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In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Colossians 1:22 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,
  • BSB But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—
  • NKJV in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
  • NASB yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
  • NLT Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Now Christ has reconciled them through His physical death, to present them holy and blameless before God. The goal of reconciliation is a people made spotless.

Overview

Reconciliation came 'in the body of his flesh through death,' stressing the reality of Christ's bodily incarnation and crucifixion. Its purpose is 'to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,' sacrificial language describing the believer's perfect standing. What we could not achieve, Christ accomplished for us at the cross.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • Eph 5:27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
  • Eph 1:4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
  • Jude 1:24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
  • Heb 10:10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
  • Titus 2:14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
  • Rom 7:4Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
  • Heb 10:20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
  • Eph 2:15–16Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
  • Heb 13:21Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
  • 2 Cor 11:2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
  • 2 Pet 3:14Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
  • 1 Th 4:7For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
  • Luke 1:75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
  • Ps 51:7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
  • Job 15:15Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
  • Job 25:5Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (9)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Colossians videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Colossians 1:22YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ColossiansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The image of the invisible God, firstborn over creation, in whom all things hold together and all the fullness of God dwells bodily — supreme over every power.

How Colossians 1:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.