Colossians 2:9-10 9For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,10and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Often, when Paul thinks of Jesus Christ, it leads to a statement of praise, like verse 9. The answer for the Colossians’ spiritual and intellectual questions is found in him. Christ is the source of life and knowledge, not the different religions and philosophies thought up by people. The emerging Gnostic teachings coming out of a mix of Platonism, eastern religions, and Judaism believed Christ to be the revelation of secret knowledge from the superior and true God. Although Gnosticism was not as developed and a threat to orthodoxy until the second century, all the ingredients were present in the first. One of the beliefs of many Gnosticism is that the redeemer Jesus only appeared to be human in the flesh. In their dualism, Gnostics believed matter or the flesh to be evil and the spirit good.
In this letter, Paul makes two points clear: the Messiah Jesus is both spirit, since all creation was made by him and exists through him, and he came in the flesh. Verse 9 could be misinterpreted by Gnostics and other heresies to mean that Jesus only came in the appearance as a human but was actually just a spirit. There are two key words in this verse that need careful definition.
First, all the fullness (plērōma) of deity (theotētos) is found in Jesus Christ. The word fullness was a favorite for later Gnostics, who taught that Jesus was only spirit and an “emanation” or the primary wave or ripple of revelation from the perfect and good God. For orthodox Christians, to say that Jesus has the fullness of deity means that he is the perfect representation of God. This is a clear reference to Jesus’ divinity. He was the God-Man who perfectly reflected in human form the essential qualities of God. He is the revelation of who God is. Paul writes about this in Philippians 2:6.
Second, this divinity all the fullness of deity came in bodily (sōmatikōs) human form. This rare word occurs only here in the New Testament and emphasizes that humanity of Jesus. He came and lived the same type of life all humans have lived. His life was context specific to first-century Galilee and Israel. This statement refutes any teachings that say that Jesus was only “appeared” to be in the flesh as a phantom or spirit. Jesus bridged the impossible spanse between the Holy God and sinful humanity as the mediator (2 Timothy 2:5). No one else could do this.
The key issue with which we are confronted is authority. Will we accept the claims about Jesus and come under his supreme authority as Lord? In accepting his rule and authority requires also that we have the right understanding of who he is. He is not a glorified human that we can become like or a phantom or spirit who only appeared to be human. He did not bring a secret knowledge for only a few lucky elect people. He came as a real person with flesh, blood, temptations, hunger and thirst, and every other bodily function. He gave a free message that offers salvation to all people. He is the perfect representative of God and the perfect example of who we are meant to be like here on earth. He is above all other rulers and authorities, both earthly and spiritual.
When we acknowledge his sovereignty in our lives, we will find true meaning for life. Paul expresses this in a noteworthy way in verse 10 in Greek using a periphrastic construction of the verb “to be” (este) followed by a perfect tense participle (peplērōmenoi) called a “perfect periphrastic.” The meaning of this is that believers become filled filled with Christ at point of justification and continue in this relationship from that point on. The Colossians could participate in this the divine-human encounter by being filled with Christ. This filling comes in Christ. He is the source of what the Colossians were looking for and needing most. The human teachings to which they were exposed made empty promises that nothing from the created order can provide. They seek but never find.
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