Colossians 2:14-16 - The Law That Was Against Us

[Randy Kluth]

I'm just a lowly seed-sower. Only the Holy Ghost can convict. Thank you for your participation.

I appreciate your humility. I don't mean to depreciate anything you've said--just disagree with it. I'm simply engaging in the discussion to see what comes out of it.

 

[Randy Kluth]

Isn't strange that Christians make much ado about loving the Lord your God and your neighbour but when it comes to the Commandments which are specific regarding this, they are willing to scrap them.

We should only "scrap" what the Lord Himself has "scrapped." On the cross Jesus himself put away any need, under the Law, for further attempts at self-justification. Works of the Law could never, after all, self-justify. They could only provide obedience, resulting in temporal blessings--they could not bring eternal life.

So any efforts at self-justification through Sabbath-keeping, were done away with, or "scrapped," at the cross. To try to bring that law back does an affront to Christ, as the NT Scriptures say. This would insult the "Spirit of Grace."

Heb 10.29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Paul makes a very big issue out of this by denouncing those who continued to pursue justification under the Law.

Gal 3.10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”

Obviously, nobody can perfectly "continue under the Law." Having a sin nature, we will always sin, as long as we live in these fallen bodies. So we can experience blessings for obedience in this life, by practicing righteousness. But without eternal atonement, we can never receive eternal life.

For Paul, living by faith was a matter of entering into the righteousness of Christ apart from any rituals to justify access to it. It was a free gift, not requiring any act under the Law in a preliminary way. To engage in Sabbath observance was rejected by Paul.

Col 2.16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

To pursue circumcision itself, the very act of male entry into the Covenant of Law, was showing disrespect for Jesus' death, if the act of circumcision was taught as anything but a tradition.

Gal 6.15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

Even the OT priesthood was contaminated, and could only bring temporal blessings--not eternal justification. It was shown under the Law that even the priests were unclean and had to be atoned for.

In the same way, all works of the Law had to be brought to an end at the crucifixion of Christ, where all the works of men were shown to be unclean, and incapable of eternal justification. Righteousness continues to be needed and is still required by God. But the Law proved incapable of being the vehicle through which eternal justification could come, and was done away with when Israel failed under that system.

Eternal Life therefore comes only by embracing the free righteousness that comes to us when we repent of living our own life, apart from God. All rituals of the Law, including Sabbath Law, have to go by the wayside, or "scrapped." Israel failed under that system, and we all would.

 

[Enoch111]

For this reason, the ceremonial law was considered to be a law which was “against” them. Even in the New Testament we read the same descriptive language in reference to that law. “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).

I believe you are totally misunderstanding Colosssians 2:14, which has everything to do with the violation of the Ten Commandments, and nothing to do with the ceremonial law or laws. This verse is talking about the cancellation (or blotting out) of the sin debt through the crucifixion of Christ.

First of all let us look at the actual verse in Greek:
CRITICAL TEXT
ἐξαλείψας τὸ καθ' ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον τοῖς δόγμασιν ὃ ἦν ὑπεναντίον ἡμῖν, καὶ αὐτὸ ἦρκεν ἐκ τοῦ μέσου προσηλώσας αὐτὸ τῷ σταυρῷ·
RECEIVED TEXT
ἐξαλείψας τὸ καθ' ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον τοῖς δόγμασιν ὃ ἦν ὑπεναντίον ἡμῖν καὶ αὐτὸ ἦρκεν ἐκ τοῦ μέσου προσηλώσας αὐτὸ τῷ σταυρῷ·

Since there is absolutely no difference above, what is stated in the literal interlinear Greek is this: having blotted out the handwriting in the decrees* against us, which was adverse to us, and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Young's Literal Translation is very close to this: having blotted out the handwriting in the ordinances* that is against us, that was contrary to us, and he hath taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;

So we need to be clear as to what those decrees or ordinances were. The Greek word is dogmasin (δόγμασιν) derived from dogma (δόγμα)
which in this context means "judgment", although the words decrees and ordinances have also been used (which adds to the confusion).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1378: δόγμα
δόγμα, δογματος, τό (from δοκέω, and equivalent to τόδεδογμενον), an opinion, a judgment (Plato, others),doctrine, decree, ordinance;

Since the epistle to the Colossians was written to both Jews and Gentiles, that verse would not be speaking about ceremonial ordinances, but about the record of sin debt accumulated by all mankind through the violation of the Ten Commandments. What Christ did is take God's handwritten record of all the judgments against us as sinners and nailed it to the cross.

