Chapter Eleven
Colossians 2:9-15 By Legal Decree…All is Forgiven!
Paul calls all Christians to take note the serious nature of being taught wrong and that we are not to allow ourselves to be taken prisoner by incorrect thinking. There is no end to the arguments against the Word of God as they are, “not according to Christ,” (Colossians 2:8b, ESV). Instead, we are to understand and do that which is according to Jesus. Paul now returns to the subject of Jesus.
2:9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
Reflecting on what he wrote in Colossians 1:19, Paul reminds us that in Jesus is the whole fullness of God. That is like saying He is, “full, full” or “totally full,” or perhaps “100% full” of God. Jesus is God in a bodily form. Paul reiterates that Jesus is God, He is the visible image (see Colossians 1:15) of an otherwise invisible God. Once again Paul restates that we are each full of Jesus (see Colossians 1:27), since the Greek word ‘peplērōmenoi’ (translated here as ‘filled’) implies being full to completion, some Bibles translate this phrase differently, such as, “been made complete,” (NASB95) and “complete in Him” (KJV, NKJV). Paul wrote a similar statement in his epistle to the Ephesians, “and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19, ESV, see also John 1:16) If we are completely filled with God, then there should be no room for anything else!
2:10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Paul now states that Jesus is the head (a metaphor referring to the person in charge) of all rule and authority. If Jesus is God, isn’t He already in charge? The quick answer is, of course, ultimately, yes. But there is something, or perhaps more accurately, someone, that Paul wants us to know that exists. Earlier Paul wrote, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,” (Colossians 1:13, ESV) The word ‘domain’ in this verse is the same Greek word now translated ‘authority’ in verse 10. There is indeed a ‘competing’ entity that exists, one that is continually thinking about ways to battle God and Christians (see Ephesians 6:10-18), but the most important thing we need to remember is that God, “according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:19b-21, ESV)
2:11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
In the Old Testament, we read that circumcision was required by God for all male Israelites (see Genesis 17:9-14; Leviticus 12:1-3; see also Romans 2:25-29; Ephesians 2:11), as this was to be a physical sign of the covenant between the Israelites and God. Even though it was intended to be an acknowledgement of acceptance of the covenant, it was later erroneously taught that circumcision was mandatory for salvation leading them to be indifferent towards God (see Jeremiah 4:4; 9:26; Romans 2:28-29). Many early Jewish converts to Christianity believed that circumcision was still a requirement for salvation, a belief that even Peter struggled with (see Galatians 2:11-21). Paul now tells us that we too have been circumcised, not by human hands, but by God. He exchanged the cutting away of the foreskin for the complete cutting away of the body of the flesh. Paul explains that we were buried with Him in baptism (our union with Christ, see 1 Corinthians 12:13), and then raised back to life through our faith. You might ask, what faith? What are we supposed to believe? Paul says, “in the powerful working of God, who raised Jesus from the dead.” (ESV, see also Romans 6:5-11; 1 Corinthians 6:14) The Greek word ‘energeia’ translated in this verse as ‘powerful’ is an exclusive term in the New Testament always pointing to God’s supernatural power. As Christians, it probably would be hard to use the word ‘powerful’ in a sentence that does not relate to God!
2:13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Paul now turns to all believers and says, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses” (Colossians 2:13a, ESV), as sinners we were as good as dead, especially since our sinful and fleshly nature was yet cut away. However, we are now alive together with Jesus who forgave us all our sins. This is a quick, but wonderful view into God’s heart, we are TOGETHER WITH HIM and HE forgave ALL of our sins. Paul tells us He did this by canceling (Greek word ‘exaleiphō’, means to cover over with lime, to whitewash, a metaphor meaning to blot out or repeal) the record of debt that stood contrary against us legally (we have and continue to violate God’s Law). Most translations translate the Greek word Paul used here, ‘dogma’, (“legal demands” in ESV) to refer to either a certificate, ordinance, or decree. Paul continues by saying that Jesus set that ‘legal decree’ aside by nailing it to the cross. Obviously, Jesus didn’t stop the Romans before being nailed to the cross to have some form of legal document nailed to the cross and then have Him placed on the cross, He was the “legal document.”
In his second epistle to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV) God made Jesus, “to be sin,” something we may never fully comprehend. I doubt if He received some form of “bulk discount” in His suffering! He paid the full price, canceling out our entire debt to God. Do you remember when Jesus was on the cross and cried out, “It is finished” (see John 19:30)? The word recorded in John’s gospel translated there as ‘finished’ is the Greek word ‘tetelestai’, implying not only that the deed was it done, it means that the account was “paid in full.” Jesus paid each of our debts through the shedding of His own blood (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 5:9). Simply put, we belong to Jesus!
2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Having done so, Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities (the same Greek words Paul used in verse 10) and put them to shame. The author of the book of Hebrews reminds us that the devil has the power of death, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14-15, ESV) Jesus conquered the devil, and death, the Apostle John wrote, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8, ESV) Jesus was victorious and destroyed the works of the devil, truly triumphing over him and all of those the devil placed in power.
Perhaps Paul would remind us of what he wrote in his epistle to the church in Rome, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39, ESV)