Being Filled by Him Whose Purpose is to Fill Everything
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know … his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way Ephesians 1:18a,19-23
Paul has written of Christ’s resurrection ‘from the dead’ (1:20) and of His enthronement ‘far above all rule’ (1:21). He now goes on to apply this double triumph. This is outlined in two expressions. The first is that God made Jesus ‘to be head over everything for the church, which is his body’ (1:22,23a) and the second, ‘the fullness of him who fills everything in every way ‘(1:23b).
The first speaks of Christ as ‘head over everything’ where ‘everything’ is the same expression translated ‘all things’ earlier in the verse. This means Christ is head of the entire material universe, including all beings, good and evil, human, angelic or demonic, that are found in it. Christ rules over this universe and these beings. Since ‘all things’ have been put under His feet by God the Father, He is ‘head over everything.’ The ‘head’ and the ‘feet,’ the ‘over’ and the ‘under’ are intentionally complementary.
Paul goes further. God not only made Jesus head over all things. More than that, He ‘appointed’ Him ‘head over everything for the church which is his body’ (1:22,23a). He whom God gave to the church to be its head was already head of the universe. Both the universe and the church have in Christ the same head. The church has power and authority to overcome all opposition because her leader and head is Lord of all. Jesus Himself had authority because He was under the Father’s authority. He was doing the Father’s will with the Father’s authority (Matthew 8:9,10; 11:27; John 17:2). This authority was passed on to His disciples because they went out in His name, in obedience to Him, to do His work (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 3:14,15; John 20:21-23). The church is the company of Christ’s disciples, the people of God, drawing its very life from Christ, as in the natural the body does from its head.
The church is not only Christ’s body; it is ‘the fullness of him who fills everything in every way’ (1:23). God’s purpose is that the church should be the full expression of Christ, who Himself fills everything there is. Colossians 1:19 and 2:9 speak of all the divine fullness indwelling Christ Himself so He is filled by and is the full expression of the Godhead. Colossians 2:10 continues: ‘you have been given fullness in Christ.’ In this sense Christians can be ‘filled to the measure of the fullness of God’ (Ephesians 3:19). This means we receive the fullness of the attributes and gifts of God that it is possible for people to receive. In this same way 4:13 describes the Christian’s growth to spiritual maturity as ‘attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.’
Another interpretation of ‘the fullness of him who fills everything in every way’ (1:23) is that in some sense the church fills Christ and He is made complete by the church. There are complex grammatical arguments for this understanding but nowhere in the New Testament is it said that Christ finds His fullness and fulfillment in the church. Colossians 1:24 is probably the nearest scripture to this understanding. The reverse is the more natural idea: Christ filling all things and bringing all things to completion. This fits the context here and is one of the great themes of the letter (1:10; 4:10,13,16)
Paul’s sequence of thought is: by His resurrection and ascension, Christ is exalted to be Lord of all. He is head of all things for the church. The church is His body and is intended to express Him to the world. The church is intended to be the full expression of Him by being filled by him whose purpose is to fill everything.
My prayer for you is that every moment you will experience the measureless power of God made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the explosive and mighty resurrection power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honour and supreme authority in the heavenly realm! And now he is exalted higher than all the thrones and principalities, above every ruler and authority, and above every realm of power there is. He is gloriously enthroned over every name that is ever praised, not only in this age, but in the age that is coming!
And everything now finds its essence in him, and he alone is the Leader and Source of everything needed in the church. God has put everything beneath the authority of Jesus Christ and has given him the highest rank above all others. And now we, his church, are his body on the earth and the completion of him that fills all things with his presence flowing through us Ephesians 1:19-23 (The Passion Translation)