debt
to God was canceled thereby forgiven. This debt was the law. The result is
freedom from the burden of the law (cf. Eph. 2:15). This was done by “having canceled out the certificate of debt
consisting of decrees against us” (2:14). This phrase speaks of a threefold
action:
·
The
deed—canceling out the debt. The verb means to wipe out, expunge, erase, or
blot out. It is not only used in scripture of one’s sin; but of one’s name
(Rev. 3:5) and our tears (Rev. 7:17; 21:4); but here it speaks of the law being
canceled for salvation. The word is in the prefect tense here, laying stress of
the permanently effect of Christ’s action.
·
The
object—the certificate of debt against us (or the handwriting of
ordinances—KJV). In the day of Paul, it speaks of a certificate of
indebtedness; a document recording legal obligate debts to pay. The law of
Moses was a written document of our obligations to God. It was written by the
finger of God (cf. 2 Cor. 3:7; Deut. 9:10). In Exodus 19:8 mankind through
Israel signed this obligation to keep the law. It has proved impossible. It
consists of “decrees” that is twofold:
(1) they are against us. Not only
that, (2) but they were hostile to us, (hypenantios; used only here and Hebrews 10:27),
meaning against, adverse, as an opponent. These describe the character of the
Law in relation to man. Man is unable to do it, therefore, we are guilty of not
holding to our end of a bargain. We are in default; it stands hostile to us and
is against us. Gromacki calls the
law, “the
prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and executioner of the sinner.”[6] We dare
not take the law lightly. It is a debt we cannot pay. However, in Christ this
debt has been permanently canceled, not by our action, but the action of Christ
on our behalf. It reflects that Christ’s sacrifice was a sin offering. We are
saved not by a sacrifice we make, but by His sacrifice in which we trust.
·
The
means— “having nailed it to the cross”
(2:14). Christ is not the only thing nailed to the cross, so was our debt under
the law. It must be remembered that Christ was nailed to the cross as a lawbreaker.
He was accused of blasphemy and died under that charge being reflected in the
nailing of the words “King of the Jews.”
While the words were true; the implication to the Jews was blasphemy, claiming
to be God (cf. John 19:7, 21-22). He was crucified not because of the truth,
but because of the law. The law, that certificate of debt, was nailed to the
cross thereby canceling it. “God
has not only forgiven us all our sins but he also utterly removed the signed
acknowledgment of our indebtedness.”[7] This was done by two things: (1) he blotted
it out; (2) he nailed it to the cross.
3. Edeigmatisen is the third finite verb. It
means to make a show of, or a spectacle, expose, or translated in our text a public display. It is the setting
forth the results of divine action. Triumph is the result— “When He had disarmed the rulers
and authorities, He make a public display of them, having triumphed over them
through Him” (2:15).
There is little question that this is a climactic statement concerning the
victory of God on the cross. This is not an easy text to grasp because almost
every word is disputed. The student must deal with the following:
·
What
or who are the principalities and powers in this verse? It may be taken as
elect angels, evil angels, or even human authorities. If they are the elect
angels it refers these angels in the giving of the law (Gal.3:19, Heb. 2:2) and
marks the end of the mediation of these angels. If, they are evil angels, it
speaks of His triumph over their plot to destroy the Messiah by his death and
resurrection. This is the most common choice. In light of 1 Cor. 15:24, evil
angels are the likely ones referred to. Had they realized this truth “they would not have crucified the Lord of
glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). The cross is the basis of their defeat.
·
There
is debate also as to the meaning of spoiled
or defeated. It is the participle apekdusamenos, that has the basic meaning of renounce,
or to put off. It is found only in Colossians (2:15; 3:9) and translated
differently in each case (2:15, disarmed or spoiled [KJV]; 3:9, lay aside or
put off [KJV]). There are two views concerning this:[8] (1) the
earliest view makes Christ the subject and the powers as the object, thus
teaching that Jesus stripped himself of the powers and principalities. (2) The
second view understands flesh as the object of the verb teaching that Jesus got
rid of the flesh and made a public spectacle of the powers and authorities.
While this view could easily be a reference to the resurrection. However, one
big problem that I see is that the flesh is not mentioned in the text or
context. It has not been held in favor. Most hold to the first view. The
grammar and syntax is more in line with the view. It is likely that imagery
here is that from a royal court, not a battlefield where an army is disarmed,
but a court were public officials are despoiled by the stripping of their
dignity.[9] Here the
word is used to refer to Jesus threw off the plans and powers of the evil
rulers and authorities. It supports the concept that Jesus is the all-powerful
victor over these rulers and authorities. Johnson says, “…Christ divested Himself at the
cross of the evil powers which had struggled with Him so strongly through His
ministry in attempts to force Him to abandon the pathway of the cross (cf. Luke
4:1-13; Matthew 16:22-23; Luke 22:53, etc.).”[10]
The word edeigmatisen (public display) is somewhat clearer. Its emphasis in on the victor
who made a public display of his victory and shames the defeated. He makes a
spectacle of his enemies. This prepositional phrase likely intensifies its
nature; thus “he
boldly made a spectacle”
of them.[11]
4. The last verb thriambeusas (triumphing), is used also in 2 Corinthians 2:14, and continues the
thought of victory. It is often used of a victory parade where the Roman
general would lead the captives in a public procession. There are three
requirements for this to be met for such a procession in Rome. (1) The actual
commander in the field must lead the procession. (2) The campaign must have
been successfully concluded. (3) A large number of the enemy had to be taken or
fallen in battle.[12] This
would be the natural picture that would come to the reader’s mind by the use of
the word. Not only was it an act of victory, but of glorification as well. On
the cross, Christ was the field commander, secured the fact of victory over the
Satanic kingdom, and secured the territory of our eternal salvation. The event
points to the finished work of Christ on the cross, by which we can be complete
in Him through faith in His finished work. His work on the cross was sufficient
and nothing needs to be added.
To be continued…
[1] Campbell, COLOSSIANS & PHILEMON, 103.
[2] Ibid, 104.
[3] Pao, ZECNT: COLOSSIANS & PHILEMON, 170.
[5] Moo, PNTC: COLOSSIANS AND PHILEMON, 209.
[7] O’Brien, WBC:
COLOSSIANS, PHILEMON, 126,
[8] Moo, PNTC: COLOSSIANS AND PHILEMON, 213.
[9] O’Brien, WBC: COLOSSIANS PHILEMON, 127
[10] S. Lewis Johnson Jr., “The Sufficiency of
Union with Christ,” BIBLIOTHECA SACRA, January 1963, 20.
[11] Pao, ZECNT: COLOSSIANS & PHILEMON, 173.
[12] Johnson, ““The
Sufficiency of Union with Christ,” 20-21.
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