When Paul originally wrote this letter to the Colossian holy and believing brothers in Christ there were no chapter and verse divisions or punctuation in it as we have them in today’s Bibles. Therefore, let us re-read a few verses from "chapter 1" and continue with our study into "chapter 2":
"Colossians 1.26the mystery, the (mystery) having been hidden-away2 from the ages and from the generations, but now it was manifested to His holy-people .27to whom God intended to make-known what (is) the wealth of the glory of this mystery in the Gentiles which is 'Christ in you, the hope of the glory' .28whom we message admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom in order that we may present every man complete in Christ; .29with-a-view-to which also I labor contesting according to His in-working, the (in-working) being caused-to-in-work in me in ability,…."
Colossians 2:1-3:
2:1for I intend you to have known2 how-great a contest I have on your behalf, and the (holy-people) in Laodicea, and as-many-as did not see2 my face in flesh, .2in order that their hearts may be encouraged having been compacted-together in love1 and into all wealth of the full-assurance of understanding into full-knowledge of the mystery of God: (which is) Christ .3in whom are all the hidden-away treasures of the wisdom and knowledge.
Paul continues: for I intend (will, with active volition and desire) you to have already known and to still know (perceive, see) the extraordinarily great contest (what a great size or degree of contest)…. The word “contest” means: being in a place of contest where there are two opposing parties conflicting against each other in order to be the one to gain the prize at the end of the contest. Again, the usage of athletic terminology draws attention to holy-people and the truth of being together moving in the direction of the same objective, on the same team in the same contest, not a different one or on a different team.
For I intend you to have known and continue to know how-great a contest I have in the interests of all of you holy-people to whom I am writing, and the holy-people in Laodicea (the sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of God in Laodicea, a city close to Colosse), and as many holy-people as did not see and still do not see my face in flesh (not physically perceived me in the flesh with their eyes).
Why does Paul intend all of them to know what great a contest he has on their behalf? He writes: for the purpose and result that their hearts (the center/core of their beings, the seat of their whole personal selves and life – the word translated "their" in this context includes all three categories of people referred to in verse 1 above – that their hearts) would be encouraged (exhorted – called-beside as a father and mother invite their children near them to help them to do that-which is right), after you all have been compacted-together (brought or caused to come in conjunction as knitting and so uniting yourselves):
God's mystery/secret is Christ (refer to Colossians 1:27).
The word “mystery” throughout Paul’s letters means “secret.” A mystery contains the details that are known and can be understood by those involved in it and by those to whom it has been revealed – it is not inexplicable to those involved in it.
Paul did not write that they had to understand the internet, web-design, or how the physical body works, or the environment, or the intricacies of math or business – no! By revelation he wrote: ….2in order that their hearts may be encouraged having been compacted-together in love1 and into all wealth of the full-assurance of understanding into full-knowledge of the mystery of God: (which is) Christ .3in whom are all the hidden-away treasures of the wisdom and knowledge.
The mystery of God is His son – Christ. The secret has been revealed to us and therefore it is available for all to know it. Paul has already written in chapter one that the mystery relates to Christ and again here he repeats it, not because his memory was failing but in order to emphasize to the holy-people who read this letter the fullness of the resurrected Christ!
All the hidden-away treasures (every one of the treasures which are adjectively described as cryptic or concealed away from perception by others; treasures refers to things laid-up in store, stored-up as in a thesaurus, in-storage – all the hidden-away treasures) of, consisting-of and pertaining-to wisdom (the skillful and expert application of personal-knowledge) and knowledge (personal knowledge, the truly active and relative knowing) presently and actively are in him (within Christ, the resurrected son of God).
In Christ are all the hidden-away treasures of the wisdom and knowledge. If any person wants to have wisdom and knowledge regarding God's mystery which He has revealed, he/she must look to Christ in order to be able to obtain this information, like going to a thesaurus to find out what it says, or going to the storage facility to get the things that are held there until you come to take and use it.
[Reference: Acts 9:22; I Corinthians 1:24 and 30; Ephesians 6:10-12; Philippians 1:30; Colossians 1:26-29, 4:3, 13, 15 and 16; I Thessalonians 1:5; Hebrews 6:11; Revelation 3:14.]
