CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES
Colossians 1:19. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.—The great question on this verse is—seeing that “the Father” has been added—what is the nominative to the word rendered “it pleased”? At least three are possible:
(1)“the Father,” as A.V., R.V., and many commentators;
(2) “all the fulness,” etc.; and
(3) “the Son was pleased.” Lightfoot urges that, as
(2) would be an anachronism, and
(3) a hopeless confusion of the theology, “the Father was well pleased” seems to be the best rendering.
Colossians 1:20. To reconcile all things unto Himself—The word “reconcile” is meant to indicate the restoration of a lost friendship; the re-establishment of peaceful relations. It is a good specimen of the care with which St. Paul’s advanced expressions are selected.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Colossians 1:19-20
The Reconciling Work of the Great Mediator.
After showing the grand pre-eminence of Christ in both the natural and moral creation, and thus declaring the inferior and subordinate position of those angelic powers whose nature and office the false teachers in Colossæ unduly extolled, the apostle here proceeds to point out the special fitness of the great Mediator for that lofty relationship. It is grounded on the fact that in Him all fulness dwells. Observe:—
I. The unique qualification of the great Mediator.—
1. In Him, all fulness dwells. The heretical teachers would reduce Christ to the level of an angelic mediator, a simple evolution from the divine nature, and one of the links that bind the finite to the infinite. They admitted there was the manifestation of divine power and glory, but that this was only occasional, and not inherent. The apostle, in refuting this, asserts that the plenitude—the grand totality of Deity—resided in Christ, not as a transient guest, but as a permanent and abiding presence. “All fulness.” Well might the profound and devout Bengel exclaim, “Who can fathom the depth of this subject?” In the marvellous person of Jesus there is combined all the fulness of humanity as well as the fulness of divinity—all the beauty, dignity, and excellency that replenish heaven and earth, and adorn the nature of God and of men. It is a fulness that stands related to all the interests of the universe, and can supply the moral necessities of all. There is a fulness of wisdom to keep us from error, fulness of grace to preserve from apostasy, fulness of joy to keep us from despair, and fulness of power to protect from all evil. It penetrates and fills the vast universe of intelligent beings, and girds it with a radiant circle of glory and felicity.
2. It is the good pleasure of the Father that this fulness should reside in the Son.—“For it pleased the Father” (Colossians 1:19). It was the will and purpose of God the Father that Christ, as the Mediator, should, in order to accomplish the great work of reconciliation, be filled with the plenitude of all divine and human excellencies; that He should be the grand, living, unfailing reservoir of blessing to the whole intelligent universe. The Father is not only in harmony with the reconciling work of the Son, but the whole merciful arrangement was from the first suggested, planned, and appointed by Him. The moving cause and foundation of all saving grace through the Son is the good pleasure of the Father. It is not His good pleasure that any other than Christ should be the Mediator of the universe. We should never seek or acknowledge any other.
II. The reconciling work of the great Mediator.—
1. The nature of the reconciliation. “To reconcile unto Himself” (Colossians 1:20). The word “reconcile” imports to restore one to a state of amity and friendship, to change the relations of two parties separated either by one-sided or mutual enmity. Sin places man at enmity with God, and exposes him to the divine opposition and anger. The cross of Christ, by removing the cause of estrangement, opens the way of reconciliation; and the penitent, believing soul is thus restored to the divine favour and friendship. But the word “reconcile” does not always presuppose the existence of open enmity; and, from the general drift of the verse, the term should be interpreted in the most liberal sense, yet with the utmost caution and reverence.
2. The extent of the reconciliation.—“To reconcile all things unto Himself, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven” (Colossians 1:20). It was on the earth where the enmities first arose; therefore it is put first. The humanity of Christ bringing all creatures around it unites them to God in a bond which never before existed—a bond which has its origin in the mystery of redemption. Thus all things in heaven and earth feel the effect of man’s renovation. In Christ, the great Reconciler, meet and merge the discordant elements which sin had introduced (see Bengel and Eadie). The false teachers aimed at effecting a partial reconciliation between God and man, through the interposition of angelic mediators. The apostle speaks of an absolute and complete reconciliation of universal nature to God, effected through the mediation of the incarnate Word. Their mediators were ineffective because they were neither human nor divine. The true Mediator must be both human and divine. The whole universe of things material, as well as spiritual, shall be restored to harmony with God. How far this restoration of universal nature may be subjective, as involved in the changed perceptions of man thus brought into harmony with God, and how far it may have an objective and independent existence, it were vain to speculate (Lightfoot). With regard to this reconciliation, we may safely say it includes, with much more that is too high for us to understand, the following truths:
(1) Sinful creatures on earth are reconciled to God in Christ. For the degenerate and guilty children of men there is a Reconciler and a way of reconciliation, so that wrath is turned aside and friendship restored.
(2) Sinful and sinless or unfallen creatures are reconciled to each other, and brought together again in Christ. Bengel says: “It is certain that the angels, the friends of God, were the enemies of men when they were in a state of hostility against God.” The discord and disunion introduced into the moral universe by sin are overcome by the Lord Jesus.
(3) Sinless and unfallen creatures are brought nearer to God in Christ, and, through His reconciling work and His infinite fulness of grace, are confirmed for ever in their loyalty and love. In Christ, the Redeemer and Reconciler, they have views of the divine nature, character, and glory they never had before, and which they can nowhere else obtain (Spence). It needed such a Mediator as Jesus, gifted with the highest divine and human powers, to restore the tone and harmony of a discordant universe, and tune every created spirit to the keynote of sweetest celestial music. The true melody of acceptable praise is learned only in the ardent, loving adoration of the Son of God.
III. The means by which the reconciliation is effected.—“And having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). To make peace is the same thing as to reconcile; and the death of Christ—the shedding of His blood on the cross—was the method by which, in the infinite wisdom of God, the peace-producing reconciliation is secured. It was the voluntary self-sacrifice of Himself on the cross that constituted Jesus the grand reconciling Mediator of the universe. “All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Only by suffering could suffering be assuaged; only by dying could death itself be conquered. The cross is therefore the symbol of peace, of power, of triumph. There the law was fulfilled and magnified, the integrity of the divine perfections vindicated, justice was satisfied, mercy found its most bounteous outlet, and love its crowning joy. The cross is the source of every blessing to the fallen; the centre round which a disordered universe again revolves in beauteous order and rejoicing harmony; the loadstone that draws the trembling sinner to the needed and unutterable repose.
Lessons.—
1. The great Mediator has every qualification for His stupendous work.
2. The reconciliation of a disorganised universe is beyond the power of any subordinate agent.
3. Rebellious man can be restored to peace with God only as he yields himself up to the great Mediator.
GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES
Colossians 1:19. The Fulness of Christ—
I. Endowed with all divine and human excellencies.
II. Necessary to accomplish His reconciling work.
III. Was required and approved by God the Father.
Colossians 1:20. Christ the Reconciler—
I. Restored the friendship between God and man broken by sin.
II. Accomplished His work by the voluntary sacrifice of His life.
III. Introduces harmony into a disrupted universe.