Colossians 1:20 · Bible study
Colossians 1:20 Commentary: All Things Reconciled
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How far does Christ's reconciliation extend? Colossians 1:20 declares peace through the cross for all things in heaven and on earth.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Christ reconciles the entire universe to God through His sacrificial death.
- Key words: apokatallaxai (reconcile completely, restore to harmony), eirēnopoiēsas (make peace, used only here in NT), aima (blood, the life given as atonement).
- Main debate: Does “all things” mean every individual creature, or the whole created order in its collective scope?
- Theological theme: Christ's cosmic Lordship and the restoration of creation to its intended peace with God.
- Best use: Clarifying the scope of the atonement and grounding hope for creation's renewal.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.
KJV King James Version 1769
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and through him to reconcile the all things to himself--having made peace through the blood of his cross--through him, whether the things upon the earth, whether the things in the heavens.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and by him to reconcile all things to itself, having made peace by the blood of his cross — by him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth and the things that are in heaven.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y por él reconciliar todas las cosas á sí, pacificando por la sangre de su cruz, así lo que está en la tierra como lo que está en los cielos.
e, havendo por ele feito a paz pelo sangue da sua cruz, por meio dele reconciliasse consigo mesmo todas as coisas, tanto as que estão na terra, como as que estão nos céus.
il a voulu par lui réconcilier tout avec lui-même, tant ce qui est sur la terre que ce qui est dans les cieux, en faisant la paix par lui, par le sang de sa croix.
und alles durch ihn versöhnt würde zu ihm selbst, es sei auf Erden oder im Himmel, damit daß er Frieden machte durch das Blut an seinem Kreuz, durch sich selbst.
En dat Hij, door Hem vrede gemaakt hebbende door het bloed Zijns kruises, door Hem, zeg ik, alle dingen verzoenen zou tot Zichzelven, hetzij de dingen, die op de aarde, hetzij de dingen die in de hemelen zijn.
e di riconciliare con sé tutte le cose per mezzo di lui, avendo fatto la pace mediante il sangue della croce d’esso; per mezzo di lui, dico, tanto le cose che sono sulla terra, quanto quelle che sono nei cieli.
I żeby przezeń z sobą pojednał wszystko, uczyniwszy pokój przez krew krzyża jego; przezeń, mówię, tak to, co jest na ziemi, jako i to, co jest na niebiesiech.
и чтобы посредством Его примирить с Собою все, умиротворив через Него, Кровию креста Его, и земное и небесное.
既然 藉著 他 在十字架 上所流的血 成就了和平，便藉著 他 叫萬有─無論 是地 上的、 天 上的─都與 自己 和好了。
Through him uniting all things with himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, uniting all things which are on earth or in heaven.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Colossians 1:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
All the consulted commentators agree that Colossians 1:20 presents Christ's cross as the sole means of cosmic peace. Vincent highlights the unique verb eirēnopoiēsas (“having made peace”), used only here in the New Testament, and the compound apokatallaxai (“to reconcile”), whose prefix apo- indicates a restoration to original harmony. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible note that the participle is contemporaneous with the act of reconciliation: peace is made through the cross, not subsequent to it. Calvin, writing against angelic mediators, insists this reconciliation belongs to Christ alone. Clarke and Wesley agree that the blood of the cross is the price of atonement. The point of tension is the phrase “all things”: Barnes limits the actual effect to those who believe, while Jamieson-Fausset-Brown explores how the work may extend even to sinless angels, though in a different mode. Yet all hold that Christ's reconciling work is the foundation for peace between God and everything created.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Universal reconciliation: The plain sense of 'all things' and verbs that signify restoration to primal harmony; cross-references like Eph 1:10 and Rom 8:19-23.
- Limited to believers: The immediate context (v. 21-22) addresses 'you' who were alienated and now reconciled; v. 23 conditions this on continuing in faith.
- Cosmic subjection with varied effects: All things are placed under Christ's headship, but not all experience it in the same way — sinless creation is confirmed, sinful creation is saved on condition of faith (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown).
