◄ Colossians 1:20 ►
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.
Study Bible
and through Him

This phrase emphasizes the centrality of Christ in the divine plan of reconciliation. In the broader context of Colossians, Paul asserts the supremacy of Christ in creation and redemption (Colossians 1:15-19). The preposition "through" indicates that Christ is the agent of reconciliation, aligning with John 14:6, where Jesus declares Himself the way to the Father. This underscores the belief that reconciliation with God is possible only through Jesus.

Jhn 1:3 Through Him all things were made, and without Him,…
1Co 8:6 Yet for us there is but one God, the Father…
Heb 1:2 But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son…

to reconcile to Himself

Reconciliation implies restoring a broken relationship. In the biblical context, humanity's relationship with God was fractured by sin (Genesis 3). The concept of reconciliation is also found in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, where Paul speaks of God reconciling the world to Himself through Christ. This reconciliation is not just a return to a previous state but an elevation to a new relationship with God.

2Co 5:18-19 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself…
Eph 2:16 reconciling both to God in one body through the cross…
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled…

all things,

The phrase "all things" suggests the comprehensive scope of Christ's reconciling work. This includes not only humanity but the entire creation, which has been subjected to futility and decay due to sin (Romans 8:20-22). The cosmic scope of reconciliation reflects the belief that Christ's work affects the entire universe, restoring harmony and order.

Rom 11:36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.…
Act 3:21 Heaven must take Him in until the time comes…
1Co 15:27-28 “God has put everything under His feet.”…

whether things on earth or things in heaven,

This phrase indicates the universal impact of Christ's reconciliation. "Things on earth" refers to the physical, visible world, while "things in heaven" points to the spiritual, invisible realm. This duality reflects the Jewish understanding of the cosmos, where both realms are interconnected. Ephesians 1:10 also speaks of God's plan to unite all things in Christ, both in heaven and on earth, highlighting the comprehensive nature of His redemptive work.

Eph 1:10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things…
Php 2:10-11 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,…
Rev 5:13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth…

by making peace

Peace in the biblical sense is more than the absence of conflict; it is the presence of wholeness and harmony. The Hebrew concept of "shalom" encompasses this idea. Christ's work brings peace between God and humanity, as well as within creation itself. Ephesians 2:14-17 elaborates on how Christ is our peace, breaking down the dividing wall of hostility.

Eph 2:14-17 For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one…
Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith…
Isa 53:5 But He was pierced for our transgressions,…

through the blood of His cross.

The cross is central to Christian theology as the means of atonement. The shedding of blood signifies the sacrificial nature of Christ's death, fulfilling the Old Testament sacrificial system (Leviticus 17:11). Hebrews 9:22 states that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. The cross, a Roman instrument of execution, becomes the symbol of salvation, demonstrating God's love and justice.

Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood,…
Act 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock…
Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You”…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The central figure in this verse, through whom reconciliation is achieved. His sacrificial death on the cross is the means by which peace is made.

2. Paul the Apostle
The author of the letter to the Colossians, addressing the church in Colossae to affirm the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ.

3. Colossae
An ancient city in Asia Minor, where the recipients of this letter resided. The church there was dealing with false teachings that Paul sought to correct.

4. The Cross
The instrument of Christ's crucifixion, symbolizing the ultimate sacrifice for sin and the means of reconciliation between God and humanity.

5. Heaven and Earth
Representing the totality of creation, both the physical and spiritual realms, which are reconciled through Christ.
Teaching Points
The Centrality of Christ in Reconciliation
Christ is the sole mediator between God and humanity. His work on the cross is the foundation for peace and reconciliation.

The Scope of Reconciliation
The reconciliation through Christ extends to all creation, indicating the cosmic impact of His sacrifice.

The Cost of Peace
The peace we have with God was purchased at a great price—the blood of Christ. This underscores the seriousness of sin and the depth of God's love.

