I found that Matt Slick used Colossians 2:9 to support the doctrine that Jesus was God in flesh because it states that the fullness of the "deity" dwells in him, (B.B. Warfield) “that which makes God, God.” According to him Jesus was God in the flesh and this term(i.e. theotes) is proving he is the second person of the Tri-unity.[1] According to Thayer's Lexicon, the Greek word θεότης means "deity, i.e. the state of being God." The BAGD Lexicon defines this term "divine nature, deity, divinity" (pg. 358). And Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon also defines the·o′tes in basically the same way it does thei·o′tes, as meaning “divinity, divine nature.” p. 792 [2]
In the preceding chapter, Paul says: “God saw good for all fullness to dwell in him.” (Col 1:19) Thus, all the fullness dwells in Christ because it “pleased the Father” (KJ, Dy), because it was “by God’s own choice.” (NE) So the fullness of “divinity” that dwells in Christ is his as a result of a decision made by the Father.
Scholar A. T. Robertson says:
All the fulness (pan to pleroma). The same idea as in Col 2:9 pan to pleroma tes theotetos(all the fulness of the Godhead). “A recognized technical term in theology, denoting the totality of the Divine powers and attributes” (Lightfoot)
1. Matt Slick is a President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. Matt earned his Bachelors in Social Science from Concordia University, Irvine, CA in 1988. He earned his Masters of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary, in Escondido, CA, in 1991. He now resides in the Boise, Idaho area with his family. He is ordained. Matt started CARM in October of 1995 to respond to the many false teachings of the cults on the Internet. See: Colossians 2:9 and the CARM
2. Thayer's Lexicon and Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon
3. Bible Translation and Study pages 69-70; Jehovah's Witnesses Defended, Second Edition, pages 158-60.
4. Milton entitled his book, A Treatise on Christian Doctrine: Compiled from the Holy Scriptures Alone. In its preface, he wrote: “Most authors who have dealt with this subject . . . have relegated to the margin, with brief reference to chapter and verse, the scriptural texts upon which all that they teach is utterly dependent. I, on the other hand, have striven to cram my pages even to overflowing, with quotations drawn from all parts of the Bible.” True to Milton’s word, On Christian Doctrine alludes to or quotes the Scriptures over 9,000 times.
In the preceding chapter, Paul says: “God saw good for all fullness to dwell in him.” (Col 1:19) Thus, all the fullness dwells in Christ because it “pleased the Father” (KJ, Dy), because it was “by God’s own choice.” (NE) So the fullness of “divinity” that dwells in Christ is his as a result of a decision made by the Father.
Is the "fullness" in this verse the same "fullness" mentioned in Colossians 2:9? Methodist commentator Adam Clarke believes so. Commenting on Colossians 1:19, he remarks:
"The πληρωμα, or fullness, must refer here to the divine nature dwelling in Jesus Christ."
"The πληρωμα, or fullness, must refer here to the divine nature dwelling in Jesus Christ."
All the fulness (pan to pleroma). The same idea as in Col 2:9 pan to pleroma tes theotetos(all the fulness of the Godhead). “A recognized technical term in theology, denoting the totality of the Divine powers and attributes” (Lightfoot)
Greg Stafford makes a point:
The Scriptures will not sustain the view that Almighty God's powers and attributes are something contingent upon the "will" or "decree" of another. Such is the case, however, with the fullness belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ. God "chose" (Goodspeed),"decided" (Beck), "willed" (Moffatt) to have all His attributes displayed in the person of His Son.
Stafford continues:
However, it is actually uncommon in reading through different commentaries and articles that discuss issues connected with 1:19 and 2:9 to find a scholar who tries to disconnect what is said in the two passages. This is likely because they do not see the problem involved in the use of eudokeo (the verb translated 'to please'). [3]
If Christ were God the same as the Father, he would have all the fullness of deity of his own right, not because of a decision taken by someone else. It would make no sense to say that Jesus is God, but it was the Father's decision that all the fullness of deity dwelt in him. And if he never ceased being God, he would always have the fullness of deity. Of course, regardless of whether we understand Colossians 1:19 and 2:9 to be talking about the same thing, Colossians 1:19 presents great difficulties for Trinitarians. Whatever the plerotes mentioned in that verse is, how come Christ received it? And what was his position before receiving it? How does that affect his supposed equality with God?
Milton makes this comment:
"These passages most clearly evince that Christ has received his fullness from God, in the sense in which we shall receive our fullness from Christ. It is of no weight in proving that Christ is of the same essence with God." —John Milton, On Christian Doctrine. [4]
_______________________________________________________________If Christ were God the same as the Father, he would have all the fullness of deity of his own right, not because of a decision taken by someone else. It would make no sense to say that Jesus is God, but it was the Father's decision that all the fullness of deity dwelt in him. And if he never ceased being God, he would always have the fullness of deity. Of course, regardless of whether we understand Colossians 1:19 and 2:9 to be talking about the same thing, Colossians 1:19 presents great difficulties for Trinitarians. Whatever the plerotes mentioned in that verse is, how come Christ received it? And what was his position before receiving it? How does that affect his supposed equality with God?
Milton makes this comment:
"These passages most clearly evince that Christ has received his fullness from God, in the sense in which we shall receive our fullness from Christ. It is of no weight in proving that Christ is of the same essence with God." —John Milton, On Christian Doctrine. [4]
1. Matt Slick is a President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. Matt earned his Bachelors in Social Science from Concordia University, Irvine, CA in 1988. He earned his Masters of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary, in Escondido, CA, in 1991. He now resides in the Boise, Idaho area with his family. He is ordained. Matt started CARM in October of 1995 to respond to the many false teachings of the cults on the Internet. See: Colossians 2:9 and the CARM
2. Thayer's Lexicon and Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon
3. Bible Translation and Study pages 69-70; Jehovah's Witnesses Defended, Second Edition, pages 158-60.
4. Milton entitled his book, A Treatise on Christian Doctrine: Compiled from the Holy Scriptures Alone. In its preface, he wrote: “Most authors who have dealt with this subject . . . have relegated to the margin, with brief reference to chapter and verse, the scriptural texts upon which all that they teach is utterly dependent. I, on the other hand, have striven to cram my pages even to overflowing, with quotations drawn from all parts of the Bible.” True to Milton’s word, On Christian Doctrine alludes to or quotes the Scriptures over 9,000 times.
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