Colossians 2:15

ἀπεκδυσάμενος. What is the force of the middle? I. In itself it may = stripping for Himself, i.e. despoiling τὰς�. τὰς ἐξουσίας for His own purposes. But it is not only very improbable that St Paul should use the same word, and that a rare one, in one sense here, and in another sense so soon as Colossians 3:9, but also, as it seems, this meaning is “wholly unsupported by the lexical usage of ἀποδύω, ἐκδύω, and ἀπεκδύω” (Ellicott).

II. Hence it = Christ (see Colossians 2:14, notes) stripping Himself of something. But of what?

(1) Sc. τὴν σάρκα. So the Latin Fathers, e.g. Augustine, Ep. 149 (§ 26), exuens se carne, principatus et potestates exemplavit. Also the Peshiṭta “and by putting off His body.” But this metaphor has no support from the context nearer than Colossians 2:11, which is too far away.

(2) τὰς�. τὰς ἐξουσίας, Colossians 1:16 note.

(a) They are commonly understood as evil, see Ephesians 6:11-12. In this case they are pictured as gathering round Christ, at various times in His life on earth, and with special force and nearness at the Passion. But there, at the Cross, “the powers of evil, which had clung like a Nessus robe about His humanity, were torn off and cast aside for ever” (Lightfoot). Cf. Chrysostom who sees in ἀπεκδ. a metaphor from wrestling.

The weakness of this interpretation is that unless the phrase τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου (Colossians 2:8) refers to angels there is no hint in this Epistle that St Paul regards τὰς� as evil. On the contrary, in Colossians 1:16 and Colossians 2:10 it is somewhat clearly implied that they are good, or at least may include the good, and this is confirmed by ἀγγέλων in Colossians 2:18.

(b) The ἀρχαί and the ἐξουσίαι are spiritual beings generally.

(α) Possibly, but improbably, there is a specific reference to the angels as God’s means of communication with the world before the Incarnation, especially at the giving of the Law (Galatians 3:19, cf. Acts 7:53), which presumably is regarded as a χειρόγραφον introduced by them. In contrast to that, God “divested Himself of angelic mediation” in the Atonement. Angels are thus discredited. This would give an intelligible meaning but would seem to require “God” as the subject of ἀπεκδ. There appears to be no evidence of a belief that angels worked by means of the Law and precept and thus, as it were, held men in their grip, or the passage might mean that Christ by freeing Himself, and us, from any such grip showed His superiority to them.

(β) More probably they represent the spiritual powers that attended on Christ to help Him, as, in accordance with Jewish belief, they helped all who tried to do right. The thought will then be that in the final scene He stripped Himself of these His usual attendants. He thus showed up these Powers, to whom the Colossians were bid submit by the false teachers, as wholly unnecessary and useless. Even on the Cross Christ could do without them. So far from availing Himself of them He drew them, as He drew Christian men (2 Corinthians 2:14), even in His train.

ἐδειγμάτισεν, “made a show of them,” “displayed them,” Matthew 1:19 only, in the Greek Bible.

It does not = make an example (“exemplum de illis dedit,” Aug. loc. cit.), which is παραδειγματίζω, Matthew 1:19, Text. Rec.; Hebrews 6:6†; Numbers 25:4. Apparently here it = showed them in their true character.

ἐν παρρησίᾳ. The exact phrase only in John 7:4; John 16:29. Cf. Wis 5:1. It probably = with freedom of speech, and hardly so loses its proper force as to merely = openly. Translate perhaps “without reserve.” It is probably to be taken closely with ἐδειγμάτισεν, and expresses the free and unreserved character of Christ’s action in displaying them.

θριαμβεύσας, “leading them in triumph.” So also 2 Corinthians 2:14†, τῷ δὲ θεῷ χάρις τῷ πάντοτε θριαμβεύοντι ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ χριστῷ. Similarly Lightfoot quotes Plutarch, of persons being led as captives in the formal “triumphs” given to victorious generals, as saying, τοῦτον Αἰμίλιος ἐθριάμβευσε and βασιλεῖς ἐθριάμβευσε. Cf. however Field, Otium Norv. III. on 2 Cor.

αὐτούς. The masculine definitely regards the ἀρχαί and ἐξουσίαι as persons. It is probably to be joined only with θριαμβεύσας.

ἐν αὐτῷ, “in it.” See notes on Textual Criticism.

(a) Not τὸ χειρόγραφον, which has been left long since.

(b) Nor Christ, either by regarding God as the subject of the verbs (which is improbable, vide supra), or as referring to Him even though He is the subject; cf. note on εἰς αὐτόν, Colossians 1:20. Cf. G, ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Vulg. in semetipso, followed by Wyclif, Tyndale, “in his awne persone,” and the margin of the A. V. “in himself.” For this adds but little to the thought of the passage.

(c) It doubtless refers to the Cross, the thought of which has been passing under the whole verse and now reappears. Observe the collocation of αὐτοὺς with ἐν αὐτῷ. Even on His Cross, the very weakest point in His whole earthly existence (2 Corinthians 13:4), He showed Himself far superior to all angelic beings. “The convict’s gibbet is the victor’s car” (Lightfoot).