Colossians 2:15

Colossians 2:15. Having put off from himself, or, ‘having despoiled.' A third interpretation: ‘having put off from Himself his body, he made a show of,' etc., confuses the metaphors, and is otherwise objectionable. The second view (comp. E. V.) agrees well with the context, but it is doubtful whether the word used has this sense; comp. chap. Colossians 3:9 and Colossians 2:11, where the corresponding noun occurs. Meyer, however, defends this view, taking God as the subject. The more exact sense: ‘having put off from himself,' present difficulties. It cannot be applied to God, but in what sense can it be applied to Christ? In itself the phrase, the principalities and the powers, may refer either to all angelic powers, or only evil ones. But how can Christ be said to divest Himself of these, in either reference? The most satisfactory answer refers this to the victory over evil spirits: the powers of evil had power against Christ, as mortal in His flesh: He divested Himself of His flesh, by thus doing He divested Himself of them. Others include all spiritual powers, in view of the Colossian error (Colossians 2:18), which ‘associated the Jewish observances in some way with the worship of angels' (Alford); but this seems remote from the present train of thought. Lightfoot: ‘The final act in the conflict began with the garden of Gethsemane; it ended with the cross of Calvary. The victory was complete. The enemy of man was defeated. The powers of evil, which had clung like a Nessus robe about His humanity, were torn off and cast aside forever. And the victory of mankind is involved in the victory of Christ. In His cross we too are divested of the poisonous clinging garments of temptation and sin and death.'

He made a show of them, as victor displaying them as captives.

With boldness. ‘ Openly' does not fully express the sense, and is already indicated in the verb, confidently, in the assurance of victory.

Triumphing over them in it. This carries out the figure. ‘Them,' i.e., the principalities and the powers; ‘in it,' i.e., the cross, certainly not, ‘in Himself' (E. V. margin). ‘The Redeemer conquered by dying. See His crown of thorns turned into a crown of laurels. Never had the devil's kingdom such a mortal blow given to it, as was given by the Lord Jesus' (Henry). The symbol of sorrow and shame was the place of victory and triumph.