Includes bibliographical references.

Print version record.

Front Cover; Title Page; Copyright information; Contents; Preface; Abbreviations; Introduction to Colossians and Philemon; Colossians; Letter Opening and Greeting (1:1-2); Thanksgiving and Intercession: The Prayer of Paul for the Colossians (1:3-14); The Supremacy of Messiah in Creation and Reconciliation: The Christ Hymn (1:15-20); Reconciliation and the Colossians (1:21-23); Paul's Service: Messianic Woes, Messianic Mission, and the Messianic Mystery (1:24-2:7); Engaging the Empty Deceit of a Mystic Judaism in a Hell enistic Philo sophical Garb (2:8-23).

Transformed and Renewed: New Creation and the New Life (3:1-17)Christian Houses in Pagan Cities (3:18-4:1); Closing Wo rds of Exhortation from a Missionary Friend (4:2-18); Philemon; Letter Opening, Greeting, and Thanksgiving (1-7); The Pathos and Persuasion of the Apostle (8-22); Paul's Final Greetings to Philemon (23-25); Bibliography; Back Cover.

Michael Bird's commentary on Colossians and Philemon in the New Covenant Commentary Series pays close attention to the socio-historical context, the flow and dynamics of the text, their argumentative strategy, theological message, and the meaning of Colossians and Philemon for the contemporary church today. Bird situates Colossians in the context of Paul's Ephesian ministry and describes how Paul attempts to persuade a congregation in the Lycus Valley to remain firm in the gospel and to grasp the cosmic majesty of Jesus Christ over and against the views of certain Jewish mystics who have throw.

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