Il.
«τε, κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς “θεότητος “σωματικῶς, το. καὶ ἐστὲ ἐν αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένοι, ds! ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας,
μα τν ᾧ καὶ περιετµήθητε περιτομῇ " ἀχειροποιήτῳ ἐν τῇ ᾿ ἀπεκδύσει
1 So T., Tr., W.H., R.V., Ws. with RACKLP.
by dropping out οἷς before eo.
various views, Haupt puts forward the ex- planation that σωµατ. relates to τ, πλ. τ.θ., and is to be translated “in the form ofa body”. The meaning he takes to be that the fulness exists in Christ as a body, that is as a complete and organic whole. This suits the context and the general argument better than the refer- ence to Christ’s own body. In contrast to the distribution of the fulness among the angels, or to the view that it dwelt only partially in Him, Paul insists that all the fulness dwells in Him, and not fragmentarily but as an organic whole. This view, like Oltramare’s, is supported only by references to the use of σῶμα. This is not a fatal objection, and its har- mony with the context makes it the most probable interpretation.
Ver, 10. καὶ ἐστὲ ἐν αὐτῷ πεπληρω- μένοι. This still depends on ὅτι. ἐστὲ is obviously not an imperative. We should, perhaps, reject the view of Elli- cott and Lightfoot that there are two predicates. The thoughts thus obtained that they are in Him, and that they are made full, are true in themselves. But, as Abbott points out, the context requires the emphasis to be thrown on the ἐν αὐτῷ, so that the sense is “and it is in Him that ye are made full". πεπλ. is chosen on account of πλήρωμα in ver. 9, but we cannot explain it as filled with the Godhead, because such an equalising of Christians with their Lord would have been impossible to Paul, and would have required καὶ ὑμεῖς to express it. This meets Oltramare’s objection to the trans- lation adopted. He says that if werk. means filled, they must be filled with something, but since the most obvious explanation that they are filled with the fulness of the Godhead is so largely re- κας it is clear that the translation
reaks down. He translates ‘‘in Him you are perfect,” and urges that this also overthrows the usual interpretation of πλήρ. τ.θεότ. But apart from the fact that πλήρωμα does not mean moral per- fection, τῆς θεότ. cannot be supplied. What Paul means is that,in Christ they find the satisfaction of every spiritual want. It therefore follows of itself that
ο: Ln., Tr. mg. with BDFG 47*,
they do not need the angelic powers.— ὅς ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ πάσης ἧς κω ἐξονσίας: cf. i. 18. That Christ is th, Head of every principality and power is a further reason why they should not seek to them. All they need they have in Christ. Paul does not mention here the thrones or lordships asin i. 16. But itis a questionable inference that they, unlike the principalities and powers, had no place in the false teaching. The latte: are probably adduced only as examples.
Ver. 11. The reference to circum- cision seems to come in abruptly, But probably it stands in close connexion with what has gone before. For the return to the principalities and powers in ver. 15 shows that Paul is not passing here to a new section of his subject. Judaism, of which circumcision was the most characteristic feature, was regarded as under angelic powers, and the removal of them meant its abolition. It seems probable that the false teachers set a high value on circumcision, and urged it on the Colossians, not as indispensable to salvation, in which case Paul would have definitely attacked them on this point, but as conferring a higher sanctity. There seems to be no suggestion that it was regarded as a charm against evil spirits. The Apostle does not merely leave them with the statement that they have been made full in Christ, which rendered cir- cumcision unnecessary, but adds that they have already received circumcision, not material but spiritual, not the removal of a fragment of the body, but the com- plete putting off of the body of flesh.— ἐν ᾧ καὶ περιετµήθητε. A definite his- torical fact is referred to, as is shown by the aorist. This was their conversion, the inward circumcision of the heart, by which they entered on the blessings of the New Covenant. The outward sign of this is baptism, with which Paul con- nects it in the next verse. But it cannot be identified with it, for it is not made with hands. The circumcision of the heart is a prophetic idea (Deut. x. 16, xxx. 6, Jer. iv. 4, ix. 25, Ezek. xliv. 7, 9). In Paul it occurs Rom. ii. 28, 29, Phil.