colossians 1.21-23


Colossians 1:21-23
Commentary
by
Phil
Higley
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.
Introduction:
Reconciliation
to
God
by
God
In
v.
20
Paul
expressed
that
through
Christ
all
things
would
be
reconciled
to
himself.
In
vv.
21‐23
we
have
Paul’s
explanation
of
the
meaning
of
this
reconciliation
as
it
concerns
the
church
and
specifically
how
it
applies
practically
and
personally
to
the
Colossian
believers.
One
commentator
interestingly
maintains
that
this
section
is
Paul’s
actual
thesis
statement
of
his
letter,
and
that
these
verses
express
what’s
already
been
said,
and
present
the
major
themes
of
the
letter
in
inverse
order—past,
present,
and
future.i
This
is
an
interesting
position
and
appears
reasonable,
but
let
the
reader
decide.
Relationally
Alienated
&
Hostile
in
Mind
(Past
unjustified
state):
Verse
21
In
v.
21
Paul
precedes
to
address
the
past
state
of
the
gentile
believers
by
saying
that
the
Colossians
were
once
alienated
and
hostile
in
mind,
doing
evil
deeds.
But
immediately
before
we
focus
on
the
meaning
of
Paul’s
phraseology
about
alienation
and
hostility,
we
need
to
consider
the
positive
aspect
of
his
point,
namely,
that
there’s
a
strong
contrast
between
the
past
state
of
the
Colossians
and
their
relationship
to
God
vs.
their
present
state
of
being.
Consider
that
Paul
doesn’t
proceed
in
condemnation
in
v.
21,
but
in
remembrance
about
the
truth
of
paganism.
This
is
indicated
by
the
precise
language
he
uses
at
the
beginning
of
the
verse:
“And
you,
who
once
were
alienated…”
On
this
point
we
need
to
consider
that
unless
we
truly
know
what
we’ve
been
saved
from,
then
perhaps
we
can’t
truly
appreciate
our
redeemed
state
and
indeed
the
God
who
has
redeemed
us.
Additionally,
Paul’s
point
begs
the
question
as
to
whether
people
require
redemption
in
the
first
place,
to
which
the
answer
is:
yes.
Paul’s
point
is
also
relevant
because
it
implies
a
full
picture
of
the
gospel.
Instead
of
just
telling
the
Colossians
about
how
much
God
loves,
etc.,
etc.
(think
seeker‐sensitive
gospel),
he
is
transparent
about
the
full
scope
of
the
gospel—and
exactly
why
it
is
good
news.
Although
somewhat
tangential
the
great
theologian
St.
Augustine
weighs
in
by
saying
“If
you
believe
what
you
like
in
the
gospel,
and
reject
what
you
don't
like,
it
is
not
the
gospel
you
believe,
but
yourself.”
Indeed,
Paul’s
begins
v.
21
by
a
recollection
of
the
previous
state
of
the
Colossians.
When
Paul
says
that
the
Colossians
were
once
alienated
and
hostile
in
mind,
he
is
using
a
two‐
pronged
explanation
about
their
previous
state.
By
saying
that
they
were
alienated
from
God
reveals
that
there
was
no
substantive
relationship
between
the
people
and
God.
An
alienated
1
relationship
is
an
estranged
one
in
which
sin
is
at
the
center.
In
other
biblical
passages
(see
Eph.
2:12
&
4:18)
Paul
uses
similar
terminology
and
applies
it
to
alienation
between
Gentiles
and
Jews
as
well
as
alienation
between
humankind
and
God.
In
our
verse
Paul
is
speaking
about
the
latter
designation,
and
the
principal
cause
of
the
estrangement
is
sin,
and
the
only
remedy
is
reconciliation
(Rom.
5:10).
The
relational
alienation
of
the
person
occurs
by
way
of
a
hostile
state
of
mind.
In
Romans
1:21
Paul
says
“For
although
they
knew
God,
they
did
not
honor
him
as
God
or
give
thanks
to
him,
but
they
became
futile
in
their
thinking,
their
foolish
hearts
were
darkened.”
He
also
says
in
Romans
8:7
that
“the
mind
that
is
set
on
the
flesh
is
hostile
to
God,
for
it
does
not
submit
to
God’s
law,
indeed,
it
cannot.”
The
progression
of
v.
