Colossians 2:14

Introduction

Colossians 2:14 wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

This text has been a challenge to my thinking for quite awhile.

Take 1

In August of 2024, I used the above translation as part of a verse-by-verse study of the entire chapter. But, I didn't really understand this verse. So, this is what I wrote about it, guessing about what it meant =>

Regarding "the handwriting in ordinances which was against us ", this is likely a reference to the laws of the Jewish leaders that were not written in the Torah - the instructions of Jehovah which were given to Moses in the first five books of the Bible. The added laws of the Jewish leaders are the laws of which Jesus spoke against in His arguments with the scribes and Pharisees. But, this is a topic for a future study...

But now, in my understanding, there seems to be a flaw with this theory: Why would man-made laws, which never had legitimacy in the first place, need to be nailed to the cross?! It seems absurd to me that Yeshua would need to die for any such thing as that! I really wasn't totally sure about that theory at that time, which is why I said that "this is a topic for a future study".

Take 2

On November 1, 2025, I presented that "future study", thinking that the mystery of what was nailed to the cross was solved. This is what I said about that, just last week =>

Regarding "the handwriting in ordinances which was against us" in verse 14, and "nailing it to the cross", there are about 23 English Bible versions that support this idea of nailing the law to the cross. But, was it really the Torah Law that was nailed to the cross of our Messiah? There are about 40 English Bibles that give an understanding that is more in context with the previous and following verses. Notice in verse 13 how God forgives all our sins? Notice how there's only a comma that separates verses 13 and 14? Those two verses are one sentence - one thought. Here is how the NLT, one of the 40 translations translates verses 13-15 =>
- Colossians 2:13-15 => "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross."
So, rather than nailing the Torah law to the cross, God nailed the penalty of your sins to the cross. Why? =>
- Romans 6:23 For the wages{penalty} of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 Him{Jesus} who knew no sin he{God} made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him{Jesus}.
- Galatians 3:13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.( Deut 21:23 )”

A few days later I realized that this theory is also flawed! Let us now count the ways in which it is flawed =>

The charges against us are NOT because of our sins! When considering the Greek words used in this text, the most accurate reading of this text is that "the handwriting in ordinances{Greek: "Dogma"}" was done away with, "by nailing it to the cross". Was the Decalogue(10 Commandments) done away with and nailed to the cross? Of course not! Why would I even ask such a thing?! Because, if we say that the charges against us are because of our sins, then we must assume that the "ordinances{Dogma}" is the Decalogue and that's absurd! Furthermore, "Dogma" is never, in the Bible, used in reference to the Decalogue. More about that later...
The "handwriting in ordinances" is NOT the Decalogue, for the reasons stated above and more in the "Take 3" section below.
It was NOT our sins that were nailed to the cross. Why not?!
- Since the "handwriting in ordinances" is NOT the Decalogue, then what is "against us" can not be the record of our sins, because sin is defined as the transgression of the law. We know that the Greek word, translated "law" is a reference to the Decalogue because of how it is used the other 12 times in the Bible. You can see all those here => http://sidnash.org/b/r6t . Look for "458" on that page to see how it is used and click on "458" on that page to see what it means.
- To "nail" something "to the cross", would signal the end of the story for whatever was nailed (more about that in the "Take 3" section below). But, according to the Torah, specifically the "Day of Atonement" ceremony, forgiveness(subset of atonement) comes as the result of the goat(lamb) of God(Jehovah) which was sacrificed so that we can have atonement with Jehovah, which happened at the cross. However, it was the scapegoat(not the goat of Jehovah) on which our sins will be laid, which happens around the time of Messiah's second coming. For this reason, it was not our sins that were nailed to the cross. More about the scapegoat here - https://sidnash.org/docs/Atonement-scapegoat.html

Take 3

So What is the correct interpretation of Colossians 2:14 ? Let's look at that text again along with another similar text =>

Colossians 2:14 wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.
Ephesians 2:13-16 ... now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Messiah. 14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it.

Let's Compare =>

"wiping out" versus "abolished" => "wiping out" means that it is in the process of being "abolished".
"law of commandments" versus "handwriting" => They are both something important that has been written down.
"hostility" versus "against" => If something is hostile to us it is definitely against us.
"ordinances" is the same Greek word in both verses.

So these two verses seem to have this in common: They are both Written ordinances that are hostile toward us and are being abolished.

But what are those "ordinances"? It is the same Greek word(G1378) in both verses and it is pronounced "dogma".

In the new testament, it is only used in 3 other verses( Lk2:1;Ac16:4;17:7 ). In two, it was Caesar's "decree". In the other it was the "decrees" of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.
You may not be aware that there is a Greek translation of the old testament. It is called the Septuagint. In that translation, the Greek word "dogma" is used more than 13 times in the Torah(first 5 books of the OT). In the KJV, it is translated to the root words, ordinance, statute, and rite.

Here are those 13 verses with the red words being equivalent to the Greek word, dogma =>

Exodus 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it{the Passover} a feast to Jehovah: throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
Exodus 12:17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever.
Exodus 12:43 ¶ And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: there shall no foreigner eat thereof;
Exodus 18:16 when they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
Exodus 18:20 and thou shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Exodus 30:21 So they{the priests} shall wash their hands and their feet{before they enter the sanctuary}, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
Leviticus 10:8-9 And Jehovah spake unto Aaron, saying, 9 Drink no wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tent of meeting{sanctuary}, that ye die not: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
Leviticus 10:11 and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which Jehovah hath spoken unto them by Moses.
Leviticus 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and mine ordinances; which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am Jehovah.
Leviticus 23:14 {regarding the "wave-offering"} And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched grain, nor fresh ears, until this selfsame day, until ye have brought the oblation of your God: it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Leviticus 23:19-21 And ye shall offer one he-goat for a sin-offering, and two he-lambs a year old for a sacrifice of peace-offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave{regarding the "wave-offering"} them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before Jehovah, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to Jehovah for the priest. 21 And ye shall make proclamation on the selfsame day; there shall be a holy convocation unto you; ye shall do no servile work: it is a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
Leviticus 23:41-42 And ye shall keep it a feast unto Jehovah seven days in the year: it is a statute for ever throughout your generations; ye shall keep it in the seventh month. 42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are home-born in Israel shall dwell in booths;
Numbers 9:3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it{the Passover} in its appointed season: according to all the statutes of it, and according to all the ordinances thereof, shall ye keep it.

As we can see here, these are mostly all about the feasts, festivals, and sacrifices, which puts Col2:14, right in context with Col2:16-17, which says, "Let no one therefore judge you in eating or drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day, which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Messiah’s."

As near as I can tell, the rest of my understandings of Colossians 2 are correct, as per our previous study => https://sidnash.org/docs/Col2.html , which I will update ASAP.

Desiring to live by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah ( Deut8:3; Matt4:4 )

-Sid Nash: 11/21/2025. Latest version: https://sidnash.org/edit/Col2.14.v3.html