Colossians 1:19—“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.”
The Apostle Paul, in this verse, draws us into the heart of God’s eternal purpose in Christ. Paul has just exalted Christ as the image of the invisible God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Now he reaches the stunning conclusion that “it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.”Every attribute of deity, every expression of divine wisdom, power, grace, and glory, resides fully and permanently in Christ. The word “fulness” (Greek plērōma) indicates nothing lacking, nothing partial. Christ is not a reflection of God; He is God in His totality.
This statement sits within a hymn that magnifies the supremacy of Christ. The Father’s pleasure emphasises not reluctant concession but joyful intention. God has given us His Son as the complete revelation of Himself, the One in whom all His purposes are centred and through whom redemption flows.
This truth guards the church from any teaching that diminishes Christ. There are no spiritual resources outside Him, no hidden wisdom apart from Him, no saving grace beyond Him. All that God is, all that God gives, all that God accomplishes, He does through Christ, in whom the fullness of deity dwells bodily (Col. 2:9).
What an assurance that our lives may feel fragmented, empty, or insufficient, but Christ is never lacking. In Him is fullness for our emptiness, grace for our sin, strength for our weakness, and peace for our restless hearts. Because the Father delights in His Son, we may rest in the sufficiency of Christ, who is all we need and all we could ever hope for.
