The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (228 page)

2:13 uncircumcision of your flesh:
Indicates that most or all of the Colossians are Gentiles (Eph 2:11). 
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2:14 the bond:
A list of charges filed against the sinful human family. Christ destroyed this legal certificate on the Cross, when he canceled our debt of guilt and won pardon for our crimes. Paul is probably thinking of the Mosaic Law, which, as the written expression of God's precepts, pronounces divine curses upon sin (Deut 27:15-26). In this scheme, Jesus mounted the Cross to bear the curses of the Old Covenant so that the blessings of the New could flow forth to the world (Gal 3:1314). As a further benefit, Christ frees us from the ceremonial observances of the Old Covenant, which merely signified our need for salvation in the first place (Eph 2:14-16). 
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2:15 principalities and powers:
Legions of demonic spirits (Eph 6:12). Christ conquered these Satanic powers decisively and dramatically on the Cross. Paul depicts this in terms of a victory march, recalling how Roman generals dragged prisoners of war through city streets to be disgraced and ridiculed after a successful military campaign. See word study:
Leads Us in Triumph
at 2 Cor 2:14. 
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2:16 food . . . drink . . . festival . . . new moon . . . sabbath:
Jewish ceremonial practices that are often grouped together in the Bible (Is 1:13-14; Hos 2:11; Judg 8:6; 1 Mac 10:34). The first two concern kosher dietary restrictions, and the last three refer to liturgical feast days celebrated yearly (festivals), monthly (new moons), and weekly (Sabbaths). These ritual practices of the Old Covenant were mere "shadows" of the greater "substance" to come with Christ and the sacraments of the New Covenant (Col 2:17). 
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2:18 worship of angels:
This expression can be understood in different ways.
(1)
Many take it to mean "worship directed to angels" (objective genitive). If, in fact, a cult of the angels was popular at Colossae, it must have been a pagan element in the otherwise Jewish piety of the Colossian opponents, for Judaism censures the worship of any creature in place of God the Creator.
(2)
Others take it to mean "worship performed by angels" (subjective genitive). Interest in the worship of the angels is indeed present in Jewish mystical and apocalyptic writings of the period, and perhaps the Colossian Jews, like the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls, viewed their synagogue worship as a participation in the angelic liturgy of heaven. History also knows of Jewish mystics who claimed to ascend into heaven, receive visions and revelations, and worship the Lord alongside the angels. 
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2:19 Head . . . whole body:
An image of Christ's union with the Church. The expansion of Christ's kingdom is here compared to the growth of a human body (CCC 794).
See note on Col 1:18
. 
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2:21 Do not handle . . . taste . . . touch:
A sarcastic strike at the Jewish agitators in Colossae, for whom physical contact with corpses, lepers, and unclean foods was an act of ritual defilement (Lev 11; 13:45-46; Num 19:11-22). Paul implies that since the purity codes of the Old Covenant have now been set aside, it would be a worse act of defilement for Christians to readopt the very practices that Christ died to nullify (Mk 7:14-23; Eph 2:15). Jesus launched a similar critique on the Pharisees in Lk 11:37-44. 
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2:22 human precepts and doctrines:
An allusion to the Greek version of Is 29:13. • Isaiah rails against the leaders of Jerusalem for their pretentious worship: they are paying lip service to God but failing to devote their hearts and lives to him. According to the prophet's diagnosis, this is the result of giving more attention to human traditions than to the Torah. Jesus hurls this same oracle against his Pharisees in Mt 15:7-9. 
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2:23 rigor of devotion:
Refers to ascetical practices such as fasting and abstaining from certain kinds of foods. These bodily disciplines are not wrong in themselves, so long as the body is subdued but not despised. Without grace, however, asceticism cannot restrain the selfish urges of our fallen nature. This is possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:13; 1 Cor 9:27; Gal 5:16). In Jewish mystical tradition, asceticism was a necessary form of preparation to receive visions and embark on heavenly journeys.
See note on Col 2:18
. 
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3:1 right hand of God:
Where Christ is enthroned in heaven and where believers are seated with him through the grace of Baptism (Eph 2:6). This must be the focus of our thoughts as we struggle to lift our minds above the concerns of the world (Rom 8:5-6) (CCC 664, 1003).
See note on Eph 1:20
. 
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3:4 When Christ . . . appears:
I.e., at his Second Coming. His return will initiate the general resurrection of the dead, when the bodies of the righteous will radiate the glory of the Lord.
See note on 1 Cor 15:42-44
. 
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3:5-8
The catalogue of vices that Paul enumerates in 3:5 and 3:8 overlaps with other lists in Rom 1:29-31, Gal 5:1921, and Eph 4:31. He implies here what he insists elsewhere: no one who fails to repent of these sins has any inheritance in heaven (1 Cor 6:9-10; Eph 5:5) (CCC 1852-53). 
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3:5 Put to death:
Paul urges us to crucify the old man, Adam, who lives on in our fallen nature and inclines us toward evil, and to conform our lives to the new Adam, Jesus Christ, who draws us toward greater and greater sanctity (Rom 6:15-19; 8:29).
covetousness:
Equated with idolatry here and in Eph 5:5. Perhaps the link was inspired by the teaching of Jesus in Mt 6:24. • Covetousness is a kind of idolatry, not expressly, but by resemblance. It is idolatry when someone gives to an image the honor owed to God, but the person who covets gives to money the honor owed to God when he builds his entire life around it (St. Thomas Aquinas,
Commentary on Colossians
3, 1). 
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3:6 wrath of God:
The fixed response of God to sin.
See note on Rom 1:18
. 
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3:10 put on the new:
A challenge to live out our baptismal commitments. Paul compares this to the daily routine of changing our clothes.
See note on Eph 4:24
. 
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3:11 Christ is all:
Believers are drawn together into a worldwide family where the distinctions between language, nationality, and social standing are no longer relevant (Gal 3:28). In this list,
barbarian
is a resident of the Roman world who speaks no Greek, and a
Scythian
belongs to the tribal people living north of the Black Sea. 
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3:12 chosen . . . holy . . . beloved:
Believers have a special relationship with Christ that entitles them to receive from the Father every grace and blessing that is needed to follow the gospel. • The same descriptions are applied to the children of Israel in Deut 7:6-7. If Paul has this text in mind, he is driving home the point that Gentile believers are now part of the covenant people of God. Elsewhere he describes the Gentiles as wild branches grafted onto the olive tree of Israel (Rom 11:17-24). 
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3:13 as the Lord has forgiven:
We express gratitude to the Lord by imitating his mercy in our relationships with others. In fact, extending forgiveness to others is necessary if we hope to receive the ongoing forgiveness of the Father (Mt 6:14-15; 18:23-35). 
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3:14 love:
The crowning virtue of the Christian life and the one that holds all others together (CCC 1827).
See note on 1 Cor 13:4-7
. 
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3:16 the word of Christ:
The full scope of Jesus' teaching and example passed down through tradition or inscribed in the canonical Gospels. It is meant to shape every area of our lives (Mt 11:28-30).
psalms and hymns:
Honoring the Lord in song is a tradition that reaches back to the worship of Israel. The early Church continued this by adopting the Psalter as her songbook and by singing new hymns to Jesus Christ as God. Musical praise is particularly appropriate for the eucharistic liturgy as well as for everyday circumstances (Eph 5:19) and even for times of distress (Acts 16:25). The Book of Revelation lets us listen to numerous songs from the heavenly liturgy of the angels and saints (Rev 4:8, 11; 5:9-10; 7:10-12; 11:17-18; etc.) (CCC 1156, 2641-42). 
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3:18-4:1
Paul gives pastoral instruction on family life. He is challenging every household to be transformed with the "peace of Christ" (3:15). The apostle's vision for domestic life stands in stark contrast to the godlessness of the pagan society, especially the tyranny of husbands and fathers, as well as the inhuman treatment of household slaves. See notes on Eph 5:22, 5:25, 6:4, 6:5, and 6:22. 
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Word Study

