Lexical Summary pléróma: Fullness, completion, that which fills Original Word: πλήρωμα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fullness, fulfilling, full, From pleroo; 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. see GREEK pleroo HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 4138 plḗrōma – "sum total, fulness, even (super) abundance" (BAGD). See 4130 (plēthō). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pléroó Definition fullness, a filling up NASB Translation all...contains (1), fulfillment (2), full (2), fullness (10), patch (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4138: πλήρωμαπλήρωμα, πληρώματος, τό (πληρόω), the Sept. for מְלֹא; 1. etymologically it has a passive sense, that which is (or has been) filled; very rarely so in classical Greek: a ship, inasmuch as it is filled (i. e. manned) with sailors, rowers, and soldiers; ἀπό δύο πληρωματων Ἐμάχοντο, Lucian, ver. hist. 2, 37; πέντε εἶχον πληρώματα, ibid. 38. In the N. T. the body of believers, as that which is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ: τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Ephesians 4:13 (see ἡλικία, 1 c. (cf. Winers Grammar, § 30, 3 N. T; Buttmann, 155 (136))); 2. that which fills or with which a thing is filled: so very frequently in classical Greek from Herodotus down; especially of those things with which ships are filled, freight and merchandise, sailors, oarsmen, soldiers (cf. our 'complement' (yet cf. Lightfoot as below, p. 258f)) (of the animals filling Noah's ark, Philo de vit. Moys. ii. § 12); πλήρωμα πόλεως, the inhabitants or population filling a city, Plato, de rep. 2, p. 371 e.; Aristotle, polit. 3, 13, p. 1284{a}, 5; 4,4, p. 1291a, 17; others. So in the N. T. ἡ γῆ καί τό πλήρωμα αὐτῆς, whatever fills the earth or is contained in it, 1 Corinthians 10:26, 28 Rec. (Psalm 23:1 3. fullness, abundance: John 1:16; Colossians 1:19; Colossians 2:9; full number, Romans 11:25. 4. equivalent to πλήρωσις (see καύχημα, 2), i. e. a fulfilling, keeping: τοῦ νόμου (see πληρόω, 2 c. α.), Romans 13:10. For a full discussion of this word see Fritzsche, Ep. ad Romans, ii., p. 469ff; (especially Lightfoot's Commentary on Colossians, p. 257ff). πλήρωμα denotes that which fills, the state of being filled, or the sum total that makes something complete. Scripture applies the term to cloth, baskets, time, the created order, Israel and the Gentiles, the incarnate Christ, the Church, divine love, and apostolic blessing. Together the references reveal a single, coherent testimony: God plans, provides, and perfects until His purposes stand complete. Concrete Illustrations of Abundance • Matthew 9:16 and Mark 2:21 use πλήρωμα for the “patch” that fills a tear. The new patch and old garment are incompatible, picturing the incompatibility of the new covenant with old-covenant legalism. Fullness in Redemptive History • Galatians 4:4: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.” History reached its God-appointed climax in the incarnation. Christological Fullness • Colossians 1:19: “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him.” Jesus is not merely filled by God; He embodies the complete divine nature permanently. Out of that inexhaustible plenitude He continually supplies grace to believers. Ecclesiological Fullness • Ephesians 1:22–23: God “placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” The Church shares, manifests, and is sustained by Christ’s own fullness. Ethical Fulfillment Romans 13:10: “Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.” Love is the moral πλήρωμα, completing what the Law aimed for by embodying its intent in relational righteousness. Apostolic Ministry and Mission Romans 15:29: Paul expects to come to Rome “in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.” Gospel ministry is not a mere transmission of information but the conveyance of Christ’s plenitude to the saints. Theological Synthesis 1. Origin: Fullness belongs intrinsically to God. Pastoral Implications • Assurance: Since Christ contains all divine fullness, believers lack nothing necessary for life and godliness. Summary Strong’s 4138 weaves through Scripture as a golden thread of completion—material, temporal, redemptive, and personal—culminating in Christ and flowing into His people until creation itself is filled with the glory of God. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 9:16 N-NNSGRK: γὰρ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ NAS: garment; for the patch pulls away KJV: for that which is put in to fill it up taketh INT: indeed the patch of it from Mark 2:21 N-NNS Mark 6:43 N-ANP Mark 8:20 N-ANP John 1:16 N-GNS Romans 11:12 N-NNS Romans 11:25 N-NNS Romans 13:10 N-NNS Romans 15:29 N-DNS 1 Corinthians 10:26 N-NNS 1 Corinthians 10:28 Noun-NNS Galatians 4:4 N-NNS Ephesians 1:10 N-GNS Ephesians 1:23 N-NNS Ephesians 3:19 N-ANS Ephesians 4:13 N-GNS Colossians 1:19 N-NNS Colossians 2:9 N-NNS Strong's Greek 4138 |
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