he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring everything together in Christ, that of heaven and that to the extent of the earth. (Ephesians 1:9-10)
What God planned and purposed in Christ was before time eternal, "
... the gospel according to the power of God, the one saving us and calling us to a holy calling, not because of our works rather according to his own purpose and grace, that given to us in Christ Jesus before time eternal." (2 Timothy 1:8-9) God purposed in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring everything together in Christ. The word fullness πλήρωμα (plērōma) refers to that which fills and to a filling up, a completing. Paul writes of the mystery made known that God purposed in Christ as a plan of the fullness of time and that Christ through the Church is filling all in all. This fullness is meant to fill or bring to fullness all in heaven and on earth. Let's look more at this fullness so we might have an understanding of what Paul is trying to tell us.
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those under the law so that receiving adoption as sons, now because you are sons God sent the Spirit into our hearts crying Abba Father, so you are no longer a slave but a son and since a son an heir through God." (Galatians 4:4-7)
When the fullness of time had come God sent his Son. Formerly we did not know God but were slaves, by natural birth and to that existing not gods. (Galatians 4:4-7) We were born into the sinful nature of fallen man. From Adam to Moses all men were under the law of sin and death. (Romans 5:14) Under the Law, they were imprisoned until the appointed time, held captive under a guardian until faith was revealed so that they might be declared righteous from faith. (Galatians 3:23-24) The Law was not a disciplinarian, as the discipline of God is that we share in his holiness. (Hebrews 12:10) The Law was weak and useless and made no one perfect, mature, holy, so there was an annulment of the first so to establish a second, in his blood, a better hope through which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7:18-19) So we see there is a fullness of time when Christ would come.
God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those under the law so that receiving adoption as sons...
The old testament was a shadow of the reality until the fullness of time came when God sent forth his Son. The Son gave us the right to become children of God. (John 1:12) Thus receiving adoption as sons. There are many things we can say about this as it is a fulfilling of prophecy, it is a new creation in Christ, the Spirt is a pledge of our inheritance as sons, and since the Law was spiritual and now we have become spiritual we can fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law, so it is not done away with... It is the handwriting, the written commandments that were hostile to us, because of the weakness of the sinful nature, therefore Christ nailed them to the cross. (Colossians 2:14, Ephesians 2:15, Colossians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:24) A time of salvation, redemption for those under the Law but the mystery is now the Gentiles share in the promises through Christ.
We have seen the fullness of time refers to the Messiah, the coming of Jesus, and the promise is fulfilled in that all peoples and nations are blessed in Christ and the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ. Christ fulfills these but also the scriptures tell us there is a continued fullness in Christ, a purpose, the manifold wisdom of God that through the church, he is filling all in all so that we are filled to the fullness of God. Paul prays that God gives us from the riches of his glory, power through his Spirit, Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith, being rooted and grounded in love so that we have the strength to grasp and to know the infinite love of Christ so to be filled to the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3: 16-21)
There is a fullness to be filled to in Christ. But to have the strength to grasp it we must know a deeper love of Christ and to know the deeper love of Christ we must be given power in our inner man through his Spirit, and Christ must dwell in our hearts through faith, and we must be rooted and grounded in love. This would seem to speak of a growth process, as John writes a child knows the Father and that his sins are forgiven. Paul writes of being rooted and grounded in love and built up in the faith. (Ephesians 3:17, Colossians 2:7) "When I became a man I put away childish things. Now looking as in a mirror obscurely, but then face to face. Now I know in part then I will know fully as I am fully known." ( 1 Corinthians 13:11-12)
also ascended far above all the heavens so he might fill all and he gave the apostles, the prophet, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry... (Ephesians 4:10-12)
When Christ said it is finished, what is he referring to? I believe it is the fulfillment of the old testament promises of salvation, redemption, the forgiveness of trespasses and sin, reconciliation, and bringing in a new covenant in his blood. But where Christ has ascended far above all rule it is not finished, he sits at the right hand of the Father living to intercede for us and so he might fill all. God, "putting everything in subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see Jesus crowned with glory and honor..." (Hebrews 2:8-9)
Though all things are placed under his feet, and he is far above all in rule and nothing is outside his control we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. However, he is far above all in the heavens and is head of the church so to fill all in all. In this, the manifold wisdom of God is being made known through the church to all the leaders and authorities in the heavenlies. So he who has ascended gives gifts to the church so that we are filled to a fullness in Christ, the body of Christ grows, attaining to the unity of faith, truth in love growing up in the knowledge of the head who is Christ, each gift working accordingly to cause growth so it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:10-16)
Christ "ascended far above all the heavens" so he might fill all, giving gifts to the saints so the church is filled to fullness in Christ. The same wording Paul used in chapter one, God "raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realm far above all leaders, authorities, power, and dominion, and every name not only in this age but the one to come he placed all things under his feet and gave him head overall, the church which is his body, the fullness of the one filling all in all." (Ephesians 1:18-23) So we see Christ ascended to be placed overall and be head of the church which has a purpose, to fill all in all.
When Paul writes, Christ "ascended far above all the heavens so he might fill all" he then goes into the purpose of the church as to bring everything together into this fullness of Christ. Christ gives gifts according to the measure of his grace, "to equip the saints for the work of ministry to build up the body of Christ until all attain unto the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:12-14)
So we see the church which is his body, is the fullness of the one who fills all. God gives us his Spirit, a foundation in faith and love so that we have the strength to know the deeper love of Christ that energizes our being so that we are filled to the fullness of Christ. What strengthens us is faith energized in love. The bond of love leads to perfection, which is becoming like Jesus, "to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." To experience the fullness in Christ is to experience fullness in God, "for God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in bodily form." (Colossians 1:19) And here we see more of the purpose.
"for in him the whole fullness of deity dwells in bodily form and you exist fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power. In him also circumcised, a circumcision not made with human hands in the putting off of the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism and raised through faith, of the energy of God who raised him from the dead. Although you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you are made alive together with Christ, he forgave us all our trespasses." (Colossians 2:9-10)
Paul writes that our hearts be encouraged and knit together in love and to the extent all the riches of a full assurance of understanding to the extent of God's mystery, that Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:1-7) This speaks of fullness in Christ, the full assurance of understanding to the extent of God's mystery. "His divine power has freely given us all that for life and godliness through the knowledge of him calling us, his own glory and might." (2 Peter 1:3) Christ is head of the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one filling all in all, in whom is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and through the knowledge of him we grow up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Him. Christ, through the church, is filling all in all. One day he will return and this fullness in Him will be consummated, made complete, brought to fullness.
