v. Abundance
Psa 24:1 of Jehovah is the earth and its p; the world
Joh 1:16 of his p we all take, and grace upon
1Co 10:26 for the earth belongs to the Lord and its p
Eph 1:23 the p of Him who fills all in all
Eph 3:19 that you may be filled with all the p of God
Eph 4:13 measure of the stature of the p of Christ
Col 1:19 it pleased the .. that in him all p
Col 2:9 because in him dwells .. the p of the Godhead
It is the quality of being full, complete, finished. In the gospels, the term perisseuo is used, with the meaning of “having abundance” (“And they all ate, and were satisfied; and they gathered up what was left over from the broken pieces…”; “… because they all put in what was left over ; but this one, of her poverty…† ). The idea of abundance is expressed by the word plethos († œ… know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins †).
For the idea of p. the word pleroma is used also has that connotation of “what is filled”, or “what fills”. It is translated as “patchwork” in Mat 9:16 and Mark 2:21 (“No one puts a patch of new cloth on an old garment”). It is also the concept of completeness (†œ…and their defection the wealth of the Gentiles, how much more their full restoration?† ; †œ…until the p. of the Gentiles has come in† ). In the Lord Jesus “dwells bodily the whole p. of the Godhead† (Col 2:9). And from that †œp. we all take, and grace upon grace† (Joh 1:16), for which we are told: “…you are complete in him†).
Scholars argue much about Paul’s use of the term pleroma. It is recognized that it belongs to the vocabulary used by the Gnostics, as can be seen in the documents of †¢Nag-Hammadi. Thus was designated the set of intermediate beings that, according to Gnosticism, acted between the universe and the Deity. Studies have been done that prove the existence of an incipient Gnosticism already in the days of Paul, which seems to have motivated his letter to the Colossians. Perhaps that is why the apostle took the word from the Gnostic or Protognostic vocabulary. Or maybe he learned it in his Greek culture readings.
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
type, DOC
vet, (Gr. “plêrõma”). Although it is usually translated as “fullness”, it is also translated as “fulfillment”, “abundance” and “full restoration”. Derived from the verb “pleroõ” (to fill), it means “that which is or has been filled”, and also “that which fills something or with which something is filled”. Hence its meaning of “fullness” or “fulfillment”. Apart from more or less literal uses, such as the filling of the twelve baskets with leftovers (Mk. 6:43; 8:20, lit. “the fullness, or fullness of… baskets”), it is used: (a) of “the fullness of the Gentiles” indicating the fulfillment of the number of the Gentiles in this dispensation of grace (cf. Rom. 11:25). (b) of the “full restoration” (or “fullness”) of Israel (Rom. 11:12), (c) of love, which is not a mere part of the Law to be fulfilled, but is “the fullness” , the total fulfillment of the demands of the Law (Rom. 13:10), (d) of the fullness or fulfillment of time (A) at the first coming of the Lord (Gal. 4:4) and (B) at the second coming of the Lord when Christ comes “in the dispensation of the fulfillment” (or “fullness”) of times, thus: this expression denotes that lapse of time with which a period prior to it culminates. (e) It applies to the Church, the body of Christ, “the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:23). Thus, the Church is the fullness of Christ, that in which Christ finds his fullness of purpose, the ultimate fulfillment of his desires and purposes. In turn, the believer is destined to be “filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:19), united to Christ by the Spirit as a member of His body, and filled with all the gifts, riches and power and love of God consonant with his union with the heavenly Head, enjoying His presence, grace and power. In Christ “dwells all the fullness of the Deity bodily” (cf. F. Lacueva, “New Testament interlinear Greek-Spanish”, loc. cit.), because “in him he saw fit that all the fullness dwell” (Col. 1:19, cf. F. Lacueva, op.cit, loc.cit). This fullness means the manifestation of the full reality of God in Christ in an unlimited way, of the identification of him with His, dwelling in Christ in all his power and attributes, in all his nature and being. All the fullness of God’s being and nature dwells constantly and permanently in Christ. No limitation can be made to this reality that God is in Christ, Christ thus being, in a full and perfect way, the manifestation of God, the same God manifested in all the fullness of him and totally communicated to Christ, God made meat. Thus, Christ is called “the image of the invisible God.” In the words of FF Bruce: “To call Christ the image of God is to say that in Him the being and nature of God have been perfectly manifested, that in Him the invisible has been made visible…, an unsurpassed revelation has now been granted. of His “eternal power and Godhead” (in Christ). (The “Christ Hymn” of Colossians 1:15-20, Bibliotheca Sacra, Apr.-Jun. 1984, p. 101). And this fullness of Christ is in violent contrast to the Gnostic doctrines, and others, which claimed that the fullness was graduated in a whole series of “eons” or “divine emanations” that covered the distance between a totally spiritual God and man. in his bodily nature, in a more and more spiritual sequence through which he had to ascend in a long chain of mediation. In contrast to all this, Paul insists on the uniqueness of Christ’s mediation, to the exclusion of any other pretended mediator (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5), and on the fact that all fullness dwells in Him (Col. 1:19), this fullness being that of the Godhead (Col. 2:9).
