Jesus canceled our "certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us". When someone had a debt in ancient times and it was paid off, they would write "Tetelestai" on the certificate of debt.  Tetelestai meant 'PAID IN FULL' and is the same word Jesus uttered ("It is finished") just before He died (Jn19:30). When the Jews nailed Jesus to the cross they drove the nails into their own law. The old covenant was made obsolete by the blood of the new covenant.

To understand the word exaleipho is to understand the amazing mercy and lovingkindness of God. The substance on which ancient documents were written was either papyrus, a kind of paper made of the pith of the bulrush, or vellum, a substance made of the skins of animals. Both were fairly expensive and certainly could not be wasted. Ancient ink had no acid in it; it lay on the surface of the paper and did not, as modern ink usually does, bite into it. Sometimes a scribe, to save paper, used papyrus or vellum that had already been written upon. When he did that, he took a sponge and wiped the writing out. Because it was only on the surface of the paper, the ink could be wiped out as if it had never been! God, in his amazing mercy, banished the record of our sins so completely that it was as if it had never been; not a trace remained. Hallelujah!

So when God cancelled out our debt it was accomplished completely and we need to receive and understand this profound truth so that the enemy does not "hound" us with "old sins" that God has completely blotted out! Are you having trouble accepting the forgiveness of God over some sin you have committed? Paul says that it is wiped completely off the slate so forget what lies behind and press on to what lies ahead.

Barnes comments that "The meaning here is, that the burdensome requirements of the Mosaic law are abolished, and that its necessity is superseded by the death of Christ. His death had the same effect, in reference to those ordinances, as if they had been blotted from the statute-book. This it did by fulfilling them, by introducing a more perfect system, and by rendering their observance no longer necessary, since all that they were designed to typify had been now accomplished in a better way."

THE CERTIFICATE OF DEBT ("promissary note"):to kath hemon cheirographon: (20; Esth3:12; 8:8;  Lu1:6; ; Eph2:14-16; He7:18;8:13; 9:9,10; 10:8,9) (Today in the Word) "the handwriting of the note (bond)." (Amp) Webster says a "bond" is an an interest-bearing certificate of public or private indebtedness.

"Certificate of debt" (handwritten record of debts, certificate of indebtedness) (cheirographon) from cheir = hand + grapho = write) is literally handwriting and then a written record of a debt. The word means primarily a bond written by a person pledging himself to make certain payments. For example, in Philemon we find an "IOU" Paul writing "I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well)." (Philemon 1:19) The idea is that of list of our crimes or moral debt before God, a debt no imperfect person can completely pay. But it can be taken out of the way, by payment from a perfect man, Jesus Christ.

Thayer says that cheirographon is "a note of hand or writing in which one acknowledges that money has either been deposited with him or lent to him by another, to be returned at the appointed time." Cheirographon then described a note or bond written by hand thus obligating the writer to fulfill the debt that is written out. In other words it is analogous to an "IOU" signed by hand and obligating the signer to repay the debt. Paul's idea seems to be that  the sins of mankind had piled up a list of "I.O.U.'s" so large that they could never be repaid. Paul uses cheirographon not as the law itself, but as the record of charges for breaking God's law and which therefore stood against us.  

When a criminal was crucified, the charges against him were written down and nailed to his cross. In this case, the charges against Christ encompassed the whole Law of God because Christ was dying for all the sins of all the world (Ga3:10,13). In the OT, when presented with God's Law, the Jews had agreed to obey (e.g., Ex19:8, 24:3,24:7). In the New Testament we find the Gentiles while not the written Law,  did have the unwritten law in their hearts and the voice of conscience speaking within (Ro2:14, 15). Men were in debt to God because of their sins and they knew it. There was a self-confessed indictment against them, a charge-list which, as it were, they themselves had signed and admitted as accurate. The debt was impossible to pay, but God dealt with it; he had blotted it out and cancelled the bond by nailing it to the cross. This is a vivid way of saying that because Christ was nailed to the cross, our debt has been completely forgiven.

