Colossians 1:21

καὶ ὑμᾶς κ.τ.λ. The construction of this verse in relation to Colossians 1:20; Colossians 1:22 is extremely uncertain, and the uncertainty of the reading ἀποκατήλλαξεν or ἀποκατηλλάγητε somewhat increases the difficulty. Three constructions deserve consideration.

(1) Place a comma instead of a colon at the end of Colossians 1:20, and place a full stop at πονηροῖς, in Colossians 1:21. Then the words καὶ ὑμᾶς, “you also,” are dependent on ἀποκαταλλάξαι, and a new sentence begins with νυνί. This requires the reading ἀποκατηλλάγητε (Meyer-Haupt). But it is very unlike St Paul to bring in the personal reference so brusquely at the very close of a sentence.

(2) The clause νυνὶ δὲ … θανάτου is to be treated as a parenthesis (W.H.), and ὑμᾶς (Colossians 1:21) is governed directly by παραστῆσαι, and is taken up in the second ὑμᾶς (Colossians 1:22) (cf. Ephesians 2:1; Ephesians 2:5), παραστῆσαι itself being dependent on εὐδόκησεν (Colossians 1:19, “He was pleased … to reconcile all things … and to present you”). Whether ἀποκατήλλαξεν or ἀποκατηλλάγητε be right makes little difference in this case.

(3) There is no proper parenthesis, but νυνὶ δὲ� takes up the contrast to ποτὲ�. In this case ὑμᾶς (Colossians 1:21) is governed directly by ἀποκατήλλαξεν, and παραστῆσαι is also dependent on it as expressing the result of reconciliation. For νυνὶ δέ with a finite verb indicating an apodosis after a participle compare νῦν δέ, Colossians 1:26 (see Blass, § 79. 10 and Winer, § liii. 7 b). According to this construction the anacolouthon is due to δέ, which St Paul inserted (ex hypothesi) to emphasize the νυνί: “the oppositive δὲ in the apodosis being evoked by the latent ‘although’ (Donalds. Gr. § 621) involved in the participial protasis” (Ellicott). Compare Bengel, “Apodosis refertur ad proxime praecedentia, licet non faciant sententiam completam.”

If ἀποκατηλλάγητε be right the anacolouthon is very much stronger, but it is just possible that the construction of παραστῆσαι is the same.

Of the three methods the first is very improbable, and in the second and third the incidence of probability is largely determined by the reading. If ἀποκατήλλαξεν be accepted the third method appears to be the best.

Observe that in the parallel passage, Ephesians 2:12-13, the sentences run smoothly enough. This suggests that Colossians was the earlier of the two Epistles.

ποτὲ. For this meaning of “once but no longer so” compare Colossians 3:7; Philemon 1:11.

ὄντας. With participle Ephesians 4:18†. Compare Colossians 2:13; Romans 5:6. It lays stress on the continuance, and, probably, the reality of their state of alienation and enmity.

ἀπηλλοτριωμένους, Ephesians 2:12; Ephesians 4:18†, “alienated,” i.e. positively estranged, and not merely designated aliens. Compare Psalms 57(58):4, 68(69):9; Ezekiel 14:5 : also Aq., Sym., Theod. in Isaiah 1:4.

καὶ ἐχθροὺς. ἐχθροὺς is probably not passive (“hateful”) but active (“hostile”). For although the expression that a man is “hateful” to God may be defended theologically, because there is a true sense in which sin has caused God to look upon even the sinner in anger (cf. Sand.-Head. on Romans 5:10, additional note), and although, again, the passive meaning of ἐχθρός is probably found elsewhere in the N.T. (Romans 11:28; Romans 5:10), yet (1) ἐχθρός is generally active (Philippians 3:18; Galatians 4:16; Acts 13:10); (2) τῇ διανοίᾳ is more readily explained if ἐχθροί be active (vide infra); (3) the parallel passage, Ephesians 2:12-14, favours the active sense here, for although ἐχθροί does not occur there yet τὴν ἔχθραν expresses the active hatred between Jew and Gentile.

The word thus expresses concisely both the negative and the positive statement of St John, (1) John 3:19; (2) John 7:7.

τῇ διανοίᾳ. Dative of the “side, aspect, regard or property, on and in which the predicate shows itself,” Madv. § 40 (253). So Matthew 11:29, πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Their active enmity shows itself in their διάνοια.

If ἐχθρούς be passive this explanation of the dative can hardly be maintained, for it would limit the sphere in which they were hateful to God to their διάνοια. The dative must then be explained as indicating the cause of God’s hatred. But it then becomes somewhat clumsy.

διάνοια = the active principle of the mind, nearly our “thought.” Compare Hort on 1 Peter 1:13, who says that in Ephesians 4:18 “it belongs to St Paul’s exposition of the foolishness, unreality, and falsehood of the view of the world generally prevalent among the heathen and to his exhibition of the Gospel as a message of truth as well as of salvation.” So the LXX. use it fairly often in the Hexateuch (29 times) to translate leb and lebab (but καρδία 80 times), though only occasionally elsewhere. It is curious that it never occurs in the Psalms.

ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς πονηροῖς. The enmity has its seat in their thought, its sphere of action in their works, and these evil works.

Contrast Colossians 1:10, ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ�. Cf. John 3:19; John 7:7; 2 Timothy 4:18; 1 John 3:12; 2 John 1:11†.

The primary notion of πονηρός appears to be worthlessness, essential badness (see Chase, The Lord’s Prayer, p. 93). Hence the meaning here is probably that their enmity makes itself felt in works that will not stand God’s test, they are not δίκαια (1 John 3:12).

νυνὶ δὲ. Although the MSS. often vary between νῦν and νυνί the latter is confined to the Pauline Epistles (? 15 times), Hebr. (? 2), Acts (2). It is always followed by δέ except in Acts 22:1; Acts 24:13. Also, it should be observed, νυνὶ δέ never elsewhere marks the apodosis, as probably here (see note at the beginning of verse), but either begins a fresh sentence (e.g. Colossians 3:8 and even Romans 15:25), or by a fresh epithet indicates a contrast, 2 Corinthians 8:22; Philemon 1:9; Philemon 1:11. It is apparently a stronger and more argumentative form than νῦν, “now, as the case really stands.”

ἀποκατήλλαξεν. See notes on Textual Criticism. For the word see note on ἀποκαταλλάξαι, Colossians 1:20, and for the construction see note at the beginning of verse. The subject is the same as that of εὐδόκησεν … ἀποκαταλλάξαι (Colossians 1:20), viz. the Father, the following words being parallel to εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ.