SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:15
y despojando los principados y las potestades, sacndolos a la vergenza en pblico, confiadamente triunfando de ellos en l.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Colossians 2:15
Verse 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers] Here is an allusion to the treatment of enemies when conquered: they are spoiled of their armour, so much the word apekduein implies; and they are exhibited with contumely and reproach to the populace, especially when the victor has the honour of a triumph; to the former of which there is an allusion in the words edeigmatisen en parrhsia, making a public exhibition of them; and to the latter in the words qriambeusav autouv, triumphing over them. And the principalities and powers refer to the emperors, kings, and generals taken in battle, and reserved to grace the victor's triumph. It is very likely that by the arcav kai exousiav, principalities and powers, over whom Christ triumphed, the apostle means the twayn nesioth and twr roshoth, who were the rulers and chiefs in the Sanhedrin and synagogues, and who had great authority among the people, both in making constitutions and explaining traditions. The propagation of Christianity in Judea quite destroyed their spiritual power and domination; just as the propagation of Protestantism, which was Christianity revived, destroyed, wherever it appeared, the false doctrine and domination of the pope of Rome. In it.] The words en autw refer rather to Christ, than to the cross, if indeed they be genuine; of which there is much reason to doubt, as the versions and fathers differ so greatly in quoting them. Griesbach has left them out of the text.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. [And] having spoiled principalities and powers , etc.] Principalities of hell, the infernal powers of darkness, the devil that had the power of death, the accuser of the brethren, who often objected their debts, with all his works and posse: these Christ has divested of their armour, wherein they trusted to have ruined men, as sin, the law, and death; he has ransomed his people from him that was stronger than they, and taken the prey out of the hands of the mighty; he has bruised the serpent's head, demolished his works, destroyed him himself, and all his powers, and defeated all their counsels and designs against his elect: some render the word apekdusamenov , having put off, or unclothed: and which some of the ancient writers apply to the flesh of Christ, and understand it of his putting off the flesh by death, whereby he gave the death blow to Satan and his powers, ( Hebrews 2:14), to which sense agrees the Syriac version, which renders the words, hrgp jlbw , and by the putting off of his body, he exposed to shame principalities and powers: but it may be better interpreted of unclothing, or stripping principalities and powers of their armour, with which they were clothed; as is usually done to enemies, when they fall into the hands of their conquerors: unless rather this is to be understood of Christ's taking away the power and authority of the Jewish ecclesiastical rulers and governors, by abolishing the ceremonial law, and the ordinances of it; declaring himself to be the alone King and Lawgiver in his house, and requiring subjection to his institutions and appointments, which sense agrees with the context: he made a show of them openly ; when being raised from the dead, he ascended on high, and led captivity captive; he led Satan and his principalities and powers captive, who had led others, as he passed through the air, the territories of the devil, in the sight of God and the holy angels: triumphing over them in it ; which some understand of the cross, as if where and by what he got the victory, there he triumphed; the cross, where his enemies thought to make a show of him, expose him to public scorn and contempt, and to triumph over him, was as it were the triumphant chariot, in which he triumphed over all the powers of hell, when he had conquered them by it: but the words may be rendered in himself, as they are by the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions; and the sense be, that as he by himself got the victory, his own arm brought salvation to him, so he alone shared the glory and honour of the triumph: or it may be rendered in him, and the whole in this and the preceding verse be applied to God the Father, who, as in ( Colossians 2:12,13); is said to raise Christ from the dead, to quicken sinners dead in sins, and to forgive all their trespasses; so he may be said to blot out the handwriting of ordinances, and to spoil principalities and powers, expose them to public view and shame, and triumph over them, in him, in and by his Son Jesus Christ: the whole is an allusion to the victories, spoils, and triumphs, of the Roman emperors, who when they had obtained a victory, a triumph was decreed for them by the senate; in which the emperor was drawn in an open chariot, and the captives being stripped of their armour, and their hands tied behind them, were led before him and exposed to public view and disgrace; while he was shouted and huzzaed through the city of Rome, and had all the marks of honour and respect given him f26 : now all that is said in the preceding verses show how complete the saints are in and by Christ; and stand in no need of the philosophy of the Gentiles, or the ceremonies of the Jews; nor have anything to fear from their enemies, sin, Satan, and the law, for sin is pardoned, the law is abolished, and Satan conquered.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-17 - There is a philosophy which rightly exercises our reasonable faculties a study of the works of God, which leads us to the knowledge of God and confirms our faith in him. But there is a philosophy which is vai and deceitful; and while it pleases men's fancies, hinders their faith such are curious speculations about things above us, or no concern to us. Those who walk in the way of the world, are turned from followin Christ. We have in Him the substance of all the shadows of the ceremonial law. All the defects of it are made up in the gospel of Christ, by his complete sacrifice for sin, and by the revelation of the will of God. To be complete, is to be furnished with all thing necessary for salvation. By this one word "complete," is shown that we have in Christ whatever is required. "In him," not when we look to Christ, as though he were distant from us, but we are in him, when, by the power of the Spirit, we have faith wrought in our hearts by the Spirit, and we are united to our Head. The circumcision of the heart the crucifixion of the flesh, the death and burial to sin and to the world, and the resurrection to newness of life, set forth in baptism and by faith wrought in our hearts, prove that our sins are forgiven and that we are fully delivered from the curse of the law. Throug Christ, we, who were dead in sins, are quickened. Christ's death wa the death of our sins; Christ's resurrection is the quickening of ou souls. The law of ordinances, which was a yoke to the Jews, and partition-wall to the Gentiles, the Lord Jesus took out of the way When the substance was come, the shadows fled. Since every mortal ma is, through the hand-writing of the law, guilty of death, how very dreadful is the condition of the ungodly and unholy, who trample unde foot that blood of the Son of God, whereby alone this deadl hand-writing can be blotted out! Let not any be troubled about bigote judgments which related to meats, or the Jewish solemnities. The setting apart a portion of our time for the worship and service of God is a moral and unchangeable duty, but had no necessary dependence upo the seventh day of the week, the sabbath of the Jews. The first day of the week, or the Lord's day, is the time kept holy by Christians, in remembrance of Christ's resurrection. All the Jewish rites were shadow of gospel blessings.
