Listen to the Colossians (9): Spring to Life

¹⁰who is the head of all rule and authority. ¹¹In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹²having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³And 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, ¹⁴by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Col. 2:10-15 ESV)


Paul mentioned rule and authority at both ends of this passage. Who are they? Paul was not referring to the officials and kings of the earth, even though they have authority to rule over people. We know that because the last verse says they are disarmed by God on the cross. Not only Caesar in Rome and the religious leaders in Jerusalem were still in power after Jesus’ crucifixion, but which human ruler of world has ever been disarmed and brought to shame by the cross of Christ? The identity of these rulers is made clear inside this passage because there are both a breakdown on how they are disarmed, and a description of their power over man.


After they are stripped off of power, those who were dead in their trespasses are made alive. Therefore, we know these rulers have authority over sinners, they own their lives and can kill at will. Though human rulers of this world, such as Caesar, have similar power to convict and to kill, and make many trembled before them, yet, who is afraid of Caesar now? Therefore, the true rulers behind the scene, are not the dictators of flesh and blood, but the cosmic powers over this present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Eph. 6:12 ESV) The Bible clearly reveals the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil. (Heb. 2:14 ESV) And from the beginning, through fear of death man were subject to his lifelong slavery, (Heb. 2:15 ESV) not slave to flesh and blood, but as Jesus said, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. (Jn. 8:34 ESV) But the wages of sin is death, yet the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23 ESV)


How did Christ set slaves free and make them spring to life from death? It is in Christ that they have received a special circumcision. In former days, God made a covenant with the offspring of Abraham with circumcision as a sign. But this former covenant cannot break the bondage of sin, as the circumcision made with hands cannot put off the body of flesh. When we receive the baptism by faith in Jesus Christ, we have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires, (Gal. 5:24 ESV) and buried with Him. When the entire Jerusalem saw Jesus being crucified and buried, no one wanted to be his company, and even His beloved disciple Peter had denied Him three times. Who can believe that He would be raised from the dead in three days? For those who can, this incredible faith serves as a convenient sign, as if a circumcision made without hands. This is the circumcision of Christ, which sets the believers apart from the world and into a new covenant. For all who are in this new covenant are raised with Christ through faith in the powerful working of God and spring to life eternal.


Nevertheless, the former rulers would certainly oppose Christ for setting their captives free. Their ownership rest in the record of debt according to the commandments of God. According to those legal demands, we are debtors and had to pay back with our lives. But the circumcision of Christ not only put off the body of the flesh, but cancel the record of debt that stood against us and nail it to the cross. The shame Christ endured on earth turns into glorious victory in the heavenly realm. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame. Even though the whole world lies in the power of the evil one, yet we know that we are from God. (1 Jn. 5:19 ESV) Therefore, let us live a life of cross among the dead, for it is the testimony that we are indeed raised from the dead to the glory of God.

Prayer: O Lord! Thank you for what you have accomplished on the cross! May your resurrection power work in us and work out from us, strength upon strength!

听歌罗西书（9）：妙手回春

¹⁰他是各样执政掌权者的元首。¹¹你们在他里面，也受了不是人手所行的割礼，乃是基督使你们脱去肉体情欲的割礼。¹²你们既受洗与他一同埋葬，也就在此与他一同复活。都因信那叫他从死里复活神的功用。¹³你们从前在过犯，和未受割礼的肉体中死了，神赦免了你们（或作我们）一切过犯，便叫你们与基督一同活过来。¹⁴又涂抹了在律例上所写，攻击我们有碍于我们的字据，把它撤去，钉在十字架上。¹⁵既将一切执政的掌权的掳来，明显给众人看，就仗着十字架夸胜。【歌二10-15】


在这段的头尾两节，都提到执政的掌权的。他们指的是谁呢？他们肯定不是指这世上的君王和长官，虽然他们好像都是执政掌权之人。因为最后一节说，神借着基督的十字架就打败了一切执政掌权的。不但当时掌权的凯撒和耶路撒冷的宗教领袖们在基督钉十字架之后依然掌权，直到如今，又有哪个人间的执政掌权者被基督的十字架剥夺了权势（这是比掳来更准确的译法），又被十字架公开羞辱的呢（这是比明显给众人看更清楚的译法）？答案的线索就在这一段的中间，因为其中详细阐述了这些执政掌权者是怎样被剥夺权势，被废掉武功的，也提到他们手中的权柄。


这些执政掌权者被剥夺权柄的直接后果就是，从前在过犯中死了的人，现在活过来了。所以这些掌权者的辖民就是罪人，而他们的权柄在于杀掉罪人。虽然世上掌权之人，比如罗马帝国的凯撒，好像也有定罪杀人的权柄，也曾经让许多人害怕。但今天还有谁怕他呢？所以那躲在幕后真正执政掌权的，并非属血气的暴君们，而是那些管辖这幽暗世界的，天空属灵气的恶魔【弗六12】。圣经明确告诉我们，那掌死权的，就是魔鬼【来二14】。而古往今来的人，都因怕死而为奴仆【来二15】，并非做某个人的奴仆，如耶稣所说的，所有犯罪的，就是罪的奴仆【约八34】。但罪的工价乃是死，惟有神的恩赐，在我们的主基督耶稣里乃是永生【罗六23】。


基督是怎样释放被奴役的罪人，叫他们从死里复活的呢？就是在他里面，罪人领受了特别的割礼。从前神与亚伯拉罕的后裔立约，是以割礼为记。但那前约并不能让人脱离罪的捆绑，因为人手所行的割礼，不能让人脱离肉体的情欲。当人因信耶稣基督而受洗，就把自己的肉体，连肉体的邪情私欲都与基督同钉十字架【加五24】，与他一同埋葬。当时耶路撒冷全城的人都看见耶稣被钉死，被埋葬，但无人愿意和他同钉和同埋，连耶稣的爱徒彼得都三次不认主。谁能相信他竟会从死里复活呢？所以这样的信心，就成了一个天然的记号，仿佛一个不是人手能行的割礼。这是基督的割礼，把信的人从世界中分别出来，归入了新约。所有在新约的人，因信神叫基督从死里复活，就与他一同复活，出死入生了。


从前的执政掌权者肯定不同意基督把人从他们手下抢走。他们管人的权柄来自神的律例上所写的规条，按照那些诫命我们都罪有应得，罪该万死。但基督的割礼，让我们不但脱去肉体情欲，更把那攻击我们，定我们有罪的字据撤去，钉在十字架上。基督在地上忍受的羞辱，在天上却是荣耀的得胜。他把一切执政的掌权的掳来，公开地羞辱。虽然全世界都卧在那恶者手下，但我们知道我们是属神的【约壹五19】。让我们在死人中间活出十字架的生命，这就是我们死里复活的见证和神的荣耀。

祷告：主耶稣啊，感谢你在十字架上所成就的一切！愿你复活的大能，因信，在我们里面发动出来，力上加力！