Colossians 1:22

Yet now (nuni de). Sharpened contrast with emphatic form of nun, "now" being not at the present moment, but in the present order of things in the new dispensation of grace in Christ. Hath he reconciled (apokathllaxen). First aorist (effective, timeless) active indicative (a sort of parenthetical anacoluthon). Here B reads apokatallaghte, be ye reconciled like katallaghte in 2 Corinthians 5:20 while D has apokatallagente. Lightfoot prefers to follow B here (the hard reading), though Westcott and Hort only put it in the margin. On the word see verse 2 Corinthians 20 . In the body of his flesh (en twi swmati th sarko autou). See the same combination in 2 Corinthians 2:11 though in Ephesians 2:14 only sarki (flesh). Apparently Paul combines both swma and sarx to make plain the actual humanity of Jesus against incipient Docetic Gnostics who denied it. Through death (dia tou qanatou). The reconciliation was accomplished by means of Christ's death on the cross (verse Ephesians 20 ) and not just by the Incarnation (the body of his flesh) in which the death took place. To present (parasthsai). First aorist active (transitive) infinitive (of purpose) of paristhmi, old verb, to place beside in many connections. See it used of presenting Paul and the letter from Lysias to Felix ( Acts 23:33 ). Repeated in Colossians 2:28 . See also 2 Corinthians 11:2 4:14 2 Corinthians 4:14 . Paul has the same idea of his responsibility in rendering an account for those under his influence seen in Hebrews 13:17 . See Romans 12:1 for use of living sacrifice. Holy (agiou). Positively consecrated, separated unto God. Common in N.T. for believers. Haupt holds that all these terms have a religious and forensic sense here. Without blemish (amwmou). Without spot ( Philippians 2:15 ). Old word a privative and mwmo (blemish). Common in the LXX for ceremonial purifications. Unreproveable (anegklhtou). Old verbal adjective from a privative and egkalew, to call to account, to pick flaws in. These three adjectives give a marvellous picture of complete purity (positive and negative, internal and external). This is Paul's ideal when he presents the Colossians "before him" (katenwpion autou), right down in the eye of Christ the Judge of all.