The Hope of the Gospel

“I now pronounce you husband and wife!” In the right context and spoken by the right person, these are beautiful and powerful words. Philosopher J. L. Austin calls this type of statement a “speech-act.” That is, in the speaking of certain words, an action is taking place. With this statement, the bride and groom, who were two separate people before, now have become one—a married couple.

In today’s passage, Paul reflects on the major change of status that the Colossian believers have undergone. They used to be in a precarious position before God. They were alienated from Him and lived as His enemies. This status was reinforced by their wrong thinking and evil behavior (v. 21). Yet, all has changed because of what Christ has done.

Paul declares that we are no longer enemies of God because “he has reconciled you” (v. 22). On our own, we would stand before God condemned. But Christ died to present us to God “holy,” “without blemish,” and, most importantly, “free from accusation” (v. 22)!

Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection made our salvation and justification possible, but there is still an important part for us to play. Paul’s argument leads up to the if in verse 23: “if you continue in your faith.” Paul strongly encourages believers to root themselves in the faith and hope of the gospel in order to persevere to the end. Commentator Doug Moo puts it this way: “God does, indeed, by His grace and through His Spirit, work to preserve His people so that they will be vindicated in the judgment; but, at the same time, God’s people are responsible to persevere in their faith if they expect to see that vindication.”

Pray with Us

A Moody veteran, Dr. Timothy Arens, VP and dean of Student Life, has guided, encouraged, and prayed with thousands of students throughout his career at MBI. As we pray for Dr. Arens, please express gratitude to God for his faithful ministry.

BY Ryan Cook

Dr. Ryan Cook has taught at Moody Bible Institute since 2012. He earned his bachelor of arts in Bible and Theology from Moody and his master of arts in Old Testament from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He has worked in Christian education and served as a pastor in Michigan for seven years. During his time as a professor at Moody, he earned his doctorate from Asbury Theological Seminary. He now lives with his wife, Ashley, and their three children in the Chicagoland area.