I came across this explanation about the “blotting out of the handwriting of ordinances” and thought people might be interested. It is quite long and this is a summery. There is a link to the full article below.
Colosse situated as it is in Asia Minor was dominated by paganism and was the great cultural centre of the region. It was dominated by Greek civilization and philosophy and along with the cities of Laodicea and Hieropolis was considered to be the seat of Greek and Oriental philosophy along with asceticism that permeated the culture of this and other outlying areas. Heathenism, paganism, the mystery religions and Pantheism were everywhere.
The people had lapsed into gross immorality. The teachings of Plato centred on the demiurge which is the Gnostic term for the Creator of the material world, who was considered much lower than and far removed from the Supreme Being. This was one of the main purposes of Paul’s letter — to prove that Yahshua was the Creator and the head of the Assembly, and not at the bottom of the creation ladder (Col.1).
The problem Paul addressed in his letter to the Colossians was the fusion of pagan and oriental asceticism into the truth of the Scriptures. It was the mixing of the Bible with worldly philosophy and esoteric wisdom plus spiritualism and mystery religions.
In chapter 2 of Colossians Paul warns the believers not to be taken in by those who would beguile them, nor to be destroyed through philosophy and vain deceit by the traditions of men and the elementary teachings of the world. In verse 10 Paul points out that the believer who has been baptized is complete in the Messiah, who “Blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing them to the tree” of His Son, Yahshua.
The “handwriting of ordinances” is not the Ten Commandments which were written on two tables of stone by Yahweh’s own finger. These are the ordinances that were handwritten by pagan man. They were not engraved on two tablets of stone as were the Ten Commandments.
In addition, this handwriting of ordinances Paul says is “against us and contrary to us Christians” The problem was always with man and man’s dogma which is not Yahweh-ordained law and is used in the Bible to mean the doctrine, decree, or teaching of man. “Ordinances” here is a man-made teaching. The blotting out of ordinances (erroneous, man-made notions of conduct) referred to in Colossians 2:14 has a parallel in 1:21-22, where Paul explains that our previous life of a worldly, hostile attitude has been set aside and taken away. Yahweh has now forgiven our former way of life. He has reconciled us to Himself, even though we were enemies by our wicked works. We are now brought into His very presence through Yahshua’s shed blood.
The “blotting out the handwriting of ordinances” simply means (as in Acts 3: 19) that the sins committed by the human works of the mind and flesh resulting in disobedience to Yahweh’s law have been blotted out. Yahweh has fully forgiven our sins because of the death of His Son on the cross. Now we are to follow in the footsteps of His Son who is our example. “We need to rid ourselves of sinful, earthly things; dampen down the evil desires lurking within us and have nothing to do with sexual sins, impurity, lust, and shameful desire, neither should we love the good things of carnal life, for that is idolatry,”
Posted on October 3, 2016 by YRM
https://yrm.org/handwriting-ordinances-not-biblical-law/
Colosse situated as it is in Asia Minor was dominated by paganism and was the great cultural centre of the region. It was dominated by Greek civilization and philosophy and along with the cities of Laodicea and Hieropolis was considered to be the seat of Greek and Oriental philosophy along with asceticism that permeated the culture of this and other outlying areas. Heathenism, paganism, the mystery religions and Pantheism were everywhere.
The people had lapsed into gross immorality. The teachings of Plato centred on the demiurge which is the Gnostic term for the Creator of the material world, who was considered much lower than and far removed from the Supreme Being. This was one of the main purposes of Paul’s letter — to prove that Yahshua was the Creator and the head of the Assembly, and not at the bottom of the creation ladder (Col.1).
The problem Paul addressed in his letter to the Colossians was the fusion of pagan and oriental asceticism into the truth of the Scriptures. It was the mixing of the Bible with worldly philosophy and esoteric wisdom plus spiritualism and mystery religions.
In chapter 2 of Colossians Paul warns the believers not to be taken in by those who would beguile them, nor to be destroyed through philosophy and vain deceit by the traditions of men and the elementary teachings of the world. In verse 10 Paul points out that the believer who has been baptized is complete in the Messiah, who “Blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing them to the tree” of His Son, Yahshua.
The “handwriting of ordinances” is not the Ten Commandments which were written on two tables of stone by Yahweh’s own finger. These are the ordinances that were handwritten by pagan man. They were not engraved on two tablets of stone as were the Ten Commandments.
In addition, this handwriting of ordinances Paul says is “against us and contrary to us Christians” The problem was always with man and man’s dogma which is not Yahweh-ordained law and is used in the Bible to mean the doctrine, decree, or teaching of man. “Ordinances” here is a man-made teaching. The blotting out of ordinances (erroneous, man-made notions of conduct) referred to in Colossians 2:14 has a parallel in 1:21-22, where Paul explains that our previous life of a worldly, hostile attitude has been set aside and taken away. Yahweh has now forgiven our former way of life. He has reconciled us to Himself, even though we were enemies by our wicked works. We are now brought into His very presence through Yahshua’s shed blood.
The “blotting out the handwriting of ordinances” simply means (as in Acts 3: 19) that the sins committed by the human works of the mind and flesh resulting in disobedience to Yahweh’s law have been blotted out. Yahweh has fully forgiven our sins because of the death of His Son on the cross. Now we are to follow in the footsteps of His Son who is our example. “We need to rid ourselves of sinful, earthly things; dampen down the evil desires lurking within us and have nothing to do with sexual sins, impurity, lust, and shameful desire, neither should we love the good things of carnal life, for that is idolatry,”
Posted on October 3, 2016 by YRM
https://yrm.org/handwriting-ordinances-not-biblical-law/
