Commentaries on Colossians
I have to write an exegetical paper on Colossians 3:12-17. Any ideas on commentaries that I can use? The prompt says I need to look at 3 "critical" commentaries. Any suggestions would be helpful.
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Thread => Tip: Categorize your commentaries includes link to http://www.logos4training.com/documents/suggested-commentary-tags/
Wonder if "critical" refers to textual criticism ? if so, would look at technical commentaries.
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James Ogle said:
I have to write an exegetical paper on Colossians 3:12-17. Any ideas on commentaries that I can use? The prompt says I need to look at 3 "critical" commentaries. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Moo, Douglas J. The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (PNTC). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.
O’Brien, Peter T. Colossians, Philemon (WBC). Waco: Word, 1982.
http://www.logos.com/product/1318/word-biblical-commentary-volume-44-colossians-philemon
Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (NICNT, rev.). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984.
http://www.logos.com/product/5185/the-new-international-commentary-on-the-old-and-new-testament
Dunn, James D. G. The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (NIGTC). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
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If I had to pick three, I would go with Dunn, O'Brien, and Schweizer...
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Kenneth McGuire said:
If I had to pick three, I would go with Dunn, O'Brien, and Schweizer...
Schweizer is not available in Logos and is not even listed on bestcommentaries.com. You might want to propose it for both. I would suggest it on the latter, but I am not familiar with it at all and you know why you would recommend it, so you'd have something to say in the comments field.
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James Ogle said:
The prompt says I need to look at 3 "critical" commentaries.
I think the Ligonier Ministries "Top 5" suggestions are good to consider. Not only are there suggestions but also reasons behind why each is on the list. Most of the time he differentiates between "scholarly" and "introductory" works.
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James Ogle said:
I have to write an exegetical paper on Colossians 3:12-17. Any ideas on commentaries that I can use?
Personally would start with Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (LDGNT) with interlinear display showing Greek manuscript and Louw-Nida numbers (can hover mouse on Louw-Nida # for semantic contextual range of meaning pop-up). Also would enable visual filters to highlight verbal range of expression; wiki Extended Tips for Visual Filters has => Examples of visual filters with screen shot showing 5 Logos Greek Morphology filters. Looking at Colossians 3:12-17 noticed four imperative verb moods (one aorist tense and three present tense). Also noticed five middle voice usages. Using right click on verse, click reference, clicked my favorite commentary to open appropriate volume to verse. My Library priorities have UBS New Testament Handbook Series and UBS Old Testament Handbook Series (one series) in my Top 5 Bibles. Clicked on "+" to search commentaries that have verse Colossians 3:12; for exegesis, wondered about textual criticism issues so opened "A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Second Edition a Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament (4th Rev. Ed.)." that shows four words have manuscript variations to consider, then dragged tab on screen. Back to UBS Handbook, clicked "+" again, then choose "Moo, Douglas J. The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2008.", followed by dragging tab.
For screen shot, hovered mouse over a LDGNT discourse marking to show my customized glossary that has questions to consider. In one respect, discourse analysis tagging is a commentary about flow of thought in a passage.
While reading passage, wanted a Bible without chapter and verse numbers so opened => American Standard Version 1901 (Without Chapter and Verse Numbers) Also opened some more commentaries (using "+") => The Epistles to Colossians and Philemon: New International Greek Testament Commentary and => The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges: Colossians & Philemon
Also opened AV 1873 and enabled verbal visual filters to match LDGNT. For screen shot, included Colossians 3:10-11 after reading NIGTC comparsion. In LDGNT, enabled Discourse Analysis visual filter to add wavy underline for emphasis items (words out of expected order for emphasis) that can combine with other visual filters.
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James Ogle said:
I have to write an exegetical paper on Colossians 3:12-17. Any ideas on commentaries that I can use? The prompt says I need to look at 3 "critical" commentaries. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Regarding commentaries, others have posted a number of ideas - generally it's a good initial idea to look at bestcommentaries.com or consider "the usual suspects" (like WBC, NICNT, Pillar - or Hermeneia & ICC if your professor confuses "critical" with "more liberal"). However, given your task to not copy-paste commentaries, but to write an exegetical paper yourself, imho KS4J has given you much more valuable advice.
To become aware of the exegetical issues of the passage and the plurality of answers found in various translations and commentaries, I'd recommend http://www.logos.com/product/8143/an-exegetical-summary-of-colossians-2nd-ed to you, which treats especially this and summarizes the major commentaries' views for you. You may then choose to include critical works of the same or different positions on this passage. A short example:
SIL EXEGETICAL SUMMARY said:DISCOURSE UNIT: 3:15–16 [SSA]: The topic is the commands to continue to be at peace with one another, to be constantly thanking God, and to continue getting to thoroughly know the message about Christ.
3:15 And (let) the peace of-Christ rulea in your hearts,b
TEXT—Instead of Χριστοῦ ‘Christ’, some manuscripts have θεοῦ ‘God’. GNT does not mention this alternative. Only KJV reads ‘God’.
