Today, we continue our study of Colossians 1 by looking at verses 21-23. After the major theological discussion points from the previous section (15-20), these verses focus on the importance of the reconciliation that Christ provides.
Even though Paul had not personally evangelized Colossae, it was his ministry in Ephesus that led to the founding of the Colossian church. Paul was “made a minister” (Col. 1:25). A large part of his ministry consisted of preaching the Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. His was a ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17–21). Paul reviewed for his readers their own spiritual experience.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (ESV)
Key Takeaways:
- Christians will be presented as holy, blameless, and above reproach
- Christians have been reconciled to God by Christ
- The Person and work of Jesus is the central element of the Gospel
Closer Look:
Verse 21: Having struck the note of reconciliation as the seventh characteristic of the exalted Christ, Paul then developed that theme. Reconciliation is necessary because people are alienated (means “cut off, estranged”) from life and God (Eph. 2:12; 4:18). Before conversion, the Colossian believers also were enemies or hostile to God in their minds as well as in their behavior, internally and externally. Sin begins in the heart (Matt. 5:27–28) and manifests itself in overt deeds (Gal. 5:19).
The enmity of their minds led to wicked works. Both in attitude and action, they were at war with God. “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God” (Rom. 8:7). This explains why the unbeliever must repent—change his mind—before they can be saved.
Verse 22: Tying verses 20 and 22 together, “reconcile all things [v. 20]…he has now reconciled [v. 22]),[1] these phrases show the significance of Christ’s work on the Cross. It does not mean that all people will be saved since many passages clearly say that unbelievers will suffer eternal separation from God (Matt 25:46). The work of Christ will overthrow the damage effected by the Fall and change all of creation from a position of enmity to a relationship of peace and friendship (Rom 8:20-23; 2 Cor 5:18-20). We did not reconcile ourselves to God; it was God who took the initiative in His love and grace. The Father sent the Son to die on a cross that sinners might be reconciled to God. Jesus died for us when we were still helpless (Rom. 5:6) and could do nothing for ourselves. He died for us “while we were yet sinners” and “while we were enemies” (Rom. 5:8, 10).
Reconciliation of sinners to God is by Christ’s physical (fleshly) body through death. The Gnostic tendency of the Colossian heresy, with its Platonic orientation, denied both Christ’s true humanity and His true deity.[2] The false teachers at Colosse were telling the believers that redemption could only be accomplished through a spiritual being. They rejected Christ’s incarnation. According to them, Jesus could not have had a physical body. Thus, Paul uses two terms, “body” and “flesh,” to clearly state that Christ became man and experienced a physical death. As John explained, it is necessary to confess “that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (1 John 4:2). Spirits cannot die, and “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22). In order to redeem humans, Christ Himself must be truly human (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 2:17). Thus, Christ’s real physical body and death were necessary for humanity’s salvation (cf. Rom. 7:4; Heb. 10:10).
“Holy,” “blameless,” and “above reproach” show that we who were once enemies of God and alienated by our own wicked works will one day be presented as above reproach on account of Christ’s death for us.[3] The result of Christ’s death is redemptive—to present you holy in His sight. This may mean judicially perfect as to a believer’s position, or spiritually perfect as to his condition. Ultimately God envisions both for believers, and Christ’s death is the basis for judicial justification (Rom. 3:21–26), progressive sanctification (Rom. 6–7), and even ultimate glorification (Rom. 8). As Paul wrote the Ephesians, He “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4). The word holy is closely related to the word saint. Both of these words express the idea of “being set apart, being devoted to God.” In the NT, saints are not dead people who during their lives performed miracles and never sinned. New Testament saints were living people who had trusted Jesus Christ. Paul wrote this letter to living saints (Col. 1:2).
Blameless means “without blemish.” The word was applied to the temple sacrifices which had to be without blemish.[4] Think about how amazing it is that God looks at believers (His children) and sees no blemish on them! God chose us to be “holy and without blame” (Eph. 1:4). Christians are without blemish (amōmous; translated “blameless” in Eph. 1:4 and Phil. 2:15; cf. “without … blemish” in Eph. 5:27 and “without fault” in Jude 24)[5] in Christ, and also are above reproach or free from accusation (anenklētous).
