Colossians 2:9

for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,

'FOR' -'This is the reason why the Colossians were to be on their guard against any vain philosophy that might turn them away from Christ.' (Erdman pp. 75-76) This is the real reason why all the 'treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ.' Carefully note that loyalty to Christ is much more than just. human kind of loyalty, i.e. you gave your word, so support this man or program. It is. loyalty rooted in "who" Christ is. Human philosophy is to be rejected, simply because it can't even come close to what Christ offers the Christian. For Jesus is God!

'This is an irresistible argument. Any system not after Christ must be human and wrong--"for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"..' (Eadie p. 137)

'IN HIM' -i.e. in Christ (Colossians 2:8).

'DWELLETH' -2730. katoikeo kat-oy-keh'-o; from 2596 and 3611; to house permanently, i.e. reside (literally or figuratively): -dwell(-er), inhabitant(-ter).

-The word "dwelleth" is in the present tense. 'The indwelling of the divine fullness in Him is characteristic of Him...from all ages and to all ages. Hence the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Him before His incarnation..(1 Peter 2:6)..(John 1:1).' (Vincent p. 487)

-It dwelled in Him during His incarnation (John 14:6), and after His incarnation.

-'Permanently dwells' (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 523)

'ALL THE FULNESS' -'The teachers of error may have talked of the fullness of divine being distributed among. hierarchy of spirit-powers, through which it was filtered down to this world. Christians had something better. They had Christ, the personal revelation of the Father, the one mediator between God and human beings, in whom..the plentitude of deity was embodied.' (Bruce pp. 100-101)

'The false teachers represented the fulness of the Godhead has distributed among the angels' (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 523)

'FULNESS' -4138. pleroma play'-ro-mah; from 4137; repletion or completion, i.e. (subjectively) what fills (as contents, supplement, copiousness, multitude), or (objectively) what is filled (as container, performance, period): -which is put in to fill up, piece that filled up, fulfilling, full, fulness.

-'it is the whole fulness--not one cycle of Divine perfections--a single cluster of Divine properties--not. partial possession of isolated glories--nor. handful of meted and fractional resources.' (Eadie p. 137)

-Same as Colossians 1:19, Colossians 1:19. 'is emphatic, the whole fulness dwells in Christ, therefore it is vain to seek it wholly or partially outside of Him' (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 523)

'OF THE GODHEAD' -2320. theotes theh-ot'-ace; from 2316; divinity (abstractly): -godhead.

-'the very essence of God' (Robertson p. 491). 'the divine nature' (Vincent p. 486)

-'denotes the essence or content of divine being, that indeed which constitutes God...The word "deity", and its corresponding word in the Greek, denotes the "being God". Christ is not only Godlike; he is God.' (Erdman p. 76)

Vine points out the difference between 'Godhead' of Romans 1:20 which is seen in creation, and the 'Godhead' of Colossians 2:9 that is seen in Christ. The attributes (i.e. power, etc..) of God are demonstrated in creation (Romans 1:20). But along with the attributes of God, the Divine essence of Godhood, the Personality of God. is seen in Jesus Christ. 'They were no mere rays of Divine glory which gilded Him, lighting up His Person for. season and with. splendor not His own; but He was, and is, absolute and perfect God.' (Vine 'Divinity'. pp. 328-329)

Point to Note:

The word "Godhead" or "Godhood" often confuses people. Until they remember such words as "manhood", "womanhood" and "childhood". Manhood is to possess the qualities of being. man, likewise womanhood is to possess the qualities of being. woman, and childhood is to possess the qualities of being. child. In like manner, Godhood is the state of possessing all the qualities which make God, God. And only three persons possess 'Godhood', i.e. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

'BODILY' -4985. somatikos so-mat-ee-koce'; adverb from 4984; corporeally or physically: -bodily.

Points to Note:

1. Quite. bit of discussion exists on what the word "bodily" means. The best way to unravel any difficultly is to state what we already know from other passages: (a) Jesus didn't have. physical body before He came to this earth (Hebrews 10:5). (b) The fulness of the Godhead dwelled in Jesus before the incarnation (John 1:1; Isaiah 2:6). (c) The fullness of the Godhead dwelled in Jesus, and was found dwelling in. physical body during the incarnation (John 1:1; John 1:14; John 5:18; John 14:9; 1 Peter 2:6). (d) The fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus after the incarnation, i.e. Jesus is fully God now in heaven (Hebrews 1:8; Colossians 1:15-17).

2. The real question is: Since the word "dwelleth" is in the present tense. is this passage teaching that Jesus presently dwells in the body (albeit-glorified and resurrected) that He possessed while upon this earth? Erdman notes, 'In the glorified bodily form of Christ all the plentitude of deity permanently dwells.' (p. 76)

Passages such as Acts 1:11; 1 Peter 3:21 'the body of His glory'; 1 John 3:2; and Revelation 1:12. seem to endorse the same idea, i.e. Jesus currently dwells in His glorified resurrected body. The same type of bodily condition that all Christians will dwell in (1 Corinthians 15:1).

3. This passage provides the Christian with. wealth of information and contradicts. number of modern religious misconceptions:

a. The Jehovah Witnesses are wrong, Jesus isn't. little 'g', god. In him ALL THE FULNESS OF WHAT MAKES GOD, GOD, DWELLS. In fact, the Jehovah Witnesses are found having more in common with the Gnostics than Paul. For the Witnesses have. gradual progression up to God the Father, i.e. an impersonal Holy Spirit,. personal, "created-god" (Jesus), and then the eternal God-the Father. The Gnostics taught much the same thing, they just added more "beings" on the ladder.

b. Those who claim that Jesus wasn't fully God while He was upon the earth are also found in error. 'ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD DWELLED IN JESUS, IN. BODILY FORM'. The incarnation wasn't about Jesus becoming "less" than God. The incarnation was. Being who possesses the fullness of Godhood dwelling in. fully human body (John 1:1; John 1:14).

c. The word "bodily". Contradicts the claim that the physical body of Jesus was simply an illusion. It condemns those who had. contempt for the body and the material world. God not only created the material world (Colossians 1:16), He (Himself, everything that makes Him-God) actually dwelled in part of it. 'Paul here disposes of the Docetic theory that Jesus had no human body as well as the Cerinthian separation between the man Jesus and the aeon Christ. He asserts plainly the deity and the humanity of Jesus Christ in corporeal form.' (Robertson p. 491)

While Jesus was upon this earth, we find Deity and Humanity perfectly merged: (a) He was called both the Son of Man and the Son of God. (b) He had all the natural appetites of man (hunger- Matthew 4:2; thirst- John 19:28; the need for rest (John 4:6). (c) At the same time we find all the powers of God The power over nature- Matthew 8:26; over disease- Mark 2:1; over spiritual beings- Mark 1:34; over the material creation- Matthew 14:15; over the realm of death- John 11:1; the power to forgive sins- Matthew 9:6; the power of omniscience- John 2:24; omnipresence- Luke 4:30; John 3:13 (?); an eternal nature- John 8:58.