Colossians 1:20

[διʼ αὐτοῦ] (2nd) אACDbcKP, Syrr. Boh. Chrys.; omitted by BD*GL, Old Lat. vulg. Orig.

It is difficult to decide, but perhaps the omission is supported too entirely by “Western” authorities to be satisfactory.

ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. B and apparently Origen2.760 omit τῆς. Similarly some cursives in Colossians 3:2 (cf. Hebrews 8:4). In Colossians 3:5 there was not the same temptation to omit, for the preceding τὰ μέλη suggested the article, and in Ephesians 1:10 τὰ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς preceded.

20. καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ. Still emphatic, cf. Colossians 1:18 note.

ἀποκαταλλάξαι. Colossians 1:21; Ephesians 2:16†. Not in the LXX. or the Hexapla fragments, or, as it seems, in profane authors. Notice the following points.

(1) The additional force of ἀπὸ to καταλλάσσω “reconcile” (Romans 5:10 bis; 1 Corinthians 7:11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20†) appears to be completeness, thoroughness. Compare ἀπέχειν Philippians 4:18, ἀπεκδέχεσθαι Romans 8:19. Perhaps however it = “again,” “back,” compare ἀποδίδωμι Romans 2:6, ἀποκαθίστημι, Matthew 12:13; if so it only emphasizes the thought of reconciliation.

(2) Its subject may be (a) πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα, to be defended theologically by our considering the πλήρωμα of the Father indirectly to mean the Father in His quality of mercy etc.: (b) God or the Father, the infinitive being directly dependent on εὐδόκησεν. This is not hard grammatically, and theologically much more satisfactory.

(3) The time to which the reconciliation refers has been disputed. It may be (a) hereafter, when all are brought in and reconciliation consummated. But more probably it is (b) at the Passion, reconciliation being regarded as essential and ideal, as is further explained in the next clause. Cf. Hebrews 10:14. In itself the aorist here is probably timeless.

(4) We cannot infer from this verse the final restitution of all men to blessed communion with God. For St Paul is not thinking of this question here.

τὰ πάντα. Colossians 1:16 note. On the relation of τὰ πάντα to reconciliation, see infra εἴτε … οὐρανοῖς.

εἰς αὐτόν. It is extremely difficult to say Who is intended.

(1) The Father. Though αὐτόν prima facie refers to someone other than the subject of ἀποκαταλλάξαι, yet “the oblique cases of the personal pronoun αὐτός are used in the N.T. very widely, and in cases where we should commonly find the reflexive pronoun in classical authors: e.g. Ephesians 1:4-5, ἐξελέξατο ἡμᾶς … εἷναι ἡμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ� … προορίσας ἡμᾶς εἰς υἱοθεσίαν διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς αὐτόν.… It would indeed seem that αὐτοῦ etc. may be used for ἑαυτοῦ etc. in almost every connexion, except where it is the direct object of the verb” (Lightfoot). Lightfoot also points out that reconciliation is always represented as made to the Father whether the Father or the Son is said to reconcile, cf. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, and Ephesians 2:16; cf. Romans 5:10.

(2) The Son. In favour of this is the continual reference of αὐτός in this passage from Colossians 1:16 onwards, and also the strong presumption that St Paul is following the lines laid down in Colossians 1:16, that as Creation has the Son both for its means and for its end, so here all things are reconciled both by means of Him and unto Him.

Neither does there appear to be any a priori objection to this theologically; it is only another side of the statement that all things are to become subject to Christ (1 Corinthians 15:28), and through Him to the Father.

εἰρηνοποιήσας. Here only in the N.T., cf. εἰρηνοποιός Matthew 5:9†. In the LXX. only Proverbs 10:10, and in the Hexapla fragments only Isaiah 27:5.

The subject is that of εὐδόκησεν and ἀποκαταλλάξαι, viz. the Father, ὁ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης, Romans 15:33; Romans 16:20. The time will be that of ἀποκαταλλάξαι, εἰρηνοποιήσας … σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ forming a parenthesis.

διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ. In Eph. the two terms are separate: Colossians 1:7, ἀπολύτρωσιν διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ; Colossians 2:16, ἀποκαταλλάξῃ … διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ. The direct statement that peace is made διὰ τοῦ αἵματος occurs here only.

τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ. The Incarnation alone was insufficient. But doubtless the Gross is also mentioned to familiarise the minds of the Colossians with the fact that however shameful the death of Jesus was, yet it was by this that their peace with God was made; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, and infra Colossians 2:14-15.

[διʼ αὐτοῦ]. See notes on Textual Criticism. The repetition, if genuine, lays stress on the fact that it was by the Son, and no other, that the reconciliation was made.

τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. See notes on Textual Criticism.

τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Contrast the order of these two phrases in Colossians 1:16 where St Paul is giving the order of creation. Here reconciliation taking place through the crucifixion is regarded as spreading from the earth to heaven. The addition here of ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς has given rise to much discussion as to how they can require reconciliation.

Probably the answer lies in the universe having moral as well as physical solidarity. Just as, probably, every physical act affects the very furthest bounds of space, so is it with every moral act. If so it cannot but be that sin on earth affected the whole of creation (without necessarily making all creation strictly sinful), and again that the reconciliation of things on earth to God should restore even the things in heaven to that perfect fellowship with God which they once enjoyed. Compare Hebrews 9:23-26, especially αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ ἐπουράνια κρείττοσιν θυσίαις παρὰ ταύτας, on which passage Dorner says, “The effect of sin and guilt reaches into heaven; it cannot be indifferent to God, His honour is affected thereby. Sin, whether unpunished or unatoned, is a stain, as it were, touching the honour of God and of His temple” (System, III. 420).

Dr Charles (Slav. En. p. xli.) insists that “  ‘the things in the heavens’ that are to be reconciled to God must be either the fallen angels imprisoned in the second heaven, or else the powers of Satan whose domain is the air.” But St Paul’s language is much too indefinite to allow us to be dogmatic on this subject. See also J. A. R.’s note on τὰ ἐπουράνια in Eph. p. 20.