When Christ was nailed to the cross all our sins were also nailed to the cross. And since Christ paid the full penalty for all our sins, He took this judgment "out of the way". He nullified the sin debt, and nullified all the charges against us. However, in order to make that a reality God justifies us by His grace, when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[BarneyFife]

We should only "scrap" what the Lord Himself has "scrapped." On the cross Jesus himself put away any need, under the Law, for further attempts at self-justification. Works of the Law could never, after all, self-justify. They could only provide obedience, resulting in temporal blessings--they could not bring eternal life.

So any efforts at self-justification through Sabbath-keeping, were done away with, or "scrapped," at the cross. To try to bring that law back does an affront to Christ, as the NT Scriptures say. This would insult the "Spirit of Grace."

Heb 10.29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Paul makes a very big issue out of this by denouncing those who continued to pursue justification under the Law.

Gal 3.10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”

Obviously, nobody can perfectly "continue under the Law." Having a sin nature, we will always sin, as long as we live in these fallen bodies. So we can experience blessings for obedience in this life, by practicing righteousness. But without eternal atonement, we can never receive eternal life.

For Paul, living by faith was a matter of entering into the righteousness of Christ apart from any rituals to justify access to it. It was a free gift, not requiring any act under the Law in a preliminary way. To engage in Sabbath observance was rejected by Paul.

Col 2.16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

To pursue circumcision itself, the very act of male entry into the Covenant of Law, was showing disrespect for Jesus' death, if the act of circumcision was taught as anything but a tradition.

Gal 6.15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

Even the OT priesthood was contaminated, and could only bring temporal blessings--not eternal justification. It was shown under the Law that even the priests were unclean and had to be atoned for.

In the same way, all works of the Law had to be brought to an end at the crucifixion of Christ, where all the works of men were shown to be unclean, and incapable of eternal justification. Righteousness continues to be needed and is still required by God. But the Law proved incapable of being the vehicle through which eternal justification could come, and was done away with when Israel failed under that system.

Eternal Life therefore comes only by embracing the free righteousness that comes to us when we repent of living our own life, apart from God. All rituals of the Law, including Sabbath Law, have to go by the wayside, or "scrapped." Israel failed under that system, and we all would.

I can't for the life of me understand why the mention of obedience always turns into a discussion about justification by works of the law. It's the never-ending sermon to the choir.

 

[2nd Timothy Group]

The Purpose of Christ is to set us apart, but from what? Yes, we are set apart from any Law or rule of the world, and will thus be judged by the Laws of the Spirit of Life, and not that of worldly Laws. Freedom in Christ!

Colossians 2:20-22 NLT - "You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, "Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch!"? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them."

We just need to make sure that our Hearts are Circumcised by Christ . . . and this is described in the verses right before those in your OP.

Colossians 2:11-13 NLT - "When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision--the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. 13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins."

It is the Circumcision of Christ that separates us from the Law. Anyone who still packs around the Curse of Adam and Eve, they will be judged by the written or Moral Laws that convict them. But those who belong to Christ, no worldly Law applies to them in terms of Judgement. Again, this is what it means to be Free in Christ Jesus.

 

[quietthinker]

What does it mean that we have died to the Law that we may serve another?

Romans 7
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

What Law are we delivered from?

Much love!

I'll say this Mark, if its inconvenient and there is unwillingness to see what one needs to see to get clarity, one won't see it. One has already determined how and what one sees.

 

[Randy Kluth]

I can't for the life of me understand why the mention of obedience always turns into a discussion about justification by works of the law. It's the never-ending sermon to the choir.

It's not as strange as you may think. Paul harps on the problem of self-justification almost endlessly. And that's because he lived at a time when the Jews were supposed to be converting to Christ, but tried to take their Jewish past with them.

It is an example for non-Jews to beware that following religious tradition is not the same thing as Christian righteousness. Things like "going to church," or "taking communion," or "giving offerings," do not make one ready for the Kingdom of God. Rather, it is righteousness that we live out through Christ in the Spirit that makes us righteous.

There are many who forsake true spiritual guidance for mere knowledge, and cover over their hostility with religious appearances. We can learn from that! We need to keep God's love fresh in our lives, as we carry out our supposed service to God!

 

[marks]

I'll say this Mark, if its inconvenient and there is unwillingness to see what one needs to see to get clarity, one won't see it. One has already determined how and what one sees.

If that is one's way, then I would agree with you.

Well, to a point, that is. One can just go along with this that kind of thinking, or one might recognize it for what it is, and go on to continue to learn.

Personally, I'd say that sort of undisciplined intellectuallism is something the mind of the flesh more readily engages in. Part of it's hostility against God, and rejection of the heavenly wisdom.