Verses 4 and 5:
.4This I say in order that not-one-person may calculate-against you in persuasive-wording, .5for since also I am absent with flesh but I am together with you with spirit joying and observing your arrangement and your solidity of the belief into Christ.
Paul explains: I say what I write for the purpose and result that no-one would calculate-against you (count, reckon, compute against you, which would be a miscounting, reasoning with false logic) – how? – in persuasive-wording (within/among words spoken which, when put together, can be convincing, urges confidence and reliance on what is said, convincing-speech), for even though it is true that I am presently away-from you in the flesh category, physically, but contrary to that, I am in conjunction with you with spirit (in the spirit category, spiritually, we all have the same holy spirit-life within us) rejoicing and observing (looking-at and mentally-envisioning, being mentally-aware and able to contemplate, even though I may not physically see anything with my physical eyes) your arrangement (the ordered sequence you have, your rank - like in the military sense, the arranged class or group) and your solidity (stability, firmness, standing firm thus resisting movement from what is right) pertaining-to the belief into Christ (the faith, that-which is to be trusted, what is to be believed regarding Christ, the Anointed-one).
[Reference: Acts 16:5, 20:21; I Corinthians 5:3, 14:40; James 1:22.]
Verses 6 and 7:
.6Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord you must walk in him, .7having been rooted2 and building-on in him, and making-firm with the belief according as you were taught, exceeding in thankfulness.
Following on from what I have just written, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord (as you took Christ Jesus the Master beside or alongside yourselves in the spirit category because you believed what God says about him and so you received the gift of holy spirit) you must walk (literally: move the feet around, go on foot; figuratively: walk around during the everyday living of life, behaving or conducting yourselves) – how? – in Christ Jesus the Lord (within the sphere of action of Christ Jesus the Lord whereby he is the efficient and instrumental cause from within you).
Who is the Lord/Master? Christ Jesus. How is this possible for you to walk in him?
This word "thankfulness" in the Greek comes from the same root word as the word "grace" plus the word "well" or "well-off." Therefore "thankfulness" is the expression made by the freedom of will of the recipient expressing well his gratitude to the giver of the grace (the bestowed unmerited or undeserved favor) given-to and received-by him. It is not a forced or obligated "thank you"! In this context, it is thankfulness for all that God and the Lord Jesus Christ have accomplished for you and continue to do.
[Reference: Romans 10:9; I Corinthians 3:8-15; II Corinthians 4:5; Ephesians 3:17.]
Verse 8:
.8You must observe (that) someone will not be the (person) leading-a-robbery-against you by means of philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ -
You holy-people must observe (look-at and mentally-envision, be mentally-aware and able to contemplate, even though you may not physically see anything with your physical eyes, in other words, be spiritually observant relying on the holy spirit within you) that someone (anyone) will not be the person who is leading a robbery against you (directing, conducting or conveying the action of robbery, orchestrating robbery whereby you are the target to be robbed of what you have – you can't lose the gift of holy spirit which you have already received, but what can be robbed from you is your walking and living in accordance with it) by means of philosophy (through the friendly/brotherly kind of love of/for wisdom) and empty deceit (void deceit, delusion, beguilement or allurement especially by false-statement, these statements are empty of contents). The philosophy and empty deceit are:
This kind of philosophy and empty deceit include traditions of heeding the lying interpretations and readings of "astrological" signs, omens, tarot cards, fortune-tellers and the other so-called "magic," "supernatural" or "unknown forces" of spiritual-things which are the rites or ceremonies of idolatry, and also include those "religious" traditions which are man-made and which were and still are contrary to the only true God; these things were and still are ultimately originating from the devil (satan). Christians must be alert in spirit and in mind regarding that-which may be called "wisdom" and the statements they listen to, whether willingly or unwillingly, whether on the television or on the web or spoken by our next-door neighbor or our "leader" or anyone or anything else!
[Reference: Genesis chapter 3 (you may read my study of Appendix to Romans, the fall of Adam for some details), Matthew 15:1-20; Ephesians 4:22; Galatians 4:1-7.]
Why must holy-people observe that someone will not be the person leading-a-robbery-against us by means of philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ?
