“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” (John 1:16 nasb)
Journal,
A difficulty we have in interpreting Scripture is the tendency to read our own belief systems into the text. This is called eisegesis, or ‘reading into.’ The proper way to interpret Scripture is called exegesis, or ‘reading out of.’ (Most doctrinal failure is a problem of eisegesis.)
To properly understand what a Biblical writer means when he uses a certain term, we have to understand how that term was used during his time. When John says, “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace,” we need to know how the term ‘fullness‘ was used at that time.
The Greek word ‘pleroma‘ means ‘that which fills,’ and it comes from ‘pleroo’, or, ‘ to fill with a content.’ As used by the gospel writers, pleroma had a two-fold meaning. It meant that believers have been brought to fullness in Christ’s sphere of life.
In this case there is nothing we need to do to be any closer to God, than being ‘in Christ.’ This fullness of our sphere of relationship takes place in the new birth. It is not some later added spiritual experience.
The term also means believers are filled absolutely by the person of Christ as the Giver. No believer has more of Christ than another believer. If of His fullness we have all received, then there is nothing else we need to receive. It is here that we get the idea of Christ living out His life in us. Paul had this idea in mind, when he said,
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal2:20)
Then you had the nonliteral use of pleroma or pleroo by the gospel writers which was, “to fill up to a specific measure.” or, “to fulfill a divine demand or claim.”
We see this when Jesus speaks to the rejecting Jewish leadership…
… saying, “Fill up (pleroo), then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.” (Matt23:32) This meant that they would become completers of all those who killed the prophets in times past. He goes on to say,
“Upon you will fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the blood of Zechariah.” (V35)
In coming back to how this term applies to the new covenant, let’s go another step. Paul says,
“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled (pleroo) the law.”
Paul is saying that the love of God that is poured out in our hearts in the new birth, is now the governing principle of the new covenant, and that by walking in the Spirit of love we automatically fulfill, or reach the full goal of the Law of Moses.
Paul’s point is that Christ has removed any need for performing rituals. Anyone can perform a ritual, but only those truly born of God’s Spirit have the capacity to fulfill the love walk.
There is a final sense in the word ‘pleroma’ which has to do with completeness, or to finish up a thing.
This is a very important concept, since it relates back to our original reference Scripture. Listen again;
“For of His fullness (pleorma; or, ‘completeness’) we have all received.”
Again listen carefully to Paul;
“For in Him [Jesus] all the fullness [pleroma] of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete [pleroo], and He is the head over all rule and authority.” (Col2:9,10)
Paul’s emphasis is our completeness in Christ. Completeness means there is nothing you can add to make it any more complete.
Children of the Great I AM.
At the very moment of the new birth, a believer is made complete in Christ. No one can take from that. Nor is there anything to add to that. All the apostles agreed on this issue of our completeness.
This is the sum and substance of the new covenant. And it is because of this sum and substance, that John said we are given “grace upon grace.”
Grace upon grace means that at no time in a believer’s life will he or she be able to get beyond God’s redeeming grace. Is that what it means? Hear again the apostle;
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He *lavished* on us, in all wisdom and insight.” (Eph1:7,8)
The key word is ‘lavished.’ Perisseuo means a super abundance, or be over and above anything needed or required. God can lavish grace on all His children because we have received the fullness of Christ. We are children of the Great I AM.
The struggle
This continued to be a struggle for the early believers just as it is for many today. With them you had the judaisers on one hand, who said you must fulfill the law of Moses, and, on the other hand, you had the gnostics and philosophers who had plenty of additions. These kinds of systems have always been around.
In coming against the gnostics who were troubling the young believers, John had this to say;
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
He then says, “By this, love is perfected (brought to completion) with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He [Christ] is, so also are we in this world.“ (1John4:15,17)
John is bringing out another view of our relationship to God. He says that Christ perfectly represents every believer in heaven. And this is where our salvation lies. You can also refer to this as the life exchange of the cross. Christ took our life to Himself in His death on the cross, and, He, in turn, gave us His perfect life to be our standing with heaven.
There is so much more to be said but I hope you are getting the picture. But here are a couple more just for good measure:
“There is no fear in love; but perfect casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears [punishment] is not perfected in love.”
Then how about this one:
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days … For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Heb8:10- 11)
Well, have you received the fullness of Christ? Think about it. In the meantime listen to this beautiful song, ‘It Is Finished!’
There you have it.
Keep looking up.
In love with Jesus,
Buddy
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