Verse 10. "Who is the head of all principality and power." He is the head of all the good angels, represented by the two orders referred to, inasmuch as he is their Lord, and rules them, to promote their happiness. This is added by the Apostle in opposition to the Gnostics, who inculcated the adoration of angels. This verse is more fully expressed (Ephesians, 1)

Verse 11. He cautions them against the Jewish zealots, who endeavored to superadd the rite of circumcision to the Christian religion, and says, we have a circumcision which as far surpasses that in use among the Jews, as the reality, or thing  ignified, exceeds the sign and the figure. In the Greek, the particle, "but," is omitted, and the word "sins," added to the preceding clause, thus: in despoiling of the body (of the sins) of the fleshy in the circumcision of Christ; a reading, according to which, the entire verse is understood without any antithesis of the circumcision of Christ, thus: by whom you were circumcised with a circumcision not made by hands, which consists in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, in other words, in entirely laying aside the old man of sin, which is the circumcision of Christ, and not of Moses. This is a very probable interpretation.

Verse 12. He shows how this circumcision is effected by baptism. The immersion in baptism—the form, in which it was conferred in the time of the Apostle—is a type of our burial, and consequently of our death to sin, which death to sin it also operates as well as signifies; and the emersion from the waters of baptism is also a type of our spiritual resurrection to a life of grace, which resurrection it also effects, requiring as a condition, faith in the omnipotence of him who raised Christ from the dead.

Verse 13. When they were dead in their actual and original sins as well as in all the evils flowing from original sin, he raised them spiritually, with Christ, and made them desert their former vicious ways, and live to God, "and the uncircumcision of your flesh," the sign, for the thing signified, the foreskin, for original sin, and the evils following from it.

Verse 14. In this verse, "some Expositors say, there is reference to the abolition of the  obligation which every Jew had contracted to observe the law of Moses. Hence, by "handwriting" they understood the liability to observe "the decree," or Mosaic law. Others, following the Greek reading, which is,  τοις δογμασιν decrees, understood it to have the same meaning that it has in the passage to the Ephesians (2:15), "the law of commandments in decrees," which refers to the abolition of the ceremonies of the Mosaic law, and the substituting of "the decrees," or precepts of the Christian faith, in their stead. This interpretation, however, does not well accord with the next verse; for, how can it follow from his abolishing the Mosaic ceremonial law, that he was "despoiling principalities," &c.? (15). Besides, the Mosaic law is never called a "decree;" and if we desert the Vulgate reading, to which the Ethiopic version is conformable, and read, "by decrees," we must confine it to the Jews; whereas, it is clear that the Apostle refers to all, by saying, "you," verse 13, "us," this verse. Hence, the common interpretation is far the more probable, which makes "handwriting" refer to the liability to eternal death pronounced against us by the "decree" of God after the sin of Adam, of which, by an unsearchable judgment of God, we were all made sharers; and this liability or sentence is called "a handwriting," either because we ourselves, by actual sin, subscribed to the justice of this sentence of punishment, or probably, to signify that it is as certain against us as is the debt against the debtor, whose bond or note of hand is in the possession of the creditors. "Fastening it to the cross;" this refers to the ancient custom of annulling bonds or covenants, by driving a nail through them. Hence, the words may be translated, driving a nail through it by his cross, i.e., by the satisfaction made on the cross. All this, therefore, refers to the atonement which Christ made for the sins of all mankind, by his death on the cross.

Verse 15. These words are very expressive of Christ's triumph over his prostrate enemies; he first stripped them of the power which they had over mankind, during the time that this sentence of death was hanging over their heads. He afterwards publicly exposed them to derision, dragging them after his triumphal car, or rather driving them before it, as so many trophies of victory. This public exposure of the devils is now made before angels and men, who see it by faith; but it will be evidently seen, on the great day of judgment. The two orders, of "principalities " and "powers," are put for all the orders of demons. There is but one word in the Greek corresponding with the words "confidently" and "open show," εν παρρησια. The word, however, bears both the significations, given to it in our English version, after the Vulgate.

Verse 16. Having shown the excellence of our baptism beyond circumcision, and having pointed out the cause of its efficacy, viz., the redemption of Christ, the Apostle resumes the subject of the Mosaic rites, and citations the Colossians against practicing them. "In respect of," i.e., in reference, or the matter of, a "festival day," &c. i.e. festival days observed among the Jews, in compliance with the ceremonial law of Moses.

