"but now you were reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable in his presence,"
The Greek phrase translated "but now" (nuni de) consists of the conjunction "De" with the adverb "nuni " and may be rendered but in the now or present time. Having discussed the Colossians' former, estranged and hostile relation to God in the previous verse, Paul shifts gears by use of this phrase to show their present standing with God. Paul's use of "nuni de" here and in comparable passages clearly denotes a change in God's reconciliatory program from His exclusive, legal relation to Israel to that which is centered in the shed Blood of Jesus Christ for both Jews and Gentiles in this present Church age (Rom. 3:21; Eph. 2:13).
The word translated "you were reconciled" comes from three words, which literally in reverse order mean to change down from. Good English equivalents are first, to reconcile, and second, to restore to favor. This word is used three times in the New Testament, all by Paul, conclusively indicating the Divine action used to change a sinner from an enemy relation to God unto being acceptable to Him (Eph. 2:16; Col.1:20).
Since the manuscript evidence available to us in relation to the form of this word here is divided, we will discuss the significance of both feasible forms presented. The first form means that this reconciliation was completed (aorist tense) by an outside agent (passive voice) upon the subject, "you" (second person plural). The second form means that "he" (God or Jesus Christ, third person singular) actively completed (active voice and aorist tense) the work of reconciliation upon the recipients, "you" as found in verse 21. Whichever way we go, the meaning is the same; it took a sovereign act of Deity to reconcile dead-in-sin enemies to God (cf. Eph. 2:4-5).
Paul says that they were reconciled "in the body of his flesh through death." The phrase translated "in the body" is in the locative case indicating the place where this reconciliation occurred, i.e., in the physical body of Jesus Christ (Matt. 27:58-59; Heb.10:10). The word for "flesh" is in the genitive case and as such means that Jesus' body belongs to flesh as He was identified with the human race by actually taking upon Himself a flesh and blood body (Rom. 1:3; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14). Also, the pronoun is in the genitive case indicating that the body of flesh belongs to Him, hence, we have translated it "the body of his flesh." As the Apostle Paul painstakingly uses this language, his intent is unmistakable; Jesus Christ, although God, became a man, taking on a human flesh and blood body that was capable of bearing the sin of the world (Phil. 2:6-7; 1 Peter 2:24).
The purpose for this body was that "through death" or through the agency of physical death He might lay the basis for the reconciliation of men with God. The fact that Jesus Christ became a man, suffered a physical death bearing our sins, and was raised from the dead as a life-giving basis upon which God reconciles men to Himself is central to the Pauline Epistles, God's purpose in this Church age (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:16-21; Heb. 2:9, 14).
Furthermore, the phrase the body of flesh is used one other time by Paul in Colossians2:11, where he speaks of the circumcision-separation of "the body of flesh" from believers, i.e., the putting off of the body of sin, the old man (Rom. 6:6). Therefore, by using the same phrase in relation to our Lord, Paul may be referring to His flesh and blood body permeated with our sin, which He assumed in His body on the cross. It is certainly necessary to hold to the fact that when Jesus Christ died, His body was laden down with the sin of the world so He could be the sin substitute for all who are identified with Him and the basis of their reconciliation with God (Rom. 6:3-6; Col. 2:11-13).
The Greek word translated "to present" comes from the two words and literally meaning to stand beside and could also be rendered to stand or place by in similar contexts (2 Cor.11 :2; 2 Tim. 2:15). The fact that it is an infinitive indicates the reason for the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ was to present holy, blameless, and irreproachable men before God, in the sight of God, hence, "in his presence" Eph. 1:4; Jude 24).
The words translated "you," "holy," "blameless," and "irreproachable" at the end of this verse are all accusative, plural nouns, and in this relation are descriptive of one another. The first word describing the character of how these Colossian believers were presented to God is "holy," sanctified, and ones set apart (as a noun) for God's service (Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 7:34). Second, they were presented "blameless," without blame, and ones void of fault (as a noun) before God (Eph. 5: 27; Phil. 2:15). Third, they were stood in the presence of God "irreproachable," unindictable, and ones unable to be called into question (as a noun; 1 Cor. 1:8; Titus 1:6-7). Believers are acceptable to God and worthy to stand in His presence because they have been considered holy, blameless, and irreproachable since they were identified with the one who truly bears these qualities, Jesus Christ (l Cor. 1:30; 1 Peter 1:19).
Grace Bible Church (Click Here)
How God Saves
Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
(A 10 Minute Video)
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
Share this Bible Message with your friends
No comments:
Post a Comment