The Fullness Of The Godhead Bodily – God As Man

Feature 1 – February 2024 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Fullness Of The Godhead Bodily – God As Man

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. —Colossians 2:9 JND

Some History
The book of Acts focuses first on Peter’s ministry and then on Paul and his missionary journeys; a few chapters describe how both apostles were working together (consider 2 Pet. 3:15-16). At the end of Paul’s third journey, he returned to Jerusalem. There, the Romans arrested him for his safety and then sent him to Caesarea to appear before the governor (Acts 22–23). Paul was kept in custody, but people could freely visit him while he pled his case to the Roman authorities. Following a final session in the presence of King Agrippa, it was decided to send Paul to Rome because he had asked to have his case decided by the Emperor (Acts 26). A difficult and dangerous journey ensued, but Paul and those traveling with him finally arrived in Rome (Acts 27–28). The apostle was interrogated by the authorities and kept as a prisoner for two years, after which they released him since no accusers showed up (28:14-31). Throughout, Paul was involved in serious spiritual battles, for he cared for the saints worldwide.

We now turn our attention to matters concerning the assembly, or church, in Colossae, a city in the center of present-day Turkey but at that time part of the Roman Empire. About 15 years earlier, the apostle worked in the port city of Ephesus (18:19-21, 19:1–20:1, also vv.16-38). He had stayed there for about two-and-a-half years and met, besides many others, a few people from Colossae who had come to listen to him. They accepted the gospel of God’s grace – have you? One of these new believers, Epaphras, became a committed disciple of the Lord Jesus and brought the gospel to his own community. As a result, many people in Colossae accepted the good news of God’s grace and began to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18).

In Rome, Paul was able to exercise his ministry without any hindrance, even though he was held as a prisoner (Acts 28:30-31, which was very different from what happened a few years later, according to 2 Timothy). Epaphras came to Rome from Colossae and stayed for some time with the apostle. Interestingly, around this time Onesimus stole money from his master, Philemon, and fled from Colossae to Rome. We don’t know exactly how, but this runaway slave met Paul during the apostle’s Roman imprisonment (see Phile.). By God’s grace, this young man also met the Lord (Phile. 10). Onesimus ministered to the apostle for some time in Rome, as did a few others, including Timothy (v.23; Col. 1:1).

The issues that Epaphras reported to Paul and his coworkers about matters in Colossae were of great concern to them all, even though the new Christians there were generally doing well (2:7). However, the enemy had been trying to mislead them on fundamental issues through philosophy and vain deceit. The Devil’s intention was to stop the believers from growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ and from enjoying the tremendous blessings received through Paul’s ministry (1:25-29, 2:1-7).

The Person Of The Son Is Always Under Attack By The Enemy
Satan’s program to try and hinder God’s work today is very similar to what it was almost 2,000 years ago. Yet, God always has the victory. “As therefore ye have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and assured in the faith, even as ye have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (vv.6-7). The Colossian believers had received a wonderful Gift, a person, God’s Anointed One – the Messiah, the Christ. Today, having received Him through faith and a work of God’s Spirit, we know and see Christ “crowned with glory and honor” (Heb. 2:9).

We cannot overestimate the value of this amazing Gift we received and will keep forever. His name “Jesus” implies He is and will always be God and Man (Mt. 1:18-25, 2:1-11) – an unfathomable mystery. Indeed, the fullness of the Godhead, meaning the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, dwells in Him in bodily form (Col. 2:9). He is forever our great Creator and Redeemer, to whom all glory and honor is due (Rev. 4–5). We bow with awe and in adoration before Him, reflecting on these holy, revealed mysteries and responding in worship, now and forever.

The amazing truth of the person of the Son in whom the Father dwells (Jn. 17:21) in the power of the Holy Spirit always existed and always will exist. This was publicly revealed after Jesus had been baptized by John the Baptist, when the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended and remained on the Lord Jesus (Mt. 3:16-17; Jn. 1:32-34).

The apostle Paul instructed the new believers at Colossae, and us today, to “walk in Him” (Col. 2:6). Applying this truth to us, we realize that it implies a great privilege as well as a great challenge to live in fellowship with the Lord Jesus as He is now, crowned with glory and honor. Dependent on Him, always relying on Him, may we seek to please Him in everything we do and say. To “walk in Him” implies a deep exercise to keep living in His presence, under His eye, and doing all in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is interesting that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, walked with God and was pleasing Him in days that were very difficult, just before the flood (Heb. 11:5-6). “Walk in Him” means we need to have our eyes fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ, following Him until He comes again. Only then we may “walk worthy of the Lord” while waiting for His imminent return (Col. 1:10).

The process of being “rooted and built up” (2:7) continues every day, just as this is true of a tree planted by the water brooks (Ps. 1), being cultivated under the Master’s eye. Scripture compares believers with a tree pushing its roots deeper, while something takes place in us as we walk “in Him.” This growing process in nature illustrates our continuous fellowship with Christ in heaven and the constant care of the Holy Spirit, who uses God’s Word to help us keep growing.

At the same time, while the Lord Jesus in heaven is involved in that growing process, He is also the Master Builder, building us up in Him to establish us in our most holy faith. This is in accordance with what we have learned and will keep learning. The apostle compares these processes with planting and building (read 1 Cor. 3), which enable us to grow and express our thanksgiving, “overflowing with gratitude” (Col. 2:7 NASB95). Constant growth leads to and goes together with continuous worship. Praise the Lord!

Additional Instructions
“See that there be no one who shall lead you away as a prey through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the teaching of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and ye are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and authority, in whom also ye have been circumcised with circumcision not done by hand, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of the Christ; buried with Him in baptism, in which ye have been also raised with Him through faith of the working of God who raised Him from among the dead” (vv.8-12 JND). These instructions are precise and relevant for every Christian in every situation. Do we appreciate the fullness of blessings we have received and will enjoy forever? These blessings are closely linked to our position “in Christ,” which will never change throughout eternity. We may change and the measure of our enjoyment of these blessings may change, but nothing can separate us from Christ, our Beloved (read Rom. 8:29-39)!

The people in Colossae were looking into mysteries. Therefore, the believers who had come to know the Lord risked being fooled by the enemy’s efforts to occupy them with counterfeits. Instead, the apostle taught them to be occupied with God’s true mysteries, revealed by Him to the believers, being engaged with Christ as He is now in heaven. In Him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Encouraged by Paul’s instructions, they were “united together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the full knowledge of the mystery of God” (Col. 2:2).

The foundation of the matters the apostle had taught the believers at Colossae is “in Christ.” Paul had shown them how they and these precious truths are linked with that unique, glorified Man in heaven, in a special relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit. This is true for us today and will be so forever because the certainty and enjoyment of these blessings are intimately linked with Christ at God’s right hand. The spiritual blessings we may enjoy are all linked with our blessed Lord, who leads us to true worship, as several epistles clearly teach, such as Ephesians 1–3. These heavenly, spiritual, and eternal blessings are our present portion and will be forever, in a continuous process that is taking place through faith and a work of the Holy Spirit. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).

The Person Of The Son
“God and Man in one person” is a statement that represents a blessed reality we will never be able to fully understand. Only the Father knows the Son completely, and His desire is to make Him known to us as far as we can understand (Mt. 11:27).

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct divine persons yet One God. This truth represents another reality that is entirely beyond our grasp. “Great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1 Tim. 3:15-16 NASB95). We stand in awe before our God and Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, and bow in worship and adoration now and forever.

When discussing features of the divine persons, we are in a sense on holy ground and must realize that we can only stand in awe, looking at these matters with reverence, just as Israel looked at the ark of God from a distance (see Josh. 3–4; 1 Sam. 4–6). However, in Christianity we have been brought very near to our God, who has adopted us as sons for Himself (Eph. 1:4-5). Furthermore, our God is looking for a response from us now and forever from our hearts and lives, consecrated to Him.

The quote at the beginning of this article, “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9 JND), implies that the Triune God, who is invisible and dwelling in inaccessible light, revealed Himself in Christ in bodily form, thus making Himself visible (Lk. 1–2; 1 Tim. 3:16). This remains true for eternity! In other words, what took place in connection with the incarnation, when the triune God revealed Himself in the flesh (Jn. 1:14), has implications that will last forever. Today we may see Him as the Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes, having perfect power and knowledge (Rev. 5). He is also the great Creator-God (Rev. 4), who has revealed Himself dwelling in the blessed Man of Nazareth, upon whom the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit came to dwell (Lk. 1–4). During the period of grace, this God of all grace is dwelling through the Holy Spirit in the believers (Rom. 8; Eph. 1).

When God’s time comes, He will publicly take matters in His own hands to execute judgment and reign in righteousness through the Lord Jesus Christ, for God’s glory. How great He is! As believers, we are greatly privileged to know Him as our Savior, serve Him and worship Him, now and forever.

By Alfred Bouter