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Colossians and Philemon Verse by Verse by 
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, Philemon by 
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon by 
Philippians, Colossians by
In the latest volume in the Reformation Commentary on Scripture, editor Graham Tomlin pulls together insights from all over the reforming world—humanists, high Calvinists and Puritans alike—to deliver a commentary on Philippians and Colossians that reveals the heat and light of biblical engagement in the age of reform.
Colossians by
The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible advances the assumption that the Nicene creedal tradition, in all its diversity, provides the proper basis for the interpretation of the Bible as Christian scripture. The series encourages readers to extend the vital roots of the ancient Christian tradition to our day. In this addition to the acclaimed series, renowned scholar Christopher Seitz offers a theological exegesis of Colossians, bringing his expertise in canonical reading to bear on his interpretation of this Pauline letter. As with other volumes in the series, the book is ideal for those called to ministry.
Colossians and Philemon by
This series is designed for those who know biblical languages. It is written primarily for the pastor and Bible teacher, not for the scholar. That is, the aim is not to review and offer a critique of every possible interpretation that has ever been given to a passage, but to exegete each passage of Scripture succinctly in its grammatical and historical context. Each passage is interpreted in the light of its biblical setting, with a view to grammatical detail, literary context, flow of biblical argument, and historical setting. While the focus will not be on application, it is expected that the authors will offer suggestions as to the direction in which application can flow.
Colossians and Philemon by
Summary: "A leading New Testament scholar offers a substantive evangelical commentary on Colossians and Philemon in the award-winning BECNT series"-- Provided by publisher. Summary: In this addition to the award-winning BECNT series, leading New Testament scholar and bestselling author G. K. Beale offers a substantive evangelical commentary on Colossians and Philemon. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Beale leads readers through all aspects of Colossians and Philemon--sociological, historical, and theological--to help them better understand the meaning and relevance of these biblical books. As with all BECNT volumes, this commentary features the author's detailed interaction with the Greek text and an acclaimed, user-friendly design. It admirably achieves the dual aims of the series--academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility--making it a useful tool for pastors, church leaders, students, and teachers. -- !c From publisher's description.
Colossians and Philemon by
The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: Colossians and Philemon is the first book in a projected series of twenty volumes that seeks to bring together classroom, study, and pulpit by providing the student or pastor with the information needed to understand and expound the Greek text of the New Testament. Author Murray J. Harris aims to close the gap between grammatical analysis and exegesis, leading the reader into an in-depth understanding of the New Testament Greek text by guiding him or her through the processes of thorough exegesis flowing into sermon construction.
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1st and 2nd Thessalonians by
The apostle Paul addresses specific concerns of the early church, focusing on the themes of salvation by grace, redemption, transformation in Christ and perseverance in the face of persecution.
The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians by
For more than fifty years and for millions of readers around the world, the New Daily Study Bible commentaries have been the ideal help for both devotional and serious Bible study. William Barclay's brilliant communication, down-to-earth approach, and sheer enthusiasm have inspired generations of readers. These new editions contain a new foreword from renowned theologian and author Alister McGrath, along with updated language to clarify less familiar illustrations from the originals and the inclusion of more contemporary language. Here are William Barclay's offerings on Paul's letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. Though written to the faithful in years gone by, Paul's words come to life for readers today through Barclay's own translation and enlightening commentary.
Letter to the Colossians by
The Letter to the Colossians offers a compelling vision of the Christian life; its claims transcend religion and bring politics, culture, spirituality, power, ethnicity, and more into play. Delving deeply into the message of Colossians, this exegetical and theological commentary by Scot McKnight will be welcomed by preachers, teachers, and students everywhere.
