A commentary of M. John Calvin, upon the Epistle to the Colossians. And translated…A commentarie of M. Iohn Caluine, vpon the Epistle to the Colossians. And translated…

for as he fastened to his cross our curse and malediction, our sins, and pains also due to us: so hath he done in like manner that bondage of the Law, & what soever belongeth to the binding of our consciences. For being fastened to the cross he toke all things upon him: and therefore he bound them, that they might have no more right and power over us.

for as he fastned to his crosse our curse and malediction, our sinnes, and paynes also due to vs: so hath he done in like maner that bondage of the Law, & what soeuer belongeth to the bynding of our consciences. For being fastned to the crosse he toke all thinges vpon him: and therfore he bound them, that they might haue no more right and power ouer vs.

15 Spoiling principalities. Without doubt he meaneth the Devils, unto whom the Scripture signeth these parts, in that they accuse us before the presence of God. But Paul saith they are unarmed, so that they can bring forth nothing against us, the witness and testee of our guiltiness being done away. And he addeth this by name, whereby he may declare that the victory which he hath gotten for himself and us over Satan, is deformed and blotted of the false apostles: and that we are bereft of the commodity thereof, whensoever they (go about to) restore the old ceremonies. For if our liberty be the spoil, that Christ hath taken away from the Devil, what do other who will bring us back into bondage, but restore unto Satan the spoils, whereof he was clean stripped? Triumphing over them in it. The greek speech will abide that we may read In himself. nay rather the greater number of books have [Greek or Hebrew] with ⟨p. 49⟩an aspiration: but the circumstance of the place doth altogether require, that we read it otherwise. for that which should but coldly be spoken of Christ, is aptly and freely referred to the cross. For as before he compared the cross to a noble Monument of victory, or to the pomp of a triumph, in which Christ lead about his enemies: so also now doth he make it like to a triumphant chariot, in which he hath been seen over all the company. For although in the cross there was nothing but a curse: yet it was so swallowed up through the power of the son of GOD, that after a sort it put on a new quality and nature. For no judgement seat was so honourable, no princely throne so stately, no pomp of triumph so notable, no chariot so lofty, as that gallowtree on which Christ hath subdued death, and the devil the prince of death, and therefore hath utterly trodden them under his feet.