Colossians 2:15

Colossians 2:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
• New International Version (NIV)And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Context of Colossians 2:15

13At one time, you were dead in your spirits, because of the wrong things that you did. God had not cut off your old nature. You did not belong to his people. But now God has caused you to become alive with Christ. He has forgiven us for all the wrong things that we have done. 14We are guilty of many wrong things that are against God's laws. But Christ died on the cross on our behalf. He paid the debt of our sins. It is like he has destroyed the list of all the debts that we should pay to God. On the cross, Christ took away the power of the bad spirits that have authority to rule people. He showed clearly that he himself has won against them. Now everyone can see that those bad spirits have no power. 16Some people may tell you that it is wrong for you to eat or to drink certain things. Or they make rules about special festival days, about new moons, or about the Jewish days for rest. Do not agree with people like that. 17Rules like that are only like shadows of real things that would happen later. But now we have what is real, Christ himself!

Colossians 2:15 word by word

ἀπεκδυσάμενος τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησίᾳ, θριαμβεύσας αὐτοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• having spoiledἀπεκδύομαιapekduomai · to take offG554
• principalitiesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• principalitiesἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• powersἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
• he made a shewδειγματίζωdeigmatizō · to disgraceG1165
• openlyπαρρησίαparrhēsia · boldnessG3954
• triumphing overθριαμβεύωthriambeuō · to triumphG2358
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Colossians 2:15

• Genesis 3:15I will cause you and the woman to become enemies. Your descendants and her descendants will always be enemies. One of her descendants will attack your head. You will attack his heel.’
• Psalms 68:18When you went up to the highest place, you took many prisoners with you. You received gifts from men, even from the men who had fought against you. Yes, the Lord God lives there!
• Isaiah 49:24Can anyone rob a brave soldier? Can anyone rescue prisoners from a cruel ruler?’
• Isaiah 53:12So I will put him in a place of honour, as a great person deserves. He will share the good things that powerful men receive when they have won a battle. He deserves this, because he agreed to die as a sacrifice. People thought that he himself was a sinner when he took away the sins of many people. He prayed that God would forgive sinners.’
• Matthew 12:29Nobody can go easily into the house of a strong man to rob him. To do that, he must first tie up the strong man. Then he can take away all that man's valuable things.
• Luke 10:18Jesus replied, ‘I saw the Devil himself fall from heaven like lightning.
• Luke 11:22But someone may come who is stronger than he is. That man will attack him and beat him. The strong man believed his weapons would keep him safe. But the stronger man will take his weapons away. He will take the strong man's things and give them to other people.
• John 12:31It is time now for God to judge the people in this world. Now he will throw out the ruler of this world.
• John 16:11They are wrong about how God judges people, because God has already judged Satan, the ruler of this world.
• Ephesians 4:8This is what it says about him: ‘When he went up to the highest place, he led many prisoners with him. Then he gave gifts to his people.’
• Hebrews 2:14So, those people who become God's children are human. They have human bodies. Because of that, Jesus himself became human like us. In that way, when he died he was able to destroy the Devil. It is the Devil who has power over death.
• Revelation 12:9Michael and his angels threw the great dragon out of heaven. The dragon is called the Devil or Satan. He is the snake who has been there since long ago. He tells lies to deceive the whole world. They threw him down to the earth, together with all his angels.
• Revelation 20:2He took hold of the dragon. That dragon is the Devil and Satan. He is the snake who has lived since long ago. The angel tied up the dragon with the chain for 1,000 years.
• Colossians 1:16When God created everything, it was his Son who did it. His Son made everything that is on earth and in heaven. He created everything that we can see, as well as the things that we cannot see. He made rulers and leaders. He made everything that has power and authority. God gave his Son the authority to create everything, so that his Son would receive praise.
• 2 Corinthians 4:4Those people do not accept God's good news. The god of this world has confused their minds. They cannot see the light that the good news brings. That message teaches about the great power of Christ, who shows us exactly what God is like.
• Ephesians 6:12We are not fighting against human enemies. Instead, we are fighting against the rulers and the powerful spirits that have authority over this dark world. We are fighting against the bad spirits who live in the heavens.

Commentaries on Colossians 2:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15And having spoiled principalities and powers - Here is an allusion to the treatment of enemies when conquered: they are spoiled of their armor, so much the word implies; and they are exhibited with contumely and reproach to the populace, especially when the victor has the honor of a triumph; to the former of which there is an allusion in the words ̔ͅ, making a public exhibition of them; and to the latter in the words , triumphing over them. And the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15And having spoiled - Plundered as a victorious army does a conquered country. Notes, Colossians 2:8. The terms used in this verse are all military, and the idea is, that Christ has completely subdued our enemies by his death. A complete victory was achieved by his death, so that every thing is now in subjection to him, and we have nothing to fear. Principalities and powers - Notes, Ephesians 1:21; Ephesians 6:12, note. The “principalities and powers” here…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-17Verses 8-17 There is a philosophy which rightly exercises our reasonable faculties; a study of the works of God, which leads us to the knowledge of God, and confirms our faith in him. But there is a philosophy which is vain and deceitful; and while it pleases men's fancies, hinders their faith: such are curious speculations about things above us, or no concern to us. Those who walk in the way of the world, are turned from following Christ. We have in Him…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them (literally he led [them] in a victory parade): The Roman army celebrated a big victory with a parade. The winning Roman general would lead the embarrassed captives into the conquered city. This image clearly pictures the great victory of God. Through the cross of Christ, God has defeated all hostile spiritual forces (see also Ephesians 4:7–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Alford, Ellicott, and others translate the Greek to accord with the translation of the same Greek, Col 3:9, "Stripping off from Himself the principalities and the powers: " God put off from Himself the angels, that is, their ministry, not employing them to be promulgators of the Gospel in the way that He had given the law by their "disposition" or ministry (Ac 7:53; Ga 3:19; He 2:2, 5): God manifested Himself without a veil in Jesus. "The…Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 2:15

• Jesus, the Christ
• Law
• Power
• Satan
• Types

In the dictionaries

• Complete
• Conflict
• Subject
• Treasure
• Trespass
• Angel
• Apostolic Age
• Astrology
• Authority in Religion
• Colossians, Epistle to the

Commentaries on Colossians 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings