“Blotting out the handwriting of the decree
against us”: εξαλειψας καθ' ημων χειρογραφον τοις
δογμασιν, lit., “blotting out the bringing down of us in the handwriting
in decrees,” although the το κατα is difficult to translate into English. Some
interpret the “handwriting” as a debtor’s bond (Ex 24:3), but the meaning here
is much wider due to “the decrees” (τοισ δογμασιν), but Paul is speaking more
generally here. Paul uses similar language to Cl 2:14 in Ep 2:15’s
“commandments in decrees” (εντολων εν δογμασιν). Paul uses the analogy to
“handwriting” because the Commandments were written with the “finger of God”
(Ex 31:18; 2Co 3:7) and their main purpose was to expose sin (Rm 3: 9-20; 5:20)
and thus was a “decree against us.” Continuing the analogy, the “blotting out”
refers to the revocation of the Old Covenant and everything contained in it,
i.e., civil, ceremonial and moral laws (2Co 3:4-14; Gl 3:10-12; Hb 7:18;
8:1-13; 10:9). This was accomplished as Christ died on the cross (i.e.,
“fastening it to the cross”). The Church reinstituted the OT moral laws (Rm
13:1-10) and some of the ethical and worship principles of the OT civil and
ceremonial laws (1Co 9:9; 2Co 13:1; Jm 5:14; Ac 2:28-29) under the New Covenant
in Christ. (Robert A. Sungenis,
The Epistle to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians [Catholic
Apologetics Study Bible 9; State Line, Pa.: Catholic Apologetics International
Publishing, Inc., 2020], 45-46 n. 44)