Greek Textus Receptus
απεκδυσαμενος 554 5666 τας 3588 αρχας 746 και 2532 τας 3588 εξουσιας 1849 εδειγματισεν 1165 5656 εν 1722 παρρησια 3954 θριαμβευσας 2358 5660 αυτους 846 εν 1722 αυτω 846
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. Having spoiled principalities and powers (apekdusamenov tav arcav kai tav exousiav). For the verb spoiled, see on putting off, ver. 11. The principalities and powers are the angelic hosts through whose ministry the law was given. See Deut. xxxiii. 2; Acts vii. 53; Hebrews ii. 2; Gal. iii. 19. Great importance was attached, in the later rabbinical schools, to the angels who assisted in giving the law; and that fact was not without influence in shaping the doctrine of angelic mediators, one of the elements of the Colossian heresy, which was partly Judaic. This doctrine Paul strikes at in ch. i. 16; ii. 10; here, and ver. 18. God put off from himself, when the bond of the law was rendered void in Christ's crucifixion, that ministry of angels which waited on the giving of the law, revealing Christ as the sole mediator, the head of every principality and power (ver. 10). The directness of the gospel ministration, as contrasted with the indirectness of the legal ministration, is touched upon by Paul in Galatians iii. 19 sqq.; 2 Cor. iii. 12 sqq.; Heb. ii. 2.
He made a show of them (edeigmatisen). Only here and Matt. i. 19, see note. The compound paradeigmatizw to expose to public infamy, is found Heb. vi. 6; and deigma example, in Jude 7. The word is unknown to classical Greek. The meaning here is to make a display of, exhibit. He showed them as subordinate and subject to Christ. Compare especially Hebrews 1. throughout, where many points of contact with the first two chapters of this epistle will be found.
Openly (en parrhsia). Or boldly. See on Philemon 8. Not publicly, but as by a bold stroke putting His own ministers, chosen and employed for such a glorious and dignified office, in subjection before the eyes of the world.
Triumphing over them (qraimbeusav autouv). See on 2 Corinthians ii. 14. If we take this phrase in the sense which it bears in that passage, leading in triumph, there seems something incongruous in picturing the angelic ministers of the law as captives of war, subjugated and led in procession. The angels "do His commandments and hearken unto the voice of His word." But while I hold to that explanation in 2 Corinthians, I see no reason why the word may not be used here less specifically in the sense of leading a festal procession in which all share the triumph; the heavenly ministers, though set aside as mediators, yet exulting in the triumph of the one and only Mediator. Even in the figure in 2 Corinthians, the captives rejoice in the triumph. Compare Apoc. xix. 11. Our knowledge of the word qriambeuw is not so extensive or accurate as to warrant too strict limitations in our definition.
In it (en autw). The cross. Many expositors, however, render in Him, Christ. This I adopt as harmonizing with the emphatic references to Christ which occur in every verse from 5 to 14; Christ, four times; in Him, four; in whom, two; with Him, three. In it is necessary only if the subject of the sentence is Christ; but the very awkward change of subject from God (quickened us together, ver. 13) is quite unnecessary. God is the subject throughout. 198
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:15 {Having put off from himself} (apekdusamenos). Only here and #3:9 and one MS. of Josephus (apekdus). Both apoduw and ekduw occur in ancient writers. Paul simply combines the two for expression of complete removal. But two serious problems arise here. Is God or Christ referred to by apekdusamenos? What is meant by "the principalities and the powers" (tas arcas kai tas exousias)? Modern scholars differ radically and no full discussion can be attempted here as one finds in Lightfoot, Haupt, Abbott, Peake. On the whole I am inclined to look on God as still the subject and the powers to be angels such as the Gnostics worshipped and the verb to mean "despoil" (American Standard Version) rather than "having put off from himself." In the Cross of Christ God showed his power openly without aid or help of angels. {He made a show of them} (edeigmatisen). First aorist active indicative of deigmatizw, late and rare verb from deigma (#Jude 1:7), an example, and so to make an example of. Frequent in the papyri though later than paradeigmatizw and in N.T. only here and #Mt 1:19 of Joseph's conduct toward Mary. No idea of disgrace is necessarily involved in the word. The publicity is made plain by "openly" (en parresiai). {Triumphing over them on it} (qriambeusas autous en autwi). On the Cross the triumph was won. this late, though common verb in _Koin_ writers (ekqriambeuw in the papyri) occurs only twice in the N.T., once "to lead in triumph" (#2Co 2:14), here to celebrate a triumph (the usual sense). It is derived from qriambos, a hymn sung in festal procession and is kin to the Latin _triumphus_ (our triumph), a triumphal procession of victorious Roman generals. God won a complete triumph over all the angelic agencies (autous, masculine regarded as personal agencies). Lightfoot adds, applying qriambeusas to Christ: "The convict's gibbet is the victor's car." It is possible, of course, to take autwi as referring to ceirografon (bond) or even to Christ.
