In this message we will consider the riches and fullness of Christ. The words multiplication, increase, riches, and fullness are all ordinary terms that are commonly heard. However, when these terms are placed in the exposition of the Bible, or rather in theology, they are not ordinary. Among the general teachers of the Bible and the theology that is generally taught, some of these words may never have been used, while others have been used without being understood. The two words multiplication and increase have never been used in ordinary theology. Not only in Chinese theology, but even in the theologies of the Western languages, such as Latin and English, it seems that multiplication and increase have not been used to describe the all-inclusiveness and unlimitedness of Christ. Although riches and fullness have been used, those who have been in Christianity for a considerable period of time may never have heard a single message or read a single book that preaches the riches of Christ. Many speak about the love of Christ and the grace of Christ, but I have yet to hear a message or read a book on the riches of Christ. Nevertheless, Paul said that he was commissioned by God to preach and announce the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel to the Gentiles. The gospel which Paul announced was not merely that Christ died on the cross for us to deal with our sin. Rather, it includes all the riches of Christ, and these riches are unsearchable. We thank God that even though we cannot fathom these riches, we can preach and enjoy them.
However, among Christians today, nearly no one pays attention to the riches of Christ. Everyone reads Ephesians; it is rare to find a genuine Christian who loves the Bible yet who has not spent much time studying Ephesians. The expression the unsearchable riches of Christ is in the book of Ephesians, yet people read it without paying attention to it, or they pay attention to it without comprehending it. It is a matter of fact that many Christians, even the brothers and sisters among us, are not adequate in their knowledge of the riches of Christ and even less adequate in their personal experience of the riches of Christ. Nonetheless, Paul spoke empathetically concerning this matter in Ephesians 3. He said, “To me, less than the least of all saints, was this grace given to announce to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel” (v. 8). Thank the Lord that today we are the Gentile believers who are qualified to enjoy these riches!
What then of the term fullness? This is a troublesome term. I have been studying the books of Christianity for decades, and I have read a few on the fullness of Christ. Unfortunately, however, when people speak about fullness, they mostly consider it as a synonym of riches. To them, riches and fullness refer to the same thing-riches equals fullness, and fullness equals riches. This is so much the case that sometimes in contemporary Christian teachings and writings, the word riches is seldom used and the expression the riches of Christ is rarely mentioned. Rather, most people use the word fullness, but the fullness they speak of actually refers to the riches.
There are, of course, reasons for this. In the New Testament, the terms riches and fullness are used in such a deeply particular way that sometimes it is easy for people to have the understanding that fullness is riches. John 1:14 says, for example, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us..., full of grace and reality.” If you look at the context here, how can you not understand that to be “full of” is to be “rich in”? We may change this sentence to: “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, rich in grace and reality.” When you read this, you may not have the slightest sense that it is wrong. Then, in John 1:16, the Chinese version says, “For out of His full grace we have all received.” If you read this in its context, His full grace obviously denotes His rich grace. It is no wonder almost all Christians understand the word fullness in the New Testament as a synonym of riches, thinking that fullness and riches refer to the same thing. However, it is not so in actuality. A great deal is involved here.
Thirty years ago when I had just come to Taiwan, I could not explain these two terms. I was puzzled about why there was fullness and there was also riches, wondering if they were indeed synonymous in the New Testament. However, after reading these passages repeatedly, I found out that they are not synonyms. In particular, when I read Ephesians 1:22b-23, which says, “The church, which is His Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all,” I saw that church, Body, and fullness are truly synonyms. The church is the Body, and the Body is the fullness. The church is the Body of Christ, and the Body of Christ is the fullness of Christ. But here it does not say “Christ”; instead, it says “the One who fills all in all.” Therefore, in this verse there are three terms-the church, the Body, and the fullness-which all refer to the same thing-the church.
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