21
moves
from
the
past
nature
of
alienation
and
hostility
toward
God,
and
the
result
of
such
hostility,
Paul
continues,
is
“doing
evil
deeds.”
The
point
here
is
that
evil
behavior
is
the
outward
expression
of
a
state
of
mind,
not
the
opposite.
The
heart
and
mind
of
humankind
is
the
problem
because
it
is
pervaded
by
sin;
thus
“rather
than
our
evil
behavior
being
the
reason
why
our
minds
are
hostile,
it
is
more
natural
to
think
that
our
evil
behavior
is
the
result
of
the
hostility
of
our
minds.”ii
Reconciliation
by
Jesus
Christ
(Present
justified
state):
Verse
22
There
can
be
no
doubt
that
Paul
is
excited
to
move
to
the
Colossians’
present
state
and
proclaim
their
reconciliation
in
Christ!
He
says
that
God
has
reconciled
them
in
his
body
of
flesh
by
his
death.
The
exact
way,
Paul
proclaims,
that
reconciliation
is
made
possible
is
through
the
physical
death
of
Jesus,
which
took
place
on
the
cross.
Interestingly,
Paul
includes
the
specific
terminology
that
Jesus
was
a
physical
being—i.e.,
with
a
body—and
through
the
death
of
that
body
of
flesh
reconciliation
occurred.
Some
theological
historians
think
that
Paul
includes
a
specific
and
redundant
point
in
referring
to
Jesus
Christ’s
body
and
it
being
physical
because
of
the
“false
spiritualism”
which
was
being
promulgated
by
false
teachers
in
Colossae.iii
If
the
false
teachers
in
Colossae
maintained
that
“reconciliation
could
be
accomplished
only
by
spiritual
(angelic)
beings,
they
attached
little
or
no
value
to
the
work
of
Christ
in
a
physical
body;”iv
thus
the
importance
of
Christ
having
a
physical
body
is
stressed
by
Paul.
This
makes
sense
if
a
form
of
proto‐gnosticism
was
what
the
false
teaching
was
in
Colossae
when
Paul
was
writing
his
letter,
which
is
quite
possible.
The
second
half
of
v.
22
expresses
the
result
of
Christ’s
reconciliation
applied
specifically
to
believers,
which
is
understood
as
the
theological
designation
of
justification.
Paul
says
that
the
reconciliation
brought
through
Christ’s
death
was
“in
order
to
present
you
holy
and
blameless
and
above
reproach
before
him.”
What
justification
means
is
that
God
makes
sinners,
who
have
faith
in
Christ,
righteous
through
Christ’s
atoning
death.
Note
that
most
theologians
understand
that
the
terms
holy
and
without
blemish,
as
used
by
Paul,
are
in
regard
not
to
our
personal
conduct
but
about
our
position
in
Christ.v
The
word
“holy”
evokes
the
idea
of
consecration
or
dedication,
while
the
phrase
“without
blemish”
applies
to
the
Old
Testament
concept
of
perfect
sacrifices
fit
for
God.vi
Again,
what
Paul
doesn’t
suggest
is
that
acceptance
of
Christ
means
that
believers
are
proclaimed
to
be
perfect
in
their
personal
lives
(this
should
be
obvious).
N.T.
2
Wright
says
that
Paul
doesn’t
“say
that
God’s
action
in
Christ,
and
the
Colossian’s
acceptance
of
the
gospel,
have
automatically
and
instantly
made
them
perfect.
Having
been
given
a
new
life,
they
must
behave
in
accordance
with
it.
This
they
can
do
only
because
of
the
reconciliation
(between
themselves
as
pagan
sinners,
and
the
Creator
God,
the
God
of
Israel)
which
was
achieved
on
the
cross.”vii
Lastly
in
v.
22
Paul
says
that
justified
believers
are
“above
reproach
before
[Christ].”
The
ESV’s
phrase
is
above
reproach.
Some
other
versions
express
the
meaning
here
by
saying
“beyond
reproach”
(NAU),
“free
from
accusation”
(NIV),
“irreproachable
before
him”
(NRS).
All
of
these
translations
carry
the
meaning
that
believers
are—by
virtue
of
Christ’s
atonement—not
guilty
in
their
standing
before
a
Holy
God.
The
stability
and
hope
of
the
Gospel:
Verse
23
As
mentioned
earlier,
v.
