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).
2. The “body of the flesh” (Colossians 2:11) is not the physical body per se but the sin-dominated self ruled by fallen desires (Romans 6:6).
3. The once-for-all character of this act stands in contrast to repeated ritual observances; Christ’s circumcision of the heart is complete and irreversible, accomplished at conversion and signified in baptism (Colossians 2:12).

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).
2. Progressive Sanctification: While the old self has been stripped away judicially, daily life involves reckoning this fact true (Romans 6:11) and refusing to “make provision for the flesh” (Romans 13:14).
3. Pastoral Counseling: Identity language (“in Him”) offers a robust foundation for addressing addictive behaviors or guilt. Counselors can point to God’s accomplished work rather than mere willpower.
4. Corporate Holiness: Churches are communities of those already “stripped” of the old way; therefore divisions based on ritual or ethnicity are unfitting (Colossians 3:11).
5. Spiritual Warfare: Since Christ has disarmed the powers, believers resist not as victims but as participants in His triumph (Ephesians 6:10-18).

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.