A Reflective Study of Colossians 2:14

He Canceled It and Nailed It

A Reflective Study of Colossians 2:14

On Monday, October 17, 2011 at 8:15 p.m. in the city of Kendallville, Indiana, an elderly disciple of Jesus passed from this present life at the age of 83. His name was Ellis J. Crum. Most likely you have never heard of him, although he was dearly loved by many, both in this nation and abroad. He had lived in Indiana since 1958, but prior to that he had preached the Gospel in California, Connecticut, and Canada. He also made several missionary trips to Africa, as well as directing tours to the Holy Land. Additionally, he was the editor and publisher of the beloved hymn book titled "Sacred Selections for the Church," which was very popular and almost the standard hymnal among many Churches of Christ (my own faith-heritage). He was an active member for many years of the Kendallville Church of Christ. I have called your attention to this brother in Christ in this current study because of a well-known hymn he chose to place within his hymn book, a hymn which happens to be one of my favorites. It is titled "He Paid A Debt." It is most often characterized and identified simply as an "American Folk Hymn," although there has been much speculation over the years as to who actually wrote the words and composed the melody (a few even suggesting Ellis J. Crum himself). Whomever the author and composer may have been, we can all nevertheless thank this devoted disciple for preserving it for us in his hymn book. The words from this piece that are particularly poignant are:

"He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song: 'Amazing Grace.' Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay."

What a powerful truth is conveyed in these few words!

The cost of redemption was too high for any of us to pay, either for ourselves or for anyone else. "No man can by any means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him, that he should live on eternally; that he should not undergo decay, for the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever" (Psalm 49:7-9). It was a debt we could not pay. But, thanks be to God, the debt has been paid. It was paid once for all by the sacrifice of Jesus God's anointed one on the cross. Another beloved hymn, "He Bore It All," expresses this truth this way: "My precious Savior suffered pain and agony. He bore it all that I might live. He broke the bonds of sin and set the captive free. He bore it all that I might live. I stood condemned to die, but Jesus took my place. He bore it all that I might in His presence live." This is a classic Stamps-Baxter hymn, written in 1926. For generations our spiritual forefathers have been singing this gospel truth: Jesus "took my place" and "bore it all." These hymns reflect what I believe to be a timeless truth: the sacrifice of God's anointed one was substitutionary in nature; He "took my place" and He paid in full the penalty for sin. I dealt with this truth in quite some depth in Reflections #152

http://www.zianet.com/maxey/reflx152.htm

("Paying the Debt for Our Sin: Was the Crucifixion of Christ on the Cross Total or Token Payment for Sin?"). I would urge you to carefully consider what I presented in that article, for it will have great bearing on the present study, especially with respect to the question as to whether or not our Lord's payment for sin was total or token in nature.

The legalists have a very hard time accepting the truth that our debt is fully and finally paid by God's anointed one Jesus on the cross. It is their conviction that they must assist the Lord in making that payment. He pays part; we pay part ... and our part is paid through our obedience to some list of commands inferred (assumed) from the NT writings. Such a legalistic, patternistic perspective is deadly (as Jesus told the legalistic religionists in John 5:39-40), for it essentially declares God's gracious gift of His Son on the cross to be insufficient to fully pay the debt that we owe. It is up to you and me, therefore, according to this twisted theology, to supplement the payment that Jesus was incapable of fully providing by His sacrifice. That is about as close to an "abominable heresy" as any dogma can get! For such people, Paul's words in Colossians 2:13-14 are truly a thorn in their flesh, for this passage clearly refutes their theology. The apostle writes, "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross" (English Standard Version). Notice a few other renderings of verse 14:

King James Version: "blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross."

New International Version: "having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross."
New American Standard Bible: "having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

Holman Christian Standard Bible: "He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross."

Contemporary English Version: "God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross."

New English Bible: "He has canceled the bond which pledged us to the decrees of the law. It stood against us, but He has set it aside, nailing it to the cross."

The Message: "Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ's cross."

Amplified Bible: "having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands [which were in force] against us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross."

Complete Jewish Bible: "He wiped away the bill of charges against us. Because of the regulations, it stood as a testimony against us; but he removed it by nailing it to the execution-stake."

Easy-to-Read Version: "Because we broke God's laws, we owed a debt -- a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross."

J. B. Phillips' The NT in Modern English: "Christ has utterly wiped out the damning evidence of broken laws and commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it over His own head on the cross."

