What is the Godhead mentioned in Colossians 2:9?
It would be good to read Colossians 2:6-9 to get a feel for the meaning of this word. That says, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” This is showing us that it is in Christ Jesus that the ‘fulness of the Godhead’ dwells bodily.
The word ‘Godhead’ means divinity or deity. In using this word to describe the Lord Jesus, it makes it crystal clear that Jesus is deity. We get a similar thought in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that GOD WAS IN CHRIST, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” We also read of the Lord Jesus in Colossians 1:19, “For it pleased the Father that IN HIM SHOULD ALL FULLNESS DWELL.” The fullness of the Godhead was in Christ as He took on flesh and blood. When it says, “in him should all fullness dwell,” this is defined as the entirety of the Divine powers and attributes being in Christ. Therefore, this is a proclamation of God becoming man and living on earth.
The thought of a Godhead shows the idea of not more than one god, but a plurality of persons that make up the one person of God. Although the word ‘trinity’ is not used in the Bible, it is a truth that is plainly taught. We do not have three gods, but we have ONE God who is comprised of three…God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We see the truth of this clearly exhibited when Jesus was baptized. We read in Matthew 3:16-17, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” JESUS was baptized. The SPIRIT OF GOD descended upon Him. The FATHER spoke from Heaven commending His Son. Here the three distinct Persons are active composing the Godhead.
The word ‘Godhead’ is found only three times in the KJV. Each time it is used, it draws us to consider the absolute divinity of our God. Besides Colossians 2:9, we also have it in:
* Acts 17:29 says, “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.”
* Romans 1:20 says, “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.”
May the Lord cause each of us to stand in wonder of the Godhead as we seek to know Him and to know about Him more and more. (434.6)