Much love!

 

[quietthinker]

It's not as strange as you may think. Paul harps on the problem of self-justification almost endlessly. And that's because he lived at a time when the Jews were supposed to be converting to Christ, but tried to take their Jewish past with them.

It is an example for non-Jews to beware that following religious tradition is not the same thing as Christian righteousness. Things like "going to church," or "taking communion," or "giving offerings," do not make one ready for the Kingdom of God. Rather, it is righteousness that we live out through Christ in the Spirit that makes us righteous.

There are many who forsake true spiritual guidance for mere knowledge, and cover over their hostility with religious appearances. We can learn from that! We need to keep God's love fresh in our lives, as we carry out our supposed service to God!

'works of the law' is self focus......where ones attention and passion is directed in real terms....not just ones yada yada. One doesn't need to be a Jew to be self focused. Fashion is about self focus, so is the pursuit of money as is every emphasis that glorifies and focuses on self. One doesn't need to be pagan either, one only needs to be human....what one does or doesn't do.....even Christian.

 

[marks]

I can't for the life of me understand why the mention of obedience always turns into a discussion about justification by works of the law. It's the never-ending sermon to the choir.

To me it's more about the defining of Love. That is except those times that people do talk about being justified by Law keeping, as some do.

It seems to me that rather than looking at the Laws of the covenant between God and Israel as the illumination on how my life is, I'm better led by looking at what Christ is leading me in my life to do, and what He is making me to be as He renews my mind. That my mind thinks of God and life the right way.

Which, when I put this into a day to day, moment by moment context, this is to put my mind into the frame that I am at complete peace with my Creator, Who made me for the purpose of having this shared life with Him. Focused on that, I know that my every need is met, because He loves me, and that's how He is. In all needs met, practical, emotional, whatever, I'm free to simply brim over with what He's pouring into me, in love, and care, and all that He is. Whatever the situation or the person needs.

May I be that at all times!!

Much love!

 

[BarneyFife]

To me it's more about the defining of Love.

If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (John 14:15-16)

 

[BarneyFife]

that is except those times that people do talk about being justified by Law keeping, as some do.

When? Where?

 

[marks]

When? Where?

Here, at church, other forums, like that. And then there comes the discussion of what we mean in saying justified - that is, rebirth justification or proof justification - I've heard people teach that we have to prove ourselves to God Himself through our dedication to keeping His Laws, and in that way we might become reborn, if we do well enough.

Working our way to be reborn. Very much the opposite of what I believe. That we are reborn by God's free gift, given us when we believe in Him. Created new, to live new.

Much love!

 

[amigo de christo]

I can't for the life of me understand why the mention of obedience always turns into a discussion about justification by works of the law. It's the never-ending sermon to the choir.

Well this might scare the socks of off some folks ,
FOR WHOM we OBEY IS WHOSE WE ARE . whether of sin unto death or of OBEDIANCE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS .
GOD will not be mocked . For what a man sows to is what he will surely reap . IF ye sow to the flesh , it is death
but if ye sow to the spirit it is life eternal . James knew it too . He knew , paul knew , john knew , peter knew they all knew .
I want us to look first at JESUS approach to sin . Now GO and sin NO MORE .
Now look at pauls approach . LET inquity not once be named among you . Let all who name the name of Christ depart from inquity .
Ever wonder why we dont hear that today . cause folks have forgotten or never knew or never learned the true pattern
of Christ nor those apostles . AND ITS WHY I BEG , ITS WHY I PLEAD , ITS WHY I WEEP and I CRY and I SAY
FOLKS GO BACK TO BIBLES and LEARN THAT JESUS and LEARN THOSE APOSTLES , LEARN YE THAT DOCTRINE .

 

[BarneyFife]

Paul harps on the problem of self-justification almost endlessly.

I think if you actually did the math, you'd see a different picture.

And that's because he lived at a time when the Jews were supposed to be converting to Christ, but tried to take their Jewish past with them.

That was then. This is now. Tolerance to a fault is the order of the day.

It is an example for non-Jews to beware that following religious tradition is not the same thing as Christian righteousness.

But it is part of it.

Things like "going to church," or "taking communion," or "giving offerings," do not make one ready for the Kingdom of God.

They actually kinda do help.

Rather, it is righteousness that we live out through Christ in the Spirit that makes us righteous.

Righteousness is right-doing. Living out righteousness through Christ in the Spirit. It sounds like obedience to some elusive standard.

There are many who forsake true spiritual guidance for mere knowledge, and cover over their hostility with religious appearances. We can learn from that!

