Colossians 1:21-23

Bill Ross wross at farmerstel.com
Fri Dec 17 09:25:15 EST 1999


<Bill>

>The term "reconciled" APOKATHLLAXEV does not have the same sense as in

>"reconciled" in English. Etymologically it comes from tearing down a wall.

>The sense is that one person tore down their side of the wall, not that two

>were reunited into unity. Hence...

<Carlton>

LSJ indicates that the basic verb stem ALLASSW was used to denote exchanging
one thing for another. The only meaning given for the double

compound APOKATALASSW is to "reconcile back" or to restore a relationship
that is damaged.

<Bill>

APO=from

KATA=down

ALLASSW=change

I'm afraid I extrapolated the "wall."

How many people are willing to be reconciled, but not unilaterally!

<Carlton>

...In the context of Col. 1, the word refers to God reconciling sinners to
himself.

<Bill>

Yes, of course, context....

Colossians 1 has the *identical* inference of only *one side* being
reconciled:

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***.

21 And [KAI="even"] you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

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

23 If [EIGE=if indeed] ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be
not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which
was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made
a minister;

This expresses the unlimited reconciliation of the atonement in sweeping
terms, but its efficacy is conditioned on faith. This is clarified further
in 1 John 2:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also
for the sins of the whole world.

This is just the same formula as the Cor 5 passage:

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling **the world** unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the
**word of** reconciliation.

>20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you

>by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, **be ye** reconciled [tear down your

>side of the wall] to God.

<Carlton>

...I think what's in brackets would be very distracting if inserted into
this context. The passive form here is what Carl Conrad calls middle and I
call

reflexive passive. To me it says "be reconciled to God" (Accept for yourself
God's provision of reconciliation).

<Bill>

Exactly. It is an imperative, so it is impossible to construe as passive in
a non-grammatical sense. But it is predicated on the steps made by God.
Repent. Believe. Be baptized. The Father is willing to forgive. "I will
return to my Father..." Our side of the wall is not "half." His side was the
cross, our side is faith. Each are our mutual steps to restoration.

So Scriptural context always argues for a one-sided reconciliation (or
rather, one side at a time).

<Carlton>

I would say that the subjunctive following hINA in Col. 1:28 indicates the
basic purpose of Paul's ministry, i.e., to "present every person mature in

Christ."

<Bill>

Yes, but the subjunctive highlights that Paul realized that he would not
indeed "present every person mature in Christ" though he labored that he
"might."



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