Colossians 1:21 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

And you, that were sometime alienated: the particle and, by a Hebraism, is put for therefore, or wherefore, leading the Colossians from the doctrines he had proposed, to consider their own estrangement from God and the things that please him, before they were effectually called by the gospel, being then in such a miserable condition as others were in a state of corrupted nature. See Psalms 5:9 Romans 6:19 1 Corinthians 6:11 Ephesians 2:1,3,11,12. And enemies; not only in their outward deportment had they no communion with the true God, but inwardly they hated God as an enemy, and they were hated of him as his enemies; by their willing and nilling that which was contrary to him and his pleasure, in opposing his revealed will, 1 Thessalonians 15:18,21 Ro 1:29,30 5:10 8:7 James 4:4. In your mind by wicked works; this enmity was predominant in their mind, or cogitation, or carnal reasoning, not receiving or comprehending the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Corinthians 2:14; that leading power of their souls being darkened, Ephesians 4:18, there was an enmity against God, so that they neither could be subject to God's law, Romans 8:7, under the prevaleney of that corrupt reasoning which was so intent upon their corrupt courses, Genesis 6:5, that then they thought not of peace with God. Yet now hath he reconciled; yet such was the unconstrained compassion of God, that now while sinners, (in a divided sense), Romans 5:10, they were actually reconciled; now, not before, not from eternity in his decree, nor meritoriously when upon the cross, 2 Corinthians 5:19: he doth not mean simply the action, of such virtue, necessary and efficacious to make reconciliation, and the appeasing of God's displeasure; but compriseth the efect of it also when it is wrought in time, 2 Corinthians 5:20, and the enmity in the subject is actually removed.