The Many Faces of Metaphor in Colossians 2:15

Due to numerous lexical, syntactical, and historical problems, the interpretation of almost every word in Col 2:15 is contested. In the debate, there is a tendency to argue for one or two possible metaphors, while discarding, ignoring, or relegating the other options to a footnote. But this is not how metaphors work. Therefore, this article surveys images often associated with the participles απεκδυσάμενος and θριαμβεύσας in Col 2:15 and then argues that scholars should not pick one single image over another in the verse. Rather, based on scholarship surrounding metaphors, NT scholars should consider how the multiple metaphors might inform and transform each other.