Colossians 2:13-15
With this context established, we can now examine the verses in question. In verse 13, Paul declares that we who were dead in our sins have been made alive in Christ:
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...
Because of our identification with Christ in his death and resurrection, we too have died and been given new life. All our sins have been forgiven.
Verse 14 in the ESV reads as follows:
Verse 14 in the ESV reads as follows:
by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross (emphasis ours).
There have been numerous attempts to translate the Greek phrases in this passage. O'Brien states that there are some grammatical difficulties in the text, making the application unclear (124). Pauline scholar James Dunn agrees, noting some of the phrases are unclear and awkward (165). Consider some of these additional translations of verse 14:
having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:14 NASB).
having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14 NIV11).
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 (Colossians 2:14 KJV).
He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14 NET).
The first phrase in the ESV, “by canceling the record of debt,” comes from the Greek phrase ἐξαλειψας το καθ᾿ ἡμων χειρογραφον (exaleipsas to kath’ hemon cheirographon). First, the English word “by” in the ESV is an addition to the text, which serves to connect the end of verse 13 “He forgave us all our sins,” with the beginning of verse 14 “canceling the record of debt,” in a supposed causal relationship. This implied causation, however, is not in the Greek, which is why many of the translations (including the four listed above) do not include “by,” but rather say “having canceled” (NASB) or “blotting out” (KJV). What we can conclude from verses 13 and 14 is that God 1) forgave us all our sins and 2) cancelled the “certificate of debt” through Christ's work on the cross. We cannot, however, conclude from these verses that number one happened because of number two, since there is nothing in the Greek text that denotes this causation. The significance of this will become apparent below.
Second, let's look at some of the Greek words that we do find in the text. The first is exaleipsas and literally means to cause to disappear by wiping, and, in the case of Colossians 2:14, carries the sense of “to remove so as to leave no trace” (BDAG, 344). What has been wiped away and obliterated? The Greek word here is cheirographon, which is used only once in scripture, here in Colossians 2:14. It is a complex term with much debate about its usage in this text. It literally means “a hand-written document” (BDAG, 1083), which is why the KJV above translates it as “handwriting.” How then do some translations arrive at “certificate of debt” or "indebtedness"? O'Brien states that cheirographon denotes “'a note of indebtedness' written in one's own hand as a proof of obligation” and says this understanding is historically attested in both Jewish and Greco-Roman sources (124). It is a legal term in which the debtor admitted his debt to the creditor by writing in his own hand the equivalent of an IOU (ibid, 125). For example, we see cheirographon being used this way in extra-biblical sources such as the Book of Tobit, found in the Septuagint (see 5:1-3; 9:1-5).
In Colossians 2:14, cheirographon is part of the phrase “cheirographon tois dogmasin.” Dogma (the dictionary form of dogmasin) means rules, regulations, decrees, or ordinances (BDAG, 254), and thus a simple rendering of the text is “handwriting of requirements” (NKJV) or “handwriting of ordinances” (KJV). In verse 14, Paul is saying that the handwriting of requirements that opposed us (hupenantios) has been taken out of the way and nailed to the cross.
The question is, What are the cheirographon tois dogmasin that have been nailed to the cross? Some claim the handwriting of regulations refers to the Mosaic Law, to the Torah. If this is true, then one would be completely justified in saying that Paul taught we are free to disobey the law. Under this interpretation, the Torah has been nailed to the cross. It is dead, and therefore, no longer binding.
There is, however, an immediate problem with this interpretation. It suggests that the law is against us, yet this does not harmonize with clear teachings elsewhere in scripture. A cursory glance at Psalm 119 shows the law brings delight, counsel, life, light, truth, and freedom. What is against us is our own flesh, our sinful desire, which results in our breaking God's law (Romans 7:11-14). What is against us is man-made traditions that cause us to turn away from the truth of God's Word (Colossians 2:8; Mark 7). In order to experience the freedom and blessing of God's law, we need these opposing factors removed.
