As we continue the God’s Image study, our examination of Jesus’ anointing brings us to another important word: fullness.
Peter describes God anointing Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power. Paul describes the fullness dwelling in Christ. Jesus speaks of the Father abiding in him and doing the works.
I want to bring these passages together carefully.
How do they help us understand what is present in Jesus while preserving his relationship to the Father?
“All the Fullness of Deity”
Paul writes:
“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily”
— Colossians 2:9, LSB
Every part of that statement deserves attention.
The Greek word translated fullness is plērōma (πλήρωμα). It can describe fullness, completeness, or that which fills. Here, the surrounding words identify the fullness being discussed: the fullness of Deity. Greek: plērōma.
The word translated Deity is theotēs (θεότης), meaning deity or Godhood. It is a strong expression. We should not reduce it to ordinary goodness, wisdom, or the ability to perform miracles. Greek: theotēs.
Paul describes that fullness as dwelling bodily in Christ.
I want to preserve the entire statement before asking what conclusion it supports.
The Fullness and Reconciliation
Earlier in the letter, Paul describes all the fullness as pleased to dwell in Christ, then connects the passage with reconciliation through him and peace made through the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:19–20.
The fullness belongs within an account of God’s purpose being accomplished through Christ.
That gives us more to examine than an isolated description. We have indwelling, reconciliation, and the work accomplished through his death.
For this study, I want to keep those relationships visible as we consider Jesus’ own explanation of his words and works.
The Father Abiding in Him
Jesus says:
“the Father abiding in Me does His works.”
— John 14:10, LSB
In the same verse, he describes himself as in the Father and the Father as in him. He also explains that his words do not originate from himself independently.
The relationship is intimate, and Jesus gives the Father’s activity a central place in his explanation.
When I bring this beside Colossians, I see a connection worth following: the fullness dwelling in Christ and the Father abiding in him.
These passages use different expressions. Reading them together helps me consider how God is revealed and active in the Son without removing the distinction Jesus himself expresses.
The Words of the One Who Sent Him
John also connects sending, speech, and Spirit:
“For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God”
— John 3:34, LSB
The verse continues by speaking of the Spirit being given without measure. The following verse describes the Father loving the Son and placing all things into his hand.
Again, the passage preserves a relationship.
Jesus is sent and speaks God’s words. The Father loves and gives. The extent of what the Son receives does not make those actions disappear.
This helps me understand why we need to examine both what is present in Jesus and what Jesus says about its source.
From the Father, Through Jesus
The distinction we examined in 1 Corinthians 8:6 remains important: the Father is identified as the one God from whom all things are, and Jesus Christ as the one Lord through whom we exist.
I understand the fullness passages alongside that relationship.
The Father works through the Son. Jesus reveals the Father and speaks His words. God’s presence and activity in him are central to the account.
That is the connection I am following. It comes from comparing the passages, rather than treating the word fullness alone as an explanation of every aspect of their relationship.
Does “Fullness” Mean “Almighty”?
Colossians 2:9 explicitly affirms the fullness of Deity dwelling bodily in Christ. It does not explicitly call Jesus the Almighty.
Those are different statements.
If someone uses this verse to establish that Jesus is the Almighty, the reasoning connecting those claims needs to be shown. The conclusion should not be silently substituted for the wording.
At the same time, I must give Paul’s description its full weight. I cannot make the passage easier by weakening Deity into something less than it says.
My responsibility is to keep the evidence together: the fullness in Christ, the Father abiding in him, and the relationship between the One who sends and the one sent.
Why This Matters to Our Study
The first commandment calls us to put no other god before YHWH (יהוה).
For me, understanding that responsibility includes listening carefully when Jesus explains the Father’s place in his words and works.
Honoring Jesus means taking his explanation seriously. Recognizing the fullness in him should lead me to examine more deeply how he reveals the Father.
I want to resist the habit of choosing one passage and allowing it to silence another. Each statement deserves its place.
What Am I Allowing the Text to Say?
When I read fullness, do I immediately attach an explanation I have already accepted?
Have I examined what the word means, what fills out its meaning in this sentence, and how the surrounding passage develops it?
Can I explain my conclusion without changing the wording?
These questions belong to me as much as to anyone reading alongside me.
And the purpose remains connected to Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 22:37–40: wholehearted love for God and love for our neighbor.
I want a clearer understanding to produce greater faithfulness—in what I believe, what I teach, and how I treat people.
Threads to Follow
Fullness: Examining plērōma in its setting.
Deity: Giving Paul’s description its full weight.
The Father abiding in the Son: Following Jesus’ explanation of his works.
Sending, speech, and Spirit: Keeping the relationships visible.
From and through: Bringing the comparison back to 1 Corinthians 8:6.
Text and conclusion: Showing how we reach what we believe.
The books were opened…
🌿 By Maria Emilia
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