Barnes adds that Paul's "allusion is probably to a written contract, in which we bind ourselves to do any work, or to make a payment, and which remains in force against us until the bond is cancelled. That might be done, either by blotting out the names, or by drawing lines through it, or, as appears to have been practiced in the East, by driving a nail through it."

Martin Luther told once how Satan laid heavy condemnation on him because of his sins. Luther told Satan to list them all, and even reminded him of some he had forgotten. Then he told Satan to write across the whole list "paid in full by the blood of Jesus Christ," and Luther rejoiced in the payment Jesus made. We all need an attitude like that of Luther and must keep the list on the cross. Saints get into trouble when they take the list down from the cross and carry it around, forgetting that it was all settled on the almighty cross.

Here Paul describes the "certificate of debt" that was filed against us in the "courtroom of heaven". In other words, because of our sin and rebellion, the laws of God had become a "deadly witness" against us and we were in such deep debt to God that there was no way out.

We owed a debt we could never repay. He paid a debt He did not owe!

CONSISTING OF DECREES AGAINST US AND WHICH WAS HOSTILE TO US: kath hemon...tois dogmasin o en (3SIAI) hupenantion hemin: "this note with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us)" (Amp) "God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses" (CEV)

"Against us" (kath' hemon) in the sense that we could not keep these decrees. The "certificate of debt" signifies a claim of unpaid debt but "against us" indicates that it therefore signifies a debt warranting punishment. This hand writing was against us and contrary to us for it threatened our eternal ruin.

"Decrees" (public decrees, binding rules, ordinances, legal demands, obligations, regulations) (dogma from dokeo = to think) refers to a  formal statement concerning rules or regulations that are to be observed. Dogma was a binding law or edict which was placed on a public place for all to see. The decrees of the Law not only convicted us and condemned us but also demanded that we be punished. Thus the Law stood against us and was hostile to us. This law is conceived here as a bond, a bill of debt, standing against those who have not received Christ. As the form of error at Colossae was largely Judaic, insisting on the Jewish ceremonial law, the phrase is probably colored by this fact. Cp [Ep2:15].

"Hostile" (contrary to us) (hupenantios from hupó = intensifies meaning + enantíos = contrary, Matthew describing for example the wind as contrary in Mt14:24) literally means set over against or opposite as an enemy or adversary in battle. The writer of Hebrews uses this word to describe God's "adversaries" (Heb10:27). A vivid picture of the hostile character or "active hostility" of the bond or note. Paul gives us a parallel thought in Romans writing that "the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation." (Ro4:15). The decrees that were against us are in a sense personified - they have a hostile attitude, even a deep and active antagonism.

Maclaren adds that the “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. Thus, as standard, accuser, and avenger it is against us”

HE HAS TAKEN THEM OUT OF THE WAY HAVING NAILED IT TO THE CROSS: kai auto erken (3SRAI) ek tou mesou proselosas (AAPMSN) auto to stauro: "This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross." (Amp) "fastening it to the cross" (DRB)  (Illustration) (Daily Bread - Paid In Full) (Why Jesus Was Crucified by Dr Harry Ironside)

"Taken" (airo) means to lift up, to bear or to take away. Airo was used by John in description of Jesus, writing "The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn1:29) The perfect tense speaks of a completed action in the past with present effects and thus signifies that Jesus' once for all death on the cross in the past has produced a permanent, eternally efficacious effect, specifically in regard to the removal of the bond that once was against us. The debt is permanently removed and cannot be presented against us again! This truth also helps one understand how it is that he is "complete in Christ" and protects one from persuasive arguments and empty philosophy. John uses airo with a similar meaning in in his first epistle writing "And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin." (1Jn3:5)

"Out of the way" is more literally "out of their midst" and conveys the picture that God wholly removed the certificate of debt. Parallel Old Testament pictures include the declaration that God "hast cast all my sins behind Thy back" (Isa38:17). In Isaiah 44:22 God Himself declares "I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud, and your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." Micah records this beautiful description of our gracious and compassionate God rhetorically asking "Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea." (Mic7:18-19)

"He took them out of the way and they still remain out of the way...He not only blotted out the writing upon it, but He has taken out of the way the parchment itself" (Eadie)

"Nailed" (proseloo from prós = to + helos = nail, peg, stud) means to affix with nails or spikes and describes the manner in which Christ removed the "I.O.U." (handwriting) against us. God nailed the Mosaic Law with all its decrees to the Cross of Christ when Christ was nailed to the Cross taking upon Himself the curse of the Law. The law with its decrees was abolished in Christ’s death, as if crucified with Him. It was no longer in the midst, in the foreground, as a debtor’s obligation is perpetually before him, embarrassing his whole life.

