One aspect of reconciliation takes us back to the days of Abraham.  Up

to Genesis 11 no one nation was more favoured than another, but in the days

of Nimrod and Babel it appears that the nations gave up God by plunging into

idolatry, and that therefore God gave up the nations, leaving them to walk in

darkness.  This is not only taught in Romans 1:18-32, but in Acts 17:30,

where the apostle speaks of a period when the nations walked in darkness and

ignorance, while Israel had light and law.  In Genesis 12 we have the call of

Abram, and the promise that of him the Lord would make a great nation.  While

this had ultimate blessing in view, it operated for a time in restricting the

purpose of God to Israelitish channels, and as Israel came into prominence

and favour the Gentile nations lapsed more and more into ignorance.

Just as the giving up of the nations coincided with the taking up of

Israel, so in its turn, the reconciling of the nations is made known as

Israel fall into ignorance, and are set aside: `For if the casting away of

them (Israel) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of

them (Israel) be, but life from the dead?' (Rom. 11:15).  This is the

reconciliation viewed nationally.

`So that, if any one be in Christ, there is a new creation; old things

have passed away; behold, it has become new! Yet all things are of that

God Who is reconciling us to Himself through Christ, and is giving us the

ministry of the reconciliation (same word as "atonement" in Rom. 5:11);

how that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not

reckoning their offences to them, and placing in us the word of

reconciliation.  On behalf of Christ, therefore, are we ambassadors for

Christ, as if God were beseeching through us, we pray on behalf of Christ,

Be ye reconciled to God.  For Him Who knew no sin, on behalf of us He made

(to be) sin, in order that we might become (the) righteousness of God in

Him' (2 Cor. 5:17-21).

These words are a great depth: they must either be studied with some

measure of fulness, or left as they stand.  For our present purpose they

speak for themselves, and the parallels with Romans that suggest themselves

will be sufficient comment.

The word apokatallasso is reserved for the revelation of the Mystery.

Ephesians 3 establishes the complete and full agreement between every member

of the Body of Christ, by totally destroying all fleshly distinctions, and

creating one new man in Christ.  This church is reconciled to God in One

Body, complete and perfect.  Colossians 1 brings reconciliation to its goal,

by the final adjustment of the church of the One Body in the new creation,

with its heavenly associates -- the principalities, powers, and invisible yet

mighty dwellers in the super-heavenlies, which are specified in Colossians

If Romans 5 speaks of boasting in the hope of the glory of God,

Colossians 1 overwhelms us with it.  There, as in Romans 5, aliens and

enemies are fully reconciled.  The `access' of Romans 5 is filled out to the

full in Ephesians 2:18; 3:12.  The `grace wherein we stand' of Romans 5 is

eclipsed by the `meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light', and

the presentation of the reconciled believer `holy, and blameless, and

irreproachable, in His presence' is a marvellous expansion of the believer's