Colossians 1:22

Colossians 1:22. In the body of his flesh. Historically and locally ‘in' the human body of the Son of God made flesh, the reconciliation was effected. The peculiar phrase is due, either to the emphasis thus placed upon the historical Person on earth, or to some false teachings prevalent at Colossæ, which attributed to angels a share in the work of redemption (comp. chap. Colossians 2:23).

Through death; lit., ‘the death,' i.e., ‘His death,' which is the reading of some early manuscripts. The Person of the Incarnate Word is emphasized in the first phrase, but His work in the second. His sacrificial death on the cross was the means of reconciliation.

To present you, etc. This is the end of the reconciliation, as respects the readers. A single act is suggested by the infinitive, and the time doubtless the day of Christ's appearing.

Holy and without blame and unreprovable, i.e., unaccusable. The first and second adjectives occur in Ephesians 1:4, and represent the positive and negative sides of holiness; the third is also negative, but apparently stronger than ‘without blame.' Some explain it as ‘unaccused by their neighbors,' which seems tame.

Before him. As in Ephesians 1:4, this refers to God, and points to His final verdict respecting those sanctified in consequence of the reconciliation effected through the death of Christ. Some refer this phrase to Christ, but this is only allowable if the reading ‘ye were reconciled' (Colossians 1:21) is accepted.