J. L. Terveen Colossians 2
17
which in turn explicates
. Paul, therefore, addresses
the cause of spiritual death, namely
(2:13a,c), and continues his
forgiveness theme from 2:13 with new metaphorical ammunition in 2:14. The same
"with Christ" christological concept carries over.
Triumphant Parade "In Christ." In 2:15 Paul brings to a climactic conclusion
his sequence of metaphors describing the effectual results of Christs death and
resurrection. Two more aorist participles the final two in the sequence of five in 2:13-
15 now help define the main verb
.
The first participle,
, creates exegetical difficulty concerning the
subject of its action, whether God or Christ. Though many interpreters favor Christ, this
necessitates a jarring and unclear change of subjects somewhere in 2:14 since clearly
God is the subject of
(2:13). In addition, it disallows understanding
the final
in 2:15 to refer to Christ, breaking the strong sequence of "in him" and
"in whom" clauses so distinctive to the argument of 2:9-15. NT Greeks tendency to
understand a middle voice as active suggests the straightforward translation "stripped"
(or"disarmed"). This allows a more contextually natural reading of the text maintaining
God as the subject throughout. It is God who has stripped off the powers and
principalities like so many old and wasted rags (2:8,10).
The main verb
explains that he stripped them of their supposed
dignity and mightiness. The term itself points to an open display, an exposing, of their
utter helplessness before his power. There is a clearly pejorative note to this exposure, as
seen in the only other NT use of this word (Matt. 1:19). The open public character of this
disgracing of the
is intensified by adding
.