Where is all of this happening?

We need to keep God's love fresh in our lives, as we carry out our supposed service to God!

What is "supposed service to God?"

I'm just trying to be honest here. Don't mean to pick on you. And I don't insist that anyone should agree with me, but I fear that something has slipped away that is really essential to spiritual life. The PC movement has fully infiltrated the church and if people who recognize this don't sound the warning, the blood of the unwarned will be on our heads and hands. I asked my dad a few months ago if he'd ever heard anyone in church say that the ten commandments (any of them) were nailed to the Cross. He'd never heard of such a thing. He went to church every Sunday of his childhood, which was mostly in the 1940s and 50s. I'd never heard it until 30 years ago myself.

 

[BarneyFife]

I've heard people teach that we have to prove ourselves to God Himself through our dedication to keeping His Laws, and in that way we might become reborn, if we do well enough.

I've never heard of anything like that in my life.

 

[amigo de christo]

The problem is many are learning the doctrines of men . When indeed they should be learning the doctrine of Christ
and of the apostels . BIBLES . OPEN and LOVE EVERY WORD . JESUS ALONE IS OUR HOPE , SO LEARN HIM WELL .
Learn from the men who really knew HIM .
We are getting massively decieved these days by men who though they can speak elegant , they speak twisted lies and part truths .
AND that path is a deadly one to be on . LEARN YE JESUS , LEARN YE HIS DOCTRINE , LEARN the letters of the apostels
and learn all Holy doctrine in the bible . Let us learn that we too do not make the same mistakes men in times past have made .
LEARN that bible and embrace and love every word of GOD .
Learn to behold both the goodness and severity of GOD .

 

[amigo de christo]

I've never heard of anything like that in my life.

me neither my friend . me neither . The pslamist once said , OH LORD i love thy law . GUESS Today that is legalism .
BUT EVERY WORD OF GOD should and would be loved unto a lamb .
Folks , this generation is in dire trouble . I do not look to the law as my means of salvation or to attain unto salvation .
BUT do we then make void the law through grace . GOD FORBID .
IF we can willfully make void the law , an example is it says man shall not lie with man as with woman .
AND If one says HEY we aint under the law and then use that to say its okay to do that . THEY JUST MADE VOID the law
and i promise its a false grace , a false love .
FOR every word of GOD is pure and lovely . And what HE calls evil we would call evil and what he calls good we would call good .
Folks just dont know that if one truly had the LOVE of GOD shed upon their hearts
they would not transgress , they would simply follow the SPIRIT and love fullfills the law . ANY LOVE
that trangresses , that calls good what GOD has called evil and calls evil what God has called good , AINT COMING FROM GOD
it aint coming from the SPIRIT , its coming FROM THE FLESH .
NO longer do we , if we err , have to go and do as the law said , like sacrifice a bird , or cow or sheep . NOPE JESUS IS THE SACRIFICE
and HE IS our advocate and IS faithful and just to forgive us , IFWE CONFESS OUR FAULTS , repent . JOHN KNEW .
paul knew , james knew , peter knew , jude knew , they knew what the new covenant really was .
And it was not that i will make void my law , IT WAS i shall write MY LAWS ON THEIR INWARD PARTS , IN THEIR HEARTS and IN THEIR MINDS .
Willfull sin is bad news . And its how i used to live . YES , YES i used to use JESUS name but i walked in sin and loved sin .
I was FALSE . OH BUT PRAISE GOD for the true grace that bringeth salvation , leading me RIGHT to the TRUE JESUS
and teaching me to deny all ungodliness and wordly lusts to be living soberly righteously and godly in this world as i wait for HIS COMING .

 

[mjrhealth]

I can't for the life of me understand why the mention of obedience always turns into a discussion about justification by works of the law. It's the never-ending sermon to the choir.

I cannot understand why men would throw out one delusion for another. I only kept quiet because you hadnt chosen this path, now all you have done is become like those who very same people whom you are telling "they are wrong". One lie for another, one religion for another, And so that what is in Christ again gets thrown out and mens religion takes over.

Mar 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mar 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

 

[BarneyFife]

I cannot understand why men would throw out one delusion for another. I only kept quiet because you hadnt chosen this path, now all you have done is become like those who very same people whom you are telling "they are wrong". One lie for another, one religion for another, And so that what is in Christ again gets thrown out and mens religion takes over.

Mar 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mar 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

Sorry. My parents expected me to obey them when I was a child. When I learned that God was my Heavenly Father and that He expected me to obey, too, it just seemed perfectly natural. Didn't mean to disappoint you.