Verses 9-12:
.9because all the fullness of God-Himself dwells-down bodily in him, .10and you are having been filled2 in him who is the head of all rulership and authority, .11in whom you also were circumcised with circumcision not-handmade in the unclothing-away of the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ .12having been buried-together with him in the baptism, in whom you also were raised-up-together by means of the belief of the in-working of God, the (One) having raised him up out-from dead-people,
Because all the fullness (every filling, the full contents, the result of the action of filling, all the fulfillment) of God-Himself (of the Being Who is God with God’s own quality, attributes, characteristics, property, make-up) presently and actively dwells-down (permanently dwells, settles-down, fixedly houses or inhabits) bodily within Christ.
We should notice that the Greek word translated "God-Himself" above does not have the word for "head" in it at all which some translators include as part of their translation. This word is spelled Theotes and is talking about God Himself because He is the only true God. It is an extremely emphatic word to refer to God indicating the Being in whom all of the essence and quality of God is present – God Himself. He is the supreme Being Whose state, essence, quality is “the God” - it is not only a title but it includes everything associated with Who He is. [Romans 1:20 - Theiotes – this word emphasizes God’s quality (His attributes, characteristics, property, His make-up); Acts 17:29 - Theion – this word emphasizes God’s essence (everything that He is).]
The verb translated "dwells-down" is a combination of the word for "to dwell or house or inhabit" plus the word for "down or downwards" - it is more emphatic and has a more lasting meaning than if God had only used the word for "dwell" by itself. God dwells downwards in Christ to the end that God permanently houses Himself in Christ, similar to how God used-to dwell in the tabernacle or in the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem but those dwellings were temporary. God is letting us know that God has settled-down in Christ and God will not leave him. And of course this letter goes on to explain that we have the fullness of Christ in us - and therefore all of us holy-people/Christians have: God in Christ in us - spiritually.
The word "bodily" is an adverb modifying the verb translated "dwells-down" – it is not describing the nouns translated “fullness” or “God-Himself.” God is Holy Spirit and therefore He does not have a fleshy body like mankind. The resurrected Christ has already received his own spiritual body from God, plus Christ continues building the church of holy-people, figuratively described and known as his body because we all have the same holy spirit-life. All the fullness of God-Himself permanently dwells – how? – bodily – where? – in/within Christ.
And you holy-people (who constitute the one spiritual body of Christ because we are limbs of his one spiritual body, the church) presently and actively are already filled and you are still full (filled) in him – in Christ – who is the head (the chief-part) of all:
Only Godly rulership and authority have true reality since God raised Christ up giving him his spiritual body – all other rulership and authority have no effect spiritually to/with/against Christ and his body of holy-people (refer to Romans 13:1-4; Ephesians 1:19-23; Colossians 1:13-19).
You are having been filled and continuing full in Christ, and it is in/within Christ that you also were circumcised (cut-around and the foreskin/prepuce removed) with/by circumcision not handmade. Circumcision refers to the action of literally and physically cutting-around the foreskin (prepuce) and removing it off from the rest of the male's flesh, which necessitated the shedding of his blood while cutting, but afterwards being healed and not having to deal with that flesh anymore. God had originally made the covenant of circumcision with Abraham (see Genesis chapter 17), and then with his offspring and with those who wanted to be included in God's covenant and promises throughout the centuries until Abraham's seed, the Christ, came and accomplished redemption and salvation. As a result of Christ's accomplishments, he has made holy spirit-life available to mankind, which is the new covenant, the covenant of spirit. All holy-people are part of the fulfillment of the covenant that God made with Abraham.
Here, Paul writes that it is in Christ you also were circumcised with circumcision not made by hands – not the physical cutting off of the foreskin, but spiritually all holy-people have all that Christ Jesus has accomplished which includes circumcision. How? Within the sphere of action of the unclothing-away of the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ. The word translated “unclothing-away” is a noun meaning: the state of having gotten out of and away from what we had on us, what we were in, as stripping off one's garments and putting them away from us. In this context this is referring to the unclothing-away of the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ. From God's spiritual point of view you have not cut off a small-piece of your flesh, but you have taken off your whole fleshy body - every bit of it!
