Colossians 2:9

Colossians 2:9
(KJV) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
(1611 KJV) For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily.
(1587 Geneva Bible) For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily.
(1526 Tyndale) For in him dwelleth all the fulnes of the godheed bodyly
(1382 Wycliffe) For in hym dwellith bodilich al the fulnesse of the Godhed.

Counterfeit Versions
(AMP) For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].
(CEB) All the fullness of deity lives in Christ’s body.
(CEV) God lives fully in Christ.
(CSB) For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ,
(ERV) I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth.
(ESV) For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
(GNB) For the full content of divine nature lives in Christ, in his humanity,
(HCSB) For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ,
(JB Phillips) Yet it is in him that God gives a full and complete expression of himself (within the physical limits that he set himself in Christ).
(LB) For in Christ there is all of God in a human body;
(THE MESSAGE) Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly.
(NASV) For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
(NCV) All of God lives fully in Christ (even when Christ was on earth),
(NET) For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form,
(NIRV) God’s whole nature is living in Christ in human form
(NIV) For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
(NLT) For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.
(NRSV) For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
(RSV) For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily,
(VOICE) You see, all that is God, all His fullness, resides in His body.
(2011 NAB-Roman Catholic) For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily,
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) because it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
οτι εν αυτω κατοικει παν το πληρωμα της θεοτητος σωματικως

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
οτι εν αυτω κατοικει παν το πληρωμα της θεοτητος σωματικως

Corrupted Manuscripts
None

Affected Teaching
The Gnostics had totally disbelieved that Christ was of the Godhead. They had believed that Christ came into being at His birth. Some Gnostics believed Christ was only pure Spirit and had a specter type body, not a physical one, this heresy was known as Docetism. The Gnostics basically believed that if a true being came from God, there was no way they could be overcome by the world and be killed as Christ was. They also believed that the resurrection of Christ was when His spirit left His body. In this verse Paul is stating that all the fullness of the Godhead, that is, all the attributes of the Godhead are in Christ. When He was on this earth, He emptied himself of His glory but not His position as second person of the Godhead as evidenced by His miracles. He never ceased to be God while on the earth and He continues to be God throughout all eternity.

The word “Godhead” when replaced by the word “deity” can denote a generic term. The word “deity” is not found in the King James Bible because the Holy Spirit wanted to point the believer to the fact that Jesus is in the Godhead and is not some detached deity.

(Rom 1:20 KJV) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

(Acts 17:29 KJV) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.


The word “Godhead” in Colossians 2:9 is in harmony with the other 2 uses of the word in Romans 1:20 and Acts 17:29.

Here is a paragraph from a New Age website speaking of solar deities:
A solar deity is a deity who represents the sun, or an aspect of it. People have worshipped the sun and solar deities for all of recorded history; sun worship is also known as heliolatry. Hence, many beliefs and legends have been formed around this worship, most notably the various myths containing the "missing sun" motif from around the world. Although many sources contend that solar deities are generally male, and the brother, father, husband and/or enemy of the lunar deity (usually female), this is not cross-culturally upheld, as sun goddesses are found on every continent.

Taken from: http://www.new-age-guide.com/new_age/solar_deity.htm

As you can see, it is important that we keep the term “Godhead” instead of relinquishing it to “deity.” It is one thing which sets Christianity apart from worldly satanic religions and the King James Bible from New Age Bible Versions.

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