Studies
in Colossians #12
The Supremacy of
Christ (1:15-29)
Continued
B. Application
of the Preeminent Work of Christ (1:21-23)
2.
Reconciliation (1:22).
“Yet He has now reconciled you…” (1:22). Yet is the Greek word de, a word denoting contrast, which many times and in
different translations is translated “but.” Paul often uses the “but now” (“expresses the moment of
divine reversal”)[1] contrast
to highlight the status of believers (cf. Rom. 3:1; 6:22; 7:6; Eph. 2:13; 5:8,
2 Tim. 1:10; Phlm. 11). It is a change of position or state. The Colossians'
former state of alination (v. 21) is
in clear contrast to their present position and state (v. 22). The text
indicates that the reconciliation was the personal and complete work of God. This
new status is now a fact enacted by God through the work of His Son. Eadie
makes this point;
“The work of
reconciliation is God’s. Man does not win his way back to the Divine favor by
either costly offering or profound penitence. God reunites him to Himself; has
not only provided for such an alliance, but actually forms and cements it.”[2]
The
work of reconciliation is twofold. The means (how) and the object (purpose) of
the work of reconciliation is now revealed.
·
The means or how
this was accomplished is “in His fleshly
body through death” (1:22). The means of accomplishment is clearly by the
death of Christ. Paul strongly emphasizes the physical act here. The phrase fleshly body cannot be overlooked, nor
under emphasized. The phrase literally is “body
of flesh.” The phrase denotes the fact of embodiment (body) encased in
flesh.[3] It
speaks of His work during His incarnation. While the term flesh carries in many cases a negative context, here it does not do
so. It rather carries the neutral connotation denoting physical presence and
existence. This neutral context of the physical is seen in other cases in
Colossians (1:22 cf. 1:24; 2:11). The
act of death required a physical body, a body of flesh and blood (cf. Col.
1:20), but not necessarily a sinful body. Christ lived in a physical body, but
not a sinful body. “Without
the shedding of Christ’s Blood there could be no remission of sin, and without
the remission of sin there could be no reconciliation, and without
reconciliation all men would be eternally lost.”[4] This is
important in the light of the teaching of Docetism, who questioned the reality
of the physical death of Christ. The essence of Docetism believed there were
two entities, spirit and matter. Both are eternal. Spirit is God, and it is
altogether good, and that matter is physical and is evil. The natural body is
evil. It holds that Jesus only seem to have a physical body. Barclay says this
belief has two serious effects: First, it “makes it impossible to believe in the incarnation
in any real sense of the term.”[5] Second,
it “allowed a
kind of limited incarnation.”[6] Thus, it
alleged that the spirit of Christ entered into the man Jesus and left him
before he was crucified. Renwick notes that they declare that “this heavenly Christ acted
in the man Jesus but was never incarnate.”[7] They
held that the spiritual Christ could not take part in any type of suffering.
That it was the man Jesus that suffered, but not the spiritual Christ. In other
words, the spiritual Christ could not have suffered in the physical body. Paul
is striking out against this view by declaring that reconciliation came by the
suffering and death of Christ in a physical body. He is emphasizing the truth of
incarnation of the Son of God. O’Brien is correct saying, “The whole phrase makes
plain that the reconciliation of the Colossians was accomplished by one who was
truly incarnate…and one who really died….”[8] His
physical suffering and death was the means of our reconciliation (cf. Rom 5:10;
2 Cor. 5:18-21).
- The object or purpose of the presentation is “in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (1:22b). The parallel passage is Ephesians 5:27, where the purpose of the Christ’s work is used in the same terms. In Colossians the purpose is more personalized as indicated by the word you. The word present (paristemi) is a compound word meaning to set by, thus to place beside or before someone or thing. In this context it is a formal presentation before God that is in view here. When we are presented we will have a threefold characteristic which is completely the result of Christ’s work.
- First, we will be “holy” (1:22). This holiness is not ours by merit or nature,
but ours because the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to us (cf.
- Second, we will be “blameless” (1:22). It is hard to determine if this is to be taken as describing the word holy; or if it is another word for holy. The NIV seems to take it as a description of the holy, thus translating it: “to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” While it may be possible to view it as such, this translation is somewhat bothersome. First, because it leaves the word and (kai) between holy and without blemish is untranslated, but does translate it between blamless and irreproachable. The Greek text reads literally: “to present you holy and (kai) blameless and (kai) irreproachable before Him.” The conjunction and (kai) makes it a series of results.
- Third, the word irreproachable (anenkletos) indicates being unblamable; free from accusation. The irreproachable imputation of Christ’s righteousness unto the believer guarantees our acceptability by God.
The words are
common sacrificial words used of OT sacrifices describing three elements for an
acceptable sacrifice. All three words imply acceptance by God, thus assurance
of our eternal security because of His work, not ours. The three adjectives denote the effect of
Christ’s work on the cross as cleansing us from our sins, blemishes, and
faults. Paul is not talking about our conduct, but our position in Christ. Our
conduct should match our position.
[1] Dunn, NIGTC:
COLOSSIANS, 107.
[2] Eadie, COLOSSIANS,
81.
[3] Wallace, GREEK
GRAMMAR: BEYOND THE BASICS, 88 says the word flesh could be labeled a genitive
of material. Indicating the material of the body.
[4] Campbell, COLOSSIANS,
61.
[5] Barclay, THE
ALL-SUFFICIENT CHRIST, 50.
[6] Ibid, 51.
[7] Renwick,
Alexander M., “Gnosticism,” BAKER’S DICTIONARY OF THEOLOGY, 238.
[8] O’Brien,
COLOSSIANS, 68.
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