I believe Jesus is God, but what does "fullness of Deity" actually mean for my relationship with Him? Does this affect how I pray or worship?
My question comes mainly from Colossians 2:9 9 "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily," Lately I’ve been wondering if I’m praying ‘to’ Jesus the right way, or if I’m accidentally treating Him as less than fully God.
Anonymous
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Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
First, I read all of Colossians 2 - I marked references to CHRIST (or Jesus, or variations) What did I learn? See Col. 2:2-20). 1. “The mystery of God” is Christ (Col 2:2) 2. Christ has all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge hidden in him. (v. 3) 3. Christ is the object of faith, hopefully “firm faith” (5) 4. Colossian Christians were converted through faith in Christ (6) and were encouraged to keep living in faith in Christ. 5. Paul wants Colossian Christians to be rooted in Christ Jesus as Lord (7) The context here is vv. 6-7 -- Col 2:6-7 ESV "6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." "Jesus" is another key word in Colossians, used 7 times. 6. CEV God lives fully in Christ. (9) 7. CEV "You died with Christ. Now the forces of the universe don't have any power over you. Why do you live as if you had to obey such rules as,"... (20) That's the big picture. The word "Christ" is a key word in the book, occuring 27 times. Now, focus just on points # 5 and # 6. 5. Paul wants Colossian Christians to be rooted in Christ Jesus as Lord (6) 6. CEV God lives fully in Christ. (9) "Paul's goal is for believers to be rooted in Christ Jesus as Lord (Colossians 2:6). That means 'Lord' here is not a lesser title. It is the divine name applied to Jesus. The CEV translation I wrote down, 'God lives fully in Christ,' is exactly the point. It is not 'part of God' or 'an image of God' but God Himself living fully in the incarnate Son. "So when you pray to Jesus, you are praying to God. When you worship Jesus, you are not elevating a creature. You are honoring the One in whom all deity dwells bodily. The only wrong way would be to treat Him as less than fully God, and your concern shows you do not want to do that. "Therefore the answer remains. Rest in confidence, not anxiety. The same Jesus who is fully God says, 'Come to me.' You do not need a higher access point." -- chat.deepseek.com assist on this last part
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