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
The word fullness is most appropriate to designate the saving power of Christ, who received all power in heaven and on earth; indeed, such a word evokes ‘perfection in abundance. However, the underlying Greek word (pleróma) offers a greater variety of meanings: originally meaning the content that fills a space, the sea (lPar 16,32) or the earth (Ps 24,1; cf. lCor 10,26) , and what completes something (Mt 9,16; Mk 2, 21; Col 1,24), can also designate the continent or the totality (Rom 11,12), the abundance (Rom 15,29) , the fulfillment (Rom 13,10).
1. The fullness of time. Just as for Elizabeth (Lk 1,57) and Mary (Lk 2,6) “completed” the days in which they should give birth, so for the earth the times have been “fulfilled” (Mk 1,15), and one can speak of the fullness of the ‘messianic and eschatological times’ (Gal 4,4; Eph 1,10). This finally full measure, which makes one think of the content of a full hourglass, does not correspond to a maturity or a perfection reached by men, but to a time set by God. So Jesus “fills”, “fulfills” the prophecies.
2. The fullness that dwells in Christ. It pleased God to make dwell in the risen Christ all the fullness (Col 1,19). To explain this expression, two interpretations, among others, deserve to be indicated. According to the first, more static, the plerm5ma would be the universe filled with the *presence of God. In this case, Paul would have been influenced both by vulgarized Stoicism and by the sapiential environment; Wisdom, in fact, “fills the universe and holds all things together” (Wis 1,7). According to the other, more dynamic interpretation, Paul would reflect other images of wisdom literature: wisdom, like the waters of the greatest rivers, runs mightily, to the edges, overflows and spreads. Vast than the sea, greater than the abyss, it fills the wise man, who, initially a mere diversion channel, is in turn transformed into a river and a sea (Ecclesiastes 24,25-31; cf. Prov 8, 12ff). On the other hand, God made wisdom dwell in Israel (Erio 24,8-12). Now, precisely in Christ, in whom dwells all the fullness (Col 1,19; 2,9) all the treasures of wisdom are found hidden (Col 2,3). These treasures have nothing to do with accumulated and greedily preserved riches, but, like living waters that are poured out, they are fullness of ‘life that opposes the emptiness of death (Phil 2,7), ‘superabundant saving power that it flows from the ‘name that is above all names’ (Phil 2,9). This superabundance shows through everywhere in the Pauline epistles, especially in the more lyrical passages like Rom 5:15-21; 8.31-39; 11, 33-36; Flp 2.9ss; It shines very particularly in the hymn to the Ephesians, where the inexhaustible style strives to translate the overflowing richness of the * grace that God has showered on us in the Son of him, much loved by him.
3. The Church, fullness of Christ. In Christ, perfectly filled with divine omnipotence (Col 1,19), the faithful are associated with his fullness (Col 2,9) and, knowing the love of Christ, they see themselves filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3 ,19). The superabundant sanctification that resides bodily in Christ (Col 2:9), is poured into the Church, which is his * body. This must undoubtedly develop before reaching the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4,13), but from now on it is this fullness (Eph 1, 23). Only he receives this title, even when the entire universe is already subject to the omnipotence of Christ (cf. Eph 1,20ss; 4,10).
Saint John summarizes this doctrine in simpler terms in his prologue: in his glory the only-begotten Son “full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14) pours out on men the inexhaustible abundance of divine benevolence. “Yes, from the fullness of Christ we have all received” (Jn 1,16).
-> Fulfill – Body of Christ – Perfection – Time.
LEON-DUFOUR, Xavier, Vocabulary of Biblical Theology, Herder, Barcelona, 2001
Source: Vocabulary of the Pauline Epistles
the greek word pleroma denotes what fills, fulfills or completes. In classical and Hellenistic Greek it could mean the entire content, or the sum total. For example, it is used for the entire force of a military company, or the crew of a ship. Philo applies it to the menagerie of Noah’s ark; he also describes a soul as having a full charge of virtues.
- Non-theological use in the NT. Of the seventeen cases in which pleroma in the NT eleven have no technical use; they can be classified as follows: the word is used (a) for the patch put on to patch a torn garment (Mt. 9:16 = Mr. 2:21); (b) from the leftover pieces that “filled” various baskets after the miraculous feeding of the multitude (Mk 6:43; 8:20); (c) of the contents of the earth, citing Ps. 24:1 (LXX 23:1), and representing the Hebrew mәlôʾ (1 Cor. 10:26); (d) of the sum total of believing Jews and Gentiles respectively (Rom. 11:12, 25); (e) of love as the “fulfillment” of the law (Rom. 13:10); (f) of the “fullness” of Christ’s blessing that Paul hopes to bring to Rome…