Oldmantook
Well-Known Member
The law or OT ordinances were never in the way of our salvation, rather they pointed the way to our salvation which is fulfilled in Jesus. Thus the law cannot have been "taken out of the way." The question then becomes what does the "handwriting of ordinances" then refer to if it is not the law? This passage taken from this link explains more fully:I find in the immediate context
14 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;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 ¶ Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
That the ordinances in the old testament were actually in the way of our salvation, so they were nailed to the cross. So we aren't supposed to let anyone judge us in regards to food or drink, since the matter is as superficial as a shadow is to a body.
Colossians 2:14-15 Commentary | Precept Austin
Certificate of debt (5498) (cheirographon from cheir = hand + grapho = write) is literally handwriting or a handwritten document and then a written record of a debt such as a promissory note. A document is written in one's own hand as a proof of obligation, e.g., a note of indebtedness. The word means primarily a bond written by a person pledging himself to make certain payments.
Friberg writes that figuratively in the only NT use in Colossians 2:14 cheirographon refers not to
the law itself, but to the record of charges (for breaking God's law), which stood against us and which God symbolically removed by "nailing it to the cross," handwritten account, record of debts (Friberg, T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Baker Academic)
Thayer writes that cheirographon means…
specifically, 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 he returned at an appointed time
TDNT writes that in Colossians 2:14 cheirographon means
a “promissory note.” God cancels the bond that lies to our charge. This bond is not a compact with the devil, as in some patristic exegesis. It is the debt that we have incurred with God. The forgiveness of sins (Col 2:13-note) through identification with Christ in his vicarious death and resurrection means that this note is cancelled; God has set it aside and nailed it to the cross. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)
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.
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.
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Since the debt of our sins and not the ordinances were nailed to the cross, Paul in Col 2:16 is instructing the Galatians to let no one judge them as they keep eating/drinking in celebration of their observances of the festivals, new moon, sabbaths. He is not telling them not to do them.
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