Colossians 1:21

As for you, although formerly God considered you his enemies (OR, God considered you as alienated from him) and although you were formerly hostile to God because you thought evil thoughts and because you did evil deeds,

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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

In Context

20God our Father caused his Son to rule us, because he decided to reconcile with himself everything that is on earth and that is in heaven by what his Son did, in order that everything might honor his Son; that is, God our Father decided to reconcile everything to himself as a result of his Son’s blood flowing when he died on the cross. [The chiastic material is rearranged below so that the directly related propositional clusters are joined together.] 13 God our Father rescued us spiritually so that we are no longer ruled by the evil one, and God our Father caused us now to be ruled by his Son (OR, the man who is also God) whom he loves. 14a That is, by means of what his Son did, we have been redeemed by God, our Father. 14b In particular, our sins have been forgiven by God, our Father. 20 God, our Father, has done this because he decided to reconcile to himself, by means of his Son, everything that is on earth and that is in heaven, in order that his Son might be honored; that is, God, our Father decided to reconcile everything to himself by means of God’s Son’s blood flowing out when he died on the cross. 15b God cannot be seen by anyone, 15a but his Son reveals perfectly what God—his Father—is like, 19a because it is in his Son that the Father chose 19b that he himself would dwell completely. 15c God’s Son ranks above everything 15d that has been created, 16 because it was by means of God’s Son that God created everything that is on the earth and that can be seen by people, and also everything that is in heaven and that cannot be seen by people. In particular, all types of important spirit beings were created by means of him, since everything has been created by God by means of God’s Son. And his Son ranks above everything, because everything has been created by God, in order that God’s Son might be honored by everything, 17 and because it is he who existed before anything else existed, and since everything is sustained by God by means of God’s Son. 18 And God’s Son ranks above everything because it is he who rules over all believers, just like a person’s head controls his physical body, because he causes all believers to live spiritually. His Son is the first one who rose from among those who have died, in order that he should become more important than everything and everyone.

22nevertheless, God our Father has now reconciled you with himself. He did that as a result of his Son dying physically. He did it in order that you should be completely holy when he brings you into his presence.

Read all of Colossians 1

Cross References

Ezekiel 14:5I will do that in order that the Israeli people, who have abandoned me in order to worship their idols, will sincerely [IDM] worship me again.’

Romans 5:9The record of our sins has been erased { God has erased the record of our sins} because of what Christ accomplished when his blood [MTY] flowed when he died. So it is even more certain that we will be saved by Christ {that Christ will save us} from God’s punishing us eternally [MTY].

1 Corinthians 6:9◄You should keep in mind that wicked people will not become members of the group over whom God will rule./Do you not know that wicked people will not become members of the group over whom God will rule?► [RHQ] Do not be deceived {Do not deceive yourselves} by thinking wrongly about these matters. People who are sexually immoral, or who worship idols, or who ◄commit adultery/have sex with someone to whom they are not married►, or who happily allow others to commit homosexual acts with them, or who take the initiative in committing homosexual acts,

Ephesians 2:12You should constantly remember these things: Formerly you did not have any relationship with Christ. You did not belong to the people of Israel, the people whom God chose. You did not know about the things God promised in his agreements with his people. You did not confidently expect to go to heaven after you die (OR, that God would save you). You lived in this world without knowing God.

Ephesians 4:18They are unable to think clearly [MET] about what is right and what is wrong. Because they have decided that they do not want to know about God and because they stubbornly [IDM] refuse to listen to his message, they do not have the eternal life that God gives us.

Titus 3:3Remind your congregations about these things because formerly we believers ourselves were also foolish, just like all people who do not believe in Christ are now. We did not obey ◄ God/God’s message►. We let others deceive us. We ◄spent all our time doing/continually did► what is evil and could not stop ourselves from doing all the things that our bodies liked [DOU]. We were ◄envying others/desiring to have what others have►. We were causing people to hate us and we were hating one another.

Matthew Henry on Colossians 1:13-29

The Redeemer's Dignity; The Work of Redemption; Paul's Preaching. ( a. d. 62.) 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven,… Read the whole commentary →

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