And you, whereas you were some time alienated and enemies in mind in evil works:

“But now the case stands thus, that the Word has saved that which really was [created, viz., ] humanity which had perished, effecting by means of Himself that communion which should be held with it, and seeking out its salvation. But the thing which had perished possessed flesh and blood. For the Lord, taking dust from the earth, moulded man; and it was upon his behalf that all the dispensation of the Lord's advent took place. He had Himself, therefore, flesh and blood, recapitulating in Himself not a certain other, but that original handiwork of the Father, seeking out that thing which had perished. And for this cause the apostle, in the Epistle to the Colossians, says, "And though ye were formerly alienated, and enemies to His knowledge by evil works, yet now ye have been reconciled in the body of His flesh, through His death, to present yourselves holy and chaste, and without fault in His sight." He says, "Ye have been reconciled in the body of His flesh," because the righteous flesh has reconciled that flesh which was being kept under bondage in sin, and brought it into friendship with God.”

“For how is He before all, if He is not before all things? How, again, is He before all things, if He is not "the first-born of every creature"-if He is not the Word of the Creator? Now how will he be proved to have been before all things, who appeared after all things? Who can tell whether he had a prior existence, when he has found no proof that he had any existence at all? In what way also could it have "pleased (the Father) that in Him should all fulness dwell? " For, to begin with, what fulness is that which is not comprised of the constituents which Marcion has removed from it,-even those that were "created in Christ, whether in heaven or on earth," whether angels or men? which is not made of the things that are visible and invisible? which consists not of thrones and dominions and principalities and powers? If, on the other hand, our false apostles and Judaizing gospellers have introduced all these things out of their own stores, and Martian has applied them to constitute the fulness of his own god, (this hypothesis, absurd though it be, alone would justify him; ) for how, on any other supposition, could the rival and the destroyer of the Creator have been willing that His fulness should dwell in his Christ? To whom, again, does He "reconcile all things by Himself, making peace by the blood of His cross," but to Him whom those very things had altogether offended, against whom they had rebelled by transgression, (but) to whom they had at last returned? Conciliated they might have been to a strange god; but reconciled they could not possibly have been to any other than their own God. Accordingly, ourselves "who were sometime alienated and enemies in our mind by wicked works" does He reconcile to the Creator, against whom we had committed offence-worshipping the creature to the prejudice of the Creator.”

“Are His words displeasing, and are you offended when you hear them? Count them as but a soothsayer's empty tales. Does He speak very stupidly, and promise foolish gifts? Laugh with scorn as wise men, and leave Him in His folly to be tossed about among His errors. What means this fierceness, to repeat what has been said more than once; what a passion, so murderous? to declare implacable hostility towards one who has done nothing to deserve it at your hands; to wish, if it were allowed you, to tear Him limb from limb, who not only did no man any harm, but with uniform kindness told His enemies what salvation was being brought to them from God Supreme, what must be done that they might escape destruction and obtain an immortality which they knew not of? And when the strange and unheard-of things which were held out staggered the minds of those who heard Him, and made them hesitate to believe, though master of every power and destroyer of death itself He suffered His human form to be slain, that from the result they might know that the hopes were safe which they had long entertained about the soul's salvation, and that in no other way could they avoid the danger of death.”