How? You holy-people have already been buried-together with him in baptism. This Greek word ‘baptismos’ is used in Mark 7:4, here, Hebrews 6:2 and 9:10 referring to the old washings available prior to the giving of the gift of holy spirit. Spiritually you have all that Christ has accomplished – therefore you have been buried for the legally required three days and three nights, 72 hours, in conjunction with Christ within the baptism into death (Romans 6:4). The spiritual reality is that all of us Christians have the spirit of Christ within us and so we have spiritually accomplished everything that Christ has himself accomplished.
It is in Christ that you also were raised-up-together (caused to rise up, to arise in conjunction with Christ and one-another, jointly) by means of the belief (through the faith, trust, that-which is to be believed) of or pertaining-to the in-working of God (the inner-working in action, the active energy, the powerfully active work being done within by God, God's effectual work) – God Who is the One having raised Christ up out-from dead-people (out from being among those who have already died and are still dead, see Ephesians 1:19 and 20).
Let us contemplate what is written in God's Word right here: is there any reason why a Christian should be defeated, feel badly, be poverty-stricken, consider himself/herself to be the most awful person on the face of the earth, etc, etc? Well, to be honest if one were to heed all that the devil/satan and his followers propound on his behalf, all that those people who do not speak what the only true God says - yes, there may be many reasons why - BUT - BUT - Who's Word are Christians to listen to and give heed to and believe and obey and realize as being the only truth to/for/regarding themselves? God's Word. We pay attention to and believe God and His Word, and therefore the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, because the Lord Jesus Christ always does those things that please his Father Who is God. We too (all holy-people) are children of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ is our brother who is the head of the body of which we all are limbs.
[Reference: Romans 2:28 and 29, 6:3-11, 10:8-10; Ephesians 1:19-23, 2:6; Colossians 1:15-19.]
Verses 13-15:
.13even you being dead to the falling-asides and the uncircumcision of your flesh He made you alive-together with him having graciously-forgiven us all the falling-asides, .14having wiped-out the handwriting against us with decrees which used-to-be contrary to us and He lifted2 it out-from the midst having nailed it to the cross, .15having unclothed-away the rulerships and the authorities (from us) and He pointed-out in boldness having triumphed them in him.
Paul continues: even (and with emphasis) you being dead relative-to the falling-asides from what is right, from the truth of God's Word and relative-to the uncircumcision of your flesh (literally having foreskin because of your Gentile background)….
From the Greek texts, the verb translated “being” is present and active; and both words “the” are in the dative case which can mean: to the, with the, for the, by the, in the. Therefore, this phrase could refer to the state of the Colossians before they became holy-people, or at the present time having already become holy-people. If it refers to past time, it could be translated as: and/even you being dead with/by/in the falling-asides and the uncircumcision of your flesh…. Or, if it refers to present time (the Colossians having already become holy-people) it could read as written above – all holy-people have spiritually all that Christ has accomplished (verses 11 and 12 above).
Even you being dead to the falling-asides and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you [some Greek texts have the word “us” instead of “you” – God made you/us] alive-together (God made you living, God has given all holy-people life together, in conjunction with one-another, jointly) together with Christ having graciously-forgiven us (God bestowed unmerited favor, having graced to us holy-people, and in this context it is the grace of forgiveness, He willingly gave forgiveness to all of us, He forgave us with gracefulness of) all the falling-asides from God’s truth – how?…
The reference to having wiped-out the handwriting which was against us with its decrees is a figurative illustration of what God did for us by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. In olden times and during the writing of this letter by Paul it was the law that any debt owed by individuals or families would be posted at the entrance to the village or city in which they lived so that others may know to beware of them or indeed to help them if they so desired. If another person or group of people paid the price which was owed by someone whose name was hand-written on this notice of debts owed, then the elders/law-makers would smear over all the debts against that person, double or fold-over the sheet of paper and nail it back as a clean sheet of paper, the slate is wiped clean! This man/woman/family is now free from any debts because the price has been paid!
Who was it who paid the price for us to be free from our debts which we owed to God? The Lord Jesus Christ paid the price for all of mankind when he died on the cross and now it is up to each individual to believe what God says He has done by means of His son and receive the benefits which are now made available.