Philippians, Colossians by
Paul?s letters to the Philippians and Colossians celebrate the glory and supremacy of Jesus Christ and his saving work, a refrain that the reformers never grew tired of singing. While their tones are diverse, the clarity of their compositions and the power of their voices still reverberate today. Reformation commentators found the main themes of these Pauline letters deeply applicable to their circumstances, and volume editor Graham Tomlin urges that they are just as relevant to our own: Philippians overflows with thanksgiving in the midst of persecution and trials; Colossians defends the superiority of Jesus as Lord over all principalities and powers. For the Reformers as well as for Paul, all goodness and grace flows from Christ in whom "all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Col 1:19), the Son who "made himself nothing" (Phil 2:7) in order to bring many daughters and sons to glory. This volume assembles a diverse chorus spanning place, time, and confessional differences: from Italian Reform-minded Catholic Gasparo Contarini and German Lutheran Martin Chemnitz, to Dutch Anabaptist Menno Simons, to French Reformed Theodore Beza and English Puritan Richard Sibbes. Scholars and pastors alike will find many fruitful insights from these and a number of other significant figures--most of whom enjoy fresh translations from the original, many for the first time in English.
Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon by
Paul’s epistles to the churches of Philippi and Colossae, and to Philemon stand together as some of the most profound illustrations of the unifying power of the gospel in all of Scripture. Highlighting the reconciliation that Christians enjoy in and through Jesus, Paul’s lofty words and impassioned exhortations spur us to embrace one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. These books also cover important topics such as Joy for the Christian life, The priority of the gospel, Finding true contentment in Christ, Safeguards against seduction, and The source of fullness for the Christian family. In this study of Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, renowned pastor R. Kent Hughes amplifies and explains the apostle Paul’s message with memorable illustrations and penetrating insights into the biblical text. His careful exegesis and perceptive applications will encourage fresh understanding and promote lasting growth as readers are systematically led through God’s Word. Part of the Preaching the Word series.
Philippians, Colossians, Philemon by
Philippians lends itself to a political-ideological reading. To take into account that the document is a writing from prison, and to read it from a political-religious and feminist perspective using new language, helps to re-create the letter as if it were a new document. In this analysis Elsa Tamez endeavors to utilize non-patriarchal, inclusive language, which helps us to see the contents of the letter with different eyes. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge and Claire Miller Colombo argue that Colossians’s contradictions and complications provide opportunities for entering imaginatively into the world of first-century Christian women and men. Rather than try to resolve the controversial portions—including the household code—they read the letter’s tensions as evidence of lively conversation around key theological, spiritual, and social issues of the time. Taking into account historical, structural, and rhetorical dimensions of Philemon, Alicia J. Batten argues against the “runaway slave” hypothesis that has so dominated the interpretation of this letter. Paul asks that Onesimus be treated well, but the commentary takes seriously the fact that we never hear what Onesimus’s wishes may have been. Slaves throughout history have had similar experiences, as have many women. Like Onesimus, their lives and futures remain in the hands of others, whether those others seek good or ill. From the Wisdom Commentary series Feminist biblical interpretation has reached a level of maturity that now makes possible a commentary series on every book of the Bible. It is our hope that Wisdom Commentary, by making the best of current feminist biblical scholarship available in an accessible format to ministers, preachers, teachers, scholars, and students, will aid all readers in their advancement toward God’s vision of dignity, equality, and justice for all. The aim of this commentary is to provide feminist interpretation of Scripture in serious, scholarly engagement with the whole text, not only those texts that explicitly mention women. A central concern is the world in front of the text, that is, how the text is heard and appropriated by women. At the same time, this commentary aims to be faithful to the ancient text, to explicate the world behind the text, where appropriate, and not impose contemporary questions onto the ancient texts. The commentary addresses not only issues of gender (which are primary in this project) but also those of power, authority, ethnicity, racism, and classism, which all intersect. Each volume incorporates diverse voices and differing interpretations from different parts of the world, showing the importance of social location in the process of interpretation and that there is no single definitive feminist interpretation of a text.
By Philosophy and Empty Deceit by
This book identifies Cynic philosophers as the opponents addressed by the epistle to the Colossians. This identification permits new solutions to old interpretative problems in Colossian studies. In particular, Martin offers a new translation and interpretation of Col. 2.16-23 as well as other problematic passages. Martin contends that the author of Colossians contrasts the hope of the gospel with his opposition's empty deceit and emphasizes important distinctions between Christian ethics and Cynic ethics. The study concludes that Christian ethics as articulated in Colossians transforms societal structures instead of simply rejecting them as Cynic ethics did.
