Some people believe that the law has been done away with – that it has been nailed to the cross.  The expression “nailed to the cross” comes from Colossians 2:14.  Referring to God, Colossians 2:14 says:

Col 2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Some people believe that this verse means that “God has wiped out the law, having nailed it to the cross”.

But would God really nail His law to the cross when the law is something that is very good?  The Bible is full of Scriptures which talk about how wonderful God’s law is.  For example.

Rom 7:12  Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Furthermore, Christ clearly said he did not come to destroy the law.

Mat 5:17  “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Christ came to fulfil the law, not destroy it.  So obviously, it’s nonsense to think that God wiped out the law by nailing it to the cross.

So, what does Colossians 2:14 mean?  What was nailed to the cross?  Let’s read it again with this question in mind.

Col 2:14 [God] having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

What was nailed to the cross?  The handwriting of requirements.

What exactly is the handwriting of requirements?  Let’s read from verse 11 to get the context.

Col 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands,

That is circumcision not of the flesh but of the heart.  Paul is talking about circumcision of the heart mentioned in Romans 2:29. 

Rom 2:29  but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

How do you circumcise your heart?  Paul goes on to explain how.

Col 2:11 … by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, [we no longer live a sinful way of life] by the circumcision of Christ,
Col 2:12 buried with Him in baptism, [We said goodbye to that way of life at baptism] in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh [that is your sinful way of life.], He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

Paul is saying that, when we repented and were baptized, the “old man” of sin was buried in a watery grave.  After being raised out of the water, we were made alive with Christ, and our sins were completely forgiven through our faith in the sacrifice of Christ.  Paul refers to this process as “circumcision of the heart” or “circumcision made without hands”.

And now we come to the verse in question.

Col 2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. …

This first part of verse 14 continues the sentence of verse 13.  Paul continues to explain how we have our sins forgiven.  So, the context is repentance and forgiveness of sin.

What is the “handwriting of requirements”?  The Greek word translated handwriting is cheirographon.  Cheirographon means anything written by hand, but can apply to a legal document, bond or note of debt. Cheirographon means a note of debt.  The Greek word translated requirements is dogmasin.  Dogmasin refers to decrees, laws or ordinances.

The “handwriting of requirements” is a note of debt regarding laws.  It is a note of the debt we have as a result breaking God’s law.  It is a note of debt we owe God due to our sins. 

Colossians 2:14 says that God has wiped out that note of debt that was against us.  That note of debt was against us because it required our death, for as it says in Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death”.  But Christ died for us; He took our debt for us.  God wiped out our note of debt because His Son Jesus Christ died for us.

Continuing with verse 14.

Col 2:14 … And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross

What was nailed to the cross?  The “handwriting of requirements” was nailed to the cross.  That is the note of debt we have as a result of breaking God’s law was nailed to the cross.

Why did Paul use the expression “having nailed it to the cross”?

When the Romans crucified someone, it was their custom to nail an inscription above his head on his cross.  The inscription named the crimes for which he was being punished.  This inscription was a “handwriting of requirements” or a “note of debt”.

People living in those days would be familiar with this.  If they saw a crucified man, they could go up to the stake or cross where the man was and read the inscription.  It might read: “Murderer”.  In which case people would know this man had been crucified because he had murdered someone.  His debt was paid for by his life.  Or the inscription might read, “Rebelled against Rome”.  In which case people would know this man had been crucified because he rebelled against Rome.  His debt was paid for by his life. 

This was the thinking of the time and the thinking of Paul.  Whenever there is a crucifixion there are two things nailed to the cross: the criminal, and the inscription naming his crimes.

When Jesus was crucified two things were nailed to the cross, His body and Pilate’s inscription.  The inscription read, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”.  Jesus hadn’t done anything wrong, yet he died.  He died for our sins. 

Since He died for our sins, the inscription should be a list of our sins.  That’s exactly what Paul is saying.  The “handwriting of requirements”, that is the note of debt of our sins, was symbolically nailed to the cross.

Here’s what Paul was explaining.  We have all sinned.  We all have a note of debt, that is a list of our sins.  The wages of our sin is death.  We have a debt to pay for those sins and that debt is our death.  We’re the ones that should hang on the cross to pay the debt for our sins.

But God has wiped out the handwriting of requirements.  He has wiped out that note of debt that was against us.  He has taken it out of the way and nailed it on the cross of Jesus Christ.  We don’t have to die for our sins anymore because Jesus Christ died for our sins.

That’s what Paul says in Colossians 2:14

Col 2:14 [God] having wiped out the handwriting of requirements [the note of debt of our sins] that was against us, which was contrary to us. [It was against us because it required our death. God has wiped out that note of debt of our sins that was against us.]  And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. [God took our note of debt and nailed it on Jesus’s cross.]

Paul is saying we don’t have to die for our sins anymore because Jesus Christ died for our sins. 

In conclusion, the “handwriting of requirements” is our note of the debt we have as a result of breaking God’s laws.  It is a note of debt we owe God due to our sins.  God has taken away that note of debt which required our death and has nailed it on the cross of Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:14 doesn’t do away with God’s law.  Rather, it explains the wonderful truth that we don’t have to die for our sins anymore because Jesus Christ died for our sins.

The law was not nailed to the cross.  Our note of debt of our sins was nailed to the cross.