The term “Pleroma” is used in the New Testament to refer to the fullness or completeness of God’s divine power and presence. It comes from the Greek word πλήρωμα (plērōma) meaning “fullness” or “that which fills something”.
In Colossians 1:19 and 2:9, the Pleroma is used to describe the fullness of God’s nature and divinity that dwells in Christ: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col 1:19 ESV) and “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col 2:9 ESV). Through Christ, the fullness of God’s divine attributes such as love, grace, wisdom and power are made manifest.
Additionally, Ephesians 1:22-23 speaks of the church as the fullness of Christ: “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Eph 1:22-23 ESV). Believers are filled with Christ’s fullness and united to Him as His body.
In Ephesians 3:19, Paul prays that believers may be filled with “all the fullness of God” – meaning that they would experience the completeness of God’s love, grace and power in their lives. As Christians grow in maturity, God’s fullness dwells in them more and more.
The false teachers that Paul was countering in Colossians claimed that the Pleroma was the totality of all spiritual powers and divinities that existed. For them, Christ was just one of many manifestations of the Pleroma. But Paul refutes this by affirming that the entire fullness of deity resides fully in Christ alone (Col 2:9). There are not other divine spiritual beings that Jesus needs to be unified with to attain fullness.
Gnostic philosophy saw the Pleroma as the highest divine realm above all other spiritual beings and celestial powers. But Scripture does not present the Pleroma as a spiritual location – rather, it is the fullness of God’s divinity and presence which fills all things.
The Pleroma is not something separate from God or merely an aspect of His nature – it is His complete essence and fullness. All the perfections and attributes of Yahweh find their full expression in the Pleroma. There is nothing lacking in God’s divine Pleroma.
This fullness of God dwelt fully in Christ during His earthly ministry (Col 1:19). And it continues to dwell in Him in His exalted state (Col 2:9). The Pleroma is eternal and unchanging along with God’s nature. It has dwelt forever in the Trinity – Father, Son and Spirit contain the Pleroma perfectly.
Believers have access to the Pleroma by virtue of their union with Christ. As we abide in Him, we can partake of the full blessings included in His Pleroma – “grace upon grace” (John 1:16). We do not possess the Pleroma innately, but we receive it by faith as we draw close to the living Savior.
Though we have access to the Pleroma, only God contains it fully and infinitely. We will never be divine or omnipotent like Christ. But we can experience intimacy with God and the blessings of His fullness each day through prayer, worship and obedience.
The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is also associated with the Pleroma, for He communicates the life of Christ to believers and fills us with God’s fullness from within (Eph 3:19). The Spirit reveals the Pleroma of Christ to us more and more as we yield to Him.
When Paul writes about attaining to the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” in Ephesians 4:13, he indicates that our partaking of the Pleroma is intended to occur in increasing measure throughout our spiritual growth. We do not instantly gain full access to the Pleroma at conversion – it is an ever-increasing experience of communion with our infinite God.
The fullness of God’s Trinitarian life and love is more than we can ever fully comprehend. But Scripture reveals that we can begin to experience deep intimacy with the Father, Son and Spirit through the Pleroma. It overflows with grace upon grace for those united to Christ by faith.
The Pleroma displays the beautiful truth that God holds nothing back from those He loves. In Christ, the full extent of His blessings and power is available to fill our lives. As we seek God, we can continually discover new dimensions of His infinite fullness.
When Scripture speaks of our lives being “filled” with the Spirit and His fruits (Eph 5:18, Gal 5:22-23), it indicates that God desires for the Pleroma to permeate every aspect our lives until we overflow with His fullness. This process of being filled continues throughout eternity as we experience more and more of who God is.
The Pleroma of God stands in contrast to the emptiness of false philosophies that exalt the self and search for truth apart from the Creator. Only in intimate relationship with Christ can we find the satisfaction of knowing there is a God in heaven who lacks nothing and desires to share the abundance of His fullness with us.
The completeness of the Pleroma also assures believers that nothing else needs to be added to the work of Christ to accomplish our salvation. We do not need to earn God’s favor or attain some higher plane of enlightenment. In Christ alone “all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col 1:19 ESV) so we can rest in His finished work.
The concept of the Pleroma originated in Gnostic philosophy of the 1st-2nd centuries AD and was later adapted into Gnostic branches of Christianity. The Gnostics viewed the Pleroma as the highest level of spiritual reality where divine beings emanated from an unknowable god.
But Scripture presents a different view – the Pleroma is not a place but rather the fullness of God’s being. It is His active presence and the full expression of His divine essence. And this limitless Pleroma is incarnated fully in Jesus Christ.
Paul directly counters the Gnostic conception of the Pleroma in Colossians and Ephesians by teaching that all the Pleroma resides in Christ alone. Not in a multitude of lesser spiritual beings, but the one true God has taken on flesh in Jesus for our redemption.
Therefore, intimate knowledge of Christ is all we need to begin experiencing the Pleroma. We do not have to attain to certain higher planes of consciousness or unlock esoteric knowledge. The fullness of deity has come down to earth to dwell with us and fill our lives with divine love.
This biblical view of the Pleroma is intensely practical and Christ-focused rather than mystical and theoretical. It shows us that God is not unknowable, but has made Himself intimately known in Jesus. And His fullness is immediately accessible to all believers through faith in Christ.
The size of God’s Pleroma is unlimited – it encompasses all of His being and character. There are endless depths to be explored as we seek to know more of our infinite Creator. This lifelong process of discovery fills our lives with meaning, awe and purpose.
And while we can never fully reach the outer boundaries of the Pleroma in our finite state, Scripture reveals we will one day experience it fully in eternity. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (ESV)
Until then, we walk by faith with the indwelling Holy Spirit as our guide into the boundless Pleroma of God’s fullness. We can continually draw near to Christ and depend on His overflowing supply of grace for each day.
The presence of the Pleroma in the believer’s life fuels intimacy with God. It is the source of spiritual fruitfulness and empowerment to fulfill our calling. And it gives us a glorious hope as we fix our eyes on eternity, where the inexhaustible riches of the Pleroma will be experienced in their fullness forever.
To summarize, the Pleroma refers to the fullness and completeness of God’s divine being, character, sovereignty and miraculous power which centers in Christ. This infinite fullness fills all things while also dwelling uniquely in the Son. As believers unite with Christ by faith, they begin to partake of His wondrous Pleroma.