SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:23
la cual es su cuerpo, y l es la plenitud de ella: el cual llena todas las cosas en todos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ephesians 1:23
Verse 23. Which is his body] As he is head over all things, he is head to the Church; and this Church is considered as the body of which he is especially the head; and from him, as the head, the Church receives light, life, and intelligence. And is the fullness of him] That in which he especially manifests his power, goodness, and truth; for though he fills all the world with his presence, yet he fills all the members of his mystical body with wisdom, goodness, truth, and holiness, in an especial manner. Some understand the fullness or plhrwma, here, as signifying the thing to be filled; so the Christian Church is to be filled by him, whose fullness fills all his members, with all spiritual gifts and graces. And this corresponds with what St. John says, John i. 16: And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. And with what is said, Col. ii. 9, 10: Ye are complete in him; kai este en autw peplhrwmenoi? And ye are in him filled full; i.e. with gifts and grace.
How, in any other sense, the Church can be said to be the fullness of him who fills all in all, is difficult to say. However, as Jesus Christ is represented to be the head, and the Church, the body under that head, the individuals being so many members in that body; and as it requires a body and members to make a head complete; so it requires a Church, or general assembly of believers, to make up the body of Christ. When, therefore, the Jews and Gentiles are brought into this Church, the body may be said to be complete; and thus Christ has his visible fullness upon earth, and the Church may be said to be the fullness of him, &c. See ver. 10.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 23. Which is his body , &c.] That is, which church is the body of Christ; as an human body is but one, consisting of various members, united to each other, and set in an exact proportion and symmetry, and in a proper subservience to one another, and which must be neither more nor fewer than they are; so the church of Christ is but one general assembly, which consists of many persons, of different gifts and usefulness, and are all united together under one head, Christ, whose name they bear, and are made to drink of the same Spirit; and these are placed in such order, as throw a glory and comeliness on each other, and to be useful to one another, so that it cannot be said of the meanest member, that there is no need of it; and the number of them can neither be increased nor diminished; and this is Christ's body, his mystical body, which becomes his by the Father's gift to him, and by his own purchase; to which he is united, and of which he is the only head; and which he loves as his own body, and supplies, directs, and defends: the fulness of him that filleth all in all ; besides the personal fulness which Christ has as God, and his fulness of ability and fitness for his work as Mediator, and his dispensatory fulness, which dwells in him for the use of his people, the church is his relative fulness, which fills him, and makes up Christ mystical; and which is filled by him, and is complete in him: and then will the church appear to be Christ's fulness, when all the elect, both Jews and Gentiles, shall be gathered in; and when these are all filled with the grace designed for them; and when they are all grown up to their full proportion, or are arrived to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; which will be a glorious sight to see, and very desirable: and this shows the certainty of the saints' perseverance and salvation: for if anyone member, even the meanest, could be lost, the church would not be the fulness of Christ: and this may be further concluded, from its being his fulness, who filleth all in all ; which may be understood either more extensively; for he fills both worlds with inhabitants; he fills all places with his omnipresence, and all creatures with proper food and sustenance: or with a limitation to the church and people of God; he fills all his churches and ordinances with his gracious presence; and he fills the various societies of his saints with members and with officers; and these with the gifts and graces of his Spirit, suitable to their place and station; he fills all and every of the saints, all the vessels of mercy, whether greater or lesser, all sorts of them, of larger or meaner capacities; he fills all the powers and faculties of their souls, their hearts with joy, their minds with knowledge, their consciences with peace, their wills with spiritual desires, submission and resignation, and their affections with love to himself and people: in short, he fills them with all grace and goodness, and the fruits of righteousness; and so makes them meet for usefulness here, and for happiness hereafter; the fulness of the earth in ( Psalm 24:1) is by the Jews interpreted of the souls of the righteous, and of the congregation of Israel f8 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 15-23 - God has laid up spiritual blessings for us in his Son the Lord Jesus but requires us to draw them out and fetch them in by prayer. Even the best Christians need to be prayed for: and while we hear of the welfar of Christian friends, we should pray for them. Even true believer greatly want heavenly wisdom. Are not the best of us unwilling to com under God's yoke, though there is no other way to find rest for the soul? Do we not for a little pleasure often part with our peace? And i we dispute less, and prayed more with and for each other, we shoul daily see more and more what is the hope of our calling, and the riche of the Divine glory in this inheritance. It is desirable to feel the mighty power of Divine grace, beginning and carrying on the work of faith in our souls. But it is difficult to bring a soul to believ fully in Christ, and to venture its all, and the hope of eternal life upon his righteousness. Nothing less than Almighty power will work thi in us. Here is signified that it is Christ the Saviour, who supplie all the necessities of those who trust in him, and gives them all blessings in the richest abundance. And by being partakers of Chris himself, we come to be filled with the fulness of grace and glory in him. How then do those forget themselves who seek for righteousness ou of him! This teaches us to come to Christ. And did we know what we ar called to, and what we might find in him, surely we should come and be suitors to him. When feeling our weakness and the power of our enemies we most perceive the greatness of that mighty power which effects the conversion of the believer, and is engaged to perfect his salvation Surely this will constrain us by love to live to our Redeemer's glory __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ητις 3748 εστιν 2076 5748 το 3588 σωμα 4983 αυτου 846 το 3588 πληρωμα 4138 του 3588 παντα 3956 εν 1722 πασιν 3956 πληρουμενου 4137 5734
Vincent's NT Word Studies
23. Which is His body (htiv). The double relative is explanatory, seeing it is: by which I mean. Body, a living organism of which He is the head. See on Col. i. 18.
The fullness. See on John i. 16; Rom. xi. 12; Col. i. 19. That which is filled. The Church, viewed as a receptacle. Compare ch. iii. 10. That filleth all in all (ta panta ejn pasin plhroumenou). Better, that filleth all things with all things. The expression is somewhat obscure. All things are composed of elements. Whatever things exist, God from His fullness fills with all those elements which belong to their being or welfare. The whole universe is thus filled by Him.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:23 {Which} (hetis). "Which in fact is," explanatory use of hetis rather than h. {The fulness of him that filleth all in all} (to plerwma tou ta panta en pasin pleroumenou). this is probably the correct translation of a much disputed phrase. this view takes plerwma in the passive sense (that which is filled, as is usual, #Col 1:19) and pleroumenou as present middle participle, not passive. All things are summed up in Christ (#1:10), who is the plerwma of God (#Col 1:19), and in particular does Christ fill the church universal as his body. Hence we see in Ephesians the Dignity of the Body of Christ which is ultimately to be filled with the fulness (plerwma) of God (#3:19) when it grows up into the fulness (plerwma) of Christ (#4:13,16).
