Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

1:21-22 once . . . now. Paul presents a strong contrast between the Colossians' pre-Christian status and their favorable situation now as Christians. alienated. Sin has resulted in estrangement from God (Eph. 2:12; 4:18) and thus creates the need for reconciliation. This is due, in part, to the fact that nonbelievers are hostile in mind to God (Rom. 1:21). The result of reconciliation is that Christ is now working in all the believers to present you holy and blameless before God. This is the same language used in the OT to describe the unblemished animals that the Levitical priest would bring for a sacrifice to God. When Christ brings his followers to the Father for inspection, they will be found to be above reproach.

1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith. The form of this phrase in Greek (using the Gk. particle ei and the indicative mood of the verb epimenō) indicates that Paul fully expects that the Colossian believers will continue in the faith; no doubt is expressed. Nevertheless, the statement shows that faithfulness to the end is essential in the Christian life (cf. Matt. 10:22). not shifting. The idea here is very similar to Jesus' story contrasting the person who built his house on the sand with the one who built his house on the rock (Matt. 7:24-27). Paul wanted the Colossians to build their house on the solid foundation of truth and not on the shifting sands of false teaching. In all creation is a general statement meaning that the gospel has gone widely throughout the Greco-Roman world, to both Jews and Gentiles (cf. Col. 1:6).