LEXICON—a. pres. act. impera. of βραβεύω (LN 37.20) (BAGD p. 146): ‘to rule’ [BAGD, Herm, NTC, WBC; KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT, NRSV, TNT], ‘to reign’ [NAB, NJB], ‘to control’ [BAGD, LN; CEV], ‘to guide’ [TEV], ‘to be arbiter’ [Lns, NIC; REB], ‘to be judge, to decide’ [BAGD], ‘to continue to be at peace with one another’ [SSA]. This clause can be translated ‘the peace that Christ provides should show you what you should think’ [LN].
b. καρδία (LN 26.3): ‘heart’ [Herm, LN, Lns, NIC, NTC, WBC; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NJB, NLT, NRSV], ‘decision’ [REB, TEV], ‘inner self, mind’ [LN], ‘thoughts’ [CEV], not explicit [SSA]. The noun phrase ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν ‘your hearts’ is translated ‘you’ [TNT]. In this word there is special emphasis on thoughts [LN]. It means our innermost part [Herm, Lg], the center of our personality [WBC], our mind, our thinking [EG, TH], the seat of our emotions, of our thoughts, of our will [Herm, WBC] and of our affections [WBC], and so we can say that it refers to our entire being [Herm].
QUESTION—What relationship is indicated by καί ‘and’?
It indicates conjoining, introducing an additional command [Alf, My, NIC, TH, WBC]. It continues the exhortation, but it is also the state which results from abandoning the vices in 3:5–9 and practicing the virtues in 3:12–14 [Ea]. Peace is the result of love [TNTC]. The previously mentioned virtues, along with love, must have their base in the peace of Christ [My].
QUESTION—What is meant by εἰρήνη ‘peace’?
1. It is inward peace [Ea, Lg, Lns, My, NTC, WBC]. It is the peace which Paul mentioned in his greeting in 1:2, peace which comes from God. It is the state of having God as our friend and Father and all being well with us, into which state we come because of Christ’s atoning death [Lns]. It is rest and contentment, knowing that we have a living Savior, that our sins have been forgiven, that our lives are in God’s hands, and that nothing can separate us from Christ [NTC]. It is satisfaction and rest, which come as a result of having appropriated the atonement and justification through faith [My]. It is the calmness of the soul which comes from knowing that we are reconciled to God through Christ [Lg]. It is happiness, calmness, which is undisturbed by adversity or the fear of death, freedom from the gloom brought by sin and guilt [Ea]. It is nearly equivalent with salvation, being the realm in which the new man lives now [WBC].
2. It is peace between believers [ICC, Mrt, NIC, SSA, TH, TNTC; CEV, NLT]. It concerns peace in the local congregation [Mrt, SSA, TH, TNTC], in the body of Christ [NIC], or with each other [ICC]. It is the spirit of fellowship, cooperation, and harmony that must prevail in the Christian community [TH].
3. It is both inward peace and peace between believers [Alf, EG]. It is our relation of concord with others and our state in which God sees us as perfect [Alf].
from: Martha King, An Exegetical Summary of Colossians, 2nd ed., 266-67 (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008).
That said, FWIW regarding commentaries on Colossians at a whole, D.A. Carson points to WBC and NIGNT and prefers Hermeneia over Anchor. He also mentions (what hasn't been named so far, I think) the TNTC volume of NT Wright as "in some ways superb":
D.A. CARSON said:"Probably the best is still that of Peter T. O'Brien (WBC; 1987, £19.99/1982, $39.99). Based on an exact exegesis of the Greek text, it is nevertheless presented with sufficient clarity to satisfy most readers who do not know the language. It is a mine of useful bibliography and helpful interaction with secondary literature (up to its time of writing), and wends its way through voluminous material without losing its theological moorings. I hope the author will update the work. A little more up-to-date is the NIGNT volume by James D. G. Dunn (/1996, $45.00)—very useful but not as theologically nuanced as O'Brien.
The AB volume by Markus Barth and Helmut Blanke (1994, op/$39.95), though longer than the previous two, is not up to their standard. With respect to the work of E. Lohse (Hermeneia; 1971, £24.99/$43.00), the reader should not be put off by its rejection of Paul's authorship, for it too contains a wealth of clear and useful comment. A little more Greek is required of the reader, though parallels are usually provided both in the original and in translation. (...)
Another recent commentary is the replacement TNTC volume by N. T. Wright (1987, £9.99/1988, $14.00). In some ways this work is superb, and it is written with verve and style. I am not entirely persuaded by Wright's reconstruction of the situation Paul is confronting.
(from: Carson, New Testament Commentary Survey)
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Thank you Logos community!!![:D][:D]
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Justin Cofer said:James Ogle said:
I have to write an exegetical paper on Colossians 3:12-17. Any ideas on commentaries that I can use? The prompt says I need to look at 3 "critical" commentaries. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Moo, Douglas J. The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (PNTC). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.
O’Brien, Peter T. Colossians, Philemon (WBC). Waco: Word, 1982.
http://www.logos.com/product/1318/word-biblical-commentary-volume-44-colossians-philemon
Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (NICNT, rev.). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984.
http://www.logos.com/product/5185/the-new-international-commentary-on-the-old-and-new-testament
Dunn, James D. G. The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (NIGTC). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
Perhaps terminology is different in different places, but I wouldn't consider any of those 'critical' (except maybe Dunn). Critical would be like Hermeneia or Anchor Yale.
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Critical should extend beyond the Greek. Colossians is written to a Gentile community being bombarded by a pseudo-Jewish gnostic group that makes much of observance and supposedly mystical understanding over and above the simplicity of the gospel and the greatness of the Messiah which is seen in the beginning of the letter. Cultural context is vitally important to your exegesis.
The mind of man is the mill of God, not to grind chaff, but wheat. Thomas Manton | Study hard, for the well is deep, and our brains are shallow. Richard Baxter
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