Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Having put off from himself (apekdusamenov). Only here and Colossians 3:9 and one MS. of Josephus (apekduv). Both apoduw and ekduw occur in ancient writers. Paul simply combines the two for expression of complete removal. But two serious problems arise here. Is God or Christ referred to by apekdusamenov? What is meant by "the principalities and the powers" (tav arxav kai tav ecousiav)? Modern scholars differ radically and no full discussion can be attempted here as one finds in Lightfoot, Haupt, Abbott, Peake. On the whole I am inclined to look on God as still the subject and the powers to be angels such as the Gnostics worshipped and the verb to mean "despoil" (American Standard Version) rather than "having put off from himself." In the Cross of Christ God showed his power openly without aid or help of angels.
He made a show of them (edeigmatisen). First aorist active indicative of deigmatizw, late and rare verb from deigma (Judges 1:7), an example, and so to make an example of. Frequent in the papyri though later than paradeigmatizw and in N.T. only here and Matthew 1:19 of Joseph's conduct toward Mary. No idea of disgrace is necessarily involved in the word. The publicity is made plain by "openly" (en parrhsiai).
Triumphing over them on it (qriambeusav autouv en autw). On the Cross the triumph was won. This late, though common verb in Koin‚ writers (ekqriambeuw in the papyri) occurs only twice in the N.T., once "to lead in triumph" (II Corinthians 2:14), here to celebrate a triumph (the usual sense). It is derived from qriambov, a hymn sung in festal procession and is kin to the Latin triumphus (our triumph), a triumphal procession of victorious Roman generals. God won a complete triumph over all the angelic agencies (autouv, masculine regarded as personal agencies). Lightfoot adds, applying qriambeusav to Christ: "The convict's gibbet is the victor's car." It is possible, of course, to take autw as referring to xeirografon (bond) or even to Christ.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Colossians 2:15:
Matthew 1:19
Luke 11:22
John 7:13
Colossians 2:11
Colossians 3:9
DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.