Colossians 1:22

in the body Cp. for this word in a similar connexion Romans 7:4; Hebrews 10:10. And see Matthew 26:26 (and parallels); 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1Co 11:27; 1 Peter 2:24. In all these passages the thought is of the blessed Body not generally, as regarding the Incarnation, but particularly, as regarding the Propitiation. "He partook of flesh and blood, that by means of deathhe might … deliver" (Hebrews 2:14-15). The phrase "inthe body" has relation to the Unionof the Redeemer and redeemed. His dying work actually availed for them as they became "members ofHis body, of His flesh and of His bones" (Ephesians 5:30).

of his flesh His "natural" Body, as distinguished from His "mystical" or non-literal Body, the Church. It has been thought that these words aim at the Docetic, or phantasm, heresy; the belief that the Body of the Lord was but a semblance. But Lightfoot observes that Docetism does not appear in history till later than St Paul's time [81], and that were it otherwise the phrase here is too passing for the supposed purpose.

[81] Jerome however (adv. Lucif., § 23) says that the "Lord's Body was said to be a phantasm" "while the Apostles were yet in Judæa" (Apostolis adhuc apud Judæam).

through death Better, perhaps, having regard to mss., through His death. See note on "in the body," just above, and "the blood of His cross" Colossians 1:20. The mysterious glory of the Atoning Death, dealt with as the central topic of teaching in Romans and Galatians, is never far from the foreground in these later Epistles, though their main work is to unfold other aspects of the truth. Cp. e.g. Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:16; Ephesians 5:2; Ephesians 5:25; Philippians 2:8; Philippians 3:10; Philippians 3:18; below, Colossians 2:14.

Here probably ends the parenthesis indicated in the last note on Colossians 1:21.

to present you The construction is continuous with, "It pleased[the Father … to reconcile … all things … and you" (Colossians 1:19), supposing our view of a parenthesis of the words just before these to be right. (Otherwise, the construction is continuous with the "He reconciled" of the A.V. in Colossians 1:21.) The infinitive is illative, carrying out into details of purpose the previous statement. The Father was "pleased to reconcile them" so that His purpose for them was to "present them to Himself" (see Ephesians 5:27 for similar language about the work of the Son), in the great day of triumph and welcome (2 Corinthians 4:14), when the "justified" shall be the "glorified" (Romans 8:30).

holy and unblameable and unreproveable holy, and without blemish, and unaccusable. Does this mean, spiritually perfect as to their condition, or judicially perfect as to their position? We may perhaps reply, both; for in both respects the glorified will be complete. But we think the main reference is to perfectness of acceptance in Christ, perfectness of "reconciliation" "in the body of His flesh through death." The language of Romans 8:33 is much in point here; there the saints are "unaccusable" (" who shall accuse the elect of God?") because Christ died, rose again, and intercedes. In His merits they are welcomed as He is welcomed Himself. See further our notes on Ephesians 2:4. Meantime the concurrent and related prospect of the personal spiritual perfectness of the saints, as "Christ in them" is at length fully developed in the world of glory, lies close to the other reference.

in his sight before Him. So Ephesians 1:4; and cp. Jude 1:24, "before His glory."