Do you understand the ‘full knowledge of God’?
UPDATED: January 29, 2026
Paul continued to plead with the Colossians – “For this reason also, since the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Who has rescued us from the authority of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1: 9-14)
Epaphras was very concerned about the false teachings the Colossians were being influenced by, so he made the challenging journey from Colosse to Rome to speak with Paul who was in prison in Rome. Paul wanted the Colossians to be filled with the ‘full knowledge’ of His will in all spiritual understanding, so that their conduct could be lined up with the truth about Jesus.
Paul also had admonished the Ephesians – “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of that light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead even expose them. For it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Therefore look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. On account of this, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5: 6-17)
Paul taught in his first letter to Timothy – “First of all, then, I exhort that petitions and prayers, requests and thanksgivings, be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the witness for this proper time.” (1 Timothy 2: 1-6)
Paul taught the Colossians to ‘multiply’ in the full knowledge of God. Peter like Paul wanted believers to spiritually grow through partaking of the word of God – “Therefore, laying aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have TASTED THE KINDNESS OF THE LORD.” (1 Peter 2: 1-3)
Jesus taught the true nature of God when speaking to the Samaritan woman – “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4: 24) God is invisible, whereas man is material and physical. There is no way man could ‘comprehend’ a God who is invisible unless God revealed Himself, through veiling Himself in flesh and coming to earth as Jesus Christ. God ‘incarnated’ or entered into His fallen creation as a man miraculously born of a virgin. God literally Himself came to us as Jesus in order to take on all our sins and pay the eternal price for our complete redemption. This is the ‘full’ knowledge of God. There is no way that any of us as fallen beings could become worthy enough to enter into a complete Holy God’s presence. It took God coming down to us, rather than us trying to merit in any way our redemption through our religious efforts.
The Colossians were being lied to about who Jesus really was. They were lied to about the deity of Christ. Without understanding Christ’s deity, it is impossible to understand what God has done for us. These false teachers were teaching damnable doctrines like many religions do today. Understanding what the Bible teaches about Jesus’ deity is crucial for us to understand in order for us not to not fall into similar traps to those the Colossians were falling into.
Consider how loving and kind God is that He Himself came and died for us so we could live with Him forever! He is amazing!