Reconstructing Pauline ???????: A Critical Exegetical Investigation of Christological Fullness in Colossians and Ephesians

Bitrus Nuhu; PhD.; Ngozi Emah Willies; Esther; Bitrus Nuhu

doi:10.56201/ijrcp.vol.11.no5.2026.pg47.61

📄 Download Paper

Reconstructing Pauline ???????: A Critical Exegetical Investigation of Christological Fullness in Colossians and Ephesians

Bitrus Nuhu, PhD., Ngozi Emah Willies, Esther, Bitrus Nuhu

Abstract

This article undertakes a critical exegetical investigation of the Pauline concept of πλήρωμα (pleroma, “fullness”) in Colossians and Ephesians, with the aim of reconstructing its theological significance within the broader framework of Pauline thought. Although the term appears only a few times in the Pauline corpus, it occupies a central position in Paul's understanding of Christ, the Church, and God's redemptive purpose for creation. Through a historical-critical and exegetical analysis of key texts, particularly Colossians 1:19; 2:9–10 and Ephesians 1:22–23; 3:19; 4:13, the study examines the lexical, theological, and literary dimensions of fullness within its Jewish and early Christian contexts. The investigation demonstrates that in Colossians, fullness is concentrated in Christ as the embodiment of divine presence, authority, and reconciliation, while in Ephesians it is extended to the Church through participation in Christ, resulting in spiritual maturity, communal transformation, and vocational witness. The study further argues that Pauline fullness possesses a cosmic dimension, encompassing God's purpose to reconcile and unite all things under Christ's lordship. Against interpretations that isolate Christological, ecclesiological, or cosmic aspects of fullness, the article contends that πλήρωμα functions as an integrated theological concept that is Christological in origin, ecclesiological in participation, and cosmic in scope. By reconstructing Paul's theology of fullness in this manner, the study contributes to contemporary Pauline scholarship and provides a coherent framework for understanding the relationship between Christ, the Church, and the renewal of creation within Pauline theology.

Keywords

Pauline Theology; ??????? (Pleroma); Colossians; Ephesians; Christology; Ecclesiology; Christological Fullness; Participation Theology; Cosmic Reconciliation; Union with Christ; Pauline Studies; New T

References

Bauckham, Richard. Jesus and the God of Israel: God Crucified and Other Studies on the New Testament's Christology of Divine Identity. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008. Beale, G. K. The Temple and the Church's Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God. 2nd ed. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2021. Best, Ernest. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Ephesians. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1998. Bird, Michael F. Colossians and Philemon. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2021. Campbell, Constantine R. Paul and Union with Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2023. Cohick, Lynn H. The Letter to the Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2020. Danker, Frederick William, ed. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature . 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Dunn, James D. G. The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996. Gorman, Michael J. Participation: Pauline Theology and the Christian Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019. Gupta, Nijay K. Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2023. Gupta, Nijay K. Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2024. Lincoln, Andrew T. Ephesians. Dallas: Word Books, 1990. Moo, Douglas J. The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2025. Novenson, Matthew V. Paul and Judaism at the End of History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024. Silva, Moisés. Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023. Tabb, Brian J. After Emmaus: How the Church Fulfills the Mission of Christ. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021. Thielman, Frank. Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010. Thompson, Marianne Meye. Colossians and Philemon. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2023. Wright, N. T. Paul and the Faithfulness of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013. Biblical References The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version . Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1989.

Reconstructing Pauline ???????: A Critical Exegetical Investigation of Christological Fullness in Colossians and Ephesians

Abstract

Keywords

References

More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL PRACTICE