Re-reading verses 13-15: .13even you being dead to the falling-asides and the uncircumcision of your flesh He made you alive-together with him having graciously-forgiven us all the falling-asides, .14having wiped-out the handwriting against us with decrees which used-to-be contrary to us and He lifted2 it out-from the midst having nailed it to the cross, .15having unclothed-away the rulerships and the authorities (from us) and He pointed-out in boldness having triumphed them in him.
God unclothed-away the rulerships and the authorities which used to be in control over us and God made an example and showed them to public infamy. And - God did this in or within boldness! God did not tiptoe around or want to do it quietly so as for nobody to notice what He had done – no! God did what He did openly - He was not keeping it quiet! God's own rulership and authority was triumphant over those rulers and authorities and He held them up as a public-disgrace in His triumphal procession - God has triumphed over everything which was in the hand-written document which was against us. How? In Christ.
At the moment a person believes what God has given mankind to believe regarding Himself and the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the moment that person receives the gift of holy spirit becoming a Christian, this becomes a spiritual reality for him/her. In whom has God done this? In or within Christ - Christ - Christ! God has done all of this for us in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.
God has not kept the totality and fullness of what He has done a secret from His children. He has revealed it to His children and this is how it is made known to every other person and spirit. The church now makes known God's supreme rulership and authority which is triumphant in Christ (refer to Ephesians 3:9-11). God considered it good that all the fullness of Himself would dwell-down bodily in the resurrected Christ, and all Christians who are limbs of the one body of Christ are having been filled and continuing filled in him, Christ, who has been given the position of second-in-command to God. Christ is the chief of all of God's rulership and authority until God subjects everything under Christ's feet and then the Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom will be subjected to God.
[Reference: Matthew 1:19; Acts 3:19; Romans chapter 6, 7:4; I Corinthians 15:24-28; II Corinthians 2:7-14; Ephesians 2:1-7, 4:32; I Peter 2:24.]
Verses 16 and 17:
.16Therefore someone must not judge you in eating and in drinking or in particular of a feast or of a new-month or of sabbaths .17which-things are a shadow of the (things) being about to (come), but the body (is) of Christ.
Following-on logically from above, someone (anyone) must not judge you (no-one must make a decision regarding you holy-people):
Nobody must base their decisions or judgments on these-things to determine whether a person is a Christian having holy spirit within him/her or not, or whether a Christian is good or bad in the walk/behavior category during the everyday living of life, or not. Why not? Because these things are a shadow (shade) of the things being on the point of coming (coming things, things in the process of coming but have not yet come to pass, the shadow is not the actual thing itself), but the body is of Christ (the one spiritual body of which we are all limbs belongs to Christ, Christ's body is the true reality). These things, which are a shadow, were applicable during the old covenant period looking forward to the coming of the Christ and his accomplishments, but they are not relevant to any Christian because we have the things-themselves in Christ. We holy-people are Christ’s body spiritually.
[Reference: Leviticus chapter 23; I Chronicles 23:31; Romans chapter 14; I Corinthians 12:27; Galatians 4:10; Ephesians 1:23; Hebrews 10:1.]
Verses 18 and 19:
.18Not-one-person must give-the-prize-against you intending in humbleness-of-mind and religion of the angels which-things he saw2 stepping-in yieldingly being puffed-up by the mind of his flesh .19and not strongly-holding the head out-from whom all the body, by means of the ligaments and bondings-together, fully-supplying and compacting-together causes-to-increase the increase of God.
No-one must give the prize against you (umpire against you giving the prize to somebody or something else and so deprive you of your reward, like the giving of a palm or garland which is awarded to the victor by the adjudicator in the sporting-games, but not giving it to you – for example: telling you that you are not who God says you are in Christ) intending (willing, wanting, his whole intention is) within the sphere of action of humbleness of mind (humility or lowliness of the mind’s thoughts, in the position of having humble-thinking) and religion (religious-observance, the ceremonial and external rendering of service and performing forms of worship) of the angels. Humbleness-of-mind and religion of what? Of, pertaining to, with respect to the angels!