Vine comments on "nailed" that "the idea in the metaphor of the nailing is not that of the cancellation of the bond, to which the taking out of the way was subsequent, but of nailing up the removed thing in triumph to the Cross. The death of Christ not only rendered the Law useless as a means of salvation, but gave public demonstration that it was so."

Barnes notes that "It is said that there is an allusion here to the ancient method by which a bond or obligation was cancelled, by driving a nail through it, and affixing it to a post. This was practiced, says Grotius, in Asia. In a somewhat similar manner, in our banks now, a sharp instrument like the blade of a knife is driven through a check, making a hole through it, and furnishing to the teller of the bank a sign or evidence that it has been paid. If this be the meaning, then the expression here denotes that the obligation of the Jewish institutions ceased on the death of Jesus, as if he had taken them and nailed them to his own cross, in the manner in which a bond was cancelled."

Another source however records that  "It used to be said that in the ancient world when a law or an ordinance was cancelled, it was fastened to a board and a nail was driven clean through it. But it is doubtful if that was the case and if that is the picture here. Rather it is this-on the Cross of Christ the indictment that was against us was itself crucified. It was executed and put clean out of the way, so that it might never be seen again. Paul seems to have searched human activity to find a series of pictures which would show how completely God in his mercy destroyed the condemnation that was against us." Eadie also gives a view somewhat different than Barnes (above) writing that "The allusion is not to the tablet nailed to the cross above the sufferer...but to the crucifixion of the Redeemer Himself. There seems to be no historical ground for the illustration of Grotius, that it was customary to thrust a nail through papers—declaring them old and obsolete, much in the same way as a Bank of England note is punched through the centre when declared to be no longer of value, and no longer to be put into circulation. The idea of the apostle is, that when Christ was nailed to the cross, the condemning power of the law was nailed along with Him, and died with Him— “Now we are delivered from the law, that being dead in which we were held.” Rom. 7:6. In other words, God exempts sinners from the sentence which they merit, through the sufferings and death of Jesus. The implied doctrine is, that the guilt of men was borne by Christ when He died—was laid on Him by that God who by this method took the handwriting out of the way. Jesus bore the sentence of the handwriting in Himself, and God now remits its penalty; having forgiven you all your trespasses, inasmuch as He has blotted out the hostile handwriting and taken it out of the way, for He nailed it to the cross of His Son."

"Had disarmed" (apekduomai from apo = + ekduo  = expression of complete removal) means to take off or strip off clothing and so to to undress or disrobe, stripping off. The idea is to wholly put off for one's self which includes separation from what is put off. The aorist tense speaks of a past completed action (at the Cross of Christ) and the middle voice is "reflexive" ("He himself") indicating that He initiated and participated in the disarming and divesting the rulers and authorities (exousia = "right & might"). 

Vine adds that "the middle voice...indicates that a person has a special interest in the act mentioned. Hence the rendering, “having put off from Himself.” But there is more than this in the form of the verb; it suggests that He was occupied in a special way with the character and the effects of His act. Now this act on the cross and in His death was the consummating triumph over the gathered hosts of the powers of darkness acting under Satan."

The terms in this verse are all military and the idea is that Christ has achieved complete victory and  has subdued our enemies by His death, so that all creation is now in subjection to Christ. Satan and the demons no longer have authority over a believer who is walking in the light.

Paul uses the picture of "spoiling one's foe" to describe how God in Christ has stripped the powers of evil and control over the lives of men. This description would be familiar to his readers as it was used of a triumphant Roman general who stripped his foes, leading them as captives behind his chariot in a victory procession. The word of the Cross (1Cor1:18) is the message of hope for all who live in "darkness... and... the dominion of Satan" (Acts26:18) and in continual fear of the evil, supernatural rulers and authorities.

