Hitting the Nail on the Head by Skip Moen, D. Phil. having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Colossians 2:14 NASB Nailed it – In the June 18,2011 edition of Today’s Word, we examined this verse and discovered that what was nailed to the cross was the cheirographon, the Greek word for a certificate of debt, that is, an IOU. We pointed out that there is no justification for claiming that the law behind the certificate was removed. Just because my traffic ticket is voided does not mean that the law establishing the case for the ticket is void. Torah applies. The penalty produced by Torah disobedience does not apply. Those who read this verse in the NIV will be lead astray by the NIV’s deliberate translation supporting replacement theology. In my opinion, God will hold these translators responsible for such blatant manipulation of the words. But there is another aspect of this verse that needs to be elaborated. Sometimes exegetes argue that this verse supports the claim that Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. They interpret “it” (“having nailed it”) as “sin.” But this is also unwarranted. “It” is the certificate of debt. The Greek text makes this abundantly clear. What did the certificate of debt imply? Well, what is the penalty for disobedience? Death! When Yeshua nailed the certificate to the cross, He removed the penalty! The penalty is not our sins. It is death. The cross is the place of death, both literally and figuratively. On it God reversed the direction of the universe. God overcame death by death – the death of His blameless Son who knew no certificate of debt. Try reading the verse with this in mind. The certificate of debt is the direct result of disobedience. In fact, possessing a cheirographon implies the existence of a valid standard – a law. There can be no debt if there is no standard of payment. How did the certificate arise? Paul tells us that it came into existence because of decrees leveled against us. That is exactly what happens when we disobey the law. We create a situation where we owe. We owe because the law applies and in its application it creates the need for payment. Yeshua removes the payment required by substituting Himself. But this does not imply that the cross is the place of substitution. What Paul says about the cross in this verse is that it is the place of cancellation of the penalty. Paul distinguishes the payment from the penalty. Atonement is the means of forgiveness. Removing the penalty of death is the sign of victory over defilement. In other words, this is a two-step process, both steps intimately connected. First atonement is accomplished, clearing the way for the defilement to be eliminated. Yeshua’s sacrifice provides the means by which God re-establishes relationship. This applies in Genesis 3:21 just as much as it applies today. But secondly, the defilement created by death itself must be overcome. The creation must be cleansed. This is accomplished by the resurrection from the dead of one who carried no penalty. Death is defeated in an unjustified death. The nails are the instruments of life. Perhaps we have been led astray by 1800 years of self-justifying theology. Perhaps it’s time to read Paul as a Jew.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 10:38:21 +0000