The Colossian Controversy by
Identifying the group or position that the author of Colossians attacks in ch 2 of that letter has long occupied scholars, but no interpretative consensus has resulted. This study details the inadequacy of existing reconstructions and offers in their stead the portrait of philosophically inclined Gentiles drawn to the Jewish community and then to the Christian congregation by ideas and practices congenial with their view of the world. Central to the Colossian philosphy's outlook was the pursuit of divine knowledge or wisdom through (1) the order of the cosmic elements (2.8, 20); (2) the bodily ascetism that unencumbered the investigative mind (2.18, 23); and (3) intermediaries between heaven and earth (angels and demons; 2.18). These features are typical of Middle Platonism in the New Testament era. At the same time, the philosophy's calendar (2.16) and stress on humility (2.18, 23) indicate Jewish and Christian influences. Hence, the Colossian philosophy appears to be a distinctive blend of popular Middle Platonic, Jewish, and Christian elements that cohere around the pursuit of wisdom. Flyer blurb: This study details the inadequacy of existing reconstructions and offers in their stead the portrait of philosophically inclined Gentiles drawn to the Jewish community and then to the Christian congregation by ideas and practices congenial with their view of the world.
Colossians by
This book investigates Colossians as a "captivity" letter from the primary implied author, the imprisoned Paul, to an implied audience of mainly Gentile converts currently in danger of influence by local Jews or Jewish Christians. Utilizing a text-centered, literary-rhetorical, and audience-oriented method, it demonstrates new chiastic structures for the entire letter that progressively encourage the audience to resist deceit and conduct themselves according to all the wisdom at their disposal as holy ones in Christ.
Echoes of Scripture in the Letter of Paul to the Colossians by
The introduction of literary intertextuality into biblical studies has led to both discovery and dilemma. This study proposes new definitions of 'allusion' and 'echo' and a methodology on how to detect them, using the neglected letter of Colossians as a test case.
In Christ, in Colossae by
In this book Derek Tidball takes the reader through a number of sociological models and engages with Paul's Letter to the Colossians. He examines such topics as conversion, identity, the social construction of belief and institution, and Christian ethics. Finally, he discerns the church as a reading community. The purpose of the book is to apply major sociological discussions of the New Testament to the letter of Colossians with the objectives of (a) introducing those who do not know the rich literature on the sociology of the New Testament to some concrete examples of it and the illumination it provides; (b) providing a systematic sociological approach to Colossians; and (c) engaging with and evaluating the scattered discussion that has been held with regard to Colossians. The result is a rich engagement with the Letter to the Colossians and an encouragement to look again at our own Christian communities.
Revelation and Redemption at Colossae by
Recent research in the field of Jewish apocalypticism has opened the way to a fuller understanding of the problem addressed in Colossians. In Part I, Sappington explores the ascetic-mystical piety underlying the Jewish apocalypses. In Part II, he argues that there is a striking correspondence between this phenomenon and the error that threatened the church at Colossae. Finally, Sappington analyses Paul's response to the error, arguing that the themes of'revelation'(Col. 2.1-5) and'redemption'(Col. 2.9-15) are critical to our understanding of Paul's exposition.
Sharing in the Inheritance by
The argument of this book is two-fold: the target of the argument of Colossians is a Judaism dismissive of the Gentile Colossian Christians and the recognition of that fact casts new light on the moral material of the letter and its integration into the argument of the epistle as a whole.Several arguments are made in support of these claims. Significant parallels between Colossians and Galatians suggest similar concerns in both letters relating to Israel's identity as the people of God and how that relates to the Gentile believers are to live. The writers of Colossians, while sharing a similar Jewish perspective with the Colossian philosophers on the relationship between identity and way of life, admonish the Gentile Christians to live in a way consistent with who they are. Nevertheless Paul and Timothy differ with the philosophers as to what constitutes the identity of the Colossian Gentiles as the people of God. In addition to the parallels drawn further themes are present in Colossians which strongly suggest the Jewish character of the philosophy: wisdom, election, and death of Christ as the final return from exile. The apocalyptic background of 3.1-6, the Jewish moral concerns of the ethical lists (3.5-17), and the christological orientation of the Haustafel, bolster the claim that the target of Colossians is Jewish in character and the moral material is integral to the argument.
