Bible Verse Lookup
Col 2:14
Chapter 2
14
He canceled the record of our debts, those regulations that accused us. He removed all of that and nailed it to the cross.
He canceled the record of our debts, those regulations that accused us. He removed all of that and nailed it to the cross.
Commentaries
Christian Life.
Paul addresses the challenge of syncretistic ideologies that infiltrated the community. He urges his listeners, first and foremost, to live according to the teachings of their faith. Then, with a strong warning, he cautions them against false speculations and the deceptions of human traditions (8). Christ is above all else, “the head of all cosmic power and authority” (10). He is the incarnate divine, and “in him you share in this fullness” (10). Regarding the “forces of evil” that wield power through human sin, Paul envisions them in the grand scene of Christ’s triumphant march—like the victory procession of Roman emperors—with his retinue of conquered prisoners (15; cf. 2 Cor 2:14; 1 Pt 3:22). Finally, he strongly criticizes those who practice mortification and esoteric rituals that deceive the mind—temporarily satisfying it but ultimately filling it with emptiness. This vain mental swelling contrasts with the growth of the body—the Christian community—which, through Christ as its head (cf. Eph 4:15ff), receives sustenance and cohesion (19).