Colossians 1:22

22. In the body of his flesh--the element in which His reconciling sufferings had place. Compare Col 1:24, "afflictions of Christ in my flesh" (1Pe 2:24). Angels who have not a "body of flesh" are not in any way our reconciling mediators, as your false teachers assert, but He, the Lord of angels, who has taken our flesh, that in it He might atone for our fallen manhood. through death--rather as Greek, "through His death" (which could only take place in a body like ours, of flesh, He 2:14). This implies He took on Him our true and entire manhood. Flesh is the sphere in which His human sufferings could have place (compare Col 1:24; Ep 2:15). to present you--(Ep 5:27). The end of His reconciling atonement by death. holy--positively; and in relation to God. unblamable ... unreprovable--negatively. "Without blemish" (as the former Greek word is translated as to Jesus, our Head, 1Pe 1:19) in one's self. Irreproachable (the Greek for the second word, one who gives no occasion for his being brought to a law court) is in relation to the world without. Sanctification, as the fruit, is here treated of; justification, by Christ's reconciliation, as the tree, having preceded (Ep 1:4; 5:26, 27; Tit 2:14). At the same time, our sanctification is regarded here as perfect in Christ, into whom we are grafted at regeneration or conversion, and who is "made of God unto us (perfect) sanctification" (1Co 1:30; 1Pe 1:2; Jude 1): not merely progressive sanctification, which is the gradual development of the sanctification which Christ is made to the believer from the first. in his sight--in God's sight, at Christ's appearing.

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

Verse 22. In the body of his flesh through death. The death of his body, or his death in making an atonement, has been the means of producing this reconciliation. It

(1.) removed the obstacles to reconciliation on the part of God --vindicating his truth and justice, and maintaining the principles of his government as much as if the sinner had himself suffered the penalty of the law--thus rendering it consistent for God to indulge the benevolence of his nature in pardoning sinners; and

(2) it was the means of bringing the sinner himself to a willingness to be reconciled--furnishing the strongest possible appeal to him; leading him to reflect on the love of his Creator, and showing him his own guilt and danger. No means ever used to produce reconciliation between two alienated parties has had so much tenderness and power as those which God has adopted in the plan of salvation; and of the dying love of the Son of God fails to lead the sinner back to God, everything else will fail. The phrase "the body of his flesh" means, the body of flesh which he assumed in order to suffer in making an atonement. The reconciliation could not have been effected but by his assuming such a body, for his Divine nature could not so suffer as to make atonement for sins.

To present you. That is, Before God. The object of the atonement was to enable him to present the redeemed to God freed from sin, and made holy in his sight. The whole work had reference to the glories of that day when the Redeemed and the redeemed will stand before God, and he shall present them to his Father as completely recovered from the ruins of the fall.

Holy. Made holy, or made free from sin. Comp. Lk 20:36.

And unblameable. Not that in themselves they will not be deserving of blame, or will not be unworthy, but that they will be purified from their sins. The word here used αμωμος--means, properly, spotless, without blemish. Eph 1:4; Eph 5:27 Heb 9:14. It is applied to a lamb, 1Pet 1:19; to the Saviour, Heb 9:14; and to the church, Eph 1:4, 5:27; Jude 1:24, Rev 14:5. It does not elsewhere occur. When the redeemed enter heaven, all their sins will have been taken away; not a spot of the deep dye of iniquity will remain on their souls, Rev 1:15; Rev 7:14.

And unreproveable in his sight. There will be none to accuse them before God; or they will be free from all accusation. The law will not accuse them--for the death of their Redeemer has done as much to honour it as theft own punishment would have done; God will not accuse them--for he has freely forgiven them; their consciences will not accuse them--for theft sins will all have been taken away, and they will enjoy the favour of God as if they had not sinned; holy angels will not accuse them--for they will welcome them to their society; and even Satan will not accuse them--for he will have seen that their piety is sincere, and that they are truly what they profess to be. Comp. Rom 8:33,34.

(b) "present you holy" Jude 1:24

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Verse 22 In the body of his flesh - By Christ's assumption of a human body, and dying for man, he has made an atonement for sin, through which men become reconciled to God and to each other. To present you holy - Having saved you from your sins. Unblamable - Having filled you with his Spirit, and written his law in your hearts, so that his love, shed abroad in your hearts, becomes the principle and motive to every action. The tree therefore being good, the fruit is also good. And unreprovable - For, being filled with love, joy, peace, meekness, gentleness, and goodness, against these there is no law; and as they were called to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and their neighbor as themselves, the whole spirit and design of the law was fulfilled in them, for love is the fulfilling of the law. In his sight - At the day of judgment. None can enjoy heaven who have not been reconciled to God here, and shown forth the fruits of that reconciliation in being made holy and unblamable, that, when they come to be judged, they may be found unreprovable.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain