Colossians and Philemon (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament | BECNT)
Overview
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.
Key Features
- Blends academic sophistication, pastoral sensitivity, and accessibility
- Provides indexes of subjects, authors, Greek words, Scripture passages, and other ancient writings
- Focuses on the influence of Old Testament allusions and Jewish exegetical tradition in Colossians
Top Highlights
“Either way, he sees that Christ was in the divine image of God before creation and that he is (ἐστίν, estin, referring to a timeless truth) still in the divine image throughout redemptive history and on into eternity: the eschatological image of Christ in his resurrected estate is the manifestation of his eternal ontic status as the divine archetypal image in its eschatological significance in light of Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection.” (Page 82)
“This does not indicate ‘universal salvation,’ but that at the consummation Christ will bring about a harmony of all things in the new, eternal creation, after decisively judging evil and putting it in its judicial place (as 3:6 indicates; cf. also 3:25). Thus the idea of ‘reconciliation’ in this passage is a reference to the restoration of all things.” (Page 111)
“Verse 16 now explains the reason for Christ’s preceding titles of divine preexistence, which underscore his sovereignty over the cosmos: Christ is the divine image and ruler over all things because he is the agent of all creation and as such he existed before the creation.” (Page 91)
“The vertical relationship with Christ (the attitude of ‘faith in Christ’)6 is inextricably linked with the horizontal relation with fellow Christians (‘the love which you have for all the saints’; Dunn 1996: 56). The former always gives rise to the latter.” (Pages 35–36)
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“Believers should live only on the basis of Christ and not any other belief system, since Christ came in the fullness of deity in bodily form, resulting in his redemption of them through his death, resurrection, and triumph over their enemies.” (Page 168) |
Praise for the Print Edition
Beale’s commentary on Colossians and Philemon is everything we have come to expect from a veteran New Testament scholar. Introductory sections for each division clearly show in a brief compass the flow of argument in the text. Beale’s exegesis is detailed and rich in insight and theologically profound, and his emphasis on the fulfillment of the temple in Colossians is illuminating. Old Testament allusions are mined, helping readers to see how Colossians and Philemon fit within the entire biblical witness. For pastors, students, and professors, Beale's work on these two letters will prove invaluable in their own research and study.
—Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and associate dean, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Scholars and pastors will benefit immensely from the close reading of the Greek text, the judicious interaction with other interpreters, the fair evaluation of interpretive conundrums, the consistent attention to Paul’s theological assertions--focused on God’s revelation in and through Jesus, Israel’s Messiah--and the concern for the theological and ethical integrity of the church. This commentary will undoubtedly be a standard work, both in studies of Colossians specifically and in Pauline studies more generally.
—Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mary F. Rockefeller Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
As we have come to expect from Beale’s notable scholarship, this commentary on Colossians and Philemon models how thorough research, keen attention to Old Testament allusions, and meticulous study of the Greek text provide a basis for incisive, theologically grounded preaching and teaching. It should take its place on the shelf of definitive commentaries on the New Testament that truly help in these tasks.
—David E. Garland, professor of Christian Scriptures, Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University
Product Details
- Title: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Colossians and Philemon
- Author: Gregory Beale
- Series: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (BECNT)
- Publisher: Baker
- Publication Date: 2019
- Pages: 544
- Resource Type: Commentary
- Topic: Colossians and Philemon
G. K. Beale (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is Kenneth T. Wessner Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, Illinois, and coordinator of Wheaton's M.A. in Biblical Exegesis program. His books include The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary), 1-2 Thessalonians (The IVP New Testament Commentary Series), The Right Doctrine from the Wrong Texts? Essays on the Use of the Old Testament in the New, and The Temple and the Church's Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God.
