Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
13. And you, being dead in your sins and the 13. Et vos, quum mortui essetis delictis et in
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened praeputio carnis vestrae, simul vivificavit cum
together with him, having forgiven you all ipso, condonando vobis omnia peccata:
trespasses;
14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances 14. Et deleto, quod contra nos erat,
that was against us, which was contrary to us, chirographo in decretis, quod erat nobis
and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; contrarium, et illud sustulit e medio affixum
cruci,
15 And having spoiled principalities and 15. Exspolians principatus et potestates,
powers, he made a shew of them openly, traduxit palam triumphans de his in illa, (vel, in
triumphing over them in it.
se ipso.)
13. And you, when ye were dead. He admonishes the Colossians to recognize, what he had
treated of in a general way, as applicable to themselves, which is by far the most effectual way of
teaching. Farther, as they were Gentiles when they were converted to Christ, he takes occasion
from this to shew them how absurd it is to pass over from Christ to the ceremonies of Moses. Ye
were, says he, dead in Uncircumcision. This term, however, may be understood either in its proper
signification, or figuratively. If you understand it in its proper sense, the meaning will be,
“Uncircumcision is the badge of alienation from God; for where the covenant of grace is not, there
is pollution, 376 and, consequently, curse and ruin. But God has called you to himself from
uncircumcision, and, therefore, from death.” 377 In this way he would not represent uncircumcision
as the cause of death, but as a token that they were estranged from God. We know, however, that
men cannot live otherwise than by cleaving to their God, who alone is their life. Hence it follows,
that all wicked persons, however they may seem to themselves to be in the highest degree lively
and flourishing, are, nevertheless, spiritually dead. In this manner this passage will correspond with
Ephesians 2:11, where it is said,
Remember that, in time past, when ye were Gentiles, and called uncircumcision, by that circumcision
which is made with hands in the flesh, ye were at that time without Christ, alienated from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the promises.
Taking it metaphorically, there would, indeed, be an allusion to natural uncircumcision, but at
the same time Paul would here be speaking of the obstinacy of the human heart, in opposition to
God, and of a nature that is defiled by corrupt affections. I rather prefer the former exposition,
because it corresponds better with the context; for Paul declares that uncircumcision was no
hinderance in the way of their becoming partakers of Christ’s life. Hence it follows, that circumcision
derogated from the grace of God, which they had already obtained.
As to his ascribing death to uncircumcision, this is not as though it were the cause of it, but as
being the badge of it, as also in that other passage in the Epistle to the Ephesians, which we have
quoted. It is also customary in Scripture to denote deprivation of the reality by deprivation of the
sign, as in Genesis 3:22, —
Lest peradventure Adam eat of the fruit of life, and live.
376 “Là il n’y a que souillure et ordure;” — “There, there is nothing but filth and pollution.”
377 “Il vous a donc retirez de la mort;” — “He has, therefore, drawn you back from death.”
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John Calvin