This “above reproach” word is used five times in the NT and only by Paul (here and in 1 Cor. 1:8; 1 Tim. 3:10; Titus 1:6–7). It connotes one who is free from accusation, free from all charges. Satan is “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10) and will hurl charges at us, but God will not accept them (Zech 3). Also, Christ is the believer’s “Advocate” (1 John 2:1) or “Defense” (1 John 2:1) before the Father.[6] Therefore, by the merits of Christ believers are free from every charge (cf. Rom. 8:33). In Christ the accused and the condemned are free. People may have accusations to bring against us, but they cannot change our relationship with God. Remember, the most important thing in our Christian lives is not how we look in our own sight, or in the sight of others (1 Cor. 4:1–4)—but how we look in God’s sight.
Paul expressed the time for presenting these converts to Christ in eschatological terminology. The future time will be the time of the Parousia[7], when Christ returns to the earth. At that point in time, Paul hoped the Colossian believers would have true Christian character.[8] The future aspect of this is confirmed by the conditional statement “if you continue” (v. 23). Paul saw a time-lapse between the present and the future time of presenting his converts to Christ. The dual historical reference points in Paul’s theology emerge again. The past, which is the cross, must be viewed in light of the future, which is the reconciliation of all things. Similarly, the past for Christians, meaning their salvation, must be viewed against the backdrop of the future, meaning their meeting God after the course of history has been run.
Verse 23: It starts with the future aspect of the text. “The hope of the Gospel” means that blessed hope of our Lord’s return (Titus 2:13). Paul had already mentioned this hope verse 5. Later in the chapter, he called it “the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).
Next, the conditional clause which follows in v. 23 suggests an interval between the time of their reconciliation and their presentation to God. In fact, Paul considered three time perspectives here. In the past, they were reconciled. In the future, Paul expected purity. In the present, they were to continue until the day of the Lord.
This reconciliation in Christ comes only by an abiding faith—”if indeed you continue in the faith.” The Colossians had a settled faith—established (i.e., “grounded” like a building on a strong foundation) and firm (hedraioi, “seated or settled”; cf. 1 Cor. 7:37; 15:58), so Paul did not doubt that they would continue. The perseverance of the Colossians was proof of the reconciling work of Christ on their behalf.
In concluding this section, Paul took the theme of the gospel and again brought it to its universal significance. The gospel was the same message they heard, which, in turn, was the same gospel preached to every creature and was the message which had captured the energy of Paul. He spoke of the hope which this gospel of reconciliation provides not only to them but also to the whole world (“to every creature under heaven”). Paul uses this exaggeration to illustrate the rapid spread of the gospel. Similarly in Acts 17:6, where the apostles are said to have turned the world upside down, even though their ministry up to that point had been limited to a small portion of the eastern Mediterranean region. This figure of speech indicates the universality of the gospel and its proclamation, not that every person on the globe heard Paul preach. “In Acts 2:5 this phrase describes a wide range of people from various countries without including, for example, anyone from North or South America (cf. also Gen. 41:57; 1 Kings 10:24; Rom. 1:8).”[9]
The literary pattern moves from the cosmic nature of Christ’s work to its application in the lives of the Colossians. It then moves from the message heard by the Colossians to that heard by all of creation. The movement, therefore, is from the general to the specific and from the specific back to the general. The central element of the gospel is the person and work of Jesus. In applying the hymn to his readers, Paul stressed this centrality both cosmically and redemptively.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Some versions put the phrase “He has now reconciled” at the end of verse 21
[2] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 674.
[3] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1563.
[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1996), np.
[5] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 674.
[6] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 674.
[7] Primarily this word refers to the Coming of the Lord Jesus. It can refer to either His second coming at the END of the 7-year tribulation period (Matthew 24:27, 37, 39; Revelation 19:11 ff), or to His coming to rapture His Church PRIOR to the 7-year period known as the tribulation (1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 5:23; James 5:8; 1 John 2:28). So, the Parousia is the coming of the Lord, and you have to look at the context to determine whether it refers to His appearing in the air to rapture or catch away the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), or whether it refers to His second coming to Earth to setup His millennial kingdom (Matthew 24-25; Revelation 19:11ff; 20:4-6).
[8] Melick, Richard R. “Colossians,” in The New American Commentary. N.p.. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman Press, 1991.
[9] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 674.