Col 2:14 Did Paul know the Greek Scriptures?

[Ron Amnsn]

"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 his cross;" Col 2:14 KJV

This verse is often used to try to show that part (or all) of God's law was done away with at the cross. However, Paul used the wrong Greek word if that was his intended meaning.

The word ordinances (or decrees) in Col 2:14 is translated from the Greek word dogmasin, a form of the Greek word dogma (Strongs # G1378).

God's laws, ordinances, instructions, and commandments are mentioned many, many times in the the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) that was used by Greek-speaking people of Paul's day. But how many times does the Septuagint use the word dogma (or any of its forms) when referring to God's laws or instructions? Never. Every occurrence of dogma in the Old Testament refers to man-made decrees or laws. Usually it's the decrees of pagan rulers.

Was Paul ignorant of the Greek Scriptures? If Paul was referring to God's law, he could have easily used one of the same Greek words that is used many times in the Greek Old Testament to refer to God's law, but he didn't use those words. Paul used a word that was never used in Scripture to refer to any of God's laws.

If we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture as we should, Col 2:14 would be interpreted to say that it was some man-made handwritten document that was nailed to the cross. We can confirm this in the story of Christ's death recorded in the New Testament Gospels. There we find that there actually was a man-made handwritten document nailed to the cross. It was the placard written in three languages that stated the "crime" of which Jesus was accused and placed on the cross by Pilot's order.

That kind of placard is what Paul was evidently referring to in Col 2:14 -- the personal placard listing my crimes that belongs above my head on my cross at my own execution. Jesus took that placard of mine and put it on his cross. Jesus paid the penalty for the crimes listed on my placard. I have been redeemed. Justice has been served and the law has been satisfied (not abolished). Jesus took your placard too.

You can check out the occurrences of dogma in the Greek Old Testament using the free E-sword Bible study software from e-sword.net. You'll need the KJV+ version that comes with the main software and the free add-on version of the Greek Old Testament (w/ Strong's and Westcott-Hort Greek New Testament). Use the KJV+ tab to confirm that ordinances in Col 2:14 is translated from dogma (Strongs # G1378). Then search for "G1378" (without the quotation marks) in the LXX+WH+ tab. The search results will display the verses containing dogma in Greek. You can accept the search results then use the KJV+ tab to read the verses in English.

In the New Testament as well, the word dogma refers to man-made rulings. It's only in Col 2:14 and Eph 2:15 that dogma has been traditionally misinterpreted as if Paul was ignorant of the Greek Old Testament.

[John317]

Very interesting and enlightening post, Ron. I believe you're right.

It's also worth noting what Moses said in Deut. 31: 26 about the Book of the Law:

"Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you."

[wayfinder]

Paul was not referring to the placard nailed to the cross, he was referring to the Jewish laws, which included the religious festivals/feasts the required Sabbath-day observance (in paticular the Sabbath laws). But the one requirement that really angered Paul was circumcision and the following texts show this.

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ

11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ ;

14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day- 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come ; but the substance belongs to Christ.

18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

Galatians 5:10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view ; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted ? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.

13 For you were called to freedom, brethren ; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

Galatians 6:12 Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.6 For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.

[Ron Amnsn]

It's also worth noting what Moses said in Deut. 31: 26 about the Book of the Law:

"Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you."

In English it looks like there might be link between Deut. 31:26 and Col 2:14 because they both talk about a document that is/was against you. That link will seem stronger if a person is already inclined to view the Law of Moses as a negative thing. However, the Scriptures do not speak of the Law of Moses as a negative thing. Also, the Septuagint renders Deut. 31:26 not as "against you" but as "and it shall be there among you for a testimony." (English translation of the Septuagint by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton originally published in 1851) or "it shall be there with you as a testimony" (Lexham Greek-English Interlinear Septuagint).

The Book of the Law placed beside the ark in Deut 31:26 contained not only the laws of Moses, but also the Ten Commandments (in Deut 5 and in Exodus 20). If the Book of the Law was nailed to the Cross, so were the Ten Commandments that were written in that Book of the Law.

Most of the prepositions used in the Bible can be rendered in multiple ways, depending on the context and the biases of the translators. So it might be somewhat tenuous to base doctrine on a linkage based on the particular translation "against you" in Deut 31:26, when the word translated "against you" is rendered elsewhere as as "with you", "for you", "among you", "over you", "through you", "in you", "at you" and "to you". Especially when the resulting doctrine disagrees with the command of Jesus in Matt 5:17-19 and also disagrees with the lifestyle of the apostle Paul which he taught believers to emulate.

