Colossians 2.9-Paul Affirms Jesus Christ is the God-Man to Support His Command in Colossians 2.8
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday November 15, 2015
Colossians: Colossians 2:9-Paul Affirms Jesus Christ is the God-Man to Support His Command in Colossians 2:8
Lesson # 48
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. (NASB95)
Colossians 2:9 presents the reason for the apostle Paul’s previous command in Colossians 2:8.
Therefore, it indicates that these faithful Christians in Colossae were to obey the command in Colossians 2:8 because in Jesus Christ all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.
In other words, they should obey the command in Colossians 2:8 to reject the false teachers because their teaching is not divine in origin.
“In Him” indicates that all the fullness of deity dwells in the person of Jesus Christ.
“All the fullness of deity” is composed of the following: (1) adjective pas (πᾶς), “all” (6) noun plērōma (πλήρωμα), “the fullness” (7) noun theotēs (θεότης), “of Deity” (8) adverb of manner sōmatikōs (σωματικῶς), “in bodily form.”
The noun plērōma refers to the sum total of attributes which compose the divine nature and the noun theotēs means “the divine nature, the divine being, deity” since this word pertains to nature or state of being God.
The adjective pas speaks of totality indicating that Jesus Christ is the total and complete embodiment of deity.
Therefore, the expression πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος, “all the fullness of deity” means that the totality of attributes which compose the divine nature dwell permanently in the person of Jesus Christ.
Thus, it indicates that Jesus Christ is the full or perfect embodiment of deity or the divine nature or in other words, it emphasizes that Jesus Christ is God.
“Dwells” is the verb katoikeō (κατοικέω), which is used in a figurative or spiritual sense and means “to dwell permanently” since it is a more intensive term than oikeo which Paul could have used but of course did not.
The apostle wanted to convey the idea of a permanent indwelling because he is speaking in the context of all the fullness of the divine nature being in the person of Jesus Christ.
So here the word is used in relation to all the fullness of the divine nature “dwelling permanently” in the person of Jesus Christ.
The present tense of this verb is a gnomic present used of a general timeless fact indicating an eternal spiritual truth or spiritual axiom.
Thus, it denotes that the totality of attributes which compose the divine nature is “as an eternal spiritual truth” permanently dwelling in the person of Jesus Christ.
The present tense of the verb katoikeō is also a customary or stative present used to signal an ongoing state which would indicate that the totality of attributes which compose the divine nature as the subject exists in the state of permanently indwelling the person of Jesus Christ.
“In bodily form” is the adverb of manner sōmatikōs (σωματικῶς), which pertains to the human body or in other words, it pertains to having the form and characteristics of a human body.
Here it is used of Jesus Christ’s human body.
Thus, Paul is teaching with this word that the totality of attributes which compose the divine nature dwell permanently in Jesus Christ “bodily” or other words, they dwell permanently in the human body of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 2:8 Don’t stop making it your habit of watching out for anyone belonging to a group who would seek to take each and every one of you captive through empty, deceitful philosophy based upon the tradition produced by human beings, based upon the elementary teachings promoted by the cosmic system, which are by no means based upon to the teaching originating from Christ. 9 The reason for this command is that in Him, the totality of attributes which compose the divine nature permanently dwell in bodily form. (My translation)
Paul’s statement in Colossians 2:9 presents the reason for his previous command in Colossians 2:8.
In the latter, Paul commands the faithful Christians in Colossae to not stop making it their habit of watching out for anyone belonging to a group who would seek to take each and every one of them captive through empty, deceitful philosophy.
This philosophy he states is based upon the tradition produced by human beings and based upon the elementary teachings promoted by the cosmic system of Satan.
He informs them that this teaching is by no means based upon the teaching originating from Christ.
Now, here in Colossians 2:9, Paul asserts that in Christ all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.
Therefore, this indicates that he wants the faithful Christians in Colossae to obey his command in Colossians 2:8 because in the person of Jesus Christ the totality of attributes which compose the divine nature dwell permanently in bodily form.
In other words, they should obey the command in Colossians 2:8 to reject the false teachers because their teaching is not divine in origin.
Paul’s apostolic teaching is divine in origin because he received it directly by revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus, the Colossians should obey his teaching rather than the false teaching of the Essene branch of Judaism with its incipient form of Gnosticism because his teaching originates from God Himself, Jesus Christ.
What the Colossians possessed in the person of Jesus Christ was completely sufficient to meet their needs spiritually and temporally since Jesus Christ is God.
Therefore, in Colossians 2:9, the apostle is asserting that the totality of attributes which compose the divine nature dwell permanently in the person of Jesus Christ.
Thus, it indicates that Jesus Christ is the full or perfect embodiment of deity or the divine nature or in other words, it emphasizes that Jesus Christ is God.
By doing so, Paul is refuting Docetic Gnosticism which was in its incipient form when he wrote Colossians and denied that Jesus Christ had a human nature.
Paul is asserting here in Colossians 2:9 that Jesus Christ is God and is human.
In theology the fact that Jesus Christ is both God and man is called “the hypostatic union.”
F. F. Bruce writes that Paul’s statement in Colossians 2:9 “is one of the great Christological passages of the New Testament, declaring as it does our Lord’s divine essence, pre-existence, and creative agency.”
Paul’s statement in Colossians 2:9 echoes his assertion regarding Jesus Christ’s deity in Colossians 1:15.
The apostle’s statement here in Colossians 2:9 also echoes his statement in Colossians 1:19 since both statements contain much of the same vocabulary.
In theology or specifically Christology (the study of Christ), the term “hypostatic union” is used by theologians to describe the teaching of the Scriptures that Jesus Christ is undiminished deity and true sinless humanity in one person forever.
The New Testament emphatically teaches that in His person, Jesus of Nazareth who is the Christ was both God and man (John 1:14; Rom. 1:1-4; 8:3; 9:1-5; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:19-22; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 1:1-4; 4:1-3; 2 John 7).
Many of these passages such as Romans 1:3-4, 8:3, Philippians 2:6-11, John 1:14 and 1 John 1:1-3 make it clear that the eternal Son of God clothed and veiled His deity with a sinless human nature and became a human being.
Matthew 26:64, Mark 14:62 and Luke 22:69-70 make clear that Christ’s humanity will continue forever.
The appearances of Christ after His resurrection also provide further evidence that His humanity will continue forever (Matthew 28:9; Luke 24:30-31, 39-43; John 20:17, 22, 27-28; Acts 1:1-11; 7:56).
The term “hypostatic union” means that deity and true humanity are combined in one personality, forever and that personality is Jesus Christ.
He did not have two personalities because He had two natures and because He is a man does not make our Lord less than God and nor, does His being God prevent Him from being truly a man.
The integrity of the attributes of His divine nature, were not corrupted or compromised by the fact that His divine nature was united permanently with a human nature and nor were the integrity of the attributes of His human nature corrupted or compromised by the fact that He was God.
His two natures, though united, retain their separate identities and there was no mixture of His divine nature with that of His human nature.
His divine attributes are always united to His divine nature and His human attributes are always united to His human nature.
Deity remains deity and humanity remains humanity since the infinite cannot become finite and the immutable cannot be changed.
No attribute of deity was altered when our Lord became a man through the incarnation and the same holds true when He died on the cross.
To take away a single attribute from His divine nature would destroy His deity and to take away from His perfect human nature a single attribute would destroy His humanity.
The two natures of Christ are not only united without affecting the attributes of the two natures but they are also combined in one person and as Charles Hodge writes, “The Son of God did not unite Himself with a human person but with a human nature.”