“Here he goes to show that He reconciled those even who were unworthy of reconciliation. For by the saying that they were under the power of darkness, he shows the calamity in which they were. But lest, on hearing of "the power of darkness," thou shouldest consider it Necessity, he adds, "And you that were alienated," so that though it appear to be the same thing that he says, yet it is not so; for it is not the same thing to deliver out of the evils him that through necessity came to suffer, and him that of his own will endures. For the former indeed is worthy to be pitied, but the latter hated. But nevertheless, he saith, you that are not against your wills, nor from compulsion, but with your wills, and wishes, sprang away from Him, and are unworthy of it, He hath reconciled. And seeing he had made mention of the "things in the heavens," he shows, that all the enmity had its origin from hence, not thence. For they indeed were long ago desirous, and God also, but ye were not willing. And throughout he is showing that the Angels had no power in the successive times, forasmuch as men continued enemies; they could neither persuade them, nor, if persuaded, could they deliver them from the devil. For neither would persuading them be any gain, except he that held them were bound; nor would binding him have been of any service, except they whom he detained were willing to return. But both of these were needed, and they could do neither of them, but Christ did both. So that even more marvelous than loosing death, is the persuading them. For the former was wholly of Himself, and the power lay wholly in Himself, but of the latter, not in Himself alone, but in us also; but we accomplish those things more easily of which the power lies in ourselves. Therefore, as being the greater, he puts it last. And he said not simply "were at enmity," but "were alienated," which denotes great enmity, nor yet "alienated" only, but without any expectation even of returning. "And enemies in your mind," he says; then the alienation had not proceeded so far as purpose only-but what? "in your wicked works" also. Ye were both enemies, he saith, and ye did the works of enemies. "Yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death to present you holy and without blemish and unreprovable before Him." Again he lays down also the manner of the reconciliation, that it was "in the Body," not by being merely beaten, nor scourged, nor sold, but even by dying a death the most shameful. Again he makes mention of the Cross, and again lays down another benefit. For He did not only "deliver," but, as he says above, "Who made us meet," to the same he alludes here also. "Through" His "death," he says, "to present you holy and without blemish and unreprovable before Him." For truly, He hath not only delivered from sins, but hath also placed amongst the approved. For, not that He might deliver us from evils only, did He suffer so great things, but that also we might obtain the first rewards; as if one should not only free a condemned criminal from his punishment, but also advance him to honor. And he hath ranked you with those who have not sinned, yea rather not with those who have done no sin only, but even with those who have wrought the greatest righteousness; and, what is truly a great thing, hath given the holiness which is before Him, and the being unreprovable. Now an advance upon unblamable is unreprovable, when we have done nothing either to be condemned for, or charged with. But, since he ascribed the whole to Him, because through His death He achieved these things; "what then, says one, is it to us? we need nothing." Therefore he added...”

“After the apostle commended Christ by comparison to God and to the whole creation, here he commends him in comparison to the Church. And first in general; second specifically as to the Colossians, at *and you, when you were*; third specifically as to his own person, at *of which I am made*. Concerning the first he does two things, for first he sets forth the relation of Christ to the whole Church; second he expounds it, at *who is the beginning*. He says therefore: this one, in whom we have redemption, Christ, is the firstborn of creation, but according as he is such he has been made the head of the Church. Two things need to be expounded here. First, how the Church is a body, and second, how Christ is the head. The Church is called a body by likeness to a single man, and this in two ways, namely both as to the distinction of members, Eph. 4: *he gave some indeed as apostles, some as prophets*, etc., and as to services, which although they are distinct, nevertheless one serves another, 1 Cor. 12:25: *let the members be solicitous for one another*; Gal. 6:2: *bear one another's burdens*, and so on. Likewise, just as one body is constituted from the unity of a soul, so the Church from the unity of the spirit. Eph. 4:4: *one body and one spirit*. 