169 Origen, Commentary on John 1.35.
168Cf. Eph. 2:13, 16, where the reconciliation of Gentiles and Jews in one new humanity is effected ἐν τῷ αἵματɩ τοῦ Xϱɩστοῦ . . . δɩὰ τοῦ σταυϱοῦ. It is God who makes peace through Christ: the nominative participle εἰϱηνοποɩήσας agrees in sense if not in form with the subject of εὐδóϰησεν, and if the subject is πᾶν τò πλήϱωμα that (being the fullness of deity, as explained in Col. 2:9) is equivalent in meaning to ὁ θεóς. The compound verb εἰϱηνοποɩέω (cf. the adjective εἰϱηνοποɩóς in Matt. 5:9) occurs here only in the NT; the similar passage in Eph. 2:15 has the two separate words ποɩѽν εἰϱήνην (where Christ is the subject). The “blood of his cross” (the literal rendering of τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυϱοῦ) means his death by crucifixion, with some emphasis on the sacrificial character of his death. Cf. J. Behm, TDNT 1, pp. 174-75 (s.v. αἷμα); L. Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, pp. 112-28.
169Origen, Commentary on John 1.35.
170Cf. J. Denney, The Death of Christ (London, 61907), pp. 194-200. E. Percy (Die Probleme, p. 95) holds that Col. 1:21 must be understood in the light of Col. 2:15. Both passages presume a certain hostility on the part of these powers toward God and Christ; they are reduced through subjugation (cf. 1 Cor. 15:28), and Christ’s victory has reduced them to the status of ἀσθενῆ ϰαὶ πτωϰὰ στοɩϰεῖα (cf. Gal. 4:9). Cf. also J. Michl, “Die Versöhnung Kol 1, 21,” TQ 128 (1948), 442-62; B. N. Wambacq, “Per eum reconciliare . . . ,” RB 55 (1948), 35-42; P. T. O’Brien, “Col. 1:20 and the Reconciliation of All Things,” RTR 35 (1974), 45-53.
171Cf. A. M. Hunter, Interpreting Paul’s Gospel, p. 54; for the contrary view, that universal reconciliation in the full sense of the restoration of friendly relations is meant, see W. Michaelis, Versöhnung des Alls: Die frohe Botschaft von der Gnade Gottes (Bern, 1950), pp. 25-30.
172Isa. 24:21.