Furthermore, according to most Evangelical Christian scholars, the Greek does not imply that cheirographon refers to God's law. In fact, the law is not once mentioned in the entire book of Colossians. Remember that cheirographon is historically used to refer to a legal document in which one admits and writes his debt to another. This is why many scholars translate cheirographon not simply as handwriting, but rather as a record or certificate of debt (see ESV, NASB, and NET translations above for a few examples). The common academic interpretation, then, is that cheirographon is not the law, but rather a record of our sin, of our law-breaking, and that this has been nailed to the cross. As O'Brien says,
Second, let's look at some of the Greek words that we do find in the text. The first is exaleipsas and literally means to cause to disappear by wiping, and, in the case of Colossians 2:14, carries the sense of “to remove so as to leave no trace” (BDAG, 344). What has been wiped away and obliterated? The Greek word here is cheirographon, which is used only once in scripture, here in Colossians 2:14. It is a complex term with much debate about its usage in this text. It literally means “a hand-written document” (BDAG, 1083), which is why the KJV above translates it as “handwriting.” How then do some translations arrive at “certificate of debt” or "indebtedness"? O'Brien states that cheirographon denotes “'a note of indebtedness' written in one's own hand as a proof of obligation” and says this understanding is historically attested in both Jewish and Greco-Roman sources (124). It is a legal term in which the debtor admitted his debt to the creditor by writing in his own hand the equivalent of an IOU (ibid, 125). For example, we see cheirographon being used this way in extra-biblical sources such as the Book of Tobit, found in the Septuagint (see 5:1-3; 9:1-5).
In Colossians 2:14, cheirographon is part of the phrase “cheirographon tois dogmasin.” Dogma (the dictionary form of dogmasin) means rules, regulations, decrees, or ordinances (BDAG, 254), and thus a simple rendering of the text is “handwriting of requirements” (NKJV) or “handwriting of ordinances” (KJV). In verse 14, Paul is saying that the handwriting of requirements that opposed us (hupenantios) has been taken out of the way and nailed to the cross.
The question is, What are the cheirographon tois dogmasin that have been nailed to the cross? Some claim the handwriting of regulations refers to the Mosaic Law, to the Torah. If this is true, then one would be completely justified in saying that Paul taught we are free to disobey the law. Under this interpretation, the Torah has been nailed to the cross. It is dead, and therefore, no longer binding.
There is, however, an immediate problem with this interpretation. It suggests that the law is against us, yet this does not harmonize with clear teachings elsewhere in scripture. A cursory glance at Psalm 119 shows the law brings delight, counsel, life, light, truth, and freedom. What is against us is our own flesh, our sinful desire, which results in our breaking God's law (Romans 7:11-14). What is against us is man-made traditions that cause us to turn away from the truth of God's Word (Colossians 2:8; Mark 7). In order to experience the freedom and blessing of God's law, we need these opposing factors removed.
Furthermore, according to most Evangelical Christian scholars, the Greek does not imply that cheirographon refers to God's law. In fact, the law is not once mentioned in the entire book of Colossians. Remember that cheirographon is historically used to refer to a legal document in which one admits and writes his debt to another. This is why many scholars translate cheirographon not simply as handwriting, but rather as a record or certificate of debt (see ESV, NASB, and NET translations above for a few examples). The common academic interpretation, then, is that cheirographon is not the law, but rather a record of our sin, of our law-breaking, and that this has been nailed to the cross. As O'Brien says,
Our preference is to understand χειρόγραφον as the signed acknowledgment of our indebtedness before God. Like an IOU it contained penalty clauses (see Job 5:3; Philemon 19). The Jews had contracted to obey the law, and in their case the penalty for breach of this contract meant death (Deuteronomy 27:14–26; 30:15–20). Paul assumes that the Gentiles were committed, through their consciences, to a similar obligation, to the moral law in as much as they understood it (cf Romans 2:14, 15). Since the obligation had not been discharged by either group the “bond” remained against us (125).
Under this interpretation, dogma refers to the specific commandments or ordinances of the law that specify what was transgressed. However, it is not the dogma but the cheirographon that has been nailed to the cross. Consider what Dunn says in reference to this verse:
The expunging of the record confirms that none of these transgressions is any longer held 'against us.' This does not mean, however, that the underlying decrees or regulations cease to have force, that is that the law no longer functions as God's yardstick of right and judgment; there is no contradiction here with Rom. 2:12-16. It is simply that the record of the transgression has been erased—another way of saying, 'he forgave us all our transgressions' … Once again we should just note that it is not the law which is thought of as thus destroyed, but rather its particular condemnation (χειρόγραφον) of transgressions, absorbed in the sacrificial death of the Christ (166, emphasis ours).
