Tuesday, November 21st, 2023

Scripture: Col. 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

Col. 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

Teaching: One of the major issues Paul wrote to the Colossians to correct was the false teachers’ in their midst assertion that one needed Christ and something else for salvation. In these verses, Paul meets them head on with a play on words of sorts. He says that the fullness of God dwells in Christ in bodily form. The Greek word used for “fullness” is pleroma which comes from the Greek word pleroo, meaning complete, which he uses in verse 10. What Paul is connecting in the mind of his audience through the back to back usage of pleroo is that just as Christ was completely God, we are made complete in Christ. No matter what some teachers may claim, there is nothing else needed to be complete before God than to have Christ.

Takeaway: Contrary to the Corinthians, who boasted in their completeness in Christ and thus, needed to be shown by Paul that their behavior revealed more fullness in themselves than Christ, the Colossians faced the opposite challenge. Because of false teaching of more things they needed other than just Christ, the Colossians needed encouragement. Paul makes this connection in the completeness of Christ and their completion in Christ to encourage them, and us today. No matter what some may come saying, we know who Christ is and by faith in Him, we are made complete in the only eyes that matter – His.