Peace
(
Col 3:15
)

Eirēnē
(Gk.): "peace" or "harmony". The word is used 92 times in the NT and often carries the OT sense of
shalom,
"well-being". The biblical notion of peace has more to do with spiritual welfare than the mere cessation of warfare. Peace is one of the great blessings that Jesus Christ has given to the world (Jn 14:27). It is rooted in our reconciliation with God (Lk 2:14; Rom 5:1). It is an inward peace (Rom 15:13; Gal 5:22) that can branch out to establish peace between individuals, families, and even nations (Eph 2:14-18). Unless it is grounded in the peace of Christ, worldly peace can only be shallow and shortlived. For this reason, believers are called to spread Christ's peace throughout the world by sharing the gospel and working for justice in earthly societies (Mt 5:9; Heb 12:14; Jas 3:18). Behind all of this stands the OT expectation that the Messiah, the Prince of Peace (Is 9:6), would come to establish a worldwide covenant of peace with Israel and all nations (Ezek 34:23-25; Zech 9:9-10) (CCC 2305).

3:24 the inheritance:
Heaven awaits the baptized, who, as heirs, already possess the Spirit as a pledge of their future heritage (1:5). The life of God that is now possessed in part we hope to possess in full (Eph 1:13-14). 
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4:2 prayer:
Paul promotes prayer that is vigilant and thankful. He wants readers to seek every grace necessary to withstand temptation and to express gratitude to God for every spiritual and material blessing we have received. The more we recognize both our needs and our blessings, the more frequently we will approach the Lord on our knees (Lk 18:1; 1 Thess 5:17). • Paul knows that continuance in prayer can make us restless, so he tells us to be "watchful", that is, to be sober and avoid wandering. For the devil knows the power of a good prayer, and thus he presses heavily upon us when we pray. Paul is also aware how careless many can be at prayer, and so he says "continue" in prayer to remind us that it is hard work (St. John Chrysostom,
Homilies on Colossians
10). 
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