unfoldingWord_en_tn/col/01/21.md

# Connecting Statement:

Paul makes it clear that God has now revealed that Christ exchanges the sin of Gentile believers for his holiness.

# At one time, you also

"There was a time when you Colossian believers also"

# were strangers to God

"were like people whom God did not know" or "had pushed God away"

# to present you holy, blameless, and above reproach before him

Paul is describing the Colossians as though Jesus had physically cleaned them, put them in clean clothes, and brought them to stand before God the Father. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# blameless, and above reproach

Paul uses two words that mean almost the same thing to emphasize the idea of perfection. AT: "perfect" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])

# before him

This expression of location stands for "in God's view" or "in God's mind" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# that was proclaimed

that believers proclaimed (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])

# to every person created under heaven

"to every person in the world"

# the gospel of which I, Paul, became a servant

Paul was actually a servant of God. AT: "the gospel that I, Paul, serve God by proclaiming" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])