# When you were dead

Paul speaks of unresponsiveness to God as if it were death. AT: "When you Colossian believers were unable to respond to God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# you were dead ... he made you alive

With this metaphor Paul speaks of coming into new spiritual life as if it were coming back to life physically. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh

You were dead on two accounts: 1) you were spiritually dead, living a life of sin against Christ and 2) you were not circumcised according to the law of Moses.

# forgave us all of our trespasses

"he forgave us, both us Jews and you Gentiles, of all our trespasses"

# He canceled the written record of debts that stood against us

Paul speaks of the way God forgives our sins as if it were the way a person, to whom many people owe money or goods, destroys the record of that debt so they do not have to pay him back. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# made a public spectacle of them

In Roman times, it was common practice for the Roman armies to have a victory parade when they returned home, displaying all the prisoners they had captured and goods they had obtained. God was victorious over the evil powers and authorities. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# by the cross

Here "the cross" stands for Christ's death on the cross. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/death]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/trespass]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/circumcise]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/forgive]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/cross]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/authority]]