1 Cor. 10:17: *we, being many, are one bread, one body*, and so on. Again there is another consideration of the members in relation to the head of the Church, namely to Christ. For Christ himself is the head of the Church. Ps. 3:3: *you lift up my head*, and so on. And he expounds what it is to be head, saying *who is the beginning*, and so on. For the head, with respect to the other members, has three privileges. First, because it is distinguished from the others by order of dignity, since it is the beginning and presiding one; second, in fullness of senses, which are all in the head; third, in a certain influx of sense and motion to the members. And therefore he first shows how Christ is head by reason of dignity; second by reason of the fullness of graces, at *for in him it pleased*; likewise third by reason of influence, at *and through him*. Now the Church has a twofold state, namely of grace in the present and of glory in the future, and it is the same Church, and Christ is head according to both states, because he is first in grace and first in glory. As to the first he says *who is the beginning*, because he is not only in grace according as he is man, but also all are justified through faith in Christ. Rom. 5:19: *through the obedience of one man many are constituted just*. And therefore he says *who is the beginning*, namely of justification and grace in the whole Church, because even in the old testament there were some justified through faith in Christ. Jn. 8:25: *I am the beginning, who speak*, and so on. Ps. 109:4: *with you is the principality*, and so on. Likewise he is the beginning as to the state of glory. Therefore he says *the firstborn from the dead*. For because the resurrection of the dead is as it were a certain second generation, since man in it is restored to eternal life, Matt. 19:28: *in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit*, etc., and before all Christ is first, therefore he is *the firstborn from the dead*, that is, of those who are begotten through resurrection. But against this is the case of Lazarus, Jn. 11. I respond. It is said that this man and others did not rise to that immortal life, but to a mortal one; but Christ, rising from the dead, *dies now no more*, as is said Rom. 6:9. Apoc. 1:5: *the firstborn of the dead*, and so on. 1 Cor. 15:20: *but now Christ has risen from the dead, the firstfruits of them that sleep*. And this, that in all things he himself might be *holding the primacy*, as to the gifts of grace, because he himself is the beginning; as to the gifts of glory, because he himself is the firstborn. Ecclus. 24:9: *in every nation and in every people I have held the primacy*, and so on. Then when he says *because in him*, etc., he shows the dignity of the head as to the fullness of all graces. For other saints had divisions of graces, but Christ had all of them. Therefore he says *because in him*, and so on. Each single word has its own weight. *It pleased*, designates that the gifts of the man Christ were not from fate or from merits, as Photinus says, but from the good pleasure of the divine will assuming this man into the unity of the person. Matt. 3:17: *this is my son*, and so on. Likewise he says *all*, because others have this gift, others another. Jn. 13:3: *he gave all things into his hands*. Likewise he says *fullness*, because someone had some gift, but not the fullness of it, or of its power, because perhaps he unwillingly fell short in something. But Jn. 1:14 it is said of Christ: *we saw him full of grace and truth*. Ecclus. 24:16: *in the fullness of the saints is my abode*. Likewise he says *to dwell*. For others received the use of grace for a time, since the spirit of the prophets is not always present to the prophets, but in Christ it is habitual, because the dominion of this fullness is always at will in Christ. Jn. 1:33: *upon whom you shall see the spirit descending, and remaining upon him*, and so on. Then when he says *and through him*, etc., he shows that Christ is the head of the Church by reason of influx. And this is the third reason of headship. And first he shows the influx of grace; second he expounds what he had said, at *making peace*. He says therefore first: I say that it pleased not only as to this, that he should have it in himself, but also that through him it should be derived to us. Hence he says *and through him to reconcile all things unto himself*. 2 Cor. 5:19: *God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself*. He then expounds what sort of reconciliation this is, and how all things are reconciled. Now in reconciliation two things are to be considered: first, in what those who are reconciled agree. For those at discord have diverse wills. But those reconciled agree in some one thing. And thus wills previously discordant agree in Christ. And such wills are both of men, and of God, and of Angels. Of men, because Christ is man; of God, because he is God. Likewise there was discord between the Jews, who wanted the law, and the gentiles, who did not want the law; but Christ brings both into concord, because he is from the Jews, and because he releases from the observances of the law. And this concord was made *through blood*, and so on. For between God and man the cause of discord was sin; between Jews and gentiles, the law. Christ through the cross destroyed sin, and fulfilled the law. And thus he removed the cause of discord. Heb. 12:22: *you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, Jerusalem*, and so on. And thus we are reconciled. And so both are at peace, whether *the things that are in heaven*, as Angels and God, or *the things that are on earth*, namely Jews and gentiles. Therefore, at the birth of Christ it is said, Lk. 2:14: *glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men*, and so on. Likewise in the resurrection he said: *peace be to you*, etc., as is had Jn. 20:20. Eph. 2:14: *for he himself is our peace, who has made both one*, and so on. Then when he says *and you*, etc., the commendation of Christ is set forth through the gifts conferred on them. Where first he recalls their past state; second, the benefit of Christ, at *but now*, etc.; third, what is required of them, at *if however*, and so on. Now the past state had three evils. For as to the intellect they were ignorant; as to effect, enemies of righteousness; as to act, in many sins. As to the