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Some, from the Greek, would (not have that clause we read in a parenthesis to come next the copulative and, but) have it: And by himself he should reconcile unto himself (in or to himself) all things, (having made or obtained peace through the blood of his cross), I say, &c. But the reading of that sentence in the parenthesis after, or before the reconciliation of all things, as we do, because of the next following distribution, is not very material as to the sense of the thing, redemption, Col_1:14, or rather, the manner or means of reconciliation unto God by Christ, in whom the fulness of all Divine and human perfections was sealed for the bringing of heaven and earth together.
Having made peace through the blood of his cross: God the Father, for bringing enemies nigh unto himself in the kingdom of his dear Son, Col_1:13,19,21, was in him, 2Co_5:18,19, who having took on him the seed of Abraham, Heb_2:16, and because without shedding of blood there could be no remission, or being brought nigh, Eph_2:13 Heb_9:12,22,23, according to his Father’s ordination and agreement with him for the expiation of sin, became obedient unto death, that cursed death of the cross, Isa_53:5 Gal_3:13 Phi_2:8; and by that bloody sacrifice of himself, there once perfected, Heb_9:14 10:10,14, obtained peace: that by a figure being put to express his most perfect merit, as being the finishing of his obedience and passion, Col_2:14 Rom_3:25 5:10 Eph_2:16 Heb_9:12.
By him; which alone could satisfy his offended Father’s demands: angels could not shed blood which was necessary to make peace and reconcile enemies; and though some false apostles might seduce to the worshipping of them, their obedience could not be meritorious.
To reconcile all things unto himself; God designing an atonement to himself. i.e. God the Father, (and, by consequence, to the whole Trinity), did it by Christ, in whom all fulness dwelling there was a proper fitness upon his Father’s call, Isa_42:1,4,6, with Heb_9:1-28, for so perfect a work as to take away the enmity of those alienated from God, and to bring them into favour again. The great inquiry is about the extent of this reconciliation, because the apostle mentions all things (rather than all persons); and then, having emphatically repeated by him, viz. Christ as God-man, and none other, Act_4:12, he adds a distribution of all things, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. To answer which, all things may be understood, either:
1. Restrictively to the subject, the universal church of which Christ is the Head; so he doth not mean all things whatsoever, unlimitedly, but with respect to the subject matter, as, Col_1:21, all things which being alienated from God are reconciled to him; i.e. whatsoever things are reconciled are by him reconciled, all relating to the subject matter of reconciliation, (as all made to creation, Col_1:16), all the real subjects of his kingdom, whether gathered and gone to heaven before in hope of the Messiah to come, or now and hereafter shall be gathered, Act_15:11 Rom_3:25 Eph_3:15 Heb_11:39,40 12:23: yet this doth not altogether satisfy some, by reason of the sublimity of the apostle’s word in the distribution; and ordinarily in Scripture, by things in heaven are meant the angels, whose natural seat it is, spirits of just men made perfect being advanced thither only by God’s gracious vouchsafement. Or:
2. Largely, as comprehending the good angels, especially if upon the foundation of reconciliation considered strictly, we take reconciliation here more generally, (as the apostle doth in his Epistle to the Ephesians, expatiating more upon this matter there than he doth here, writing more concisely and contractedly), for recapitulation, (or analogical reconciliation), bringing all under one head, the recomposing or reuniting of creatures terrestrial or celestial, upon the atonement for sinners by Christ; so that all his subjects, those that divide the state of his kingdom, are at an agreement amongst themselves and with each other; God did so by Christ conjoin miserable men with himself, that now also the holy angels are conjoined, they come under the same Head, Christ, Col_2:10 Eph_1:22, whom they worship as at his first, so second coming, Luk_2:13,14 Heb 1:6.
As men cleave to him by faith, so the angels by vision {1Ti_3:16} look upon him their Head; yet is he not their Redeemer, Col_1:14 Eph_1:3; not partaking of their nature, they are not his members as believers are (as God is the Head of Christ, yet is not he a member of God, 1Co_11:3); Christ beareth a more special relation to them, than he doth unto these principalities and powers, Eph_5:23,30,31; however, they, being under a hypothetical possibility of falling, should seem to have need of a preventive kind of reconciliation, upon that account, if their standing is otherwise secured to them, they abiding in their purity could not be friends to impure creatures, Gen_3:24; but upon the satisfaction of their Lord, their distaste and dissatisfaction is removed, they being reduced into a corporation, under Christ, with those whom he hath reconciled, Eph_1:10. As they, to the glory of the supreme Majesty, rejoiced when Christ came to seek these lost ones, so they are ministers to them that he hath made willing, Heb_1:14; they delight in the ministry of reconciliation, Eph_3:10 1Pe_1:12, attend the service with their brethren, (in doing their office), Rev_19:10 22:9, further the work, Act_8:26, rejoice when it takes effect, Luk_15:10, and carry those that are perfected to the place of their own residence, Luk_16:22, to their own innumerable assembly in the heavenly Jerusalem, Heb_12:22; waiting on Christ, (according to the typical representatives, Exo_25:19 26:1 1Ki_6:23,29), with those that are with him, and made like to him at his throne, Mat_22:30 Mar_12:25, where he sits as the Son of man, and the holy angels (as he saith) are continually ascending and descending upon him, Joh_1:51: he fills them, as the rest of his subjects,
all in all, Eph_1:21,23; they have grace by way of participation, having it from him their Head, who hath it of himself, Joh_5:26. So that upon the matter, this reconciliation of things in heaven, seems most to accord with Eph_1:9,10, and is not much unlike that in Eph_2:13,16; that which is separately said there by his blood, Col_1:13, and by the cross, Col_1:16, is here conjoined by
the blood of his cross. There is making peace in one simple word; here, (in the Greek), in a compounded one. There, that he might reconcile both unto God; here, that he might
reconcile all things unto himself, i.e. God. There he speaks only of men on earth being reconciled amongst themselves, because they had also been reconciled to God; if we take in angles also under those all, we have an allowance from that forecited Eph_1:10; yea, and in favour of the larger acceptation of reconciliation here, it may be considered that the whole creation which was put into disorder and subjected unto vanity, is in earnest expectation of the fruits of this gracious reconciliation, in being brought to a perfect harmony, to the glory of him who is all in all, Rom_8:19-23, with 1Co_15:58.