Therefore, according to the Evangelical academic opinion, Colossians 2:14 does not support the idea that the law has been taken out of the way and nailed to the cross. Rather, it is commonly understood that the record of our debt/sin (our law-breaking) has been removed.
However, there is a third interpretation that we must also consider in light of the word dogma. As stated above, dogma means rules, regulations, decrees, or ordinances. In Colossians 2:14, as well as in Ephesians 2:15, dogma is commonly thought to refer to the Mosaic Law. However, there are significant problems with this understanding:
1. Its biblical and historical usage:
Every other time dogma is used in the New Testament (Luke 2:1, Acts 16:4, and 17:7), it refers to a decree made by a person or group of people, not to God's laws. Dogma is also used in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament), and non-biblical contemporary sources (e.g. the writings of Josephus). In the majority of these instances, dogma refers to decrees made by men. In a few occurrences, dogma may refer to God's commands (e.g. Josephus' usage in Against Apion 1.8; 4 Maccabees 10:2), though it is certainly not the normal usage of this word.
Now perhaps one could argue that in Colossians Paul decides to use dogma in an uncustomary way, to refer to God's law. While this would be inconsistent with the general usage, one could concede that it is at least a possibility. However, another problem, even more significant than the historical usage of dogma, stands in the way of interpreting this Greek word as God's law:
2. The usage of the related word dogmatizo in Colossians 2:20-22:
Just a few verses after Paul's use of dogma in 2:14, he says the following:
However, there is a third interpretation that we must also consider in light of the word dogma. As stated above, dogma means rules, regulations, decrees, or ordinances. In Colossians 2:14, as well as in Ephesians 2:15, dogma is commonly thought to refer to the Mosaic Law. However, there are significant problems with this understanding:
1. Its biblical and historical usage:
Every other time dogma is used in the New Testament (Luke 2:1, Acts 16:4, and 17:7), it refers to a decree made by a person or group of people, not to God's laws. Dogma is also used in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament), and non-biblical contemporary sources (e.g. the writings of Josephus). In the majority of these instances, dogma refers to decrees made by men. In a few occurrences, dogma may refer to God's commands (e.g. Josephus' usage in Against Apion 1.8; 4 Maccabees 10:2), though it is certainly not the normal usage of this word.
Now perhaps one could argue that in Colossians Paul decides to use dogma in an uncustomary way, to refer to God's law. While this would be inconsistent with the general usage, one could concede that it is at least a possibility. However, another problem, even more significant than the historical usage of dogma, stands in the way of interpreting this Greek word as God's law:
2. The usage of the related word dogmatizo in Colossians 2:20-22:
Just a few verses after Paul's use of dogma in 2:14, he says the following:
If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 'Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch' (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings? (2:20–22, emphasis ours)
The ESV “submit to regulations” is a translation of the Greek word δογματίζω (dogmatizo), which is a verb form of the related word dogma (a noun). It literally means “to put under obligation by rules or ordinances” (BDAG, 254). Here it is in the passive sense, so it carries the sense of “permit yourselves to be put under” (ibid). Colossians 2:20-22 makes it clear that these regulations the Colossians are submitting to are from man, not God (“according to human precepts and teachings”) and ultimately have their source in the elemental spirits, the demons. Again, these rules, decrees and ordinances that the Colossians were submitting to are not from God! They are decrees of men, inspired by demons. They give additional rules concerning how to earn God's favor. This fits with the historical usage of dogma (see "1" above) where the word is used not of God's law but of a decree made by people and of man-made religious tradition.
Consider what O'Brien says about dogmatizo in The Word Biblical Commentary:
Consider what O'Brien says about dogmatizo in The Word Biblical Commentary:
δογματίζω means to 'represent and affirm an opinion or tenet,' 'establish or publish a decree,' 'proclaim an edict' (Kittel, TDNT 2, 231; cf LSJ, 441, and Lohse, 123). It is akin to δόγμα ('decree,' 'ordinance') used in the plural at chapter 2:14 of the regulations with their penalty clauses associated with the signed acknowledgment of our indebtedness before God. Here the restrictive regulations have particular reference to ordinances of taste and touch (v 21 lists three of them), though we should not suppose that the verb is specifically limited to these. The passive voice of the verb carries the notion of 'allowing oneself to be' ... so that a literal rendering is 'let yourself be regulated' (BDF, para. 314; cf 1 Cor 6:7). The point is that the Colossians were in danger of falling victim to the false teaching and of voluntarily placing themselves under the regulations imposed by these powers (149, emphasis ours).
