Colossians 1:19 -- All Fullness Dwells in Jesus

Colossians 1:19 For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell;
Colossians 1:20 and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.
-- American Standard Version.

This scripture is sometimes given as proof as Jesus is God Almighty. Many translations indeed render it in such a way for the purpose of making it appear that Jesus is God Almighty.

The default should be to understand the fullness (plenitude) of Colossians 1:19 is given to Jesus from his God and Father. (Ephesians 1:3,17-23) Verse 20 shows that it is Jesus' God and Father who is being referred to as the subject in verse 19. 2 Corinthians 5:18 confirms that reconciliation is to Jesus' God and Father, not to either an "it" or to Jesus. This latter verse also confirms that this reconciliation is through Jesus.

Below we give comments from two scholars, both of whom are trinitarian, regarding this:

The words “the Father” are not in the original, but they are not improperly supplied. Some word must be understood, and as the apostle in Colossians 1:12 referred to “the Father” as having a claim to the thanks of his people for what he had done, and as the great favor for which they ought to be thankful is that which he immediately specifies - the exaltation of Christ, it is not improper to suppose that this is the word to be understood here. -- Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on Colossians 1". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". 1870

Meyer's New Testament Commentary states:

The subject, whose pleasure it is, is not expressed; but that it is God, is obvious from the context, which in ἵνα γένηται κ.τ.λ. has just stated the divine purpose. Among Greek authors also ὁ Θεός is not unfrequently omitted, where it is self-evident as the subject. See Kühner, II. 1, p. 30 c. According to Ewald and Ellicott (also Weiss, Bibl. Theol. p. 428, ed. 2, and Rich. Schmidt, Paul. Christol. p. 208), πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα is the subject; and the whole fulness is a new expression for the Godhead, inasmuch as, going as it were out of itself, it fills something separate and thus becomes visible (= כבוד יהוה, ΔΌΞΑ, ΛΌΓΟς, ΠΝΕῦΜΑ). Without support from N. T. usage; ΠᾶΝ, too, would be unsuitable for the subject of εὐδόκησε; and εἰς αὐτόν in Colossians 1:29 clearly shows that Θεός is conceived as subject, to which εἰρηνοποιήσας then refers.

Many others state something similar.

Regardless, any other reasoning would only be to due to the preconceived idea that Jesus is the "one God" of whom are all, and thus force that thought into what is stated. In harmony with other scriptures, it should be understood that in Jesus dwells the plenitude as has been given to Jesus from He who is the source of the all. -- 1 Corinthians 8:6.

All this is in harmony with many other scriptures that show that Jesus receives his power and authority from his God and Father -- Isaiah 11:1-3; Matthew 10:40; 28:18; John 1:18; 3:35; 5:19,22,24,36,38: 10:32; 14:10,24; 7:16,26; 8:26,28,38,42; 12:44-50; 14:10,11; Romans 1:3,17-23; Philippians 2:9; 2 John 1:9.

He who is the "ONE GOD [MIGHTY ONE]" who is the source of all (1 Corinthians 8:6) has exalted His Son to the highest position in the universe, far above the angels, next to the only Most High.-- Acts 2:33,36; 5:31; Philippians 2:9; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; 1 Corinthians 15:27; Hebrews 1:4,6; 1 Peter 3:22.

Thus, in Colossians 2:9, we find that in Jesus' present spiritual body dwells the fullness (plenitude) of MIGHTINESS (GODNESS) that is needed by Jesus in his highly exalted office.

"All the fullness" in Colossians 1:19, however, should not be understood to mean that Jesus is God who spoke through the prophets of old (Hebrews 1:1,2), any more than "all the fullness" in Ephesians 3:19 should be understood to mean that Christ's followers are God Almighty.

What we do not find in Colossians 1:19 -- or anywhere else in the Bible -- is any thought that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is more than one person, or that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In harmony with Acts 3:13-26; 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Hebrews 1:1,2, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is presented as being only one person.