Colossians 2:10

ὅς ἐστιν. So אACHKLP Chrys. qui est efg Vulg. Ambrst.

ὅ ἐστιν is read by BDG, quod est caput d. Hilary988. Possibly the similarity of the letters ⲞⲤⲈⲤ led to the omission of the c.

10. καὶ ἐστὲ ἐν αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένοι. Probably still under the government of ὅτι (Colossians 2:9). A second reason why they should not be led away by “teaching not according to Christ.” Therefore ἐν αὐτῷ repeated.

ἐστὲ … πεπληρωμένοι. It is possible to take the ἐστέ primarily with ἐν αὐτῷ, “ye are in Him—filled,” but the thought of being in Christ (cf. John 17:21) is not suggested by the context, whereas being filled arises naturally out of Colossians 2:9. It is, therefore, preferable to translate it simply, “and in Him ye are filled,” and accent καί ἐστε.

For a similar periphrastic perfect cf. Acts 25:10; Acts 26:26. See Gildersleeve, Syntax, §§ 286, 287. You need no pretended πλήρωσις from this new philosophy.

Observe (1) St Paul does not say that Christ was filled, but ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ τὸ πληρ. τοῦ θ., for “to be filled” implies a time when the filled was empty. (2) St Paul does not define that with which believers are filled. This is certainly not τὸ πλήρωμα τ. θεότητος, as Theophyl. understands it, and even Chrys., as it seems, καί ἐστε ἐν αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένοι. τί οὗν ἐστιν; ὅτι οὐδὲν ἔλαττον ἔχετε αὐτοῦ· ὥσπερ ἐν ἐκείνῳ ᾤκησεν, οὔτω καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν. For this, strictly interpreted, is to attribute to the believer much too great an equality to Christ. St Paul purposely gives no definition, because he wishes to include everything that the believer needs. Yes, and even more than that; the Colossians are so completely filled “that there is no room left, if they have Christ they have all that anyone not only can need, but also can have” (Meyer-Haupt). Cf. John 1:16, ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν.

Thus although “complete” (Tyndale, A.V.) fails to show the connexion of thought with Colossians 2:9 (contrast “and ye ben fillid,” Wyclif, “made full,” R.V.) in itself it is essentially correct.

ὅς ἐστιν. See notes on Textual Criticism. The impossible reading ὅ suggests that ἐν αὐτῷ was understood to refer to πλήρωμα. But this is never called ἡ κεφαλή.

ἡ κεφαλὴ, cf. Colossians 1:18 and infra, Colossians 2:19, including the thought both of His supremacy in power and of His being the source of life.

πάσης�, cf. Colossians 1:16 and infra, Colossians 2:15. Under these summary terms (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:24) St Paul includes all heavenly beings however high. Even over them Christ is supreme, even to them He is the source of their original and continued existence (cf. Colossians 1:16-17). How then can you fall back from Him to them as your false teachers would fain persuade you? “All the personal Powers of the Unseen, however real and glorious, are but limbs (in their order of being) of this Head; therefore no nearer Him than you are, and no less dependent on Him. Live then on the Fountain, not on Its streams; use to the full the fulness which in Christ is yours” (Moule).

Yet observe that, strictly speaking, St Paul does not apply the image of the body to the relation of the heavenly beings to Christ. He keeps it for the relation of believers to Him.