Colossians 2:14 Commentary and Bible Study

Paul comes back to this: the ordinances have been rendered extinct. ‘Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances.’ What does he mean by ordinances? He means the Ten Commandments obviously, and he means all the washings, and the diet laws, and the sacrifices. Everything that went with the ancient Jewish religion. It was all good in its day, as long as you did not think it actually accomplished anything, as long as you knew it was a symbol of the mighty work God would have to do to make you fit for his presence, and you trusted him and you believed in him and you repented.But all these ordinances, Paul is teaching, actually are against you and so many of the worshippers in ancient times never realised this. ‘Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us.’ It was not for us, says Paul. When you saw the washing, when a priest, a son Aaron, was appointed, all his garments had to be washed. When he went through the routine to prepare to function on the Sabbath day, everything had to be washed and clean, to show that he was a sinner, and it was only by an act of God that he could be considered forgiven and clean. All these ordinances constantly reminded you of your sinfulness and of your need. He uses a very strong word here – ‘Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances,’ the Ten Commandments, every one of them accuses you of sin, and is against you. The diet laws, the sacrifices, they remind you – you are a sinner, you have got to be atoned for. Look at what he says – ‘which is contrary to us.’ The Greek word translated contrary means something like this – which was hostile to you, an enemy to you. All the laws were your enemy. They constantly told you: you are condemned and you are lost, unless you repent. But on Calvary’s cross that message proclaimed by the ordinances – you are a lost, lost sinner – was done away with by Christ when he bore away your sin. And Paul’s graphic now goes a step further. All the accusations that the Bible ever made against a repentant sinner are to be seen as if they are nailed to the cross of Christ and his blood is running over them and they are washed away. ‘Having spoiled principalities and powers’ – that is the devil and his hosts. On Calvary’s cross, he spoiled them, took spoil from them. What is that? Well, the devil held in his hand – according to this graphic – great bundles of paper, the rights he had to you and me. There was a piece of paper there, with your name on it, which said, ‘This individual belongs to me. I brought him down, I brought her down in the fall of man. When man fell, Adam and Eve’s posterity all became mine and they fell into rebellion against God. Here is my deed, he, she is mine. And I have tempted him, tempted her, and she has obeyed me and she has fallen to my every demand. She is mine.’ On Calvary’s cross when Christ took away our sin, he seized that document from Satan, he spoiled him, he took away all his imagine vaunted rights for the people for whom he atoned.