The phrase "rulers and authorities" has already been used  by Paul to describe the angelic hierarchy, specifically declaring that Jesus not only created them (Col1:16) but that they are also subject to His authority (Col 2:10).Paul frequently uses a similar metaphor reminding saints that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers (principalities = arche), against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph6:12)

Moses records that angels were present at the giving of the Law writing that "The LORD came from Sinai, and dawned on them from Seir. He shone forth from Mount Paran and He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones. At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them." (Dt33:2) The Septuagint translates "flashing lightning" with the Greek word aggelos (messenger or angel) and so this verse translated into English reads "on his right hand were His angels with Him".  Although not completely clear as to its meaning, Luke records that the Jews "received the law as ordained by angels" (Lu7:53), and Paul adds that "the Law ...was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made." (Gal 3:19). The author of Hebrews records that "the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty." (Heb 2:2) The point of this brief review is to document that the angels played some role in the giving of the Law, albeit the specifics are far from clearly understood (at least by this writer). The point was that great importance was attached in later rabbinical teachings to the angels who assisted in the giving the Mosaic Law at Sinai and that probably influenced the shaping of the doctrine of angel worship in the Colossian heresy. This in turn would explain why Paul repeatedly addresses the "rulers and authorities" and then finally specifically "the worship of worship.

God had predicted this "disarming of rulers and authorities" in Genesis, directly declaring to the highest angelic ruler, the devil, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." (Gen 3:15) Jesus prophesied of Satan's "disarming" at His Crucifixion declaring "Now judgment is upon this world (sentence is now being passed on this present evil world in darkness) now the ruler (arche) of this world shall be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." (Jn12:31,32)  In the Temptation of Christ, Satan claimed power over the world, even offering to share it with Jesus (Mt4:8-10; Lu4:5-8). Jesus did not deny Satan’s power then, but now predicts and proclaims final victory over the Satan, the "prince (arche) of the power of the air". 

Hebrews 2:14 presents a parallel truth declaring that “Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless (make of no effect, bring to nought) him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver (release or rescue from, set free from, set at liberty) those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

Guzik  addresses a practical question in light of Paul's teaching asking "Against the believer, what weapons do demonic spirits have? They are disarmed, except for their ability to deceive and to create fear. These are effective "weapons" that aren't tangible weapons at all.  Demonic spirits only have power towards us that we grant them by believing their lies." It is therefore little surprise that in describing the spiritual warfare, Paul exhorts all saints to "Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH..." (Eph 6:14) for it is God's Word of Truth which counters the lies of the deceiver.

HE MADE A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF THEM HAVING TRIUMPHED OVER THEM THROUGH HIM: DEIGMATIZO: edeigmatisen (3SAAI) en parrhesia thriambeusas (AAPMSN) autous en auto: (Lu23:39-43; Jn12:32; 19:30; Ac2:23,24,32-36) : "and openly displayed them as his trophies, when he triumphed over them in the cross" (Montgomery) "He exposed them, shattered, empty and defeated, in His final glorious triumphant act!" (Phillips) "and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]" (Amp), "and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him" (CSB), "He mocked them in public, triumphing over them in it" (EMTV) "and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him" (ESV), "He made a public spectacle of them by leading them as captives in His victory procession" (GNB)

"Made a public display" is literally "made a show of them openly and boldly" where "display" is deigmatizo meaning to expose, to make a public show or spectacle as the Romans did when they exposed their captives and the spoils of the conquered enemies to public view in their triumphal processions.  Here God puts into open and painful shame the principalities and powers which previously held Christians captive, (cf 2Ti2:26) The only other NT use of deigmatizo is by Matthew recording that Joseph being a righteous man, upon discovering Mary was with child, did not want "to disgrace (deigmatizo) her".