An angel is a spirit-being whose office and character is one of a messenger in official service via words and/or actions. The word "angel" comes from the Greek word aggello which means to tell or deliver a message and therefore an angel could be called a "messenger." Those angels who have continued to take their instructions from the only true God are also now under the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. But those angels who have refused to take their instructions from God and have instead decided to follow the devil are known as devils (devil-spirits, demons, evil, unclean or unholy spirits). The devil (satan, the snake/serpent, etc) was once one of God's angels, but he rebelled against God wanting to take God's place and he continues attempting to do so. We should also note that the Bible shows us that no human-being was or is or will be a spirit-being angel! See Hebrews chapter 1.
All holy-people are sons of God having the spirit of Christ within us. We are on a level with the Lord Jesus Christ – not level with the angels nor lower than the angels! It is wrong to worship any angel – this would be idolatry!
Not-one-person must give the prize against you intending in humbleness of mind and religion of the angels:
It is out-from (originating and issuing from) the head, Christ, that all the body (not just one part of it, but all the body, all holy-people, every limb of the one spiritual body of Christ)…
…causes to increase the increase of God (all the body presently and actively augments, causes the growth or expansion of the augmentation, growth, expansion belonging to God, God's increase).
It is out-from the head, who is Christ, that all the body, by means of the ligaments and bondings-together (which are, in Paul's letters, associated with Godly-love, peace, and completeness), fully-supplying and compacting-together causes-to-increase the increase of God. The one spiritual body of Christ could not cause to increase God's increase without the head, Christ.
[Reference: Acts 20:19, 26:5; II Corinthians 9:10; Ephesians 1:22 and 23, 4:3, 15 and 16; Colossians 3:14 and 15; Hebrews chapter 1.]
.20Since you died together with Christ away-from the rudiments of the world, why are you being decreed to as (though you are) living in (the) world: .21you must not touch nor taste nor lightly-touch, .22which are all into corruption with the usage according to the commandments and teachings of men, .23the-things-which are a word indeed having wisdom in intentional-religion and humbleness-of-mind, unsparing of body, not in some honor towards a remaining-full of the flesh.
Paul continues with the word here translated "since" – this could also be translated as "if" in the sense of "if it is true that you died together with Christ…" to-which the mind of holy-people reading this letter ought to respond with "yes, it is true that we died together with Christ…."
From God's spiritual point of view, since you holy-people have already died in conjunction with Christ away from, and thus separated from, the rudiments of the world (the first little steps in a line or series, base elements, like baby-steps, basic or first principles of instruction pertaining-to the world as it now exists, the ordered-arrangement which God created but which became damaged as a result of what satan and then Adam did), why do you allow yourselves to be decreed to (to be presently dogmatized, caused to be subject to dogmas, opinions, ordinances) as though you are presently and actively living (having life, being alive) within the sphere of action of the world? Our true life is our holy spirit-life, which is the spirit of Christ in us, and our true living is being alive actively in motion in accordance with our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father.
Since you died together with Christ away-from the rudiments of the world, why are you being decreed to as though you are living in the world, such decrees as:
…which things (a, b and c) presently and actively are all into corruption with the usage (every one of them are for, into, in motion directed to and result in decay with/by the usage, when they are used they go away, used-up, gone into decay and so cannot be used again because it was an incorrect usage to begin with, an abuse or misuse, not according to God and the Lord Jesus Christ but) in accordance, conformity and proportion to/with the commandments (emphatically the things enjoined or commanded) and teachings (instructions, doctrines; this word ‘teachings’ includes the teachings themselves and the actions of teaching them) of, belonging-to and proceeding-from men, mankind (not from God).
These are the things which are a word (a spoken-account) indeed having wisdom (holding the skillful and expert application of personal-knowledge) – but wisdom in what? In (within the sphere of action of)…
Why would any Christian want to be held under the authority of this kind of wisdom? It is against God and what God says; it is against the Lord Jesus Christ and what he says; it is against the gift of holy spirit which God has placed within every Christian by means of the Lord Jesus Christ!
[Reference: Isaiah 29:13 and 14; Matthew 15:7-9; Romans chapter 6; I Corinthians 3:13-15; Galatians 4:3-10, 6:8; I Timothy 4:1-4; II Peter 3:10-12. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
