Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.
1:15–20 Paul proclaims the supremacy and sovereignty of Christ, who was present and active in the creation of the universe and who remains active in sustaining and reconciling all things. Whether Paul himself wrote this hymn is debated; he could have borrowed material used in early Christian worship. Regardless of authorship, the hymn is a central component of the letter, providing the basis for Paul’s key points in chs. 2–3 about the sufficiency of Christ and the futility of false teachings. Because God’s fullness dwells in Christ (v. 19), He is all that believers need.
1:19 all the fullness to dwell in him Refers to God being fully present in Christ, parallel with Paul’s statement in 2:9. Consequently, Christ is sufficient for the Colossians’ salvation.
This phrase echoes the glory of God filling of the tabernacle (Exod 40:34). In the ancient world, people believed that deities lived on high places such as mountains (see note on Gen 11:3). For example, when the Israelites entered the wilderness, God met them on a mountain (Exod 19:3).
But God did not stay on the mountain; He instructed the Israelites to build a tabernacle—a dwelling place for Him to live among His people (Exod 25:8). God came down and filled the tabernacle with His glory as a sign of His presence among them (Exod 40:34). The prophet Isaiah interpreted this cloud of glory as the Holy Spirit (Isa 63:11). This gracious act was God’s extension of friendship to the Israelites (compare Exod 33:11).
The Gospel of John describes Christ as the tabernacle or the dwelling of God (John 1:14)—an allusion that demonstrates the continuity between God’s presence among the Israelites and His presence in the person of Christ.
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Col 1:19). Lexham Press.
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