‘Having blotted out the written bond in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross, having put off from himself the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.'
The debts we owed to God are many, for we have broken His Laws and ignored His requirements. He provided us with a creation, and as His tenants (so Jesus often - Matthew 21:34-36; Matthew 25:14-19; Luke 19:13 see also Matthew 18:28-31;) we have failed to fulfil our legal responsibilities and meet His demands. Thus there is a heavy certificate of indebtedness standing against us. But God/Jesus Christ has taken this, blotted it out and nailed it His cross, thus cancelling it fully, for there the debt was paid in full.
It would seem we are to see here the principalities and powers as crowding Him like a lynch mob and pointing an accusing finger at those debts and being defeated and humiliated for their efforts. For Jesus was there representing mankind, open to attack as He bore our sin in His own body on the tree (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:4; Isaiah 53:11; Hebrews 9:28).
‘Blotting out.' When a debt was paid the bond was first blotted out and then cancelled.
‘The written bond in (or ‘by' or even ‘with') ordinances.' The word for ‘written bond' refers to a signed legal bond or certificate of indebtedness. The idea would seem to be that God's ordinances as revealed in the Torah (God's ‘instruction' - the first five books of the Bible) so bind us and condemn us that they are seen as a certificate of debt. Indeed men were put under obligation to the Law when they were accepted (see Exodus 24:3), and therefore put under the curse of the Law (see Deuteronomy 27:14-26), for we were then liable to meet its demands in full. We are thus, in our unconverted state, failed debtors to God (Romans 8:12; Luke 16:5; Matthew 6:12). We could translate the words ‘the written binding legal demands which we had failed to meet'. Gentiles are included for they have the Law written in their hearts and consciences (Romans 2:14-15). Thus they consent to them in their consciences and are equally liable to obey them.
‘In ordinances.' (Dogmasin). This means ‘decrees, ordinances'. Compare Luke 2:1; Acts 17:7 where it means the emperor's decrees; Acts 16:4 where it means the decrees of the Church Meeting in Jerusalem. In Ephesians 2:15 it clearly means the Mosaic Law, and it is used in this way by Josephus and Philo. Thus it could mean the Law's demands or the Creator's demands or indeed all divine demands. It may therefore be that the ordinances are to be seen as including all moral demands.
An alternative rendering is to take ‘in ordinances' with ‘against us' - ‘the written bond which was against us with its ordinances'. But the position of ‘against us' in the Greek is against this, and the meaning is the same in the end.
‘That was against us, which was contrary to us.' The written bond was ‘against us'. The first phrase ‘that was against us' is closely connected with the written bond showing that it was a condemning bond. It is literally ‘the against us written bond'. ‘Which was contrary to us' stresses its effect. It reveals it as directly hostile in its intent.
‘He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.' He (God/Jesus Christ) has removed it from any position where it could be effective in attacking us. Once it is on the cross it is in the place where its demands have been met on full. No one can cavil at its being rendered powerless to attack us, for it has been fulfilled. But that is only when we have been crucified with Christ on His cross by faith.