What is clear: The reconciliation is accomplished through Christ's blood on the cross as a divine act initiated by the Father, and its scope extends beyond humanity to the entire created order.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of 'all things' | Christ's reconciling work encompasses both earth and heaven. | Some interpret this as universal salvation for every individual; others see it as the whole creation brought under Christ's headship, with personal salvation conditional on continued faith (cf. Col 1:23). |
| Things in heaven | The heavenly realm is affected by Christ's cross. | Some identify these as sinless angels (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown), others as Old Testament saints awaiting redemption (Clarke), and others as a general effect on the spiritual order (Barnes). |
| Nature of the peace | Peace is achieved through the blood of Christ's cross as an atoning sacrifice. | Some emphasize propitiation, appeasing God's holy wrath (Calvin, Cambridge); others emphasize the removal of human enmity through satisfaction for sin (Gill, Clarke). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes to a young church in Colossae facing a syncretistic false teaching that devalued Christ's supremacy. The heresy likely involved the worship of angelic beings as mediators (Col 2:18). Against this background, Paul constructs a sweeping vision of Christ as the image of the invisible God, the agent of creation, and the one in whom all things hold together (vv. 15, 17). Verse 20 is the climax of that vision: reconciliation is not merely personal but cosmic.
The phrase “things in heaven” puzzled ancient and modern readers. Clarke suggests it refers to believers who died under the Old Testament, who could not be saved without Christ's sacrifice. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown argue that sinless angels experience an increased blessedness and nearer access to God through the cross. Calvin focuses on the polemical point: no angel, however exalted, can mediate peace; only Christ can. The Jewish background of peace offerings (Lev 6:30) and the prophetic hope of universal peace (Isa 9:6-7; Ps 85:10) also inform this text. Paul insists that the enmity caused by sin, on earth and affecting heaven, has been decisively addressed by the blood of the cross.
The immediate context (vv. 21, 23) makes clear that Paul's readers themselves were once alienated and are now reconciled, as long as they continue in faith. The cosmic scope does not cancel the personal call; it magnifies the Power behind it.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Colossians 1:20. The manuscript tradition is stable across all major witnesses.
Reception History
In the early church, Irenaeus and Athanasius cited this verse to affirm Christ's victory over cosmic powers and the restoration of creation. Augustine used it to describe the ultimate peace of the heavenly city. During the Reformation, Calvin appealed to it against those who sought mediators other than Christ. In the Wesleyan tradition, the verse grounds a universal offer of atonement. In modern theology, it is central to Christus Victor and cosmic redemption themes, though its precise scope continues to be debated across traditions.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's initiative: The Father is the subject of the action (from v. 19). He takes pleasure in reconciling all things to Himself.
- Christ's cross: Peace is made through the blood shed on the cross. This is the price and pledge of reconciliation.
- Cosmic scope: The effects extend beyond humanity to every part of creation, earth and heaven alike.
Five-point outline
- The Source: God the Father who was pleased to act.
- The Agent: Christ, through whom all things were created and are now reconciled.
- The Method: The blood of the cross, a violent, costly sacrifice.
- The Extent: All things on earth and in heaven, the entire created order.
- The Goal: Peace, relational harmony where enmity once reigned.
Illustration hooks
- A family estranged for years. The first step toward peace is costly: one party absorbs the offense, pays the debt, and extends an offer. The cross is that cost on a cosmic scale.
- A neighborhood torn apart by a land dispute. When an outside mediator steps in to broker peace, no one is left untouched. Christ's mediation affects every corner of creation.
- A garden overgrown with weeds and thorns. Under a skilled gardener, it becomes a place of beauty. Reconciliation is the restoration of a broken world to its original purpose.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If Christ reconciled all things, why is the world still so broken and evil?”
- “Does this verse teach that everyone will be saved in the end?”
- “Who are the ‘things in heaven’, angels? The dead? How can they need reconciliation?”
