The Letter to the Colossians (The New International Commentary on the New Testament | NICNT)

Top Highlights

“In short, the gospel of Jesus and the apostles was the announcement that Jesus was Israel’s Messiah, the true Lord who saves by making all things right, and that this Messiah lived, died, was raised and exalted, and will come again to establish the eternal kingdom (the new heavens and the new earth). Salvation is entailed in the gospel, but the gospel was first and foremost an announcement about Jesus in which the resurrection played a central role. Hence, I am fond of saying, when it comes to gospel, first Christology and second soteriology. When the latter is first, Christ becomes a means; when Christ is first, the message is about him (and the salvation he brings). This Christ vs. salvation is not an either-or but an issue of which comes first.” (Page 97)

“To back up now: on the basis of their co-resurrection with Christ, the Colossians are to seek to participate in new-creation life by directing their faith and lordship toward the Christ, who rules all of creation. That rule is not yet visible to all but someday will be (3:4). To seek the things above, then, means to live a life on earth under the resurrected King Jesus as the Lord of all creation, with the implication that Caesar is not their true lord.” (Pages 292–293)

“‘Without the aid of the Spirit, no one would dream up a comprehensive vision of truth whose ‘focal point’ is Christ, crucified on a cross and raised to new life by God.’¹⁷² Wisdom, then, is a Christoformity that becomes the template for how to live in God’s world.” (Page 113)

“In Pauline theology one becomes a holy person by God’s saving work, by the Spirit’s sanctifying work in Christ, and by the Word’s effects (Rom 15:16; 1 Cor 1:2; 6:11; Eph 5:26; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Tim 2:21); furthermore, this divine work of grace is transformative and is the basis for Paul’s imperatives (Col 3:12).” (Pages 83–84)