Living as Reconciled People
As recipients of reconciliation, believers are called to live in peace with others and to be agents of reconciliation in the world.

The Hope of Complete Restoration
This verse points to the ultimate restoration of all things, a future hope that believers can look forward to with confidence.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the role of Christ in reconciliation affect your relationship with God and others?

2. In what ways can you actively participate in the ministry of reconciliation in your community?

3. Reflect on the significance of the cross in your personal faith journey. How does it shape your understanding of peace and forgiveness?

4. How does the concept of reconciliation in Colossians 1:20 connect with the broader account of redemption throughout the Bible?

5. What practical steps can you take to embody the peace of Christ in your daily interactions and relationships?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Ephesians 2:14-16
This passage also speaks of Christ as our peace, breaking down the dividing wall of hostility and reconciling both Jews and Gentiles to God through the cross.

Romans 5:10
Highlights the concept of reconciliation with God through the death of His Son, emphasizing the transformation from enemies to friends of God.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Discusses the ministry of reconciliation, where believers are called to be ambassadors for Christ, sharing the message of reconciliation.
Sermons
The Great ReconciliationW.F. Adneney Colossians 1:20
The Reconcilation Effected by ChristT. Croskery Colossians 1:20
Prayer Leading Up to the Person of ChristR. Finlayson Colossians 1:9-23
Christ FirstProfessor Reuss.Colossians 1:14-20
Forgiveness and Remission of SinsJ. Morison, D. D.Colossians 1:14-20
Jesus Christ the End of the CreationC. P. Jennings.Colossians 1:14-20
Pardon, not Justice, WantedColossians 1:14-20
Plan of RedemptionChristmas Evans.Colossians 1:14-20
RedemptionT. Guthrie, D. D.Colossians 1:14-20
Redemption Atonement for and Remission of SinT. Guthrie, D. D.Colossians 1:14-20
Redemption God's Forgiveness as King and FatherG. Calthrop, M. A.Colossians 1:14-20
Redemption Incomplete Until Accepted by Faith in ChristP. Bayne, B. D.Colossians 1:14-20
Redemption Partial and CompleteBishop Davenant.Colossians 1:14-20
The Deity of ChristB. W. Noel, M. A.Colossians 1:14-20
The Greatness of RedemptionP. Bayne, B. D.Colossians 1:14-20
The Value of PardonH. W. Taylor.Colossians 1:14-20
The Witness of Creation to the GospelJ. O. Dykes, D. D.Colossians 1:14-20
We have Redemption Through His BloodColossians 1:14-20
The Glories of King JesusR.M. Edgar Colossians 1:15-20
Christ All in AllU.R. Thomas Colossians 1:15-29
The Supremacy of Christ in the Moral UniverseE.S. Prout Colossians 1:18-20
Fulness of Christ Cannot be SupplementedC. H. Spurgeon.Colossians 1:19-22
Fulness of Grace in ChristBishop Davenant.Colossians 1:19-22
No Limit to the Fulness in ChristT. Guthrie, D. D.Colossians 1:19-22
Peace by the Blood of ChristC. H. Spurgeon.Colossians 1:19-22
Peace Through the Blood of the CrossJ. Morison, D. D.Colossians 1:19-22
ReconciliationJ. Donne, D. D.Colossians 1:19-22
Reconciliation by ChristF.W. Robertson, M.A.Colossians 1:19-22
The AtonementW. M. Taylor, D. D.Colossians 1:19-22
The FulnessJ. Morison, D. D., T. Guthrie, D. D.Colossians 1:19-22
The Fulness of ChristCongregational RemembrancerColossians 1:19-22
The Fulness of ChristH. Brooke.Colossians 1:19-22
The Fulness of Christ the Treasury of the SaintsC. H. Spurgeon.Colossians 1:19-22
The Nature and Issues of ReconciliationJ. Spence, D. D.Colossians 1:19-22
The Personal Blessings of ReconciliationG. Barlow.Colossians 1:19-22
The ReconcilerT. Guthrie, D. DColossians 1:19-22
The Reconciling SonA. Maclaren, D. D.Colossians 1:19-22
The Reconciling Work of the Great MediatorG. Barlow.Colossians 1:19-22
People
Colossians, Epaphras, Paul, Thessalonians, Timotheus, Timothy
Places
Colossae, Philippi
Topics
Blood, Cross, Heaven, Heavens, Itself, Making, Peace, Purposed, Reconcile, Shed, Uniting, Universe, Whether
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Colossians 1:20