Leading a Discussion
Colossians 1:20 makes a breathtaking claim: through the cross, God has made peace with the entire creation. But this raises hard questions about evil, judgment, and the ultimate fate of the world. As we explore the verse, let the tension stand, don't rush to resolve it. Listen to what the text actually says about Christ's work and its scope.
Discussion questions
- What does verse 20 tell us about why Christ had to die? How does it describe the result of that death?
- The Greek verb apokatallaxai means “reconcile back again.” What does that prefix “back” suggest about the original state of creation?
- Why do you think Paul specifies both “things on earth” and “things in heaven”? What might the Colossian false teachers have believed about the heavens that Paul is correcting?
- Read verses 21, 22. In what sense were the Colossians “alienated and enemies”? How does that connect to verse 20?
- If Christ has reconciled “all things,” how should we understand the continuing existence of evil? Is the reconciliation complete now, or is it awaiting fullness?
- How does your answer to the previous question affect the way you pray for the world and for people who do not yet believe?
- In what practical ways does this verse change how you think about nature, work, or the physical world around you?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 6:30 | No sin offering, of which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned with fire. |
| Psalms 85:10 | Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. |
| Psalms 85:11 | Truth springs out of the earth. Righteousness has looked down from heaven. |
| Isaiah 9:6 | For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. |
| Isaiah 9:7 | Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this. |
| Ezekiel 45:17 | It shall be the prince’s part to give the burnt offerings, the meal offerings, and the drink offerings, in the feasts, and on the new moons, and on the Sabbaths, in all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He shall prepare the sin offering, the meal offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.” |
| Ezekiel 45:20 | So you shall do on the seventh day of the month for everyone who errs, and for him who is simple. So you shall make atonement for the house. |
| Daniel 9:24 | “Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses that peace between God and humanity was impossible without a real atonement, and Christ's shed blood on the cross was absolutely necessary to make that atonement. He also suggests that "things in heaven" may refer to the Old Testament faithful who could not enter salvation except through this same sacrifice.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that the blood of the cross laid the foundation for universal reconciliation, but did not actually reconcile everyone. The plan is adapted to restore harmony between heaven and earth, yet change occurs only on earth’s side as sinners are brought into agreement with God.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that Christ alone is the bond uniting us to God, and that no other being, not even angels, can share this role. By shedding His blood on the cross, Christ made peace and turned away God's anger, a work that belongs to Him exclusively.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary makes a careful distinction about what "all things" reconciled includes. It argues that while sinful creation is strictly reconciled from enmity through Christ's propitiation, sinless heavenly beings are lifted into nearer participation with God through the same work. The blood of the cross specifically means propitiation, not mere life-giving.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that Christ's blood and cross are the sole means of peace, and through him alone all things—both in heaven and on earth—are reconciled to God. The repetition of "through him" drives home that no other mediator or method can accomplish this reconciliation.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that reconciliation originates from the Father's eternal good pleasure, not from any change in God's attitude but from Christ's satisfaction of divine justice. By "things in heaven" he means the elect saints already in heaven, who entered there on the basis of Christ's future sacrifice, not angels or the universe.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that Christ's reconciling work extends far beyond humanity to affect heaven itself. Sinless angels, though not needing forgiveness, are brought into closer union with God through the cross, gaining increased blessedness and larger views of His wisdom. The blood of Christ restores peace in heaven, overcoming the discord introduced by Satan's fall.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Christ's glory as the eternal Creator and the Head of the Church gives Him supreme honor in both creation and redemption. No created being, not even angels or powers, can claim the dignity that belongs to Him alone as the one in whom all fullness dwells.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights that the Greek word for having made peace appears only once in the New Testament, and he pairs it with the verb to reconcile, where the prefix carries the sense of restoring a primal unity. He insists that all things must mean the entire universe, just as in the surrounding verses.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley interprets "things in heaven" as the Old Testament saints who died before Christ came, now in paradise. He notes the enmity began on earth, which is why earthly things are mentioned first. Even those saints needed reconciliation through the blood of the cross.