If we say dogma is equivalent to God's law, then we must also say that dogmatizo means to put yourself under obligation to God's law. The obvious problem is that the origin of God's law is not man, nor did the Torah have a demonic source (i.e. the elemental spirits). The Torah had its origin in God. To say it is of human precepts and teachings is to misunderstand from whom the law came.
We, therefore, propose a third interpretation of “cheirographon tois dogmasin.” Based on the historical usage of these words and the overall context of Colossians, this phrase most likely means the record of indebtedness (cheirographon) created when a person voluntarily places himself under the decrees of men (dogma/dogmasin), and therefore, under the rule of the elemental spirits. This record, Paul says, has been nailed to the cross. We are no longer slaves to the teachings of men, nor are we in bondage to the elemental spirits of the world (cf. Colossians 2:8, 20; Galatians 4:8-9).
We see an allusion to this in the Torah itself, in Deuteronomy, where we read a somewhat disturbing verse:
We, therefore, propose a third interpretation of “cheirographon tois dogmasin.” Based on the historical usage of these words and the overall context of Colossians, this phrase most likely means the record of indebtedness (cheirographon) created when a person voluntarily places himself under the decrees of men (dogma/dogmasin), and therefore, under the rule of the elemental spirits. This record, Paul says, has been nailed to the cross. We are no longer slaves to the teachings of men, nor are we in bondage to the elemental spirits of the world (cf. Colossians 2:8, 20; Galatians 4:8-9).
We see an allusion to this in the Torah itself, in Deuteronomy, where we read a somewhat disturbing verse:
And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven (Deuteronomy 4:19, emphasis ours).
This verse warns the Israelites not to worship the sun, moon, and stars, and the host of heaven, and appears to state that the LORD gave these things to the nations (non-Israelites) to bow down to and worship.
Compare this to what Paul says in Romans one about those who worshipped false gods:
Compare this to what Paul says in Romans one about those who worshipped false gods:
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen (Romans 1:24–25, emphasis ours).
Here in Romans one, Paul explains that God gave these idolators over to the sinful desires of their hearts, allowing them to do what their flesh insisted upon: worship creation instead of the Creator. Likewise, in Deuteronomy, Moses explains that God gave the nations over to this same sinful inclination, and this became their inheritance. Compare this also to Acts 7:42, in which Stephen, referring to the golden calf incident, says,
But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven (emphasis ours).
In this case, it is Israel itself who has been given over to worship the host of heaven. When Israel worshipped the golden calf, they denied their inheritance, God himself, and accepted the inheritance of the nations. Sadly this was repeated throughout Israel's history (see Deuteronomy 32:8-21), as Stephen further documents, citing Amos 5:25-27.
From these passages in Deuteronomy, Romans, and Acts we know that the nations and even Israel had been given over to idolatrous practices, but can we say there was demonic rulership over these nations and practices? We see support for the idea that the nations are under some type of angelic authority in Daniel when Gabriel, who was sent with a message from God to Daniel, says the following:
From these passages in Deuteronomy, Romans, and Acts we know that the nations and even Israel had been given over to idolatrous practices, but can we say there was demonic rulership over these nations and practices? We see support for the idea that the nations are under some type of angelic authority in Daniel when Gabriel, who was sent with a message from God to Daniel, says the following:
The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia (Daniel 10:13, emphasis ours).
The prince of Persia is commonly understood to be an evil angelic being who rules over that nation (Grudem, ESV Study Bible commentary on Daniel 10:13). This is consistent with Deuteronomy 4:19, in which God allots to the nations the host of heaven. With this understanding, the demonic being named the prince of Persia would be Persia's “allotment.”
After the flood, during the time of the Tower of Babel, mankind rebelled against God. Deuteronomy 32 records how God divided the nations at that time and gave them their inheritance (32:8), which we know from the passages listed above is the host of heaven. God then allowed these nations, who had chosen voluntarily to serve false gods instead of the One True God, to have the created elemental spirits (such as the prince of Persia in Daniel) as their rulers, instead of the Creator. Thus the nations were led by demons, and the demons themselves gave ordinances and decrees (dogmas) which the nations voluntarily submitted to, thereby placing themselves into indebtedness (writing the I.O.U., the cheirographon) to the elemental spirits.
