For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.
Parallel translations
- WEB For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
- KJV For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
- BSB For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.
- NKJV For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
- NASB For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
In Christ the entire fullness of deity dwells bodily. Christ is fully God in human form.
Overview
Paul declares that 'all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily' in Christ. 'Godhead' names the divine nature, and 'bodily' affirms it dwells in the incarnate Son, not in angels or rituals. This is a cornerstone text for the deity and incarnation of Christ in historic Christian doctrine.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Col 1:19For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;
- John 1:14The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
- John 10:30I and the Father are one.”
- 1 Tim 3:16Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
- John 14:9–10Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’
- John 10:38But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
- 1 Jn 5:20We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
- John 14:20In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
- Titus 2:13looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ;
- Isa 7:14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
- Col 2:2–3that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
- John 17:21that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.
- Matt 1:23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel”; which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
- Luke 3:22and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”
- 2 Cor 5:19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.
- 1 Jn 5:7For there are three who testify:
- John 2:21But he spoke of the temple of his body.
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Christ at the center
The image of the invisible God, firstborn over creation, in whom all things hold together and all the fullness of God dwells bodily — supreme over every power.
How Colossians 2:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.