23
contains
the
essential
thesis
statement
of
Colossians.
Paul
wants
the
Colossians
to
persevere
in
the
faith,
to
be
stable
and
not
inconsistent,
and
to
depend
on
the
hope
of
the
gospel
which
they’ve
heard,
followed,
and
have
grown
in.
In
doing
so
they
will
be
able
to
resist
false
teaching
and
grow
in
their
knowledge
of
Christ.viii
Further
discussion
of
the
verse
is
warranted
regarding
the
beginning
conditional
clause,
“if.”
The
reason
this
is
so
is
because
there
are
some
who
may
interpret
the
verse
by
extension
of
v.
22
that
believers
will
be
justified
in
the
presence
of
God
“if”
and
only
if
they
continue
in
the
faith,
thereby
implying
that
if
they
don’t
then
they
will
lose
their
justification
and
negate
God’s
grace.
Another
way
to
say
this
is
simply
that
believers
will
“lose”
their
salvation,
which
is
a
bit
ironic
because
they
didn’t
earn
their
salvation
in
the
first
place.
Fortunately
this
is
not
what
Paul
is
saying
in
these
verses,
though
we
can’t
be
cavalier
regarding
the
serious
nature
of
what
Paul
is
communicating.
Virtually
all
commentators
get
technical
here
with
the
Greek
text
because
the
text
is
more
precise
in
that
it
communicates
not
that
Paul
doubts
that
the
Colossians
will
persevere,
but
he
has
confidence
in
their
perseverance
and
does
not
want
them
to
be
complacent
in
their
faith,
for
the
fear
that
their
growth
in
the
gospel
will
become
stagnant.
The
point
is
that
Paul
wants
them
to
continue
their
growth
in
the
gospel
and
take
seriously
that
they
need
to
be
stable,
steadfast,
and
not
shifting
from
the
hope
of
the
gospel
that
they
heard—and
believed.
One
scholar
explains
this
well:
“The
words
of
[v.
23]
may
be
paraphrased:
‘At
any
rate
if
you
stand
firm
in
the
faith—and
I
am
sure
that
you
will,’”
which
compares
well
with
Col.
2:5,
“rejoicing
to
see
your
order
and
the
firm
stability
of
your
faith
in
Christ.”ix
The
overall
point,
then,
is
that
the
continuance
in
their
faith
is
the
test
of
the
reality
of
their
faith,
and—said
another
way—“if
it
is
true
that
the
saints
will
persevere
to
the
end,
then
it
is
equally
true
that
the
saints
must
persevere
to
the
end.”x
Paul
doesn’t
want
any
believer
in
Christ
to
live
in
a
presumptuous
and
ignorant
state
of
false
security.
This
would
go
against
the
gospel
and
the
reality
of
human
responsibility
in
living
within
the
gospel.
The
second
part
of
v.
23
should
be
briefly
explained.
Paul
mentions
that
the
gospel
has
been
proclaimed
in
all
creation
under
heaven.
Here
and
in
other
places
Paul
is
simply
using
a
form
of
3
hyperbole
to
make
a
point
that
“the
reconciliation
of
‘all
things’
accomplished
in
the
cross
of
Christ
(v.
20)
has
its
counterpart
in
the
proclamation
of
this
event
in
‘the
whole
creation.’”xi
It
is
imperative
that
the
Colossians
as
well
as
all
Christians
understand
that
the
gospel
of
Jesus
Christ
is
the
divine
answer
to
humanity’s
quest
for
purpose
and
meaning.xii
To
make
this
clear
Paul
declares
that
he
became
a
minister
of
this
gospel.
i
Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, Colossians, The Oxford Bible Commentary, editors John Barton and John
Muddiman (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), 1195.
ii
Douglas J. Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, The Pillar New Testament Commentary,
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 140.
iii
Curtis Vaughn, Ephesians through Philemon, The Expositors Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, ed. Frank E.
Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), 187.
iv
Ibid.
v
Ibid.
vi
Ibid.
vii
N.T. Wright, Colossians and Philemon, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1986), 81.
viii
Moo, 143.
ix
Peter T. O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 44, ed. Ralph P. Martin
(Waco: Word Books, 1982), 69.
x
Ibid.
xi
Moo, 147.
xii
Ibid.
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