Biblical Concept of Wholeness and Spiritual Completeness
The biblical concept of wholeness and spiritual completeness is often expressed through terms related to "fullness" or "perfection," signifying a state of being entirely in Christ or aligned with God's will. The Hebrew name "Millo" means "fullness," while "Chiliab" can mean "totality" or "the perfection of the father" [1, 2]. Similarly, "Salem" denotes "complete or perfect peace," and "Tema" suggests "perfection" or "consummation" [5, 6].
The New Testament frequently uses the concept of "fullness" (Greek: pleroma) in relation to Christ and the Church. In Colossians 2:9, it states that "in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily," indicating that the entire nature and attributes of God reside in Christ [4]. This divine fullness in Christ is foundational to the believer's completeness. John 1:16 speaks of the "superabundance of grace with which he was filled" [4].
Believers are described as being "complete in him" (Colossians 2:10). This means that saints are "filled up" or "filled full" in Christ, possessing all they need and are capable of containing, not in themselves, but through their union with Christ [10]. This completeness is not an exhortation to achieve perfection but an affirmation of what believers already are in Christ [10].
The Church itself is called "his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:23) [3]. This means the Church makes Christ a complete and perfect head [4]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary explains that the Church is not merely a figurative body but is truly, though spiritually, Christ's body, sharing in His life, crucifixion, and glory. Christ possesses His fellowship with the Father, His fullness of the Spirit, and His glorified humanity not just for Himself, but for the Church, which is a "membership of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones" (Ephesians 5:30) [8]. The Church is "dwelt in and filled by Christ" [8].
Spiritual completeness also involves the sanctification of believers. Paul prays in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, "May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." This passage emphasizes a comprehensive sanctification, aiming for believers to be "perfect in every respect" [9]. This wholeness encompasses the entire person—spirit, soul, and body—preserved blameless [9].
The renewed heart, a key aspect of spiritual completeness, is characterized by several qualities: it is prepared to seek God, fixed on God, joyful in God, and "perfect with God" [7]. Such a heart is described as upright, clean, pure, tender, single, sincere, honest, good, broken, contrite, obedient, filled with God's law, awed by His word, and filled with the fear of God [7]. These characteristics reflect a comprehensive transformation that aligns the individual with God's will.
The concept of "the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19) is also linked to the Church's capacity to correspond to it. The "breadth, length, depth, and height" of Christ's love signify its universal reach, eternal duration, profound wisdom, and ultimate glory, to which the Church, as "the fullness of Christ," ought to correspond [12]. This pursuit of spiritual blessings and acts of praise can satisfy desires and fill thoughts, contributing to a sense of completeness [11].
Sources
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Millo — fullness”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Chiliab — totality; or the perfection of the father”
- Ephesians “which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. -- Ephesians 1:23”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Fulness — (1.) Of time (Gal. 4:4), the time appointed by God, and foretold by the prophets, when Messiah should appear. (2.) Of Christ (John 1:16), the superabundance of grace with which he was filled. (3.) Of the Godhead bodily dwelling in Christ (Col. 2:9), i.e., the whole nature and attributes of God are in Christ. (4.) Eph. 1:23, the church as the fulness of Christ, i.e., the church makes Christ a complete and perfect head.”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Salem — complete or perfect peace”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Tema — admiration; perfection; consummation”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Heart, Character of the Renewed — Prepared to seek God -- 2Ch 19:3; Ezr 7:10; Ps 10:17. Fixed on God -- Ps 57:7; 112:7. Joyful in God -- 1Sa 2:1; Zec 10:7. Perfect with God -- 1Ki 8:61; Ps 101:2. Upright -- Ps 97:11; 125:4. Clean -- Ps 73:1. Pure -- Ps 24:4; Mt 5:8. Tender -- 1Sa 24:5; 2Ki 22:19. Single and sincere -- Ac 2:46; Heb 10:22. Honest and good -- Lu 8:15. Broken, contrite -- Ps 34:18; 51:17. Obedient -- Ps 119:112; Ro 6:17. Filled with the law of God -- Ps 40:8; 119:11. Awed by the word of God -- Ps 119:161. Filled with the fear of God -- Jer 32:40. Meditat”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 1:23: his body--His mystical and spiritual, not literal, body. Not, however, merely figurative, or metaphorical. He is really, though spiritually, the Church's Head. His life is her life. She shares His crucifixion and His consequent glory. He possesses everything, His fellowship with the Father, His fulness of the Spirit, and His glorified manhood, not merely for Himself, but for her, who has a membership of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones (Eph 5:30). fulness--"the filled-up receptacle" [EADIE]. The Church is dwelt in and filled by Christ. She”
- 1 Thessalonians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Thessalonians 5:23: the very God--rather as the Greek, "the God of peace Himself"; who can do for you by His own power what I cannot do by all my monitions, nor you by all your efforts (Rom 16:20; Heb 13:20), namely, keep you from all evil, and give you all that is good. sanctify you--for holiness is the necessary condition of "peace" (Phi 4:6-9). wholly--Greek, "(so that you should be) perfect in every respect" [TITTMANN]. and--that is, "and so (omit 'I pray God'; not in the Greek) may your . . . spirit and soul and body be preserved," &c. whole--A diffe”
- Colossians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Colossians 2:10: And ye are complete in him,.... Or "filled up", or "filled full" in him; that is, are perfect in him: saints are in Christ, and all fulness being in him, they are full too, of as much as they stand in need, and are capable of containing: for these words are not an exhortation to perfection, as the Arabic version reads then, be ye complete in him, like those in Gen 17:1; but are an affirmation, asserting not what the saints shall be hereafter, or in heaven, but what they now are; not in themselves, for in themselves none are perfect, not even those who are truly sa”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 63:5: Full spiritual blessings satisfy his desires, and acts of praise fill his thoughts and time.”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 3:18: May be able--even still further. Greek, "May be fully able." breadth . . . length . . . depth . . . height--namely, the full dimensions of the spiritual temple, answering to "the fulness of God" (Eph 3:19), to which the Church, according to its capacity, ought to correspond (compare Eph 4:10, Eph 4:13) as to "the fulness of Christ." The "breadth" implies Christ's world-wide love, embracing all men: the "length," its being extended through all ages (Eph 3:21); the "depth," its profound wisdom which no creature can fathom (Rom 11:33); the "height," ”