Thoughts on Colossians 2:13-14

Colossians 2:13-14 (NIV)

13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

At first glance this passage gave me some trouble. When reading it for the first time one might consider that Paul was talking about the ten commandments, or the Pentateuch here. What I struggled with was what is the written code. The KJV translates it as "handwriting of ordinances" the ESV and NASB both translate it as a "record,or certificate of debt" respectively. When read in context of the whole passage and viewing this passage historically one can conclude that this is talking about the slip of paper someone is given when in debt. Everything of this slip stood against us, a symbol of our complete debt and depravity while "in the uncircumsicion of your sinful nature".

But the symbols do not stop with that phrase. Paul continues to explain the cancellation of our debt by using a symbol of the cross. When a convicted criminal was sentenced to death by crucifixion they would have their crimes nailed to the cross above their head for all to see. The same was done with our "record of debt" it was nailed to the cross. The total, complete debt has been taken away. No longer are we bound to sin, to the debt being "held against us". WE ARE FREE BY PERFECT FORGIVENESS!