And ye are complete in him
Or "filled up", or "filled full" in him; that is, are perfect in
him: saints are in Christ, and all fulness being in him, they are
full too, of as much as they stand in need, and are capable of
containing: for these words are not an exhortation to perfection,
as the Arabic version reads then, be ye complete in him, like
those in ( Genesis 17:1
) ( Matthew
5:48 ) ( 2
Corinthians 13:11 ) ; but are an affirmation, asserting not
what the saints shall be hereafter, or in heaven, but what they
now are; not in themselves, for in themselves none are perfect,
not even those who are truly sanctified; for though all grace is
seminally implanted in them, and they have a perfection of parts,
of all the parts of the new man, or new creature, and are perfect
in comparison of what they sometimes were, and of profane persons
and hypocrites, and with respect to weaker believers, yet none
are absolutely perfect; the good work of grace is not yet
finished in them, sin dwells in them, they are full of wants and
complaints; the best of them disclaim perfection as attained to
by them, and express their desires of it; but they are perfect in
Christ their head, who has all fulness in him, in whom they are
chosen and blessed: they are complete and perfect in him as to
sanctification; he having all fulness of grace and holiness for
them, they have it in him; and he is made perfect sanctification
to them: and as to justification, he has perfectly fulfilled the
law for them, he has made full atonement for sin, has obtained
eternal redemption, brought in a complete and perfect
righteousness, by which they are justified from all things; are
freed from sin, and made perfectly comely, without spot or
wrinkle, or any such thing: and as to knowledge, though it is
imperfect in them in their present state, yet in Christ all the
treasures of it are, and they have no need to go elsewhere for
any; they are filled with the knowledge of God and of his will,
and are complete therein in Christ; and what knowledge they have,
is eternal life, the beginning, pledge, and earnest of it; so
that they have no reason to be beholden to angels or men, only to
Christ:
which is the head of all principality and
power;
not only of the body the church, and who is to be held unto as
such, from whom all light, life, grace, and strength, are to be
derived; but of all others, though in a different sense; and not
only of the kings, princes, and potentates of this world, who
hold their kingdoms, and receive their crowns from him, and rule
by him; but also of the angels, good and bad, often called
principalities and powers; especially the former is here meant,
of whom Christ is head, being their Creator, Governor, and
upholder; who not only maintains them in their beings, but has
confirmed them in their state of holiness; so that they are
dependent upon him, and beholden to him for all they have and
are: with the Jews, "Metatron", which with them is the name of
the angel in ( Exodus 23:20
) and seems to be a corruption of the word "mediator", and to
design the Messiah, is said F23 to be King over all the
angels. This is mentioned, partly to set forth the glory and
excellency of Christ; and partly against worshipping of angels,
making use of them as mediators, or applying to them on any
account, since Christ is the head of these, and of every
creature; therefore no creature is to be looked and applied unto,
trusted and depended on: unless rather should be meant the Jewish
rulers, Scribes, and Pharisees, their doctors, wise men, and
Rabbins, called the princes of this world; the Jews' tutors and
governors, to whom Christ is superior; he is the only master and
Father, and in whom perfection of wisdom is, and not in them; and
therefore should not regard them, their vain philosophy, worldly
rudiments and traditions.