“For in Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell.... For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily “(W.K.)
THE Psalmist, looking abroad upon the world of nature around him, exclaimed, "O Lord (Jehovah), how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches" (Psa. 104:2424O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. (Psalm 104:24)). In Col. 1 the believer is invited to survey even greater works than these and in a wider sphere. Reading these verses, he might well adapt the language of the Psalm, and exclaim, O Lord, Thou Son of the Father's love, how manifold are the works of Thy power and Thy love! The earth and the heavens are full of the riches of Thy glory and Thy grace!
In the apostle's recital of these glories of the Son, we may observe their holy order—a harmony of heaven beyond the power of the human mind to invent. We see the evidences of His glory distributed under two great categories. There are (1) the works of His power and wisdom before His incarnation, and (2) the works of His grace and truth after His incarnation.
The first class (1) embraces the whole of the original creation in its vastness and variety: we behold the Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (Col. 1:15-1715Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:15‑17)). The second (2) comprehends His operations in the sphere of the new creation: wherein we behold, as the final result, the removal of sin, and the reconciliation in righteousness of all things on the earth and in the heavens (Col. 1:18-2018And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:18‑20)).
This widespread panorama of the works of the Lord is marvelous in our eyes, and we delight to behold that the Personal center of it all is the Son of the Father's love, in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead is pleased to dwell. In Him, we even now have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:1414In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14)); and from this little platform in His kingdom where redeeming love has safely set us, we look out with the eyes of revelation into the ever-widening expanses of eternity, and discern with holy rapture the countless glories of the Eternal Son, Who Himself fills all things (Eph. 4:1010He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) (Ephesians 4:10)).
The Fullness Dwells in the Reconciler
It is to be remarked that in this passage the revelation of the ever-abiding fullness in the Son is associated with His work of reconciliation (Col. 1:18-2018And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:18‑20)) rather than with His work of creation (Col. 1:15-1715Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:15‑17)). How evident in this distinction is the jealous care of the Spirit of God to preserve the honor of the Son! Reconciliation involves the elimination of sin from the defiled heavens and the polluted earth. Side by side with the very mention of this work stands the declaration that in the Reconciler all the fullness is pleased to dwell (Col. 1:1919For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19)); His full personal glory in the Deity is concerned in His accomplishment of redemption.
This work of reconciliation entailed bloodshedding, the cross, and death itself (Col. 1:20, 2120And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled (Colossians 1:20‑21)); did its performance, therefore, detract in any degree whatsoever from the intrinsic personal glory of the Son of God? Or do any inquire whether the Son is of inferior rank in the Godhead because God's enemies are reconciled to Him by the death of His Son (Rom. 5:1010For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10)), and because death is attributed to the Son, but never to the Father, nor to the Holy Spirit?
All such insinuating questions are anticipated and answered here; for the Spirit writes, “In Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell” (Col. 1:1919For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19), W.K.). The Son has no inferior or secondary position in Deity, since the whole fullness of the Godhead has a permanent abiding-place in Him. It was not an incomplete fullness, nor a portion only of the fullness, but the fullness in its perfect entirety, nothing of Deity lacking nor anything diminished in any respect or at any time. He is “the Son of the Blessed," and “God blessed forever" (Mark 14:61, 6261But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Mark 14:61‑62); Rom. 9:55Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. (Romans 9:5)).
The Fullness Is Personal
Moreover, the fullness found pleasure in dwelling in the Son. The fullness, therefore, is not an abstract quality or attribute. The emotion of good pleasure or delight can reside only in a person. It was God the Father Who expressed His good pleasure in His beloved Son on the holy mount (2 Peter 1:1717For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (2 Peter 1:17)). But this passage in Colossians, correctly rendered, does not speak of the Father taking pleasure, but of “all the fullness," intimating that there is a latent reference in the phrase to a Person Who finds delight in dwelling in Him, the incarnate Son.
Further, “dwelling" and "reconciling" are both personal acts; and it is expressly said that all the fullness is pleased to dwell in Him, and also to reconcile all things by Him unto Himself. The Fullness is a Person, therefore, Who is before the mind of the inspiring Spirit, and it can be no other than the Son in His Deity, Who is the theme of the passage throughout. Notice how the succession of pronouns in Col. 1:19, 2019For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:19‑20) mark the continuity of the personal reference to Him, the Son: "in Him;" "His cross;" "by Him;" "unto Himself;" "by Him." All the fullness is pleased to dwell... to reconcile... unto Himself-the Son.
The Spiritual Value to Us of the Son's Personal Glory
The doctrines of redemption and reconciliation are thus tinctured with the personal glory of Christ not only for our instruction, but also to awaken our worship. It is the sight and the knowledge of the Person Who suffered and died that touches our hearts. Beholding the hands and the side of the Risen Savior, even dull Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!"
It is the central feature, therefore, of our priestly instruction in Col. 1 that the Son has the first place or the pre-eminence in all things. Whether in the exercise of His mediatorial functions or otherwise, in Him the fullness of the Godhead has a permanent abode. Hence, God being in Christ, God was perfectly manifested in flesh among men. God Who is Light and God Who is Love shone in Him. Yet man's darkness did not comprehend nor yield to the Light, nor did man's enmity vanish before that display of Love. More must be done by God for fallen man to remove the barriers against His light and His love.
Reconciliation was needed, to which truth the passage now brings us. Peace could be made only “by the blood of His cross." Through this, we who believe are now reconciled; and upon the same basis, the whole universe of heavenly and earthly things will in the future be reconciled, and will become a scene of divine delight. For, as all the fullness finds His (or, Its) good pleasure in dwelling in Him, so all the fullness finds His delight in reconciling all things unto Him, or unto Itself.
Are we not glad to have such revelations as these? How sweet to our souls to discover in this passage that the whole universe, now defiled by sin and hostile to God, will be reconciled to Him in Whom all the fullness dwells—to the Son of the Father's love! Truly, as we sing, “His joys our sweetest joys afford, They taste of love divine." And we may add to the couplet that His glories “our sweetest joys afford," for they too " taste of love divine."
It will have been noticed that in the former part of this paper, Col. 1:1919For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19) has been quoted differently from the A.V. which reads “It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell." The R.V. agrees with the A.V., except that “the” is added before “fullness." The literal rendering is, “In Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell."
The fact that the words, "the Father," are placed in italics in both versions proves that in both cases the translators had to admit that no equivalent of these words is found in the original tongue, and that the two words inserted express their own interpretation of the passage, namely, that it was the Father's good pleasure that all fullness should dwell in the Son.
As a general truth, this pleasure of the Father in the Son is without doubt true, but the question is whether it is the truth conveyed in this passage. And a little inquiry shows that the interpretation is without proper foundation, for it overlooks or ignores the true grammatical subject of the verb, "was pleased," which is "all the fullness," and the words, "the Father," are therefore introduced into the passage without textual authority.
Moreover, the words in italics dislocate the whole grammatical sentence, which occupies Col. 1:1919For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19) and 20. This sentence contains the principal verb, “was pleased," and two dependent infinitive verbs, “to dwell," and “to reconcile," both of which relate to the subject, “all the fullness." The text is faithfully rendered by W.K.: "In Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell; and by Him to reconcile the universe unto Him."
The same scholar says, commenting on the R.V. of “Col. 1:1919For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19) where the old fault of the A.V. reappears.... The doctrine is as bad as the version, and derogatory to the Son as well as the Spirit in our Epistle, and (in) the very part where the prime object is to assert the glory of Christ in every way."
The best that can be said of the common rendering of the verse is that it contains a part of the truth; but of what a great deal it robs us! For in this Epistle, fullness or plenitude is used to denote the totality of the essential nature, powers, and attributes of Deity. This term implies that, not only the Father, but the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit were pleased to dwell in Him. It was the fullness; and more, all the fullness, all that is comprehended in God.
In Col. 2:99For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9), the same term is in an ampler phrase applied to the Son: "in Him (Christ) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." All that is inherent in Deity has a permanent abode in Him. The added clause, “of the God-head," does not appear in Col. 1:1919For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19), where we have in the preceding context (Col. 1:15-1715Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:15‑17)) the Godhead or Deity of the Son strongly emphasized, and this truth is therefore embodied in the words, "all the fullness." Accordingly, J.N.D. adds the clause, “of the Godhead," in brackets in Col. 1:1919For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19). See the N. Tr. and the instructive footnote relating to these words given in it.
The Words "Godhead" and "Deity"
Christ is our all, and scripture often reveals the blessings grace has given us side by side with a revelation of the glories of Christ in Whom they are made ours. We are by this association reminded that He is the measure and the certitude of all we receive. Accordingly, we find here that the fullness-of our blessedness is associated with the fullness of Christ's Person: “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and ye are complete (filled full) in Him” (Col. 2:99For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9)).
