Colossians 2:11-23

2:11-15 | In this passage, Paul outlines the process and privileges of new birth.

2:12 | Baptism carries the implication of being immersed. New believers are buried with Christ in this way and raised to new life through faith; sin, death, and hell no longer have a claim on God’s own (Rom. 6:4; Eph. 1:19-20). The symbol for this exchange is water baptism.

2:14 | If God could overlook sin, the cross would not have been necessary. Thankfully, He loved sinners so much that he devised a plan to wipe away their unrighteousness (Eph. 2:15-16). The word for handwriting is the same word from which we derive autograph and was used for the signature on an IOU. In other words, God erased sin with the work of Jesus on the cross.

2:15 | The Romans held a great ceremony when a military general was victorious over a foe. This ceremony celebrated the victor but also disgraced the vanquished. Similarly, God made a public spectacle of His enemies in His triumph over death through Jesus. One day, even they will “bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:11).

2:16-17 | One of the false teachings assailing the church in Colossae was legalism. The dietary restrictions, festivals, and other requirements of the law no longer carried any weight (Rom. 14:3). Paul says that Christ is now the substance by which all teachings would be measured (Heb. 10:1).

2:18-19 | The body of Christ, the church, will grow stronger in the faith only as it draws its nourishment from its Head, Christ (Eph. 4:15). The only increase is from God.

2:20-23 | As followers of Christ, it is ludicrous to submit to that which He has already conquered. Christ had set the church in Colossae completely free. Just as sin and death had no hold on Christ (Rom. 6:9), so Christians have been set free of the human requirements that people try to impose regarding spiritual matters (2:14).