first he says *estranged*, and so on. As to the second, *and enemies in sense*, according to one reading; and he shows the defect of wisdom which the Jews used to preach concerning the one God. Jn. 3:19: *they loved darkness rather than light*. But were they held to the law of Moses? It must be said that yes, as to the worship of the one God. Or *estranged in sense*, that is, by choice contradicting him out of malice. Job 34:27: *who as it were on purpose have withdrawn from him*. As to the third he says *in evil works*. Jn. 3:19: *for their works were evil*, and so on. Then when he says *but now*, he sets forth the benefits of Christ. And the first is reconciliation in his body. And he says *in the body of his flesh*, not that the body is one thing and the flesh another; but to show that he took a body in the being of nature. Jn. 1:14: *and the word was made flesh*, and so on. And the same body of flesh, that is, mortal. Rom. 8:3: *God sending his own son in the likeness of sin*, and so on. The second is sanctification. Hence he says *that he might present you holy*. Heb. 13:12: *Jesus, that he might sanctify the people*, and so on. The third is the washing away of sins, at *and unblemished*. Heb. 9:14: *the blood of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, offered himself to God, shall cleanse our conscience*, and so on. Likewise as to future things, at *and irreproachable*. 2 Pet. 3:14: *be diligent that you may be found unblemished and unviolated before him in peace*, and so on. And he adds *before him*. 1 Kings 16:7: *man sees the things that appear outwardly, but the Lord looks upon the heart*. He requires of us firmness of faith and hope; therefore he adds, saying *if however you continue in the faith, grounded*. Faith is like a foundation, from whose firmness the whole structure of the Church is made firm. Likewise, *and stable in hope*, not moved from themselves, and *immovable*, as it were not falling away from hope through others. From the hope, I say, *of the Gospel*, that is, which the Gospel gives concerning the goods of the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 4:17: *do penance, for the kingdom of heaven shall be at hand*. Nor is there any excuse, because it *has been preached*, namely through the apostles. He uses the past tense for the future, on account of its certainty. *In the whole creation which is under*, etc., that is, to every new creature, that is, to the faithful, for whom it was prepared.”

“And you that were sometime alienated,.... The general blessing of grace and reconciliation, which belongs to the whole body of Christ, the church universal, all the elect of God, whether in heaven or in earth, is here particularly applied to the saints at Colosse, who were eminent instances of it; and that the free grace of God towards them in it might more illustriously appear, the apostle takes notice of what they were before the coming of Christ in the flesh, before the Gospel came among them, and while in a state of unregeneracy, as that they were "alienated": that is from God, not from his general presence, power, and providence, which reach to all his creatures, but from the life of God; see Eph 4:18; from living agreeably to the will of God, being estranged from him who is the fountain of moral and spiritual, as well as natural life; from the law, the rule of life, and from a principle of life in themselves; and altogether disapproving of such a life, as contrary to their carnal affections and lusts: and which alienation from God greatly lay in their forsaking him, the one only and true God, and following and serving strange gods, not attending to the dictates and light of nature; and being destitute of a divine revelation, they went further and further off from God, and from his people, worship, and ordinances; and were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise; the source of all which was sin, and was owing to themselves: God did not alienate himself from them first; they alienated themselves from him; their sins separated between God and them, set them at a distance from him, and at enmity to him, and which very early appeared, for they were estranged from the womb: and enemies in your mind by wicked works. They were enemies to God, the true God, and were lovers and worshippers of idols; they were enemies to the being and perfections of God, as all men in a state of nature are; and more or less show it, by either denying there is a God, or wishing there was none, or fancying him to be such an one as themselves; or they dispute his sovereignty, deny his omniscience, arraign his justice and faithfulness, and despise the riches of his grace and goodness; they are enemies to his purposes, providences, and word; cannot bear that he should determine any thing concerning them or others; their eye is evil to him because he is good to others; they reply against him, they run upon him, and charge his decrees with unrighteousness and cruelty; murmur at and quarrel with the dispensations of his providence, as unequal and unjust; cast away the law of the Lord, will not be subject to it, and condemn the revelation of his will. They are enemies to Christ in one shape or another; either to his person, denying his proper deity, or real humanity; or to his offices, not hearkening to him as a prophet, trampling on his blood and sacrifice as a priest, and unwilling to have him to rule over them as a King; or to the way of salvation by him, of pardon by his blood, atonement by his sacrifice, justification by his righteousness, and acceptance with God through his person; or to his doctrines and ordinances, which are unsuitable to their