An introduction to the book of colossians an argument of the book of colossians a selected bibliography of colossians and philemon. Summary page for preaching outline and commentary on the book of colossians including big idea statement and some notable quotes. Wrights commentary by far the most helpful when it came to a meaningful exposition of the text. Because of jesus resurrection, believers become part of a new humanity thats joined to him, and their lives are. Its teaching that if a christian at some point says forget it jesus, i dont want you in my life, and im not going to trust you as my lord and savior anymore than they can do that. I recently preached a series on colossians and found n. Lightfoot wrote his commentary on colossians in 1875, the exact nature of colossian heresy has been fiercely debated. There is no record of paul ever visiting the colossians church 2.
The power of the bleeding love of god is stronger than the power of caesar, of the law, of mars, mammon, aphrodite and the rest. Commentary on the book of philippians relevant bible teaching. His introductory material, which covers approximately 28 pages, is thorough yet concise. Colossians with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Before paul wrote this letter to the christians in colossae, he had never been to their city colossians 2. You will also find options for commentaries on colossians that help pastors, teachers, and readers with application of the bible, commentaries that approach the scripture versebyverse, classic christian commentaries, and. But he often prayed for the christians there colossians 1. Philippians emphasizes the kenosis christ became a servant philippians 2. These numerous views reveal the complexity in trying to understand the exact nature of the colossian heresy.
Colossians commentary pdf epistle to the colossians epistle. Let me begin with a few critiques before talking about everything that makes this commentary great. Best colossians commentaries updated for 2020 best bible. In this context the word brother does not so much indicate a fellow christian, because timothy was obviously a christian, as it does a helper or coworker cp. It follows that this commentary, like all commentaries, was written by an uninspired, fallible human. Colossians 3 commentary spurgeons verse expositions of the. A commentary on the letter of paul to the colossians southside. The city of colosse is not even mentioned in the book of acts. This gives further testimony to the fact that pauls epistles letters were meant to. The epistle claims to have been written by the apostle paul 1. Colossians commentary the book of colossians was written by paul from prison shortly before destruction of temple. The deity, preeminence, supremacy, sufficiency, and centrality of christ as lord.
They unpack the highly relevant truths and exhortations that paul wrote to rescue the christians at colosse from the terrible reductions of jesus christ and salvation that were infiltrating the church. Those eight books are now combined into the onevolume bridgeway bible commentary, which is a companion in size, style and format to the bridgeway bible dictionary, an a to z of biblical information. The doctrine of christ in colossians gordon college faculty. This was about the same time he wrote ephesians and philemon. The book of ephesians is almost certainly one of four epistles that paul wrote during his first imprisonment. Paraphrase of colossians and commentary of colossians. The subtheme is that we live our lives in response to his gift. Garland takes the niv application format seriously, and brings these scriptures to complete and detailed contemporary application. Colossians, philemon plagiarism acknowledged by peter t.
Colossians is perhaps the most christcentered book in the bible. Mans renewal in christ makes him what the creator at first designed him to be, namely, his own image compare note on reconcile, colossians 1. The others were philippians, colossians, and philemon. Constable, provide commentary on all 66 books of the bible and contain over 12,000 pages of material in pdf format. If philemon and his family were hosts of the church at colosse, then mark a. Paul is strongly affirmed to be the author of colossians. With bible gateway plus, you gain instant access to a digital bible study library, including complete notes from the niv cultural backgrounds study bible and the new bible commentary. The style is stimulating to read and will be helpful for any pastor or teaching preparing a sermon on colossians.
The general consensus is that these epistles were written during pauls imprisonment at rome cf. An introduction to the book of colossians related media. Christ is lord over all of creation, including the. Colossians sonic light earle ellis, the epistle to the colossians, in the wycliffe bible commentary, p. The book was written around 62 ad during paul first imprisonment in rome.
Participant handouts for colossians and philemon if youre working with a class or small group, feel free to duplicate the following handouts in this appendix at. And we discover gods wisdomhow to live the life jesus died to give usthrough studying the word, not just reading it take a journey through the book of colossians and discover the 12 life lessons that are found inside. In the process the reader will encounter our discussions on several major, and at times controversial, doctrines and issues. This gives further testimony to the fact that pauls epistles letters were meant to be circulated and read to all churches 4. What points would you make from this passage to share the gospel. It was one of a group of three cities, laodicia and hierapolis. The key personalities include paul, timothy, tychicus, onesimus, aristarchus, mark, and epaphras. I felt that, while other commentaries often jumped to conclusions with the passages i was studying, wright offered a simple exposition that was rooted in the history of the text.