This section is literally (Young's Literal) translated "he made a shew of them openly" where the word "openly" (parrhesia from pas = all + rhesis = speech) conveys the idea of freedom to say all. It describes an attitude of openness that stems from freedom and lack of fear. Parrhesia was used in secular Greek of those with the right to speak openly in the assembly and thus indicates a state of boldness and confidence even implying intimidating circumstances. Vine comments that parrhesia  "combines the two ideas of unreservedness and openness. Christ made evident to beings, other than human, that which He had accomplished in thwarting absolutely the last great effort against Him and defeating the machinations and endeavors of His spiritual foes."

"Having triumphed over" (thriambeuo from thríambos = triumph) means to lead prisoners of war (and spoils) in a victory procession demonstrating one's successful conquest of the opposition. The picture is that of the triumph of a Roman general returning home from the wars and is another expression conveying the idea of the completeness of the victory accomplished by Christ. Vine adds that "the occasion of His most shameful execution at human hands and the most humiliating experience in the days of His flesh (2 Cor 13:4), was the occasion of His crowning victory. In the combination of His accomplishment of the work of redeeming grace in expiatory sacrifice and of the overthrow and exposure of the hosts of darkness, He could cry with a triumphant shout, “It is finished.”

A T Robertson adds that "On the Cross the triumph was won. This...verb (thriambeuo) occurs only twice in the NT, once “to lead in triumph” (2Co2:14), here to celebrate a triumph (the usual sense). It is derived from thriambos, a hymn sung in festal procession and is kin to the Latin triumphus (our triumph), a triumphal procession of victorious Roman generals. God won a complete triumph over all the angelic agencies." To worship such defeated and humiliated beings would be the height of folly. The cross is the answer to the heretical insistence on worshiping angelic beings.

"Through Him" is literally "in Him" or "in it", the latter taken as a reference to the Cross.

John MacArthur  writes that in this section Paul reminds us that "Through the Lord Jesus and His work on the cross (cf. Eph 1:20–23; 3:10), God canceled the believer’s debt, defeating Satan and his fallen angels. That is why Paul can affirm in Ro 8:37–39, “In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Though we still wrestle against the forces of evil (Eph. 6:12), they cannot be victorious. Christ, the crucified, risen Lord of all, reigns supreme in the universe. To be united with Him is to be free from Satan’s dominion."

S. Lewis Johnson adds that "The figure is that of a victorious military leader, the Roman imperator, leading in triumphal procession his captives of war. This was one of the highest honors a Roman general could obtain. Certain conditions must be met before he could have the procession. He must have been the actual commander-in-chief in the field. Furthermore, the campaign must have been completely and successfully concluded. A large number of the enemy must have fallen in battle and a positive extension of territory gained. The figure is peculiarly applicable to Christ’s work in overcoming the powers of evil on the cross. He was the commander-in-chief in the field when the victory was gained. The most powerful of all enemy forces fell, the Satanic kingdom, and a positive extension of blessing secured—spiritual salvation." (Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol 120, Issue 477, page 23)

The general who had won a notable victory, would march his victorious armies through the streets of Rome in a long procession preceded by the city magistrates and followed by trumpeters. The captives and spoils of war would precede him, and the general following in a chariot, a slave holding a jeweled crown over his head.  Behind the general came the vanquished kings, the leaders and defeated peoples who were openly branded as his spoils. Paul pictures Jesus as our Conqueror enjoying a kind of cosmic triumph, and in his triumphal procession are the powers of evil, beaten forever, for every one to see.

In the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, God the Father achieved a great victory over the evil powers of this world, making “a public spectacle of them.” Paul wants us to understand that though the evil powers still exist, they are a defeated foe. Believers need no longer fear the outcome of their battle with evil. Christ has conquered! We have conquered through Him! In the vivid word picture inherent in the verb thriambeuo  Paul presents the adequacy of the finished work of Christ. Sin is forgiven and evil is conquered; what more is necessary? There is nothing that Gnostic knowledge and Gnostic intermediaries can do for men-Christ has done it all. By dying for the sins of the world, Christ actually defeated Satan because He paid the price to redeem all men from their Satanic captivity. The writer of Hebrews gives us a parallel truth explaining that "Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil and might deliver those who through