Nielsen’s Nook

Nestle-Aland 27

8 Βλέπετε μή τις ὑμᾶς ἔσται ὁ συλαγωγῶν a διὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων , « κατὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου » b καὶ οὐ κατὰ Χριστόν · 9 ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ c πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς , 10 καὶ ἐστὲ ἐν αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένοι , ὅς ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας . 11 Ἐν ᾧ καὶ περιετμήθητε περιτομῇ ἀχειροποιήτῳ d ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει e τοῦ σώματος τῆς σαρκός , ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ , 12 συνταφέντες f αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ βαπτισμῷ , ἐν ᾧ καὶ συνηγέρθητε g διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν · 13 καὶ ὑμᾶς νεκροὺς ὄντας [ ἐν ] τοῖς παραπτώμασιν καὶ τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ h τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν , συνεζωοποίησεν i ὑμᾶς σὺν αὐτῷ , χαρισάμενος j ἡμῖν πάντα τὰ παραπτώματα . 14 ἐξαλείψας k τὸ καθ ʼ ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον l τοῖς δόγμασιν ὃ ἦν ὑπεναντίον ἡμῖν , καὶ αὐτὸ ἦρκεν ἐκ τοῦ μέσου προσηλώσας αὐτὸ τῷ σταυρῷ · 15 ἀπεκδυσάμενος m τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας « ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησίᾳ ,» n θριαμβεύσας o αὐτοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ .

Grammar & Vocabulary

a συλαγωγῶν pres/act/ptc/nom/mas/sg ( συλαγωγέω ) carry off as captive or slave

b The meaning of κατὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου is ambiguous and debated. (c.f., στοιχει̂ον in BAGD).

c κατοικεῖ pres/act/ind/3p/sg ( κατοικέω ) to dwell, reside

d ἀχειροποιήτῳ adj/dat/sg/fem ( ἀχειροποίητος ) not made with human hands

e ἀπεκδύσει adj/dat/sg/fem ( ἀπέκδυσις ) removal, stripping off

f συνταφέντες aor/pass/ptc/pl/nom/mas ( συνθάπτω ) bury [together] with

g συνηγέρθητε aor/psv/ind/2p/pl ( συνεγείρω ) awaken, rise up together

h ἀκροβυστίᾳ n/dat/sg/fem ( ἀκροβυστία ) uncircumcision, foreskin

i συνεζωοποίησεν aor/act/ind/3p/sg ( συζωοποιέω ) to make alive together with someone

j χαρισάμενος aor/mid/ptc/nom/mas/sg ( χαρίζομαι ) remit, forgive, pardon

k ἐξαλείψας aor/act/ptc/sg/nom/mas ( ἐξαλείφω ) to erase, wipe out

l χειρόγραφον n/acc/sg/neu ( χειρόγραφον ) certificate of indebtedness

m ἀπεκδυσάμενος aor/mid/ptc/nom/sg/mas ( ἀπεκδύομαι ) strip, disarm

n ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησίᾳ BAGD renders the phrase “make a public example of”

o θριαμβεύσας aor/act/ptc/sg/nom/mas ( θριαμβεύω ) lead in triumphal procession, to triumph over

Translation

8 Beware, someone will be, the one enslaves through philosophy and empty deception according to the traditions of human beings, according to the elemental principles of the world and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of divinity dwells bodily, 10 and you are those who have been made full in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you have been circumcised with a circumcision not made with human hands by the removal of the body of flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 being buried with him in baptism, in which you were raised with him through faith in God’s working, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, were made alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 having erased the record of debt that stood against us with its requirements and this he expelled from our midst, when he nailed it to the cross; 15 After stripping the rulers and authorities, he made a public example [of them], God has triumphed over them in him.

Commentary

Verse 2:8 begins what Melick has called the “theological heart of the epistle” to the Colossians. 1 Believing this to be true, it seems significant to my reflection here that we find that the central valve in this heart of the epistle is the union that the believer has with Christ and Christ with the believer.In describing the preeminence of Christ, Paul introduced us to the fullness of God which was pleased to dwell in the man Jesus. The Incarnation is one of the greatest mysteries of the Bible. The invisible God has veiled himself in human flesh that he might be visible. It is a condescension beyond comprehension and at the same time it exalts the new humanity that is found in Jesus by way of union to the whole incarnate and exalted Christ.

Paul says to the church at Colossae that “you are those who have been made full in him.” Full of what? As the fullness of divinity has been pleased to dwell in Christ, and by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, we His church have been united irrevocably to the whole Christ, then we find that we do participate in the fullness of divinity that was pleased to dwell in Christ because he is pleased to dwell in us and has caused us to abide in him. We do this always as created human beings, never ourselves becoming God, but participating in the one who is Himself life, and through whom “all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…”.

If you are reading this reflection charitably and the gravity of the believer’s union with Christ is sensed, it would seem to have immense practical implications. This union with Christ is a declaration to us of the final perfect fellowship that we will have with God after the earth is restored and the whole world judged justly. It is a taste of what will be consummated at that time. It tells us we are going somewhere, no matter where we might find ourselves as Christians. In other words, in our darkest hours, our union to the incarnate-risen-and-exalted Christ is a beacon to us in the darkness. It is the reality that in suffering we are bound to the one who suffered for us and was victorious over death and hell. It is the opera that would seek to drowned out the raw power chords of temptation that seek to woo us away from the identity that we now have bound up and secure in Christ who has overcome sin, having nailed our sin to the Cross – never to be removed. In deed he has made eternal peace for us with God through the blood of his cross.

Let me close this reflection with a quote from one whom I consider the Doctor of Union, John Calvin:

When mention is made of our union with God, let us remember that holiness must be the bond; not that by the merit of holiness we come into communion with him (we ought rather first to cleave to him, in order that, pervaded with his holiness, we may follow whither he calls), but because it greatly concerns his glory not to have any fellowship with wickedness and impurity.

Institutes III, vi

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1 Melick, Richard R. Vol. 32, Philippians, Colissians, Philemon. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, p 249.