{For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily}
(hoti en aut(9369) katoikei p(836e) to pl(8872)(936d)a t(8873) theot(8874)os
s(936d)atik(9373)). In this sentence, given as the reason (hoti,
because) for the preceding claim for Christ as the measure of
human knowledge Paul states the heart of his message about the
Person of Christ. There dwells (at home) in Christ not one or
more aspects of the Godhead (the very essence of God, from
heos, deitas) and not to be confused with heiotes in Ro
1:20 (from heios, the {quality} of God, _divinitas_), here
only in N.T. as heiot(8873) only in Ro 1:20 . The distinction is
observed in Lucian and Plutarch. Theiot(8873) occurs in the papyri
and inscriptions. Paul here asserts that "all the pl(8872)(936d)a of
the Godhead," not just certain aspects, dwells in Christ and in
bodily form (s(936d)atik(9373), late and rare adverb, in Plutarch,
inscription, here only in N.T.), dwells now in Christ in his
glorified humanity ( Php 2:9-11 ), "the body of his glory" ( (9369)
s(936d)ati t(8873) dox(8873)). The fulness of the God-head was in Christ
before the Incarnation ( Joh 1:1,18 Php 2:6 ), during the
Incarnation ( Joh 1:14,18 1Jo 1:1-3 ). It was the Son of God who
came in the likeness of men ( Php 2:7 ). Paul here disposes of
the Docetic theory that Jesus had no human body as well as the
Cerinthian separation between the man Jesus and the aeon Christ.
He asserts plainly the deity and the humanity of Jesus Christ in
corporeal form.
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