vicious tastes, carnal affections, and appetites: they are enemies to the Spirit of Christ, by either denying his deity and personality, or by ridiculing the operations of his grace; or treating with contempt, and as foolish, everything of his, the Bible and all the truths contained in it, dictated by him. They are enemies to the people of God, exceeding mad against them, hate them and persecute them, reckon them the faith of the world, and the offscouring of all things, living in malice to them, and hateful and hating one another: and this enmity to everything divine and good is seated "in the mind"; the mind is not the object of this enmity, as some read the words, "to the mind": for the mind of a carnal man is enmity itself against God; but it is the subject of it, where it has its chief place, and from whence it proceeds, and shows itself in evil actions; and though the word "your" is not in the original text, it is rightly supplied; for the meaning is not that they were enemies "of his mind"; of the mind of the Lord, of his counsels and will, as some read and explain the words, though there is a truth in this, but in their own minds: so that not the body but the soul is the seat of this enmity; and not the inferior faculties of the soul only, the sensitive appetite and passions, but the understanding, the judgment and will, the more noble and rational powers of the soul; from hence spring all the malice and enmity expressed in word and actions: where then is man's free will to that which is good? and hence it is that the mind stands in need of being renewed, enlightened, cleansed and sanctified, and renovation begins here, which is the effect of almighty power; for nothing else can remove the rooted enmity in the heart of men; and which, as deep and as secret as it is, sooner or later, in one way or another, shows itself "by wicked works"; and that frequently, as by loving what God hates, and hating what he loves; by omitting what he commands, and committing what he forbids; by maintaining friendship with the world, and by harbouring his professed enemies, and persecuting his dear friends; and by their wicked words, and evil lives and conversations; and by the various works of the flesh, which are manifest, some being more directly against God, others by which they wrong themselves, and others by which they injure their neighbours: yet now hath he reconciled; which may be understood either of the Father's reconciling them to himself by his Son; and so the words are a continuation of the account of the Father's grace, as to all the elect in general, so to the Colossians in particular, notwithstanding the black characters in which they stand described in their natural estate: or else of Christ's reconciling them to his Father, by the sacrifice of himself, which he voluntarily offered for them, though this was their case, and of enemies made them friends: and may be meant either of the impetration of reconciliation for them by his sufferings and death; or of the virtue and efficacy of it in the application of it; in the former sense the "now" refers to the coming of Christ into the world, and the time of his death, and the offering up of his body once for all, when peace and reconciliation were completely made at once for all God's elect; in the latter sense it refers to the time of the conversion of these Colossians, when Christ by his Spirit, in consequence of reconciliation made in the body of his flesh, through death reconciled them to God; to his mind and will, to the way of salvation by himself, to the saints the excellent in the earth, to the Gospel and the ordinances of it, and to all his ways and worship.”

“And you, that were sometime alienated - All men are alienated from God, and all are enemies in their minds to him, and show it by their wicked works; but this is spoken particularly of the Gentiles. The word απαλλοτριοω, which we render to alienate, to give to another, to estrange, expresses the state of the Gentiles: while the Jews were, at least by profession, dedicated to God, the Gentiles were alienated, that is, given up to others; they worshipped not the true God, but had gods many and lords many, to whom they dedicated themselves, their religious service, and their property. The verb αλλοτριοω, to alienate, being compounded here with the preposition απο, from, signifies to abalienate, to estrange utterly, to be wholly the property of another. Thus the Gentiles had alienated themselves from God, and were alienated or rejected by him, because of their wickedness and idolatry. Enemies in your mind - They had the carnal mind, which is enmity against God; and this was expressed in their outward conduct by wicked works. See the note on Rom 5:10. The mind is taken here for all the soul, heart, affections, passions, etc.”

“The Colossians are included in this general reconciliation (compare Eph 2:1, Eph 2:12). sometime--"once." alienated--from God and salvation: objectively banished from God, through the barrier which God's justice interposed against your sin: subjectively estranged through the alienation of your own wills from God. The former is the prominent thought (compare Rom 5:10), as the second follows, "enemies in your mind." "Actual alienation makes habitual 'enemies'" [BENGEL]. in your mind--Greek, "in your understanding" or "thought" (Eph 2:3; Eph 4:18). by wicked works--rather as Greek, "in your wicked works" (wicked works were the element in which your enmity subsisted). yet now--Notwithstanding the former alienation, now that Christ has come, God hath completely reconciled, or restored to His friendship again (so the Greek, compare Note, see on Col 1:20).”