Lexical Summary apekdusis: Stripping off, removal, disarming Original Word: ἀπέκδυσις Strong's Exhaustive Concordance removal, divestmentFrom apekduomai; divestment -- putting off. see GREEK apekduomai HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 555 apékdysis – a "putting off" (like the taking off of clothes) using two prefixes (apo, ek). "The word therefore is a strong expression for 'wholly putting away from oneself' " (WS, 907). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom apekduomai Definition a stripping off NASB Translation removal (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 555: ἀπέκδυσιςἀπέκδυσις, ἀπεκδυσεως, ἡ (ἀπεκδύομαι, which see), a putting off, laying aside: Colossians 2:11. (Not found in Greek writings.) Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Greek 555 points to the decisive “putting off” that takes place when the believer is united with Jesus Christ. While the noun occurs only once in the Greek New Testament (Colossians 2:11), its theological weight is considerable, binding together themes of spiritual circumcision, death to the old life, and victory over hostile powers. Biblical Occurrence Colossians 2:11: “In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.” Historical and Literary Context Paul writes to the church in Colossae, where legalistic and proto-gnostic influences threatened to obscure the sufficiency of Christ. By invoking the imagery of the ancient rite of circumcision, Paul answers Jewish legalists; by stressing an inward and once-for-all “putting off,” he counters ascetic demands that promised a higher spirituality through self-made religion (Colossians 2:23). Spiritual Circumcision and Identity in Christ 1. Circumcision made without hands (Colossians 2:11) fulfills earlier prophetic calls for an inward work of God (Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:4). Old Man versus New Man The “putting off” of Colossians 2:11 anticipates Paul’s exhortation to “put off the old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:9). Similar language appears in Ephesians 4:22-24 where believers are told to “put off” the old self and “put on” the new. In each case the indicative—what God has already done—grounds the imperative—how believers must now live. Connection with Baptism The flow of thought moves seamlessly from spiritual circumcision (verse 11) to burial with Christ in baptism (verse 12). Baptism testifies that the believer has been stripped of the old allegiance, buried, and raised with Christ (Romans 6:4). Thus, baptism is not merely symbolic; it proclaims the objective reality of the “putting off” accomplished by Christ. Christ’s Victory over the Powers The same root idea resurfaces in Colossians 2:15 where Christ “disarmed the rulers and authorities.” Just as believers are stripped of the body of flesh, so hostile powers are stripped of their weaponry. This parallel underscores that the believer’s deliverance and Christ’s cosmic triumph are facets of one grand victory. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Assurance of Salvation: The decisive nature of the “putting off” gives believers confidence that sin’s dominion has been broken (Romans 6:14). Related Scriptures for Further Study Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:6-14; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 3:3; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10. Forms and Transliterations απεκδυσει απεκδύσει ἀπεκδύσει επεκτάσεις apekdusei apekdysei apekdýseiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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