Col 2:13 And you, though dead in your offenses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our offenses; 14 Wiping out the handwriting in ordinances, which was against us, which was contrary to us; and He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. 15 Stripping off the rulers and the authorities, He made a display of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
[Part 1 of 2] The word dead here [in v. 13] refers to the deadness in spirit because of sin. We who once were dead in offenses and in the uncircumcision of the flesh have been made alive together with Christ. This means that God has enlivened us in Christ’s resurrection with the divine life. What was accomplished in Christ’s resurrection (1 Pet. 1:3) is experienced through our faith. The first aspect in the economy of God’s salvation is that He has made us alive together with the resurrected Christ.
In verse 14, the Greek word rendered “wiping out” can also be translated blotting out, obliterating, erasing, or annulling (a decree of law). The Greek word rendered “hand-writing” denotes a legal document, a bond. Here it refers to the written law. The ordinances, or decrees, refer to the ceremonial law with its rituals, the forms or ways of living and worship. These ordinances God has taken out of the way by nailing them to the cross. This is to abolish the law of the commandments in ordinances (Eph. 2:15). This kills the heresy of keeping the Judaistic rituals. (to be Continued)
Prayer Confession Loving Father thank you for this word. Thank you for your salvation for it enlivened me through Christ’s resurrection with the divine life. Lord, thank you for making me alive together with the resurrected Christ through nailing all the ordinances on the cross. Lord, may you grant me the grace of exercising this finished fact of Jesus on the cross in Jesus’ name, Amen.