Colossians Black`s New Testament Commentaries

includes index and biblioraphy

1.Colossae the City ............1 2. The religious environment of First -century colossae.8 3. Believers in Jesus in the lycus valley and phrygia...16 4. The theology of Colossians ......24 5. The missing Old testament in Colossians .......52 6. Authorship, Date, and Place of Writing ......61 7. Relationship to Earlier pauline epistles......81 8. Eariest recepion in Christian Tradition .85 9. A prosopography of Colossians........90 10.The situation behind the letter.105 11. The text of Colossians .......112 12. Structure of the Epistle ....120 Translation and Commentary 1. Letter opening ..........125 Greeting... .125 Thanksgiving ....134 Prayer......152 Poetic Reflection on Christ ....174 Applying reconciliation to the Colossians ....202 Paul`s sufferings on Behalf of Believers..........211 Paul`s Striving on Behalf of the Colossians...232 2. Christological teaching and correctives ............243 A call to remain established in the Faith ....243 The triumph of Christ ...248 Resist false religious practices ..........278 The emptiness of Human religion....296 3. Ethical Instruction for renewed existence ........307 Living transformed lives........307 Put away past practices......317 Put on Christ-like practices ..........343 Final Instructions for the Present life ...397 4. Letter conclusion .......411 Authorized representatives...........411 Greetings from paul`s Associates ..419 Final Instructions.........435 Paul`s Personal Greeting............446 5. Title Subscripts...........450