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

479 Pages·1984·42.38 MB·English

by  F. F. Bruce

- New International Commentary
the New Testament
E EPISTLES TO THE
oLOSSlANS,
THE EPlSTLES To THE
COLOSSIANS,
TO PHILEMON, AND
To THE EPHESlANS
F. F. BRUCE
This collection of three commentaries in
one volume completes F. F. Bruce’s lifelong
study of Paul’s writings. With the publication
of this volume, Bruce - one of the most
respected New Testament scholars in the
world — finished writing commentaries on
all the Pauline epistles except the Pastorals.
According to Bruce, there are important
reasons for linking Colossians, Philemon,
and Ephesians together in one work. The
study of both Ephesians and Colossians, says
Bruce, confirms his belief that Ephesians
continues the line of thought followed in
Colossians — in particular because it draws
out the implications of Christ's cosmic role
(set forth in Colossians) for the church,
which is his body. At the same time
Ephesians constitutes the crown of
Paulinism, gathering up the main themes
of the apostle’s teaching into a unified
presentation sub specie aeternitatis. The
letter to Philemon, too, has a close asso-
ciation to Colossians, and is appropriately
included in this volume.
“Here is [F. F. Bruce’s] massive learning,
thorough acquaintance with the ancient
world, careful and cautious assessment of
theories, love of Paul, and straightforward
exposition of what Paul was saying. The
student who works carefully through this
volume will not only learn the main out-
lines of scholarly debate but will come to
an understanding of the theological mes-
sage of these letters."
-Exposltory Times
“This is a fine commentary and is all that
we have come to expect from the pen of
Bruce, the doyen of evangelical scholars:
Clear, accurate, easy to read, and giving
evidence of the author’s breadth of learn-
THE NEW INTERNATIONAL COMMENTARY
ON THE
NEW TESTAMENT
General Editors
NED B. STONEHOUSE
(1946—1962)
EEBMEE
(1962—1990)
GORDON D. FEB
(1990- )
The Epistles
to the (DIDSSIANS,
to PHILEMON,
and t0 the EPHESIA N S
by
F. F. BRUCE
WILLIAM B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING COMPANY
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
© 1984 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
255 Jefferson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
02010099 13121110987
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bruce, F. F. (Frederick Fyvie), 1910-1990.
The epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians.
(The New international commentary on the New Testament)
Bibliography: p. xix
Includes indexes.
1. Bible. N.T. Colossians — Commentaries. 2. Bible. N.T. Philemon — Commentaries.
3. Bible. N.T. Ephesians — Commentaries. I. Title. II. Series.
BS2650.3.B78 1984 227 84-13785
ISBN 0-8028-2510-9
TO
ROBBIE and JEAN ORR

CONTENTS
Editor's Prefizce ix
Author’s Preface xi
Abbreviations xiii
Select Bibliography xix
INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS 3
I CITIES OF THE LYCUS VALLEY 3
II. JEWISH SETTLEMENT IN THE LYCUS VALLEY 8
III. CHRISTIANITY IN THE LYCUS VALLEY 13
IV. THE “COLOSSIAN HERESY” 17
V. THE TEACHING OF COLOSSIANS 26
VI. SOME CRITICAL QUESTIONS 28
ANALYSIS OF COLOSSIANS 35
COLOSSIANS: TEXT, EXPOSITION, AND NOTES 37
COLOSSIANS 1 37
COLOSSIANS 2 89
COLOSSIANS 3 131
COLOSSIAN S 4 171
INTRODUCTION TO PHILEMON 191
I. AUTHORSHIP 191
11. DATE AND PROVENANCE 193
III. PAUL AND ONESIMUS 196
IV. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LETTER 198
ANALYSIS OF PHILEMON 203
PHILEMON: TEXT, EXPOSITION, AND NOTES 205
vii
CONTENTS
viii
INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 229
I. EPHESIANS AND THE PAULINE CORPUS 229
II. THE PAROUSIA AND THE SPIRIT 233
III. IMAGERY OF EPHESIANS 235
IV. INCIPIENT CATHOLICISM 237
V. NATURE AND PURPOSE OF EPHESIANS 240
ANALYSIS OF EPHESIANS 247
EPHESIANS: TEXT, EXPOSITION, AND NOTES 249
EPHESIANS 1 249
EPHESIANS 2 279
EPHESIANS 3 309
EPHESIANS 4 333
EPHESIANS 5 367
EPHESIANS 6 397
INDEXES
Subjects 417
Authors 421
S cripture References 427
EDITOR’S PREFACE
In carrying out their policy of keeping the volumes of the New Interna-
tional Commentary up to date, the publishers and editor realize that, with-
out such a policy, the adjective “new” as a description of the series would
soon become absurdly irrelevant. As far as possible, they have preferred
to entrust the revision of the earlier volumes to their original writers. Sadly,
however, the death of some of those writers has made it necessary for
others to undertake the revision or replacement of their contributions.
The commentary on Philippians and Philemon, which was pub-
lished in 1955, was written by Professor Jacobus J . Miiller of Stellenbosch,
who died in 1977. When another scholar was invited to write a new
commentary on Philippians, taking up a full volume by itself, it was de-
cided to detach Philemon from Philippians and include it along with Co-
lossians and Ephesians. There was indeed a notable precedent for presenting
commentaries on Philippians and Philemon in one volume, by one author:
that was Marvin R. Vincent’s work on these two epistles in the International
Critical Commentary (1897). But there are even better precedents for link-
ing Philemon with Colossians: one need look no farther than Lightfoot’s
volume (1875).
The exposition of Ephesians by the veteran scholar E. K. Simpson
(who died at an advanced age in 1961) was a work of literary distinction,
well worthy of preservation in its own right; but it never fitted easily into
the general pattern of the New International Commentary. It appeared in
1957, sharing one volume with a commentary on Colossians by the present
general editor. When the time came to revise the commentary on Colos-
sians, the writer of that commentary arranged, after completing the revi-
sion, to write new companion commentaries on Philemon and Ephesians.
All three commentaries are now presented to the reader in this volume.
F. F. BRUCE
ix