     1355   providence
     2303   Christ, as creator
     2354   Christ, mission
     2525   Christ, cross of
     4028   world, redeemed
     5058   rest, spiritual
     6682   mediation
     6700   peace

Colossians 1:15-20

     1441   revelation, necessity
     2423   gospel, essence
     5030   knowledge, of Christ
     7927   hymn
     8028   faith, body of beliefs

Colossians 1:16-20

     2012   Christ, authority

Colossians 1:19-20

     2324   Christ, as Saviour
     6028   sin, deliverance from

Colossians 1:19-22

     5005   human race, and redemption
     7031   unity, God's goal

Colossians 1:20-22

     2414   cross, centrality
     6717   reconciliation, world to God
     7922   fellowship, with God

Library
February 11. "Strengthened with all Might unto all Patience" (Col. I. 11).
"Strengthened with all might unto all patience" (Col. i. 11). The apostle prays for the Colossians, that they may be "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness." It is one thing to endure and show the strain on every muscle of your face, and seem to say with every wrinkle, "Why does not somebody sympathize with me?" It is another to endure the cross, "despising the shame" for the joy set before us. There are some trees in the …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

February 18. "Christ in You" (Col. I. 27).
"Christ in you" (Col. i. 27). How great the difference between the old and the new way of deliverance! One touch of Christ is worth a lifetime of struggling. A sufferer in one of our hospitals was in danger of losing his sight from a small piece of broken needle that had entered his eye. Operation after operation had only irritated it, and driven the foreign substance farther still into the delicate nerves of the sensitive organ. At length a skilful young physician thought of a new expedient. He …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Twenty Fourth Sunday after Trinity Prayer and Spiritual Knowledge.
Text: Colossians 1, 3-14. 3 We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have toward all the saints, 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and increasing, as it doth in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

'All Power'
'Strengthened with all power, according to the might of His glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy.'--COL. i. 11 (R.V.). There is a wonderful rush and fervour in the prayers of Paul. No parts of his letters are so lofty, so impassioned, so full of his soul, as when he rises from speaking of God to men to speaking to God for men. We have him here setting forth his loving desires for the Colossian Christians in a prayer of remarkable fulness and sweep. Broadly taken, it is for their perfecting …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Thankful for Inheritance
'Giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.'--COL. i. 12 (R.V.) It is interesting to notice how much the thought of inheritance seems to have been filling the Apostle's mind during his writing of Ephesians and Colossians. Its recurrence is one of the points of contact between them. For example, in Ephesians, we read, 'In whom also were made a heritage' (i. 11); 'An earnest of our inheritance' (i. 14); 'His inheritance in the saints' …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Saints, Believers, Brethren
' . . . The saints and faithful brethren in Christ.'--COL. i. 2. 'The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch,' says the Acts of the Apostles. It was a name given by outsiders, and like most of the instances where a sect, or school, or party is labelled with the name of its founder, it was given in scorn. It hit and yet missed its mark. The early believers were Christians, that is, Christ's men, but they were not merely a group of followers of a man, like many other groups of whom the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Christian Endeavour
'I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.'--COL. i. 29. I have chosen this text principally because it brings together the two subjects which are naturally before us to-day. All 'Western Christendom,' as it is called, is to-day commemorating the Pentecostal gift. My text speaks about that power that 'worketh in us mightily.' True, the Apostle is speaking in reference to the fiery energy and persistent toil which characterised him in proclaiming Christ, that …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Gospel-Hope
'The hope of the Gospel.'--COL. i. 5. 'God never sends mouths but He sends meat to feed them,' says the old proverb. And yet it seems as if that were scarcely true in regard to that strange faculty called Hope. It may well be a question whether on the whole it has given us more pleasure than pain. How seldom it has been a true prophet! How perpetually its pictures have been too highly coloured! It has cast illusions over the future, colouring the far-off hills with glorious purple which, reached, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Next Performance is Mainly Directed against Faith in the Church...
The next performance is mainly directed against faith in the Church, as a society of Divine origin. "The Rev. Henry Bristow Wilson, B.D., Vicar of Great Staughton, Hunts," claims that a National Church shall be regarded as a purely secular Institution,--the spontaneous development of the State. "If all priests and ministers of religion could at one moment be swept from the face of the Earth, they would soon be reproduced [76] ." The Church is concerned with Ethics, not with Divinity. It should therefore …
John William Burgon—Inspiration and Interpretation

