John Calvin Commentary Colossians 3:11

"where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all." — Colossians 3:11 (ASV)

Where there is neither Jew. He has added this intentionally, that he may again draw away the Colossians from ceremonies. For the meaning of the statement is this: Christian perfection does not need those outward observances; indeed, they are things that are entirely inconsistent with it. For under the distinction of circumcision and uncircumcision, of Jew and Greek, he includes, by synecdoche, all outward things. The terms that follow, barbarian, Scythian, bond, free, are added for amplification.

Christ is all, and in all, that is, Christ alone holds, as they say, the prow and the stern—the beginning and the end. Furthermore, by Christ, he means the spiritual righteousness of Christ, which puts an end to ceremonies, as we have previously seen. They are, therefore, superfluous in a state of true perfection; even more, they ought to have no place, since injustice would otherwise be done to Christ, as if it were necessary to bring in those aids to make up for His deficiencies.