Colossians 2:9 says that Jesus is God

In Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse we find the following,

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (ESV)

The obvious connection that allows the Christian to say that Jesus is God is found in verse 9. Beginning in verse 8 Paul warns the Colossian believers to be aware of philosophical systems which are based on non-Christian values (such as “human tradition” or “the elemental spirits of the world”). These philosophies, or worldviews, are “not according to Christ,” and therefore are dangerous to adopt or blend with a biblical philosophy.

After reading verse 8 one might ask why it is important that we only allow ourselves to be captivated by a philosophy “according to Christ.” Read on! Verse 9 tells us why a Christ-based philosophy is to be desired over worldly systems. “For in [Christ] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” The term for “deity” is τῆς θεότητος (from θεότης, ἡ) which is defined as “the state of being god, divine character/nature, deity, divinity,^[1] it is not used anywhere else in the New Testament but references are available in extra-biblical literature which substantiate this definition.

One such instance is from the Shepherd of Hermas, Mandate 10, sec. 1, verses 4 & 5,

(4) “Listen,” he said. “Those who have never searched for the truth or inquired about the Deity, but have simply believed, and have been mixed up in business affairs and wealth and pagan friendships and many other concerns of this world— well, those who are absorbed in these things do not comprehend the parables of the Deity, because they are darkened by these matters and are ruined and become barren. (5) Just as good vineyards are made barren by thorns and weeds of various kinds when they are neglected, so men who have believed and then fall into these many activities that have been mentioned above lose their understanding and do not comprehend anything at all concerning righteousness. For whenever they hear about the Deity and truth, their mind is preoccupied with their own affairs, and they understand nothing at all. (6) But those who fear God and search for the Deity and truth and direct their heart to the Lord grasp more quickly and understand everything that is said to them, because they have the fear of the Lord in themselves; for where the Lord lives, there also is much understanding. So hold fast to the Lord and you will understand and grasp everything.”^[2] (emphasis in bold is mine, to indicate use of the term θεότητος)

The term θεότητος is linked closely with truth (ἀλήθεια) in the above passage. In the Biblical tradition the concept of ἀλήθεια is linked closely to the person of God. A prominent theme of the Gospel of John is the deity of Jesus Christ, who is “ the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When John the Baptist preached about Jesus, he was bearing witness to the “truth” (John 5:33). The examples could easily be multiplied.

Keeping in mind the meaning of deity ( θεότητος) and looking back at Colossians 2:9 we see that “the state of being God” dwells in Jesus Christ. In fact what it says is that πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα, “all the fullness” or “the whole fullness” (ESV) of deity is in view here. That is to say, there is not merely a partial or acquired sense of deity in Jesus, as though he were a created being who was promoted to a special standing with the Father. Every bit of fullness of the qualities that make one God dwells in Christ!

Contextually this makes perfect sense, as verse 10 goes on to say that Christ is “ the head of all rule and authority.” For God to posses all authority may seem like a bold statement to an adherent to a philosophy based on human tradition. However, in a Christian/biblical worldview only God can have such a rule over all the parts and aspects of creation (including non-tangible things such as authority). If this belongs to Christ then he is certainly God!

1. Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W., A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press., 2000), 452. [↩]
2. Michael Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers : Greek texts and English translations, Updated ed. (Grand Rapids, MI.: Baker Books, 1999), 401–403. [↩]