Matthew Poole and continuators on Colossians 2:15

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers m, he made a shew of them openly , triumphing over them , in it .

Some render it, seeing he hath stripped or made naked, as runners and racers us'd to put off their cloaths.

Hence some of the ancients read putting off his flesh (possibly by the carelesness of some scribes writing that which signifies flesh instead of that which signifies principalities in all the Authentick Copies) but besides that Christ hath not put off the humane nature, onely the infirmities of the flesh, 2 Cor. 5.16. Heb. 5.7. it doth not agree with what follows. One conceits that by principalities and powers are meant the Ceremonies of the law, because of the divine authority they originally had, and that Christ uncloathed or unveiled them, and shew'd them to be misty figures that were accomplished in his own person. But I see no reason thus to allegorize, for 'tis easie to discern the word is borrowed from conquering Warriers having put to flight and disarm'd their enemies, (as the word may well signifie disarming in opposition to arming, Rom. 13.12. Eph. 6.11, 14.) and signifies here, that Christ disarm'd and despoiled the Devil and his Angels with all the powers of darkness, we have seen by principalities and powers are meant Angels, c. 1.16. with Rom. 8 37. Eph. 1.21. and here he means evil ones, in regard of that power they exercise in this world under its present state of subjection to sin and vanity, Luk. 4.6 Ioh. 12.31. 2 Cor. 4.4. Eph. 2.2. & 6.12. 2 Tim. 2.26. whom Christ came to destroy, and effectually did on his Cross defeat, Luk. 11.22. Ioh. 16.11. 1 Cor. 15.55. Heb. 2.14. 1 Ioh. 3.8. delivering his subjects from the power of darkness, c. 1.13. according to the first promise, Gen. 3.15.

Yea and Christ did as an absolute conquerour, riding as it were in his triumphal Chariot, publickly shew that he had vanquish'd Satan and all the powers of darkness in the view of Heaven and Earth, Luk. 10.17, 18.

Even then and there where Satan, thought he should alone have had the day by the death of the innocent Jesus was he and his adherents triumphed over by the Lord of life to their everlasting shame and torment, what the Papists would gather hence that Christ did in this triumphant shew upon the Cross, carry the Souls of the Patriarchs out of their Limbus, i. e. their appointment to Hell is a meer unscriptural fiction; for those that he made shew of in his victorious Chariot are the very same that he spoiled to their eternal ignominy and confusion.

What follows some render (as in the margin) in himself or by himself, i. e. by his own power and virtue and not by the help of any other; the Prophet saith he trod the wine-press alone, and had not any of the people with him, Isa. 63.3. yet it seems here better to adhere to our own translation in it, consider what went before of his Cross, that he triumphed over Satan on it or by it, because the death that he there suffered was the true and onely cause of his triumphs, there he trod Satan under his feet, there he set his seed at liberty, and they who go about to bereave them of it, and bring them into Bondage do no other than restore to Satan his spoyls.

Marginal references: Psal. 68.19. Isa. 53.12. Math. 12.29. Eph. 4.8.; Or, in himself.