Also, it would be fascinating to see how the Bereans might possibly confirm from the Old Testament Scriptures that the Law of Moses was rendered obsolete by being "nailed to the cross", if that was what Paul's gospel actually taught. That seems an impossibility to me, since such a doctrine can't actually be proven even from the New Testament.

[Ron Amnsn]

Paul was not referring to the placard nailed to the cross, he was referring to the Jewish laws, which included the religious festivals/feasts the required Sabbath-day observance (in paticular the Sabbath laws). But the one requirement that really angered Paul was circumcision and the following texts show this.

The context of Colossians 2 shows that the people who were causing trouble in Colossae were teaching something that was NOT Scripture. This is shown throughout the chapter by phrases like the one you bolded in verse 8.

The Jews did have man-made traditional oral laws that might fall into that category, so it may have been zealous Jews teaching the man-made "fence laws" of Judaism that were causing problems in Colossae. However, that is not likely given the context and content of the chapter.

God's Old Testament laws like the Sabbath, Feasts, and dietary guidlines are not man-made, nor do they match the other descriptors given by Paul in the chapter.

The evidence in the context of Colossians 2 shows that the troublemakers were probably people who were influenced by the asceticism of the early gnostics, which taught that all things physical were 'evil' (so Christ could not have come in the flesh) and that in order to be spiritual a person had to avoid all physical pleasures. Ascetics would have viewed God's Sabbaths and the Feast days as sensual occasions of gluttony and would have condemned those who, like Paul, observed those days.

In Colossians 2 Paul makes a brilliant and conclusive treatise against asceticism using words pertaining to the "physical" and "spiritual" is such a way as to completely silence ascetic notions among believers. On the other hand, the chapter would be only a very feeble argument against man-made Jewish traditions, if that had been Paul's purpose; and if Paul had been arguing, as you claim, against observing God's OT Law with Sabbaths and the biblical Feasts, the chapter would be contradictory and nonsensical.

[John317]

Interesting post, Ron. Lots to think about. :-)

[John317]

....the one requirement that really angered Paul was circumcision ....

But why do you refer to it as making Paul really angry? As far I'm concerned, it isn't that it made Paul angry but that it was a false teaching and a false gospel that, if accepted, would lead many people to be lost. If people are persuaded to put their confidence in something or someone besides Christ, it should be taken seriously and shown to be false. That is what Paul did, and he would have been remiss to do otherwise.

[John317]

Wayfinder, what are your views in regard to the verses of Paul that you quote in your post? How do you understand them and do you disagree or agree with them?

[Ron Amnsn]

For those who don't have the software to look up the occurrences of dogma in the Greek Scriptures, below are the occurrences listed by e-Sword.

Old Testament verses that contain the word dogma in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint):

Quote:

Daniel 2:13 So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. (NASB)

Daniel 3:10 "You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to fall down and worship the golden image. (NASB)

Daniel 3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou has appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who have not obeyed thy decree, O king: they serve not thy gods, and worship not the golden image which thou hast set up. (Brenton translation of the Septuagint)

Daniel 3:29 "Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way." (NASB)

Daniel 4:6 "So I gave orders to bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. (NASB)

Daniel 6:8 "Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked." (NASB)

Daniel 6:9 Then king Darius commanded the decree to be written. (Brenton translation of the Septuagint)

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. (NASB)

Daniel 6:12 Then they approached and spoke before the king about the king's injunction, "Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions' den?" The king replied, "The statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked." (NASB)

Daniel 6:13 Then they answered and spoke before the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day." (NASB)

Daniel 6:15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, "Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed." (NASB)

Daniel 6:26 "I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. (NASB)

New Testament verses that contain the word dogma in the Greek New Testament:

Quote:

Luke 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. (NASB)

Acts 16:4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. (NASB)

Acts 17:7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." (NASB)

Ephesians 2:15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, (NASB)

Colossians 2:14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (NASB)

In Eph. 2:15 dogma would refer to the man-made rulings of the Jewish sages that kept Jews separated from the Gentiles who feared God, a category of laws that are not found in the Old Testament.