Record the key word christ on your colossians at a glance chart. Read colossians commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. Commentary on the book of philippians philippians 1 1paul and timothy, bondservants of christ jesus, to all the saints in christ jesus who are in philippi, including the overseers and deacons. Paul artfully writes to deal with those influences to not only. This is now accepted by most all conservative scholars. The bible is full of practical answers for everyday living. Colossians christ is the theme and the periphery of the circle where christian living is the center. Some liberal critics disagree because of the advanced teaching and unique language of the letter. Bible study lesson sheets these are lessons designed for either a class or personal study. A devotional commentary on the book of colossians by paul g. Now lets identify the main theme of the book of colossians and chapter themes.
We will focus on the main themes that arise throughout the book such as the supremacy of christ, the freedom we experience through the gospel, and how to live a life pleasing to the lord. The book of colossians gives the clearest, most comprehensive teaching on. Pauls response was the book of colossians, a rich concentration of pauline revelation concerning the supremacy of christ and the way believers are to live because of it. The commentary on colossians and philemon by peter obrien number 44 in the word biblical commentary series is a worthy endeavor, suitable for the biblical scholar and the layperson alike. In the early church, all who speak on the subject of. Colossians, which presents him as the architect and sustainer of the universe, as well as the reconciler of all things, both earthly and heavenly, provides the church with the material it may and must use. Book of colossians overview insight for living ministries. Top 5 commentaries on the books of colossians and philemon. What we know as the book of colossians is actually a letter written by the apostle paul to the church at colossae, probably around ad 62 because we know he is in chains, likely in rome. Colossians commentary matthew henry commentary on the. The depth of pauls conflict for the colossians and othersfor i want you to know what a great conflict i have for you and those in laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. Colossians commentary paperback bob yandian ministries. The book of colossians is pauls letter to the christians at colosse. There are many similarities between ephesians and colossians.
All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it. The book of colossians encourages christians to not compromise or turn from jesus. Introduction to colossians bible exposition commentary. It is directed to philemon, which means kisses or one that is affectionate, in behalf of onesimus, which means profitable or usefulness. The apostle paul wrote this letter to christians living in the small city of colossae. This was my first commentary in the wbc series, so i was curious to see what the formatting complaints were all about. Ephesians, colossians and philemon written at the same time. Book of colossians free bible study questions, class book, workbook, assignments, and study material. Tom constables expository notes on colossians this is also available in the net. Colossians, ephesians and philemon, paul bound, the gospel.
From these sources we learn that epaphras was responsible for bringing the gospel to the colossians colossians. Gnosticism and some forms of jewish mysticism greatly esteemed these supposed mediators, and considered them angelic beings of a sort. Colossians stresses jesus as head, which ephesians emphasizes the church as his body. Paul took care to show that jesus did the work of reconciliation himself colossians 1. This summary of the book of colossians provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of colossians. The book of colossians is a prison epistle letter written while in prison. An easyenglish commentary 2800 word vocabulary on pauls letter to the colossians.
Colossians mentions that the church is the body of christ 1. Colosse philemon 2, and epaphras was the minister colossians. Colossians commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. The book is quite similar in many ways to colossians, but that book places more emphasis on the work of christ, where this book emphasizes more the involvement of the church. The tyndale series has been around for many years, wrights little commentary replaces 1960 tyndale commentary by herbert carson. All 66 books of the bible have been covered by john schultz. Study the bible online using commentary on colossians and more. It was situated about 100 miles east of ephesus, and was of little importance at the time of this epistle, though it had once been of considerable influence. In this versebyverse commentary, bob yandian examines human philosophy, false religion, and gods approach to eliminating them both from the church so believers can live. All three letters were sent with tychicus and onesimus. This basic commentary provides some basic helps for understanding and appreciating pauls written address to the colossians. Colossians through the bible book by book myer pearlman. The book of colossians encourages a greater devotion to.
