The Fulness of Godhood
W. Carl Ketcherside
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The word "Godhead" occurs only twice in the King James Version. The first time is in Romans 1: 20, where the apostle is showing that no sensible person can plead lack of proof of the existence of God as the ground of atheism. "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."
The second is in Colossians 2:9, where it is affirmed of Christ, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
I am indebted to Richard Chenevix Trench, and his "Synonyms of the New Testament," for first calling to my attention that these are from two different terms. Since then I have pursued the matter more deeply upon my own and have found confirmatory evidence elsewhere.
In the passage in Romans the subject is what one may learn about God from observation. The visible things in creation enable us to clearly see certain "invisible things" related to the creator. Obviously "the things that are made" are a result, and bespeak a cause preceding the result, and one adequate to produce it. By application of logical processes we can deduce certain traits or characteristics as belonging to the creator.
The apostle defines these traits as "eternal power and Godhead." It is his contention that the natural realm furnishes to the mental faculties a sufficient amount of foundational material to allow us to reach the conclusion that the Prime Cause of creation possessed power, and that this power was eternal, that is, uncreated and personal (as we believe all power to be in its ultimate). This leads one step further and brings us to the point of admis-
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Now there is a great deal of difference in knowing about the traits and attributes of God, as expressed through creative energy, and knowing God personally. One may see a beautiful building and from it learn a great deal about the skill and ability of the architect, and never know him as an individual at all. God not only wanted to make a world which would demonstrate that He was possessed of divine power, but He also wanted to create a family which would reveal Him as a Father. A universe could demonstrate that He was God, but only personal love could exhibit Him as a Father.
To fulfill His purpose it was necessary that He manifest himself as a person. This He did in His Son. The Word was made flesh. We beheld His glory. That glory was the glory of the only begotten Son of God. "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself." The Eternal Word became embodied. The fulness of Godhead dwelt in him bodily, that is, in a body.
The word for Godhead here is theotes. It is probably best translated "deity." My regular readers know that I have long contended for the word "Godhood" as opposed to "Godhead." The last does not mean much to most of us, but just as "priesthood" involves all that is related to the priestly domain, so Godhood implies all that is embraced in Deity. Only in Christ can we know God personally. The very next verse after the one which asserts that the "fulness of Godhood" dwelt in him, says, "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power" (Colossians 2: 10).
For the benefit of modern theologians, Romans 1:20 exhibits the transcendence of God, while Colossians 2:9 exhibits His immanence. The God whom I revere is not limited by the terms which men invent to describe Him. I find no need to debate whether He is transcendent or immanent, because to me there is One God, not only transcendent and immanent, but vastly more than either of these, or both of them taken together. My God is not an either/or proposition. Nature may argue eloquently for a divine creator and does so, but the Son of God was Deity incarnate) I need not fully explain Him to know that I am His, and He is mine!