All Fulness in Christ
The text is a great deep, we cannot explore it, but we will voyage over its surface joyously, the Holy Spirit giving us a favorable wind. Here are plenteous provisions far exceeding, those of Solomon, though at the sight of that royal profusion, Sheba's queen felt that there was no more spirit in her, and declared that the half had not been told to her. It may give some sort of order to our thoughts if they fall under four heads. What is here spoken of--"all fullness." Where is it placed--"in him," …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

Thankful Service.
(Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.) COL. i. 12. "Giving thanks." In one of our northern coal-pits there was a little boy employed in a lonely and dangerous part of the mine. One day a visitor to the coal-pit asked the boy about his work, and the child answered, "Yes, it is very lonely here, but I pick up the little bits of candle thrown away by the colliers, and join them together, and when I get a light I sing." My brothers, every day of our lives we are picking up blessings which the loving …
H. J. Wilmot-Buxton—The Life of Duty, a Year's Plain Sermons, v. 2

Twenty-Third Day for the Holy Spirit in Your Own Work
WHAT TO PRAY.--For the Holy Spirit in your own Work "I labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily."--COL. i. 29. You have your own special work; make it a work of intercession. Paul laboured, striving according to the working of God in him. Remember, God is not only the Creator, but the Great Workman, who worketh all in all. You can only do your work in His strength, by Him working in you through the Spirit. Intercede much for those among whom you work, till God gives …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

Knowledge and Obedience.
"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father."--COL. i. 9-12. The Epistles …
W. H. Griffith Thomas—The Prayers of St. Paul

The Inheritance.
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.--Ep. to the Colossians i. 12. To have a share in any earthly inheritance, is to diminish the share of the other inheritors. In the inheritance of the saints, that which each has, goes to increase the possession of the rest. Hear what Dante puts in the mouth of his guide, as they pass through Purgatory:-- Perche s'appuntano i vostri desiri Dove per compagnia parte si scema, Invidia muove …
George MacDonald—Unspoken Sermons

The Disciple, -- Master, if Thou Wouldst Make a Special Manifestation of Thyself to The...
The Disciple,--Master, if Thou wouldst make a special manifestation of Thyself to the world, men would no longer doubt the existence of God and Thy own divinity, but all would believe and enter on the path of righteousness. The Master,--1. My son, the inner state of every man I know well, and to each heart in accordance with its needs I make Myself known; and for bringing men into the way of righteousness there is no better means than the manifestation of Myself. For man I became man that he might …
Sadhu Sundar Singh—At The Master's Feet