With the coming of Christ, this note of indebtedness was nailed to the cross. Now those among the nations who respond to the gospel are no longer under the authority of the demons and their decrees, but rather, are under God once again, and thus salvation has been opened to the Gentiles. Furthermore, canceling the debt to the demonic realm paved the way for the ultimate fulfillment after the seventh trumpet:
After the flood, during the time of the Tower of Babel, mankind rebelled against God. Deuteronomy 32 records how God divided the nations at that time and gave them their inheritance (32:8), which we know from the passages listed above is the host of heaven. God then allowed these nations, who had chosen voluntarily to serve false gods instead of the One True God, to have the created elemental spirits (such as the prince of Persia in Daniel) as their rulers, instead of the Creator. Thus the nations were led by demons, and the demons themselves gave ordinances and decrees (dogmas) which the nations voluntarily submitted to, thereby placing themselves into indebtedness (writing the I.O.U., the cheirographon) to the elemental spirits.
With the coming of Christ, this note of indebtedness was nailed to the cross. Now those among the nations who respond to the gospel are no longer under the authority of the demons and their decrees, but rather, are under God once again, and thus salvation has been opened to the Gentiles. Furthermore, canceling the debt to the demonic realm paved the way for the ultimate fulfillment after the seventh trumpet:
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15).
Hallelujah! The cheirographon has been cancelled, nailed to the cross! We are no longer under the dogma of the demonic rulers and authorities, and one day God will declare that those kingdoms whose former inheritance was the heavenly host now belong to our God and King.
At this point, let us return to the ESV translation of verses 13 and 14:
At this point, let us return to the ESV translation of verses 13 and 14:
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, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross (emphasis ours).
Previously, we discussed that the word “by” is an addition by the translators to the text which attempts to connect “forgive us all our trespasses” in a causal relationship with “canceling the record of debt that stood against us.” Since the word “by” is not in the text, we cannot conclude that there is a causal relationship between these two phrases; in other words, we cannot say that God forgave us all our sins by canceling this record of debt. If, as we propose, the cheirographon is a record of our voluntary indebtedness to man's decrees, it would not follow that canceling it results in God forgiving us all our trespasses against God and his decrees.
This is not to say that the two phrases are unrelated. Through Christ's death, God 1) forgave us all our sins and 2) cancelled any prior indebtedness we had to man's traditions and the elemental spirits. God had previously allowed men to be enslaved to these spirits (Deuteronomy 4:19; Acts 7:42), but now he has cancelled this debt by nailing it to the cross.
Further, when we indebted ourselves to man's traditions and the elemental spirits, we sinned against God because we exchanged his truth for a lie and worshipped the creation instead of the Creator (Romans 1:25). Through the work of Christ, we have been forgiven for this idolatry.
Therefore, through the cross, God accomplished the following:
For this reason, we prefer translations that do not infer this causal relationship by inserting the word “by.” Many translations show relationship without causation, such as the four we listed earlier. For example, in the NASB, verses 13 and 14 read as follows:
This is not to say that the two phrases are unrelated. Through Christ's death, God 1) forgave us all our sins and 2) cancelled any prior indebtedness we had to man's traditions and the elemental spirits. God had previously allowed men to be enslaved to these spirits (Deuteronomy 4:19; Acts 7:42), but now he has cancelled this debt by nailing it to the cross.
Further, when we indebted ourselves to man's traditions and the elemental spirits, we sinned against God because we exchanged his truth for a lie and worshipped the creation instead of the Creator (Romans 1:25). Through the work of Christ, we have been forgiven for this idolatry.
Therefore, through the cross, God accomplished the following:
- He cancelled our allegiance and indebtedness to falsehood (traditions of man/elemental spirits).
- He forgave us our trespasses, to include (but not limited to) forgiving us for having a prior allegiance to the elemental spirits.
For this reason, we prefer translations that do not infer this causal relationship by inserting the word “by.” Many translations show relationship without causation, such as the four we listed earlier. For example, in the NASB, verses 13 and 14 read as follows:
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
The result is detailed in Colossians 2:15:
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him (ESV).
With the understanding that “cheirographon tois dogmasin” refers to the indebtedness to men and to the elemental spirits that we have put ourselves under, it then follows that the canceling of this debt results in the disarming of these rulers and authorities. We are no longer enslaved to the elemental spirits that inspire the false man-made teachings, and therefore, they are disarmed and without power over us.