Colossians 1:19 kjv

For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

Colossians 1:19 nkjv

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,

Colossians 1:19 niv

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

Colossians 1:19 esv

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

Colossians 1:19 nlt

For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,

Colossians 1 verses

Colossians 1 19 Meaning

Colossians 1:19 declares that in Christ, the entirety of God's being, essence, and attributes perfectly and completely resides. It asserts that all divine plenitude chose Christ as its permanent dwelling, leaving nothing lacking or external to Him regarding the nature of God. This profound statement establishes Christ's supreme deity and His sufficiency for salvation and all things.

Colossians 1 19 Context

Colossians chapter 1 establishes the absolute supremacy, preeminence, and sufficiency of Christ. Following a prayer of thanksgiving and a focus on believers' new life, verses 15-18 portray Christ as the image of the invisible God, the creator, sustainer, head of the church, and the firstborn from the dead—making Him preeminent in all things, both creation and new creation. Verse 19 flows directly from this exposition of Christ's universal Lordship, further establishing why He holds such a supreme position: because God's complete essence dwells within Him. This entire passage serves as a theological foundation to combat the burgeoning Colossian heresy, which incorporated elements of Gnosticism, Jewish mysticism, angel worship, strict asceticism, and philosophical speculation, all of which diminished Christ's singular authority and complete adequacy for salvation and spiritual life. The statement in verse 19 directly challenges any notion that Christ was an intermediary spirit, an incomplete manifestation, or lacked anything of divinity.

Colossians 1 19 Word analysis

• For (ὅτι, hoti): A conjunction connecting to the previous statements about Christ's preeminence. It introduces the foundational reason for His supremacy.
• in him (ἐν αὐτῷ, en autō): Designates Christ as the unique sphere, Person, and dwelling place where this divine reality is localized and expressed. It highlights His singular role.
• all (πᾶν, pan): Signifies absolute totality and completeness. No part or aspect of the divine nature is excluded; Christ lacks nothing of God's essence.
• the fullness (τὸ πλήρωμα, to plērōma): This crucial theological term, meaning "completeness" or "full measure," signifies the entire essential being and perfections of God. Paul reappropriates this word, used in Gnostic contexts to describe spiritual emanations, to affirm that the entire divine essence—not partial or tiered expressions—resides in Christ. This "fullness" is unequivocally identified as "fullness of deity" (πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος, plērōma tēs theotētos) in Colossians 2:9, making it explicitly divine.
• of God (τοῦ θεοῦ, tou theou): While not universally explicit in every ancient Greek manuscript for 1:19 itself, its presence in many reliable translations reflects the inherent and confirmed meaning derived from Colossians 2:9 and the overall context, unequivocally identifying the "fullness" as belonging to the divine being.
• was pleased (εὐδόκησεν, eudokēsen): Derived from eudokeō, meaning "to be well-pleased" or "to take delight in." This indicates a deliberate, sovereign act of divine will and choice. God purposefully and willingly chose this complete indwelling, emphasizing its intentionality and divine origin.
• to dwell (κατοικῆσαι, katoikēsai): Means "to reside permanently," "to settle," or "to inhabit fully." It implies a fixed, stable, and essential presence, not a temporary visit or a fleeting manifestation. This contrasts with transient divine presence in the Old Testament, underscoring Christ's full and enduring divine indwelling.
• "all the fullness": This phrase emphatically asserts that Christ is not merely a vessel or a channel, but the absolute embodiment of the divine nature in its entirety. It negates any thought of God being partially present in Christ or through a series of intermediate beings.
• "all the fullness... to dwell": This highlights the substantial and permanent presence of God's complete essence in Christ. It's not a superficial or transient appearance, but an abiding, ontological reality, reinforcing Christ's unique and divine Person.

Colossians 1 19 Bonus section

• The phrasing emphasizes God the Father's active will in Christ's embodiment of the divine nature. It was by the Father's divine good pleasure (eudokēsen) that all this was settled in Christ.
• The unique indwelling described in this verse is distinguished from the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers; Christ is the One in whom the entire essence of God Himself resides fundamentally, while believers receive the Spirit as a manifestation of Christ's presence and power.
• This verse provides foundational support for the hypostatic union, the theological doctrine that in the one Person of Jesus Christ there are two distinct natures—divine and human—inseparably united without mixture or confusion. The fullness of the Godhead permanently dwells in His Person.

Colossians 1 19 Commentary

Colossians 1:19 is a cornerstone declaration of Christology. It serves as Paul's decisive rebuttal to any belief that might diminish Christ's supreme identity. By stating that all God's fullness, the entirety of His being, willingly chose to dwell permanently in Christ, Paul eradicates notions of Christ as a lesser deity, a mere angel, or one among many emanations. He is the complete embodiment of God, therefore entirely sufficient for all of creation, reconciliation, and redemption. This truth undergirds Christ's unparalleled authority as Head of the Church and as the one through whom all things are reconciled to God (as elaborated in Col 1:20). For the Colossian believers struggling with external philosophical pressures, this verse anchored them to Christ's all-sufficiency, assuring them they had everything they needed in Him, eliminating the need for any other spiritual practice, mediator, or humanly devised wisdom.