This is far from an exhaustive listing of translations and versions, but it illustrates part of the problem we have when seeking to understand the passage before us. There is tremendous diversity of opinion as to what Paul was seeking to convey. Dr. John Gill (1697-1771), an English writer and theologian, stated, "Various are the senses interpreters give of these words" [Exposition of the Entire Bible, e-Sword]. More recently, The Expositor's Bible Commentary echoes the same, declaring, "Paul's vivid metaphor ... has been variously explained" [vol. 11, p. 202]. All of which leaves us wondering: just what exactly was "wiped out, taken away, and nailed up"? Was it the Law of Moses? Law in general (all law)? Was it our sins? Our guilt? The list of charges against us? An "arrest warrant"? All of these, and more, have been suggested over the centuries. For those who insist Paul is speaking of the Law of Moses, one might well ask: which part of that system of law does Paul have in mind? Certainly not the morallaw (do not murder, do not commit adultery, etc., for those still apply today). Certainly not the dietary requirements, as Peter would learn from his vision prior to going to the Gentiles (Acts 10:9-16). The legalists tend to believe it was the ceremonial and sacrificial aspects of the Law of Moses that are in view here. We certainly know that under the first covenant (the Mosaic) there were various "regulations of divine worship" (Hebrews 9:1), and that such regulation of our worshipful expression was never designed to carry over to the new covenant (Hebrews 9:10). Most scholars, however, do not believe this is what Paul had in mind, and I personally concur with that view.

There is no doubt that a system of legal requirements (LAW -- whether the Law of Moses or just law in general), which men were incapable of keeping completely and perfectly, was a motivating factor in Paul's comments in this passage. Where there is law, there will also be the breaking of law; where there is law, there is sin (missing the mark; a falling short of law), and where there is transgression of law, there is punishment. "For the law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation" (Romans 4:15). "Sin is not imputed when there is no law" (Romans 5:13). Paul spoke of the inner struggle he experienced as a result of the existence of law: he acknowledged that law was good, but he also acknowledged that because he was human he often failed to live in perfect compliance with law (Romans 7:14f). "For apart from law, sin is dead" (Romans 7:8). However, when law exists, sin is exposed; we become debtors to law: it reigns as a master over us. Thus, there always exists a debt we cannot pay, for all have sinned and fallen short of God's expectations, and no man can redeem himself or others from that debt brought about by transgression. As the hymn states, "I owed a debt I could not pay." By breaking law, by being a transgressor, there is a "bill of indictment" brought against me; an "arrest warrant" has been issued. The problem is not with law itself; the problem is that no man can keep it perfectly. "For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am flesh, sold into bondage to sin" (Romans 7:14). Thus, there exists "a certificate of debt" that stands against me: a "written indictment" listing all my many transgressions. Paul was well aware of this indictment against him for his daily violation of divine law, and this elicited from him the lament, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me?" (Romans 7:24). Who will take this indictment, this certificate of debt, which stands as a witness against me, and forever destroy it? The answer is: JESUS! "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in God's anointed one Jesus" (Romans 8:1). "I owed a debt I could not pay." But, praise God, "He paid a debt He did not owe!"

It is this of which Paul speaks in Colossians 2:14. I like the way J. B. Phillips rendered this passage: "God's anointed one has utterly wiped out the damning evidence of broken laws and commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it over his own head on the cross" [The NT in Modern English]. Our failure, due to fleshly weakness and inability, to perfectly abide by divine law, stood ever between us and our God: standing as a permanent witness against us, testifying to our mounting sins against Him. Yet, our gracious, merciful, loving Father canceled that debt, and nailed it to the cross of His Son. Jesus took our place, and in so doing canceled the debt. "God's anointed one exchanged places with us, and thus canceled the bill of indictment" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20, p. 114]. "The indictment was itself crucified" [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 11, p. 202]. We are now, by the gift of His Son whom we have embraced by faith, under "a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). We are no longer indicted by the "letter of law," but freed and made alive in Christ Jesus to live by the spirit of the law, written on our hearts, not on tablets of stone. It is a new era; a reign of grace. "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). "God's anointed one redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13).

"Law is against us, because it comes like a taskmaster, bidding us do, but neither putting the inclination into our hearts nor the power into our hands. And law is against us, because the revelation of unfulfilled duty is the accusation of the defaulter, and a revelation to him of his guilt. And law is against us, because it comes with threatenings and foretastes of penalty and pain" [Dr. Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 3, p. 491]. The indictment of law (i.e., that we are guilty and worthy of death) is ever before us if we seek to live by keeping law. However, that indictment is now removed in God's anointed one. "He canceled the obligation for all who repent and believe. He vacated and disannulled the judgment which was against us" [Matthew Henry,Commentary on the Whole Bible, e-Sword]. Therefore, in his epistle to the Colossian brethren, the apostle Paul informs us all of the Good News that Jesus took our "certificate of debt," the indictment of our guilt, the document of our digressions, the transcript of our transgressions, and He bore it to the cross. As He died, so died that which was against us. "Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).

By Al Maxey - edited by Bruce Lyon