The Colossian Syncretism
The Colossian Syncretism

Author: Clinton Arnold

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2014-12-01

Total Pages: 393

ISBN-13: 1498217575

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Our modern era is not unique in its fascination with angels and the spirit world. Paul's young converts in Colossae also had a keen interest in the subject, but some of them allowed this interest to distort their newfound Christian faith. Defining the exact nature of the Colossian heresy, however, has been a perennial challenge to interpreters. The Colossian Syncretism offers groundbreaking evidence on the true nature of the problem that the Apostle Paul opposed so vehemently. Drawing upon little-known angel inscriptions, magical texts, and archeological evidence from Asia Minor, the author argues that the Colossians tried to combine Paul's teachings about Christ with local pagan and Jewish folk beliefs. The result was a syncretism that kept them captive to the fear of evil spirits, dependent on the power of magic and amulets, and blind to the liberating power of the indwelling Christ, the supreme Creator and Lord of all spiritual principalities and powers. In addition to unearthing the historical background of Paul's letter to the Colossians, The Colossian Syncretism presents Paul's strategy for addressing the religious syncretism he faced there. It thus provides a working model for Christian missionaries and evangelists discipling converts from today's religiously pluralistic societies.

The Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians
The Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians

Author: Ben Witherington

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2007-11-26

Total Pages: 395

ISBN-13: 0802824889

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This title offers an innovative way of looking at Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon as inter-related documents written at different levels of moral discourse. The author also analyses these documents as examples of Asiatic rhetoric.

Power and Magic
Power and Magic

Author: Clinton Arnold

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2001-12-17

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1579108350

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ÒPower and Magic is one of those few books which literally cannot be ignored by any serious bible student. In fact, it makes the classical commentaries on Ephesians that I am familiar with virtually obsolete. Clinton Arnold has done us all a great favor by throwing vital new light on our understanding of what really motivated the Apostle Paul to write one of his most important epistles.Ó Peter Wagner, Fuller Theological Seminary ÒThis scholarly book is a valuable contribution to understanding the spiritual world we live in. Clinton Arnold helps us to understand Paul's message to the early church and consequently to the church at the end of twentieth century.Ó Neil Anderson, Freedom in Christ Ministries ÒPower and Magic is one of the most helpful biblical teachings available on the subject. I know it will be helpful to any reader.Ó John Wimber, Association of Vineyard Churches ÒI consider Power and Magic to be one of the most valuable books in my library. Arnold's research into the world view held by the inhabitants of the Greco-Roman world focusing on spiritual power is outstanding. I continually recommend this book to pastors, missionaries, seminary professors, students, and thoughtful Christians in all my seminars worldwide on spiritual warfare.Ó Ed Murphy ÒI have found this book extremely enlightening and consistently biblical. Reading it is a definite must for those who wish to understand the biblical world view.Ó Ed Silvoso, President, Harvest Evangelism

The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon
The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon

Author: James D. G. Dunn

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2014-10-16

Total Pages: 406

ISBN-13: 0802872832

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In this volume in the celebrated New International Greek Testament Commentary series, James D. G. Dunn, author of numerous well-received works on the historical origin and theological interpretation of the New Testament, provides detailed expositions of the text of Paul s letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. Dunn examines each of these letters within the context of the Jewish and Hellenistic cultures in the first century, and he discusses the place of Colossians and Philemon in the relationship between the Pauline mission and the early churches that received these letters. He places particular stress on the role of faith in Jesus Christ within and over against Judaism and on the counsel of these two important letters with regard to the shaping of human relationships in the community of faith.

Colossians, Philemon
Colossians, Philemon

Author: David E. Garland

Publisher: Zondervan Academic

Published: 2009-05-26

Total Pages: 599

ISBN-13: 0310570972

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The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context. To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's world, each passage is treated in three sections: Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context. Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible. Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved. This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

Christianizing Asia Minor
Christianizing Asia Minor

Author: Paul McKechnie

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2019-08

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 1108481469

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Explores the growth of Christianity in inland Roman Asia, as cities and rural communities moved away from polytheistic Greco-Roman religion.

Paul And His Opponents
Paul And His Opponents

Author: Stanley E. Porter

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 9004147012

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Who were Paul's opponents? Were they one or were they many, depending upon the church concerned? These questions continue to be of interest to Pauline and other New Testament scholars, and are addressed in this volume of collected essays. Some of the essays are on specific books, such as Galatians, the Corinthian letters and Romans, while others treat broader issues in Paul's world.

Sharing in the Inheritance
Sharing in the Inheritance

Author: Allan R. Bevere

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2003-03-01

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 0567210545

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The argument of this book is two-fold: the target of the argument of Colossians is a Judaism dismissive of the Gentile Colossian Christians and the recognition of that fact casts new light on the moral material of the letter and its integration into the argument of the epistle as a whole.Several arguments are made in support of these claims. Significant parallels between Colossians and Galatians suggest similar concerns in both letters relating to Israel's identity as the people of God and how that relates to the Gentile believers are to live. The writers of Colossians, while sharing a similar Jewish perspective with the Colossian philosophers on the relationship between identity and way of life, admonish the Gentile Christians to live in a way consistent with who they are. Nevertheless Paul and Timothy differ with the philosophers as to what constitutes the identity of the Colossian Gentiles as the people of God. In addition to the parallels drawn further themes are present in Colossians which strongly suggest the Jewish character of the philosophy: wisdom, election, and death of Christ as the final return from exile. The apocalyptic background of 3.1-6, the Jewish moral concerns of the ethical lists (3.5-17), and the christological orientation of the Haustafel, bolster the claim that the target of Colossians is Jewish in character and the moral material is integral to the argument.

The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, 2nd ed.
The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, 2nd ed.

Author: Douglas J. Moo

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2024-11-12

Total Pages: 415

ISBN-13: 1467462950

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A knowledgeable and evangelical guide to Paul’s letters to the Colossians and to Philemon With brilliant exegesis and sound practical insight, noted commentator Douglas J. Moo explicates the Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, with an eye toward their application for readers today. Moo bases his commentary on the Greek text of the letters, while accessibly explaining the English text to his contemporary audience. Freshly revised and updated, this second edition remains methodologically sound, authentically evangelical, and pastoral in approach. This invaluable volume of the Pillar New Testament Commentary series offers biblical insights to a wide range of readers, from teachers and students, to pastors and parishioners, to scholars and laypersons.