Colossians 1 · Verse 21

Colossians 1:21

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Colossians 1:21, King James Version

Colossians 1:21 in other translations

BSBOnce you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds.
WEBYou, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds,
ASVAnd you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,
YLTAnd you--once being alienated, and enemies in the mind, in the evil works, yet now did he reconcile,
DARBYAnd you, who once were alienated and enemies in mind by wicked works, yet now has it reconciled
BBEAnd you, who in the past were cut off and at war with God in your minds through evil works, he has now made one
WebsterAnd you, that were formerly alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled,

What does Colossians 1:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. The Colossians are included in this general reconciliation (compare Ep 2:1, 12). sometime--"once." alienated--from God and salvation: objectively banished from God, through the barrier which God's justice interposed against your sin: subjectively estranged through the alienation of your own wills from God. The former is the prominent thought (compare Ro 5:10), as the second follows, "enemies in your mind." "Actual alienation makes habitual 'enemies'" [Bengel]. in your mind--Greek, "in your understanding" or "thought" (Ep 2:3; 4:18). by wicked works--rather as Greek, "in your wicked works" (wicked works were the element in which your enmity subsisted). yet now--Notwithstanding the former alienation, now that Christ has come, God hath completely reconciled, or restored to His friendship again (so the Greek, compare Note, see on Col 1:20).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. And you, that were sometime alienated. In this work of reconciling heaven and earth, you at Colosse, who were once enemies of God, have been reached. The benefit of that great plan has been extended to you, and it has accomplished in you what it is designed to effect everywhere--to reconcile enemies to God. The word sometime here ποτε--means formerly. In common with all other men, they were, by nature, in a state of enmity against God. Eph 2:1-3.

In your mind. It was not merely by wicked works, or by an evil life; it was alienation seated in the mind, and leading to wicked works. It was deliberate and purposed enmity. It was not the result of passion and excitement; it had a deeper seat, and took hold of the intellectual. powers. The understanding was perverse and alienated from God, and all the powers of the soul were enlisted against him. It is this fact which renders reconciliation with God so difficult. Sin has corrupted and perverted alike the moral and the intellectual powers, and thus the whole man is arrayed against his Creator. Comp. Eph 4:18.

By wicked works. The alienation of the mind showed itself by wicked works, and those works were the public evidence of the alienation. Comp. Eph 2:1,2.

Yet now hath he reconciled. Harmony has been secured between you and God, and you are brought to friendship and love. Such a change has been produced in you as to bring your minds into friendship with that of God. All the change in producing this is on the part of man, for God cannot change, and there is no reason why he should, if he could. In the work of reconciliation man lays aside his hostility to his Maker, and thus becomes his friend. 2Cor 5:18.

(2) "in" "by" (3) "by" "in"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 And you, that were sometime alienated - All men are alienated from God, and all are enemies in their minds to him, and show it by their wicked works; but this is spoken particularly of the Gentiles. The word απαλλοτριοω, which we render to alienate, to give to another, to estrange, expresses the state of the Gentiles: while the Jews were, at least by profession, dedicated to God, the Gentiles were alienated, that is, given up to others; they worshipped not the true God, but had gods many and lords many, to whom they dedicated themselves, their religious service, and their property. The verb αλλοτριοω, to alienate, being compounded here with the preposition απο, from, signifies to abalienate, to estrange utterly, to be wholly the property of another. Thus the Gentiles had alienated themselves from God, and were alienated or rejected by him, because of their wickedness and idolatry. Enemies in your mind - They had the carnal mind, which is enmity against God; and this was expressed in their outward conduct by wicked works. See the note on Rom 5:10. The mind is taken here for all the soul, heart, affections, passions, etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Colossians 1:15-23

Christ in his human nature, is the visible discovery of the invisible God, and he that hath seen Him hath seen the Father. Let us adore these mysteries in humble faith, and behold the glory of the Lord in Christ Jesus. He was born or begotten before all the creation, before any creature was made; which is the Scripture way of representing eternity, and by which the eternity of God is represented to us. All things…

Read the full comment on Colossians 1:15-23 →

Colossians 1:21 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
ποτεpoteonceG4218
ὄνταςontasbeingG1510
ἀπηλλοτριωμένουςapēllotriōmenousalienatedG526
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐχθροὺςechthroushostileG2190
τῇtēa<the>G3588
διανοίᾳdianoiain mindG1271
ἐνeninG1722
τοῖςtoistheG3588
ἔργοιςergoisdeedsG2041
τοῖςtois<the>G3588
πονηροῖς,ponēroisevil,G4190

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Colossians 1:21

  • Ephesians 2:12

    That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

  • Titus 3:3-7

    For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; …

  • Ephesians 2:1-3

    And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

  • Romans 5:9-10

    Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

  • Ephesians 4:18

    Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

  • Ephesians 2:19

    Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

  • Romans 8:7-8

    Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

    Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

  • Titus 1:15-16

    Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

  • Romans 1:30

    Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

  • James 4:4

    Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sometime.
Ro 1:30; 5:9,10; 8:7,8; 1Co 6:9-11; Eph 2:1,2,12,19; 4:18; Tit 3:3-7
Jas 4:4
in your mind by. or, by your mind in.
Tit 1:15,16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Colossians 1:20

    And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

  • Colossians 1:21

    And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

  • Colossians 1:22

    In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Read all of Colossians 1

Colossians 1:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		A vosotros también, que erais en otro tiempo extraños y enemigos de ánimo en malas obras, ahora empero os ha reconciliado
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et vous qui étiez autrefois étrangers et ennemis quant à votre entendement, dans les mauvaises œuvres,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und euch, die ihr einst entfremdet und Feinde waret nach der Gesinnung in den bösen Werken, hat er aber nun versöhnt
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et vos cum essetis aliquando alienati, et inimici sensu in operibus malis: