Commentaries:

And-Καὶ (Kai)-and) you-ὑμᾶς (humas)-you) that were-ὄντας (ontas)-being) sometimes-ποτε (pote)-once, at some time or other, (i.e. formerly, aforetime, at some time)) alienated-ἀπηλλοτριωμένους (apellotriomenous)-to give to others, to alienate, estrange, (to estrange away, i.e. (passively and figuratively) to be non-participant:—alienate, be alien)), and-καὶ (kai)-and, also) enemies-ἐχθροὺς (echthrous)- foe, opponent) //in your mind-διανοίᾳ (dianoia)-intellect, full or thorough mind, (properly: the faculty (mind or its disposition), by implication: its exercise:—imagination, mind, understanding) by-ἐν (en)-in) wicked-πονηροῖς (ponerois)-bad, malignant, miserable, evil, wicked) works-ἔργοις (ergois)-work, deed, business, (by implication: an act:—deed, doing, labour, work)) (Or, by your mind in wicked works), yet-δέ (de)-yet, but) now-νυνί (nuni)-now, at this very moment) hath he reconciled-ἀποκατήλλαξεν (apokatellaxen)-to change thoroughly, (to reconcile fully:—reconcile)),: 

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    And you — Colossians, in particular, with all other Gentiles; that were sometime — Greek, ποτε, once, formerly; alienated — Estranged from the knowledge, love, and life of the one living and true God, (see note on Ephesians 4:18,) being destitute not only of all conformity to him, and union with him, but of all fear of him, and acquaintance with his nature and attributes; yea, and enemies — To him and to his worship and service; in your mind — Your understanding, judgment, will, and affections; by wicked works — Which at once manifested your inward enmity, and continually fed and increased it. Observe, reader, every violation of the divine law, every instance of disobedience to his commands, is an undeniable proof of enmity to him. This, however, is not the only evidence thereof: for, as he manifests his will by the dispensations of his providence, as well as by the precepts of his word, so far as we do not receive these dispensations, however afflictive, with resignation and patience, we manifest our enmity to him; as we do likewise, according to Romans 8:6 / 7, (where see the note,) so far as we are carnally minded; that is, esteem, desire, and delight in visible and temporal, in preference to spiritual and eternal things; or set our affection on things beneath-[(i.e. earthly)], instead of setting it on things above-[(i.e. heavenly)], and seek that happiness in the creature which ought to be sought, and certainly can only be found, in the Creator. Yet now hath he reconciled — To himself and to the society of his people. That is, he is both reconciled to you, having forgiven you all your trespasses, and also hath reconciled you, or removed your enmity, by shedding his love abroad in your hearts;...-(Benson Commentary). BH 

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   Paul said the Colossian Christians were separated from God and became His enemies because of the wickedness with which they had filled their minds. Minds filled with wickedness caused them to involve themselves in evil deeds. Christians are made friends with God again by the death of the Incarnate One. Also, Christ's death causes them to be placed before God as ones dedicated to His service, without blemish and not needing reproof. Such a presentation could only be made before God to the Colossian brethren on the condition that they remained within the total of that taught, or the faith. Paul urges them to be stable and steadfast in that faith, unmoved by false teachers who would take them away from the source of their hope, which is the gospel. Paul declares that every creature under heaven had heard the good news just like those at Colossae. The apostle was a servant of the gospel because he had been saved by the Christ of the gospel ( Col_1:21-23 ).-(Hampton's Commentary). SL

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    Alienated is from APALLO-TRIOO, which Thayer defines, "to be shut out from one's fellowship and intimacy." Paul tells the Colossians they were once in that condition with God, but that it was caused by their own wicked works. Such a state of mind and conduct rendered them the enemies of God.-(Zerr's Commentary). SL

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    Alienated as ye were: calling conspicuous attention to a fact. It describes their state when this purpose found, and laid hold on them: cp. Ephesians 2:1; Ephesians 2:5; Ephesians 2:11. Alienated-ones, literally made-to-be-strangers: a word frequently used to describe men deprived of the rights of citizens: same word in Ephesians 2:12; Ephesians 4:18; frequent in the LXX., e.g. Ezekiel 14:5; Ezekiel 14:7; Psalms 69:9; and in classic Greek. Enemies: either hostile to God, or men who have to reckon with God as hostile to them. Which of these meanings Paul intends here, we can determine only by his general conception of the Gospel. We saw under Romans 5:1 that the justice of God, which as we learnt from Romans 3:26 forbade Him to justify believers except through the death of Christ, makes Him in this sense hostile to those who refuse salvation from sin. Thus an obstacle to peace between God and sinners is found in the justice of God. Now Paul declares in Romans 3:24-26, expressly and plainly, that God gave Christ to die in order to remove this obstacle to peace. This last doctrine is, in Romans 5:10, embodied in the words being enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, words almost the same as those now before us. Similarly, in Ephesians 2:12; Ephesians 2:16 men ‘formerly… alienated from the commonwealth of Israel,’ Christ came to reconcile… to God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. On the other hand, only once (Romans 8:7) does Paul speak of sin under the aspect of hostility to God. (James 4:4 admits, and perhaps suggests the sense that they who choose the friendship of the world are thereby placed among those who will have to reckon with God as their enemy.) And Paul never speaks of the cross of Christ as the instrument by which God moves the sinner to lay down his hostility. We are therefore compelled to interpret the words reconciled… through death in Colossians 1:22 as meaning that by the death of Christ God removed the obstacle to peace between God and man which lay in His own justice, and thus brought us out of a position in which we had to reckon with God as an enemy into one in which we look upon Him as a friend. This interpretation of the word reconciled in Colossians 1:22 fixes in the main the meaning of enemies in Colossians 1:21. We shall find that it will harmonize with the context; and may therefore accept it with confidence. Possibly, however, Paul chose the word enemies the more readily because, as matter of fact, sinners are actually hostile to God. Had not Christ died, this double hostility would have been irreconcilable. Your mind: either the faculty of mental discrimination or the operation of that faculty; senses closely allied. [The Greek dative merely states that this enmity has something to do with the readers’ minds, leaving the exact relation to be inferred from the context. The simplest expositions are (1) that the mind was the seat of the enmity, as in Ephesians 4:18 where the same word and case mean darkened in their mind; or (2) that the mind was the instrument by means of which the enmity was brought about, as the Greek dative is used in Galatians 2:13; Ephesians 2:1; Ephesians 2:5; dead by means of your trespasses. This latter sense is required by our exposition of enemies. For their entire personality was exposed to the hostility of God. Consequently, further specification of the locality of the enmity was needless. On the other hand, we are eager to know by what means they became enemies of God. Exposition 2 tells us that it was by the perverted activity of their intelligence which mistook evil for good; and which thus, instead of leading them to God, led them into the ranks of His foes. In your wicked works: immoral locality of this enmity. Same thought in Ephesians 2:2. Led astray by their own wicked thought they wandered among wicked actions, and thus became exposed to the just anger of God.-(Beet's Commentary). SL

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    'AND YOU' -i.e. the current members of the Church at Colossae. 'BEING IN TIME PAST' -Before they became Christians. 'ALIENATED' -526. apallotrioo ap-al-lot-ree-o'-o; from 575 and a derivative of 245; to estrange away, i.e. (passively and figuratively) to be non-participant: -alienate, be alien. Points to Note: 1. God often reminds Christians of their former past ( Rom_5:8-11 ; 1Co_6:9-11 ; Eph_2:1-3 ; Eph_2:11 ; 1Pe_4:1-4 ; Tit_3:3 ). The Bible is honest, 'And he does not disguise the truth when he describes their past condition.' (Eadie p. 77). 2. A clear passage which teaches that the non-Christian is alienated from God. There is no salvation outside of Christ. Even the good "moral" non-Christian is lost ( Act_10:1, /2 ; Act_11:13, /14 ). 'AND ENEMIES IN YOUR MIND' -'To God, in the active sense' (Vincent p. 475) 'Active sense here..hostile' (Robertson p. 482) 'a conscious antagonism' (O'Brien p. 66). These people were not merely the objects of God's wrath, but like so many people, they opposed God in their mind ( Rom_1:18-28 ). 

Points to Note:

1. This infers that alienation from God isn't ultimately linked with ignorance. This infers that the heathen world knew a lot more about God, ethics, truth, right and wrong, morality, etc...then they would have cared to admit ( Rom_1:32 ).

2. God's truth is so clear, it is so clear that certain things are wrong ( Gal_5:19 ), that even non-Jews, even people who had very little if any contact with the Scriptures, still had to violate their consciences, and turn their mind to worthless thoughts in order to engage in a life of sin ( Eph_4:17-19 ).

3. What you allow yourself to think and become convinced of is critical. For wrong thoughts eventually lead to hell, if not challenged and corrected. Men and women start their departure from God in their own minds ( Pro_4:23 ; Mar_7:20-23 ).

4. Which reveals that genetics doesn't stand in anyone's way to depart from some sin. People who can't seem to change their lives are the same people who are refusing to change their minds, i.e. which is the first step in repentance. It's not the actual act of sin that has a hold on that person, rather, it is how that people perceives that sin in their own mind, i.e. they have convinced themselves that they can't enjoy life without it.

5. And it is so easy to get "bent out of shape" in our minds. We are constantly faced by situations, if approached with the wrong attitude, could make us bitter against God, resent His restrictions, challenge His authority, or blame Him for our suffering. Christian, be oh so careful in what frame of mind you allow to yourself to dwell. The difference between ending up in Heaven or Hell is at times as simple as what you chose to believe and what you chose to reject.

