What does Colossians 2:14 mean, "blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us"?

Whosoever Will, The Word That Needs No Receipt: This is the same point the apostle makes without the legend. Paul says God took the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, the actual record of debt, and nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:14). There is your receipt, and it is real, and notice that it is not the word tetelestai doing the work, it is the cross itself cancelling the certificate. The image the receipt sermon was reaching for is true. It simply lives in Colossians, in plain theology, not smuggled into a Greek verb that never carried it. Scripture, King James Version: Colossians 2:14, "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;".

Verified. Every scripture quotation on this page has been checked word-for-word against the King James text. Last reviewed 2026-10-18.

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What does Colossians 2:14 mean, "blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us"? → wsb.bible/answers/what-does-colossians-2-14-mean-blotting-out-the-handwriting-of

This answer is the short form. The argument is made at length in The Word That Needs No Receipt: Why a Finished Work Cannot Be Added To.

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