Colossians 1:22 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

In the body of his flesh through death; the means whereby their reconciliation to God was purchased, (which they had particularly applied by faith, Colossians 1:4), was the sacrifice of that fleshy (not fantastical) body which Christ had assumed, subject to the condition of an animal life, being capable of suffering and mortal, (not refined and immortal, as after his resurrection, Romans 5:10 1 Corinthians 15:44, 53), 2 Corinthians 5:14 Philippians 2:16, with Hebrews 10:5,10 1 Peter 2:24 1 Peter 3:18. Christ's death was not only for our good, but in our stead thereby offering himself to God, he satisfied Divine justice, and his sacrifice, giving himself for us, was a sacrifice of a sweet smell to God, Ephesians 5:2. To present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight; before whom believers cannot make themselves to stand holy, but Christ doth upon the account of his sacrifice for them; so that through the veil of his flesh, Hebrews 10:19,20, God doth look upon such as having neither spot nor wrinkle, without blame or blemish: see Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 5:27. Unto whom Christ is made righteousness, he is also made sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:30. Those who are washed are sanctified, 1 Corinthians 6:11. The end of reconciliation is restoration or sanctification, Luke 1:74,75 2 Corinthians 5:15 Titus 2:14 1 Peter 2:24; inchoatively here, with a perfection of parts, Hebrews 13:21, and consummatively hereafter, with a perfection of degrees, 1 Corinthians 13:10 Ephesians 4:13 Philippians 3:11,12.