What implications does Christ's fullness have for our understanding of the Trinity? The Fullness Defined • Colossians 2:9—“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.” • “Fullness” (Greek plērōma) points to total, complete, undiminished divine essence. • Paul is not speaking symbolically; the verse states a literal reality: every attribute that makes God, God is resident in Jesus’ human body. Christ’s Fullness Reveals His Deity • John 1:1—“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” • John 1:14—“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…” • Hebrews 1:3—“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature…” • These verses confirm the Colossians claim: Jesus is not partly divine; He possesses the entire divine nature. Implications for the Trinity • One Divine Essence—Col 2:9 shows that whatever makes the Father God also makes the Son God. The same essence later proceeds in the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17). • Distinct Persons—While sharing the same fullness, the Son prays to the Father (John 17:1) and sends the Spirit (John 15:26). Fullness does not erase personal distinction. • Co-equality—Philippians 2:6—“Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” Equality is grounded in the shared fullness. • Co-eternity—John 8:58—“Before Abraham was born, I am!” The fullness did not begin at Bethlehem; it is eternal. • Mutual Indwelling—John 14:10—“I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.” Fullness enables perichoresis—each Person dwelling in the Others without loss of identity. The Son Distinct Yet One with the Father and Spirit • John 10:30—“I and the Father are one.” Oneness in essence, not merely purpose. • Colossians 1:19—“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him.” The indwelling is permanent, a divine decision, not a temporary loan. • Luke 4:1—“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan…” The Spirit fills the incarnate Son, illustrating cooperative roles within the Godhead. Practical Takeaways for Worship and Doctrine • Jesus is worthy of the same worship as the Father because the same fullness of deity is His (Revelation 5:12-14). • Salvation is secure; only One possessing full deity can fully reconcile sinners to God (Colossians 1:20-22). • In Christ we encounter the whole Godhead: “For God was pleased…through Him to reconcile all things to Himself” (Colossians 1:19-20). • Any teaching that reduces Jesus to a lesser god or created being rejects the clear, literal statement of Scripture and distorts the Trinity. |
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