"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 stake."
Colossians 2:14
Many of us have been led to believe that this verse is referring to the Old Testament commandments being “nailed to the cross.” The first thing I would like to examine is the part where Paul says that these ordinances were “against us/contrary to us.” If Paul is advocating that the Old Testament commandments are against us, then why would he say in an earlier letter to the Romans that the law is “holy, just (righteous), and good?” (Romans 7:12).
James tells us that the law (commandments) is the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25). So, we have two witnesses who say that the law/commands are referred to as freedom, holiness, righteous, and good. Since Scripture does not contradict itself, we must look deeper into Colossians 2:14 if we think we are to interpret this verse as if to say the law/commandments are against us.
Establishing context:
It would be helpful to know the audience in which Paul wrote these letters to. The people of Colossae where being heavily influenced by Judaism and Gnosticism, which is why some of the key tenets in Paul’s short letter include things like the preexistence of Yahusha and instructions on how to be built up in the faith to live as our Messiah lived. Paul spends the majority of chapter 2 warning the people to beware of traditions and commandments of men. We always have to establish context first.
Going back to Colossians 2:14, Paul is clearly saying that Yahusha “blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us.”
Let's look at the word "ordinances."
Some versions may use the word ‘charges’ or ‘debt.’ This word is derived from the Greek word “dogma” (G1378). The outline of its biblical usage is mostly in relation to “doctrines of public decrees, of the Roman Senate, or of rulers.” The definition of dogma is, “something held as an established opinion or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church.”
In order to put this particular verse into context, a few verses later (Colossians 2:20-22), Paul is admonishing the people not to subject themselves to these same “ordinances” (dogma) after the commandments and doctrines of men. In Colossians 2:14, Paul is not referring to the commandments of the Most High, but rather the commandments of men.
So, what exactly did our Messiah “blot out?”
You can see this for yourself if you read through the Gospels, that Yahusha’s sharp rebukes to the Pharisees, was that they “laid aside the commandments of God to hold on to their own traditions and commandments.” See Mark 7:8-9 for reference.
Do you want to know what kind of dogma is really against Yahuah’s people today?
It’s the additions and subtractions from the pure Word of Yah.
Our Messiah NEVER advocated or taught that He came to do away with His Father’s commandments. The reason that He rebuked the Jewish teachers was because they took the Father’s commandments and added many, many extra commands and interpretations on how to successfully keep them. They overcomplicated the Father’s Word, creating a burden on people. THOSE were the “ordinances” against us. Not the commandments of the Most High.
Yah’s commands are simple and good. So, why are they taught and treated as if they are such a burden?
“For this is the love of Elohim (God), that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.”
1 John 5:3
With love,
Stephanie