J. L. Terveen Colossians 2
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not only the basic fact that it is "against us" (
) but also pointing to its active
hostility (
.
The finite verb
governs two more aorist adverbial participles the second
and third in the notable sequence of five aorist participles in 2:13-15. The perfect tense
underlines the present and permanent state of the removal of that debt record, a setting
aside intensified by the common Greek phrase
(1 Cor. 5:2). The two
aorist participles vividly describe this removal of the sin debt record.
The first,
, picks up the idea of
(2:13) and means the
erasure of an entry in a book quite literally "blotted out" or "wiped clean."
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This
basically reiterates the idea of 2:13b,
.
The second participle
expresses vividly how the sin record has been set
aside, by nailing it to the cross. Though this metaphor too has been subject to a variety of
(sometimes quite creative) interpretive directions,
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it seems best not to press the
metaphor too far. The basic idea of crucifixion clearly means execution and destruction,
a concept that coordinates well with the earlier ideas in 2:14 of cancellation and removal.
The idea of an indictment (sin debt bond) being nailed to the cross coordinates less well
with the central idea in the text of removal.
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Further, the explicit crucifixion
terminology makes reference to Jesus own crucifixion unavoidable. Christ himself on
the cross bears mans sins, becoming a somatic sin
, an embodiment of sin.
His death by being nailed to the cross, effectually brings forgiveness of trespasses, the
erasure of sin debt through the sin offering in Christs own flesh (Ro. 8:3-4).
Though there is no explicit use of either "in him/Christ" or "with him"
terminology in 2:14, the passage is contextually closely related to
in 2:13,