Colossians BNTC Blacks New Testament Commentaries

"Foster provides the commentary on Colossians in this renowned series of biblical commentaries, under the General Editorship of Professor Morna D. Hooker (Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity Emerita in the University of Cambridge, UK). As with other volumes in the series, the key questions for scholars are scrutinised thoroughly - questions of historicity, the use of historical traditions and sources, the relationship of Colossians to the rest of the New Testament in particular the Pauline letters, authorship, and setting. Foster examines these issues in such a way as to present the heart of the academic debate to a wider audience, as befitting to the series reputation for rigorous commentary, which not only advances the knowledge of students and pastors, but also makes a contribution to the academic discourse in its own right."--Bloomsbury Publishing CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS PREFACE INTRODUCTION 1. Colossae the City 2. The Religious Environment of First-Century Colossae 3. Believers in Jesus in the Lycus Valley and Phrygia 4. The Theology of Colossians 5. The Missing Old Testament in Colossians 6. Authorship, Date, and Place of Writing 7. Relationship to Earlier Pauline Epistles 8. Earliest Reception in Christian Tradition 9. A Prosopography of Colossians 10. The Situation Behind the Letter 11. The Text of Colossians 12. Structure of the Epistle TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY I. LETTER OPENING (1:1–2:5) 1. Greeting (1:1–2) 2. Thanksgiving (1:3–8) 3. Prayer (1:9–14) 4. Poetic Reflection on Christ (1:15–20) 5. Applying Reconciliation to the Colossians (1:21–23) 6. Paul’s Sufferings on Behalf of Believers (1:24–29) 7. Paul’s Striving on behalf of the Colossians (2:1–5) II. CHRISTOLOGICAL TEACHING AND CORRECTIVES (2:6–23) 8. A Call to Remain Established in the Faith (2:6–7) 9. The Triumph of Christ (2:8–15) 10. Resist False Religious Practices (2:16–19) 11. The Emptiness of Human Religion (2:20–23) III. ETHICAL INSTRUCTION FOR RENEWED EXISTENCE (3:1–4:6) 12. Living Transformed Lives (3:1–4) 13. Put Away Past Practices (3:5–11) 14. Put On Christ-like Practices (3:12–17) 15. Living as Believers within Households (3:18–4:1) 16. Final Instructions for the Present Life (4:2–6) IV. LETTER CONCLUSION (4:7–18) 17. Authorized Representatives (4:7–9) 18. Greetings from Paul’s Associates (4:10–14) 19. Final Instructions (4:15–17) 20. Paul’s Personal Greeting (4:18) V. TITLE 21. Subscripts Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors Index of Subjects