All Things Hold Together in Christ by
Summary: As Christians engage controversial cultural issues, we must remember that "all things hold together in Christ" (Col. 1:17)--even when it comes to science and faith. This anthology is an invitation to find resources for faithful, creative thinking in the riches of the church's theological heritage and its worship traditions. Reflecting "the Colossian Way" this book offers a vision that will help congregations pursue the truth in love. Top Christian thinkers show how attending to the formation of virtue through the practices of worship creates the hospitable space we need to deal with difference and disagreement in the body of Christ. -- {u2021}c From publisher's description.
Colossians and Philemon by
Summary: "Analysis of the Greek text of Colossians and Philemon"-- Provided by publisher.
Forbearance by
Summary: What happens when we approach disagreements in our churches not as problems to solve but as opportunities to practice Christian virtue? In this book James Calvin Davis reclaims the biblical concept of forbearance to develop a theological ethic for faithful disagreement. Pointing to Ephesians and Colossians, in which Paul challenged his readers to "bear with each other" in spite of differences, Davis draws out a theologically grounded practice in which Christians work hard to maintain unity while still taking seriously matters on which they disagree. The practice of forbearance, Davis argues, offers Christians a dignified, graceful, and constructive way to deal with conflict. Forbearance can also strengthen the church's public witness, offering an antidote to the pervasive divisiveness present in contemporary culture. -- Provided by publisher.
Judging the Sabbath by
Sabbatarians have argued for centuries that the sabbath of Colossians 2:16 refers to the Jewish ceremonial sabbaths, and not the Decalogue Sabbath, based on a plain-sense reading of the context. Traditional Christian interpretation of that passage has generally bypassed the context and relied on other arguments, often unexamined by careful exegesis. In this book, du Preez examines those other arguments. In a wide-ranging engagement with Scripture, he considers relevant exegetical, linguistic, structural, syntactical, and intertextual factors that could be used to support them. In the process, he finds the evidence pointing forcefully against the traditional interpretation. Grounded firmly on a high view of scripture, du Preez's conclusions challenge any argument that relies on Colossians 2:16 in order to deny the continuing moral imperative of the seventh-day Sabbath.
Reading Ephesians and Colossians after Supersessionism by
Summary: "The apostolic mission from Israel to "the nations" forms the explicit framework for Ephesians and Colossians. Yet the concrete dynamics of this mission seldom play any significant role in modern interpretation. Scholars frequently approach these letters as if the Jew-gentile dynamics inherent in the early Christ-preaching mission are either irrelevant, or are negated by the letters themselves. This book seeks to redress this deficiency. Windsor approaches Ephesians and Colossians with an evangelical post-supersessionist perspective. By highlighting, rather than downplaying, Israel's special place in salvation history, Windsor demonstrates that Jew-gentile dynamics and missionary concerns are highly significant for understanding the overall argument of these two letters. The resulting readings offer a deeper appreciation of the biblical, Israel-centered contours in which the theological and ethical concerns of the letters are expressed. Along the way, Windsor demonstrates how certain texts in Ephesians and Colossians, which are often read as evidence of a supersessionist perspective, are capable of more fruitful and satisfactory post-supersessionist interpretations. He demonstrates that in these letters, Christ does not negate Jewish distinctiveness. Rather, Christ's mission proceeds through Israel to the nations, creating mutual blessing in the Messiah."--publisher.
Reconstructing the Historical Background of Paul's Rhetoric in the Letter to the Colossians by
Summary: In approaching the debate surrounding the opponents in Colossians from a methodological standpoint, Copenhaver contends that Paul was not actually confronting active opponents when he wrote the letter. Rather, Copenhaver takes the view that Paul's letter was written to the churches in the Lycus Valley, in a desire to develop their identity as a new people in Christ and to appeal to them to live a new kind of life. His warnings in Colossians 2 function as oppositional rhetoric, contrasting the religious practices of the Lycus Valley with this new belief. Paul's warnings are therefore broadly representative of the ancient world, while at the same time focused especially on two threads of historical referents, Judaism and pagan religions. Development of the above argument demonstrates that the challenge of reconstructing a singular opponent arises not only from the limitations of textual and historical evidence, but also from the assumptions and methodologies inherent in historical approaches to the text. By modifying these assumptions and adjusting the methodology, Copenhaver can show how Paul's letter takes on a new relationship to its historical context. --! From publisher's description.