They must grasp who jesus is and what he did for them. Colossians summary from the easyenglish bible easy. But this was apparently so because the doctrine that god was trying to convey needed such. By comparing the epistle to the colossians with that written to philemon, it is reasonable to suppose that the church at colosse met in their home cf. In one form or another, approximately 75 of the 105 verses in colossians can be found in ephesians. For example, the description of the church in colossians 2. Paul was careful to warn the colossians that angels should not be worshipped colossians 2. You will also find options for commentaries on colossians that help pastors, teachers, and readers with application of the bible, commentaries that approach the scripture versebyverse, classic christian commentaries, and much more. Complete in christ we proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in christ. For this reason, this study guide commentary is designed to provide an introduction to each book of the bible. If the book of ephesians can be labeled the epistle portraying the church of christ, then the focus of colossians must surely be the christ of the. Obriens commentary has long been considered by many the very best on colossians, and this is for good reason. Gunther, in his commentary, identifies fortyfour different views of the colossian heresy. An accomplishment of a life time, matched by only a few saints in history.
Second principle the second principle is to identify the literary units. Chrysostom and others take christ as him that created, in view of colossians 1. Many regard the commentary as the best older work on the greek text. It is important because of it dealt with false teachings, and other stunting influences that could harm the church.
Ephesians colossians philippians philemon christ church and christian living christ christ and christian living church christ c h r i st ia n l i v i n g c h r i s t a n d c. Colossians was undisputedly pauline until the nineteenth century. Interpreters have no right to isolate one aspect of truth by excluding others. It was written to counter and respond to heretical teachings and encourage believers to serve with fervor and passion. I especially liked that he was willing to differ from the nivs translations tactfully when he thought it appropriate. This commentary has been through advanced theological checking.
Colossians 3 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is from the most widely read and often quoted preacher in history, charles haddon spurgeon. Suddenly the epistle to the little flock in the declining city has become perhaps the most contemporary book in the new testament library. Evidence in favor of pauline authorship is the many notable similarities to his other writings. This helps explain the personal greetings he included at the end of the letter, a practice he usually reserved for letters to churches he had not visited for example, romans. Best colossians commentaries updated for 2020 best. Constable taught at dallas theological seminary for 45 years, and served as the chairman of its bible exposition department for years. The book of colossians gives the clearest, most comprehensive teaching on christology of all pauls epistles. This view of the letters origin generally fits the facts better than the caesarean and ephesian theories of origin. Colossians verse by verse these expanded studies on colossians take you through this amazing and impactive letter verse by verse. View in pdf format pdf this material is in the public domain.
Ephesians and colossians compared though written at approximately the same time and reflecting similar themes, the books of ephesians and colossians have their own distinctive emphases. An inductive and exegetical bible study in colossians. Colossians, ephesians and philemon, paul bound, the. New international commentary on the new testament grand rapids.
Books of the bible, scripture references and quotes are also italicized. Commentary on the book of philemon christian ambassadors, inc 1. Commentary on the book of acts bible study lessons. Colossians core group study guide a study on the book of colossians. Its helpful to include the chapter and verse number for each truth you list.
The book to the colossians was written while paul was in prison in rome. Colossians 1 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, as set of 17 volumes on the new testament, the result of barclays dedicated work. Colossians 2 is an excellent passage to teach to a lost person who wants to know how to be saved. All our biblical information about the church there comes from this letter and a few allusions in the letter to philemon. James rosscup writes that lightfoot is excellent in this 1865 work revised in 1879. The book of colossians was written to christians, not to the unsaved.
If such is truly the case, then paul wrote colossians around 6163 a. Make your choice below and download the pdf commentary. At only 192 pages, wrights commentary is brief, yet extremely helpful. Paul reminded the christians about the importance of jesus. Among these are the incomprehensibility of god and the origin of sin and evil. Surprisingly, paul had never been to their city, but had heard of them through epaphras a member of the church.
Philemon was the master of onesimus, a runaway slave. Colossians emphasizes the pleroma christ is the fullness of god colossians 2. If the book of ephesians can be labeled the epistle portraying the church of christ, then the focus of colossians must surely be the christ of the church. Colossians 1 commentary william barclays daily study bible.
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