Victory Found
AT THE close of this little volume it seems fitting to recount again a wonderful personal experience, narrated in The Sunday School Times of December 7, 1918. I do not remember the time when I did not have in some degree a love for the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour. When not quite twelve years of age, at a revival meeting, I publicly accepted and confessed Christ as my Lord and Master. From that time there grew up in my heart a deep yearning to know Christ in a more real way, for he seemed so unreal, …
Rosalind Goforth—How I Know God Answers Prayer

section 3
But we will go back from this glimpse of God's ultimate purpose for us, to watch the process by which it is reached, so far as we can trace it in the ripening of the little annuals. The figure will not give us all the steps by which God gets His way in the intricacies of a human soul: we shall see no hint in it of the cleansing and filling that is needed in sinful man before he can follow the path of the plant. It shows us some of the Divine principles of the new life rather than a set sequence of …
I. Lilias Trotter—Parables of the Christ-life

Christ and Man in the Atonement
OUR conception of the relations subsisting between God and man, of the manner in which these relations are affected by sin, and particularly of the Scripture doctrine of the connection between sin and death, must determine, to a great extent, our attitude to the Atonement. The Atonement, as the New Testament presents it, assumes the connection of sin and death. Apart from some sense and recognition of such connection, the mediation of forgiveness through the death of Christ can only appear an arbitrary, …
James Denney—The Death of Christ

The Mystical Union with Immanuel.
"Christ in you the hope of glory." --Col. i. 27. The union of believers with Christ their Head is not effected by instilling a divine-human life-tincture into the soul. There is no divine-human life. There is a most holy Person, who unites in Himself the divine and the human life; but both natures continue unmixed, unblended, each retaining its own properties. And since there is no divine-human life in Jesus, He can not instil it into us. We do heartily acknowledge that there is a certain conformity …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

A Preliminary Discourse to Catechising
'If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.' - Col 1:23. Intending next Lord's day to enter upon the work of catechising, it will not be amiss to give you a preliminary discourse, to show you how needful it is for Christians to be well instructed in the grounds of religion. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.' I. It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith. II. The best way for Christians to be settled is to be well grounded. I. It is the duty of Christians …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Fourthly; all the [Credenda, Or] Doctrines, which the True, Simple, and Uncorrupted Christian Religion Teaches,
(that is, not only those plain doctrines which it requires to be believed as fundamental and of necessity to eternal salvation, but even all the doctrines which it teaches as matters of truth,) are, though indeed many of them not discoverable by bare reason unassisted with revelation; yet, when discovered by revelation, apparently most agreeable to sound unprejudiced reason, have every one of them a natural tendency, and a direct and powerful influence to reform men's minds, and correct their manners, …
Samuel Clarke—A Discourse Concerning the Being and Attributes of God

The Best Things Work for Good to the Godly
WE shall consider, first, what things work for good to the godly; and here we shall show that both the best things and the worst things work for their good. We begin with the best things. 1. God's attributes work for good to the godly. (1). God's power works for good. It is a glorious power (Col. i. 11), and it is engaged for the good of the elect. God's power works for good, in supporting us in trouble. "Underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. xxxiii. 27). What upheld Daniel in the lion's den? …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Of Love to God
I proceed to the second general branch of the text. The persons interested in this privilege. They are lovers of God. "All things work together for good, to them that love God." Despisers and haters of God have no lot or part in this privilege. It is children's bread, it belongs only to them that love God. Because love is the very heart and spirit of religion, I shall the more fully treat upon this; and for the further discussion of it, let us notice these five things concerning love to God. 1. The …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

The Rise of the Assyrian Empire
PHOENICIA AND THE NORTHERN NATIONS AFTER THE DEATH OP RAMSES III.--THE FIRST ASSYRIAN EMPIRE: TIGLATH-PILESUR I.--THE ARAMAEANS AND THE KHATI. The continuance of Egyptian influence over Syrian civilization after the death of Ramses III.--Egyptian myths in Phoenicia: Osiris and Isis at Byblos--Horus, Thot, and the origin of the Egyptian alphabet--The tombs at Arvad and the Kabr-Hiram; Egyptian designs in Phoenician glass and goldsmiths'work--Commerce with Egypt, the withdrawal of Phoenician colonies …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6

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