This particular unfolding to us is a supremely elevating truth concerning our adorable Lord. In Him all the fullness of the Godhead has come down to us—bodily; also in Him we have that completeness needful for our acceptance before God! The incarnate Son is thus our perfect Mediator between God and man; in Him God is presented and in Him man is accepted!
Godhead, the prominent word in this passage, is a word of our English tongue, adequately expressive of the original noun, theotees, and has been used during the past six centuries in the various successive English translations of this verse.
The suffix, head, indicates the presence and embodiment of all the essential qualities and attributes of God—indeed, God Himself. It is allied in origin to the suffix, hood, found with a similar significance in words like manhood, mother-hood, priesthood, Godhood (occasionally), implying in each case all the status, ability, dignity, necessary to being so-and-so.
Thus, manhood comprehends everything that is proper or essential to a man, and that distinguishes a man from every other order of beings. And, in like manner, Godhead signifies God in the absolute nature of His Being, comprising all that He is in Himself, and in none beside Himself.
In view of this recognized usage, it is a misapprehension of the meaning of “the compound nature of the English word “to speak, as some have recently done, of the word " Godhead implying relation with the creation," as if -head meant Head of creation. Their definition is untrue, there being nothing “relative” in the word itself. Its meaning given in the standard English dictionaries is “divine personality";”divine nature or essence"; “the character or quality of being God." Therefore, “Godhead” may be “properly used to convey The Absolute," as well as “Deity," its Latin equivalent or synonym. Indeed some prefer the plain English word to its foreign relation.
There can be no doubt that God Who was manifest in flesh, Who was in Christ, was before the writer's mind in the word, Godhead, when J.N.D. wrote the simple but profound lines:
“We see the Godhead-glory
Shine through that human veil;
And, willing, hear the story
Of love come here to heal."
The Use of the Word "Divinity"
It may not be inappropriate in this place to refer to the word, divinity, as distinguished from Godhead or Deity, with which, however, it is sometimes confounded. Both the latter, Godhead and Deity, are, as already noted, faithful translations of the Greek word, theotees, which occurs only in Col. 2:99For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9). This word means "Godhead in the absolute sense" (J.N.D.), and is distinct in meaning from theiotees, occurring in Rom. 1:2020For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20), which signifies the character of God, rather than God Himself.
The word in Romans is applied by the apostle to what may be observed of God in the works of nature-His creatorial majesty, might, and wisdom. These attributes are included in His theiotees, divinity, but are not His Essential Being. On the other hand, all the fullness of the theotees dwells in Christ bodily.
To mark this important distinction between the two words, “Godhead” in Rom. 1:2020For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20) is replaced by “divinity" in the R.V., in the New Tr., in W.K.'s Notes on Romans, and in other translations. “Godhead" is reserved for the rendering of theotees in Col. 2:99For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9), where Deity in the fullest, most absolute sense is required both by the word and its context.
It is always well to note the inspired values of scriptural words, particularly of those relating to the Person of our adorable Lord. And in view of the prevailing denials and detractions of the Ever-blessed Son, it is specially important to mark this distinction between the terms, Deity and God-head, on the one hand, and divinity on the other, and to remember that the latter should never be regarded as a synonym or as the equivalent of the former two.
As evidence that this warning against ambiguity in this respect is not needless, it may be recalled that a well-known series of Lectures on the Deity of Christ was entitled, most inaptly in the interests of truth, "The Divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." It is regrettable also that many speak of "our divine Lord," "the Christ divine," forgetting how they disparage that Blessed One by such "faint praise," through using a vague description of Him, in which Arius, Socinus, and those who bring not "the doctrine of the Christ" would readily join. Let us in this sacred subject, above all others, seek to use the sacred word, "not to be condemned, that he who is opposed may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us" (Titus 2:88Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. (Titus 2:8)).
"O Thou peerless One,
Great God revealed in flesh, the living link
"Twixt Godhead and my soul! be Thine the praise,
The loving worship of a loving heart,
Rich in Thyself, for, oh, however filled,
Howe'er exalted, holy, undefiled,
Whatever wealth of blessedness is mine,
What am I, Lord? an emptiness, a nothing.
Thou art My boast, in Whom, all fullness dwells
Of the great Godhead, Thou Whose name I bear,
Whose life is mine, Whose glory and Whose bliss,
All, all are mine."