Colossians Chapter 2 Verses 11-15

Col. 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” 

“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:”  “In whom” is a positional statement.  It positions the ones to whom Paul is addressing to be those who are “in Christ.”  Ephesians 1:4 tells us how and when they got to be in Christ: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Those in Christ got to be in Christ by God’s choosing and they were placed in Christ before the foundation of the world. 

Next, Paul speaks of the people to whom he is addressing as being circumcised.  Circumcision as an ordinance in the Old Testament was given to Abraham and his descendents in Genesis chapter 17:8-14: “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.  And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.  This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.  And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.  And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.  He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.  And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.”   

We make the following observation concerning circumcision and its relationship to the covenant God made with Abraham and his seed: 

1.  Circumcision was a “token” of the covenant.  Thus, it identified those who were circumcised with the covenant God made with Abraham and his seed after him.

2.  Circumcision involves a cutting away of the foreskin of the flesh.

3.  Each man child was to be circumcised when he was 8 days old.

4.  Those not circumcised were cut off from the people.

5. The child was circumcised by someone else.  He did not circumcise himself.

In contrast to natural circumcision we note the following things about the circumcision in our text: 

1.  The circumcision in our text is tied to a different covenant that God made concerning those that are in Christ.

2.  The circumcision in our test was made without hands.  No human hands were involved in the circumcision in our text.

3.  The circumcision in our text was not the circumcision of the flesh but is a circumcision of the heart.  According to Rom. 2:28, 29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”  Thus, the circumcision in our text is a spiritual circumcision of the heart. 

4.  Christ performed the spiritual circumcision of our heart.

5.  The putting away by the circumcision of our text is the body of the sins of the flesh and not the foreskin in natural circumcision.  In natural circumcision it is the administrator who removed the foreskin of the flesh.  In this spiritual circumcision it is Christ who removed the body of the sins of the flesh. 

6.  Only those who are in Christ are circumcised by Christ. 

7.  This spiritual circumcision of the heart which takes place in the new or spiritual birth identifies us with the covenant of redemption as outlined in Romans 8:29, 30 and Ephesians 1:4-11.   

 “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”  While water baptism represents the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, the baptism in our text involves both the literal death of Christ and his literal resurrection from the dead.  As we have noted before those embraced by our text are those who are “in Christ.”  Thus, we are in Christ in his covenant work.  Therefore, those chosen in Christ were also “in Christ” when he suffered and died for their sins.  Moreover, they were buried in Christ when he was laid in the tomb for three days and three nights.  Moreover, in covenant they arose in Christ when he arose from the dead.   

“The faith of the operation of God…” The word translated to “operation” in this verse means “effectual working.”  Therefore, the faith is referring to God’s faithful trusting that Christ would effectually perform the provisions of the covenant of redemption.  Christ has effectually called us in regeneration and has effectually justified us on the cross and he will effectually glorify us in the resurrection of the dead.   

“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”  The similar lesson is taught us in Ephesians 2:1-5: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”  This is a passage dealing with the work of Christ upon us when we were dead in trespasses and sins and detailing the quickening power of Christ in raising us up out of our depraved state into spiritual life by his grace alone.  Moreover, as a result all of our trespasses have been forgiven.   

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” Again we see a parallel lesson being taught to us in the book of Ephesians: Eph. 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:” Likewise, we read in Gal. 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”   

“And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”  Christ wrought a victory for us over Satan, death, hell, sin and the grave and having arose after the victory he showed himself alive for 40 days among many witnesses before his ascension back to heaven.