Colossians 1:21-23

And you Colossians, in particular, with all other Gentiles; that were sometime Greek, ποτε, once, formerly; alienated Estranged from the knowledge, love, and life of the one living and true God, (see note on Ephesians 4:18,) being destitute not only of all conformity to him, and union with him, but of all fear of him, and acquaintance with his nature and attributes; yea, and enemies To him and to his worship and service; in your mind Your understanding, judgment, will, and affections; by wicked works Which at once manifested your inward enmity, and continually fed and increased it. Observe, reader, every violation of the divine law, every instance of disobedience to his commands, is an undeniable proof of enmity to him. This, however, is not the only evidence thereof: for, as he manifests his will by the dispensations of his providence, as well as by the precepts of his word, so far as we do not receive these dispensations, however afflictive, with resignation and patience, we manifest our enmity to him; as we do likewise, according to Romans 8:6, (where see the note,) so far as we are carnally minded; that is, esteem, desire, and delight in visible and temporal, in preference to spiritual and eternal things; or set our affection on things beneath, instead of setting it on things above, and seek that happiness in the creature which ought to be sought, and certainly can only be found, in the Creator. Yet now hath he reconciled To himself and to the society of his people. That is, he is both reconciled to you, having forgiven you all your trespasses, and also hath reconciled you, or removed your enmity, by shedding his love abroad in your hearts; in the body of his flesh (Thus distinguished from his body the church,) namely, his entire manhood, offered up upon the cross for you; through death Endured to expiate your guilt, and thereby both to render a holy and just God reconcileable, on the terms of repentance toward him, and faith in his Son, and to procure for you the Holy Spirit to work that repentance and faith in you, and give you such a display of God's love to you as should win and engage your affections to him. See on Romans 5:10; to present you holy Toward God, dedicated to him in heart and life, conformed to his image, and employed in his service; and unblameable Αμωμους, spotless in yourselves; cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit; and unreproveable With respect to your neighbour, cultivating truth in your words, and justice and mercy in your actions toward all men. If ye continue That is, you will assuredly be so presented, if you continue in the faith, exercising living faith in Christ and his gospel; grounded and settled Τεθεμελιωμενοι και εδραιοι, placed on a good foundation, and firmly fixed upon it; and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel Namely, that lively hope of eternal life, felicity, and glory, (Titus 1:2; 1 Peter 1:3,) to which you were begotten again when made children of God by adoption and grace, Romans 8:17. This is termed the hope of the gospel, because the gospel reveals that future and immortal state which is the great object of this hope, and shows us how we may secure a title to that state. Faith and hope are the principal means of our salvation, from first to last. By the former, we are not only justified, and made the children of God, (Romans 3:28; Galatians 3:26,) but sanctified and saved eternally; (Acts 26:18;) and by the latter, we have patience, gratitude, joy, purity, with a disposition to be zealous and diligent in the work of the Lord, 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3; Romans 5:2; 1Jn 3:3; 1 Corinthians 15:58. It is therefore of absolute necessity, in order to our eternal salvation, that we should continue in the lively exercise of these graces. Which ye have heard Even ye Gentiles; and which was preached Or is already begun to be preached, by a special commission from God; to every creature which is under heaven Being no longer confined to the Jews, but extended to all the different nations and languages of men; whereof Of which gospel; I, Paul, am made a minister By the singular mercy and grace of God.