6. Various things about God cause the self-centered to get angry: (a) The accusation that they are indeed a sinner ( Rom_3:23 ). (b) That they must humble themselves to gain salvation, i.e. that salvation cannot be earned, merited or deserved. (c) That God is the center of the Universe, not themselves. (d) That God demands a total repentance and commitment ( Luk_14:26 ff). Instead, we often want a religion we can play at on the weekends, something that we can dabble in now and then.

'IN YOUR EVIL WORKS' -Hostility to God eventually finds an avenue of visible expression. You cannot 'have something against God' for long without it manifesting itself in your speech or conduct. You can tell when somebody resents God.-(Mark Dunagan). SL

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In-ἐν (en)-in) the-τῷ (to)-the) body-σώματι (somati)-body, (i.e. the physical body) of his-αὐτοῦ (autou)-of him) flesh-σαρκὸς (sarkos)-properly: flesh (the soft substance of the living body, (by extension) the body)) through-διὰ (dia)-through, by means of) death-θανάτου (thanatou)-death, (properly: the death of the body), to present-παραστῆσαι (parastesai)-to set alongside, (to present or show)) you-ὑμᾶς (humas)-you:—plural) holy-ἁγίους (agious)-separate, set apart, holy) and-καὶ (kai)-and, also) unblameable-ἀμώμους (amomous)-unblemished, without blemish, (without blame (blemish, fault, spot), faultless, unblamable)), and-καὶ (kai)-and, also) unreproveable-ἀνεγκλήτους (anegkletous)-not to be called in, unchallengeable, (that cannot be called to account, unreprovable, unaccused, blameless)) in his-αὐτοῦ (autou)-of him) sight-κατενώπιον (katenopion)-over against, in the face of, (directly in front of:—before (the presence of), in the sight of)),:

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    to present you holy — Toward God, dedicated to him in heart and life, conformed to his image, and employed in his service; and unblameable — Αμωμους, spotless in yourselves; cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit; and unreproveable — With respect to your neighbour, cultivating truth in your words, and justice and mercy in your actions toward all men.-(Benson Commentary). BH

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    Made him to be sin for us] Christ had to bear not the guilt, but the burden of sin. He bore its penalty not as a punishment, but as the innocent suffers for the guilty; feeling all its shame and horror, but free from the sense of guilt and degradation. Hence St. Paul says not, ’He hath made Him to be a sinner,’ but ’He hath made Him to be sin.’ The spectacle of Christ thus bearing our penalty touches the heart and conscience, and makes us respond to the love wherewith He hath loved us: cp. Romans 8:3, Romans 8:4.-(Dummelow's Commentary). SL

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    'IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH' -A body which consisted of flesh ( Heb_2:14 ; Joh_1:14 ). Without which there could have been no death. Points to Note: 1. In this chapter Paul has emphasized the Deity of Jesus Christ (1:15-19) and also His humanity (1:22). Fully God in a fully human body. Any teaching which either detracts from His humanity or Deity must be rejected. . . . 4. Since Jesus had a body of flesh, we must note that the flesh (human nature/the physical body) isn't inherently sinful. For Jesus was in the flesh, but never sinned ( 1Pe_2:22 ). We must then conclude that our real struggle against sin, isn't fought "in the body", rather, it is fought in the "mind" (1:21). And hence severe treatment of the body is vain as an defense against sin (2:21,/22,/23). We won't be successful against temptation, until we chose to make the determination to mentally dwell on the right things ( Php_4:8 ). 'THROUGH DEATH' - Points to Note: 1. The death of Jesus Christ was an actual historic event. Undermine and death and resurrection and you completely undermine any hope of salvation. For our reconciliation is inherently tied to both ( 1Co_15:12 ff; Rom_4:25 ). 2. This verse also teaches that Jesus had to die, if we were to end up saved . Unfortunately, even some Christians are under the impression that the sacrifice of Jesus was simply one viable option that existed to make forgiveness of sins a reality. We must realize, that it was the only option. Our sins are so bad that it necessitated that God sacrifice Himself for us. There was no other way ( Luk_22:42,/43 ). THE GOALS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BEING RECONCILED: 'TO PRESENT YOU HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH AND UNREPROVABLE BEFORE HIM' -'consecrated, faultless, and blameless in His presence' (Wms); 'so that he may present you before himself as dedicated men, without blemish and innocent in his sight' (NEB). 'PRESENT YOU...BEFORE HIM' -Some believe that this refers to the future Judgement, when Christ delivers up the Kingdom to God, the Father ( 1Co_15:24 ; Eph_5:27 ). Point to Note: But in view of what Paul was teaching against. The first application might be our condition immediately after our reconciliation, i.e. how we stand before God immediately after baptism. The point being that the blood of Christ is sufficient to cleanse us from all sin and to present us completely pure and innocent in the sight of a Holy and Just God. This verse completely undermines any teaching which argues that we need something more than Christ to bring us into favor with God, i.e. parts of the Old Covenant, rules concerning food, the worship of angelic beings, etc...John argues that the Christian, now, in this lifetime can stand "in the light" ( 1Jn_1:7-10 ).-(Mark Dunagan). SL

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