Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Colossians: Chapter 2].
Creator and the Sustainer of the universe.
2:9 {For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily}
(\hoti en aut•i katoikei p•n to pl•r•ma t•s theot•tos
s•matik•s\). In this sentence, given as the reason (\hoti\,
because) for the preceding claim for Christ as the measure of
human knowledge Paul states the heart of his message about the
Person of Christ. There dwells (at home) in Christ not one or
more aspects of the Godhead (the very \essence\ of God, from
\theos, deitas\) and not to be confused with \theiotes\ in Ro
1:20 (from \theios\, the {quality} of God, _divinitas_), here
only in N.T. as \theiot•s\ only in Ro 1:20. The distinction is
observed in Lucian and Plutarch. \Theiot•s\ occurs in the papyri
and inscriptions. Paul here asserts that "all the \pl•r•ma\ of
the Godhead," not just certain aspects, dwells in Christ and in
bodily form (\s•matik•s\, late and rare adverb, in Plutarch,
inscription, here only in N.T.), dwells now in Christ in his
glorified humanity (Php 2:9-11), "the body of his glory" (\t•i
s•mati t•s dox•s\). The fulness of the God-head was in Christ
before the Incarnation (Joh 1:1,18; Php 2:6), during the
Incarnation (Joh 1:14,18; 1Jo 1:1-3). It was the Son of God who
came in the likeness of men (Php 2:7). Paul here disposes of
the Docetic theory that Jesus had no human body as well as the
Cerinthian separation between the man Jesus and the aeon Christ.
He asserts plainly the deity and the humanity of Jesus Christ in
corporeal form.
2:10 {Ye are made full} (\este pepl•r•menoi\). Periphrastic
perfect passive indicative of \pl•ro•\, but only one predicate,
not two. Christ is our fulness of which we all partake (Joh
1:16; Eph 1:23) and our goal is to be made full of God in Christ
(Eph 3:19). "In Christ they find the satisfaction of every
spiritual want" (Peake). {The head} (\h• kaphal•\). There is no
other place for Christ. He is first (1:18) in time and in rank.
All rule and authority comes after Christ whether angels, aeons,
kings, what not.
2:11 {Ye were also circumcised} (\kai perietm•th•te\). First
aorist passive indicative of \peritemn•\, to circumcise. But used
here as a metaphor in a spiritual sense as in Ro 2:29 "the
circumcision of the heart." {Not made with hands}
(\acheiropoi•t•i\). This late and rare negative compound verbal
occurs only in the N.T. (Mr 14:58; 2Co 5:1; Col 2:11) by merely
adding \a\ privative to the old verbal \cheiropoi•tos\ (Ac 7:48;
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