Verse 18. "Let no man seduce you." In the Greek it is, καταβραβευετω, let no man defraud you of the prize or reward, for which you are striving. "Willing;" this word is connected, by some, with the foregoing word, "seduce," thus: let no man seduce you, however anxiously and studiously he may exert himself for that purpose. Others more probably connect it with the following words, "humility and the religion of angels," i.e., affecting humility, or, wishing to make it appear, that he is consulting for the dignity of Christ, by denying that redemption came through him ; and, hence, wishing that you should adore, and have recourse to angels. This is the interpretation given of the passage by those who maintain that the error which St. Paul is combating in this Epistle, is the error of those heretics who asserted that it was beneath Christ to undertake the office of mediator and redeemer ; and hence, they assigned this office to angels. It would not appear, however, that this opinion is borne out by the scope and context of the Apostle. On the contrary, it would seem from the Apostle's proving in this, as well as in some of his other Epistles, the superior excellence of Christ, that his arguments are entirely directed against the class of heretics, who lowered the dignity of Christ too much, by placing the angels above him. It is, therefore, more likely, that the Apostle here refers to the errors of the Platonists, who extolled the angels above Christ. They believed in the existence of a sort of minor gods or angels, who, according to them, created the world, inspired the prophets of old, purified and redeemed the souls of men; one of these angels gave the law on Sinai, and was the God of the Hebrews. This latter error was maintained by Cerinthus; he also held, that at the time of the passion, the Son of God left the son of Mary and Joseph, and returned to heaven. Hence, they asserted that Christ was unworthy of being the mediator between God and man; and that this office, therefore, devolved on the angels, who should be adored by a more perfect and excellent rite than was due to Christ. [Irenaeus, Theodoret, and Epiphanius record these errors of Cerinthus in their dissertations on Heresies.] That this was the class of heretics to whom the Apostle here refers, seems very likely, if it be borne in mind that at Laodicea, which was contiguous to Colossae, there was a sect who propounded such doctrines, which were condemned, in the 35th canon of the Council of Laodicea. The words, then, mean, as in Paraphrase; inculcating humble prostrations before angels, and adoring them. "Walking in things," &c., prying into and intermeddling in things which they could not know, and pretending to visions beyond their reach.

Objection.—How reconcile this with the Catholic practice of worshipping and invoking angels ?

Resp.—There is no necessity for reconciling it, if we look to what the Catholic practice is. The worship paid by Catholics to angels is an inferior worship, cultus dulcie, which tends to the glory of God, in the same way, as the civil respect shown a viceroy tends to the honor of the sovereign, whom he represents. But, we never pay them the supreme worship, or, as it is termed, cultus latrice, due to God alone. Now,  in this passage, the Apostle manifestly contemplates the worship being paid to them which robs God of his glory, as appears from the entire context, and particularly from the words of the following verse—"not holding the head."

Verse 19. "Not holding the head." From this it appears clear that they rejected the true worship of God. From whom, as head, the entire body of the faithful were furnished with life and animation (of course, in the mystical body, he refers to the graces of Christ).—See Epistle to the Ephesians 4:14.

Verse 20. "The elements of this world," with which they now hold no more connection than the living hold with the dead, are understood by some of the errors of Paganism; by others, of the precepts of the ceremonial law of the Jews. "Why do you decree," may also mean, why are you decreed., i.e.., why do you submit to be taught these precepts, as if you were to live according to them, and not according to the doctrine of Christ? The Greek word for "decree," δογματιζεσθε, will admit of either an active or passive signification. It may mean either to dogmatize, or to be dogmatized.

Verse 21. He probably refers to the errors, of which he treats in his Epistle to Timothy, "forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats," (4:3), We know, that some of the Gnostics held that certain meats were in se bad; also that marriage was in se evil.

Verse 22. This refers to the precepts, verse 21. The Apostle is here condemning those ordinances in reference to religion, that have no authority from God, or from the rulers of his Church—that are purely human, and, as in the present case, opposed to the commands of God. He regards either the ceremonial law of the Jews or the errors of the Platonists; but he by no means condemns the salutary laws of God's Church, of whose authority he is so jealous, "qui vos audit, me audit."

Verse 23. The Apostle by no means condemns the fasting prescribed by the Church, and which Christ our Lord has sanctioned, "but you when you fast," &:c.—(Matt. 6:17). Our fasts are regulated by prudence; and instead of being commanded, fasting is prohibited, whenever it would interfere with our duties in life. It is a "reasonable service," as enjoined by the Church. This very passage is an argument in favor of the Catholic practice; for, these practices must be true wisdom, the appearance of which the others affected. If they were not regarded as good and praiseworthy, even in the days of the Apostle, why should the heretics affect them, in order to appear more holy? And why should the Apostle say, that they had the appearance of wisdom? Was it not because their prudent and proper exercise was true and solid wisdom, perfectly in accordance with the Gospel?