1:22a

But now: In this verse Paul contrasted the way the Colossians were before they believed in Christ with the way they were now, that is, after they had become believers.

He has reconciled you: See the note on 1:20a. You should translate the word reconciled here the same way as you did in 1:20.

He: There are a number of pronouns in the Greek text of this verse and it is not clear to whom they refer. Scholars do not agree about who is the subject of the verb “reconciled.” It could be either God or Christ. Most commentators and English versions prefer God as the subject, and this is consistent with all that the NT teaches. So it is recommended that you clarify that God is the subject in your translation.

1:22b

by Christ’s physical body through death: This is similar to what Paul said in 1:20c. God reconciled the Colossians to himself by means of Christ’s…death.

Christ’s physical body: The Greek literally says, “the body of his flesh” (see Revised Standard Version). Paul was emphasizing that Christ had a physical body, a human body.

1:22c

to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence: This states the purpose of 1:22a. God had reconciled the Colossians to himself in order to present them holy, unblemished, and blameless. The subject of this part of the verse is the same as the subject of 1:22a, that is, God. See the note on 1:22a. So Paul was saying, “God has reconciled you…in order that he ⌊God⌋ can present you…”

to present you…in His presence: This means, “to cause you to be in his presence,” or “to bring you to be where he is.” Scholars do not agree about when this happens:

(1) Many scholars say that these words refer to the future, that is, to the day when God will judge everyone.

(2) Some scholars believe that Paul was writing about something that is already true. By means of Christ’s death, God has already brought those who believe in him into his presence and caused them to be holy and pure.

(Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004))

Both these interpretations are true, and are taught elsewhere in the Bible. Many English versions are ambiguous because the Greek text could mean either. The Display follows the first interpretation (1), since most commentaries prefer it.

holy, unblemished, and blameless:
: Paul uses three words or phrases that mean almost the same thing.

holy: The Greek word hagios that the Berean Standard Bible translates holy normally means “dedicated to God.” In this context, the meaning is “pure.” (See “holy” in Key Biblical Terms and meaning 2 in the glossary).

unblemished: The Greek word amōmos that the Berean Standard Bible translates unblemished is a term that is used to describe an animal that has no cuts, bruises, or other physical problems—an animal that is acceptable as a sacrifice (1 Peter 1:19; Exodus 12:5). Here it means “morally pure, having no sins.”

blameless: The Greek word anegklētos which the Berean Standard Bible translates blameless means that no one can accuse believers before God and say they are guilty of sinning.

If your language does not have three different terms for these concepts, there are several ways you can combine them. The main reason Paul used three separate words with similar meanings was to strengthen his statement. The SSA suggests that the meaning is simply, “in order that you should be completely holy.” Another way to translate these three terms is:

completely pure and without blame in any way

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