From the depths of a Roman prison, words of encouragement and instruction from the great Apostle Paul were sent in a series of letters to communities throughout the Roman Empire. St. Paul may have been fettered and shackled to a series of Roman guards, but the Word he preached remained unfettered and free.This volume contains commentaries on the epistles that St. Paul wrote while in prison to the Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon.About the Orthodox Bible Study Companion Series:This commentary was written for your grandmother. And for your plumber, your banker, and the girl who serves you French Fries at the nearby McDonald's. That is, it was written for the average layperson, for the nonprofessional who feels a bit intimidated by the presence of copious footnotes, long bibliographies, and all those other things which so enrich the lives of academics. It is written for the pious Orthodox layman who is mystified by such things as Source Criticism, but who nonetheless wants to know what the Scriptures mean.

Making use of his scholar's understanding, yet writing in an approachable and anecdotal style, Tom Wright captures the verve and sparkle of these letters. Paul wrote the letters while in prison facing possible death, but their passion and energy are undimmed. They reveal Paul's longing to see young churches grow in faith and understanding, rooted in Jesus himself, and to see this faith worked out in practice. Wright's stimulating comments are combined with his own fresh and inviting translation of the text. Tom Wright has undertaken a tremendous task: to provide guides to all the books of the New Testament, and to include in them his own translation of the entire text. Each short passage is followed by a highly readable discussion with background information, useful explanations and suggestions, and thoughts as to how the text can be relevant to our lives today. A glossary is included at the back of the book. The series is suitable for group study, personal study, or daily devotions.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ stands as the most important event in human history. The Gospel writers understood this, devoting a proportionally large amount of space to Jesus's arrest, trial, crucifixion, and empty tomb. But how do the four Gospel accounts fit together? What really happened and what does it all mean? Combining a chronological arrangement of the biblical text with insightful commentary from Andreas J. Köstenberger, one of evangelicalism's brightest scholars, along with Justin Taylor, a well-known leader and blogger, this book offers readers a day-by-day guide to Jesus's final week on earth. Complete with a handy, quick-reference glossary and numerous maps illustrating key biblical locations, The Final Days of Jesus will help readers understand the geography, timeline, and background of Jesus's final days while serving as a devotional guide for meditating on the most important week in human history.

For Paul, who imprisoned Christians, his own incarceration ironically became a way in which he understood his mission. Paul's convictions and his rhetoric were often shaped during those times when chains constrained him from travelling. By examining a wide variety of sources-such as ancient novels, dream interpretations and moral tractates-Wansink first describes prison conditions and the daily life of prisoners, in the Graeco-Roman world. Subsequent exegetical chapters focus on two epistles Paul wrote from prison: Philippians and Philemon. This book replaces a 'docetic' view of Paul's incarceration with an original insight into how prison would have shaped his interaction with the Philippians and Philemon.

This volume completes Ben Witherington's contributions to the set of Eerdmans socio-rhetorical commentaries on the New Testament. In addition to the usual features of these commentaries, Witherington offers an innovative way of looking at Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon as interrelated documents written at different levels of moral discourse. Colossians is first-order moral discourse (the opening gambit), Ephesians is second-order moral discourse (what one says after the opening salvo to the same audience), and Philemon is third-order moral discourse (what one says to a personal friend or intimate). Witherington successfully analyzes these documents as examples of Asiatic rhetoric, explaining the differences in style from earlier Pauline documents. He further shows that Paul is deliberately engaging in the transformation of existing social institutions. As always, Witherington's work is scholarly and engaging. With detailed "Closer Look" sections, The Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians is perfect for the libraries of clergy, biblical scholars, and seminaries.

This is a phrase-by-phrase commentary and exposition of the New Testament books of Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon & Philippians - the group of writings collectively called Paul's Prison Epistles. This commentary is in use as a college textbook, yet is suitable for the lay church member. The epistles of Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians are fundamentally Christological in their content, focusing on the glory of Christ and the grandeur of His church. In these letters, Christians are helped to understand the Deity and pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, and are given unparalleled insight into God's way of saving man. Then having gone to such lengths to show what God has done for all mankind through Jesus the Son, Paul offers inspired teaching regarding how men - His church - should now pattern and live their lives in order to honor and reflect Him, drawing on the power and Spiritual resources He offers. This commentary is conservative and evangelical Christian in its outlook, yet skillfully examines the Scriptures from multiple theological viewpoints. The book includes Introductory Studies for each of the four epistles, covering authorship, date of writing, original target audience, historical background out of which the letter was written, and the original author's purpose for writing. Additionally, the Introductory Studies fully address Biblical criticism issues unique to these epistles, including an extended review of the intensely Christological passage in Philippians 2:5-11, an examination of what theologians have called the "Colossian Crisis," and the authorship and original destination of Ephesians. Since this commentary presumes the God-inspired nature of all Biblical writing, the author seeks to harmonize the teachings of these New Testament books with other relevant Scriptures, and also helpfully examines the original language in which the epistles were written. This work includes a fully annotated bibliography of other commentaries on these New Testament books so that readers are encouraged to continue their own study of the teachings of Paul's Prison Epistles. This volume continues the author's series of commentaries on the books of the New Testament written from the unique standpoint of the Restoration Movement, a position which allows him to approach Scripture with no special theological doctrine or dogma to defend and explicate. This approach provides an unhindered freedom to listen to what the Holy Spirit would tell us within the pages of the sacred Scriptures. By deliberately employing the time-honored grammatico-historical method of interpretation, the Word of God is allowed to impress upon our minds the intent the Divine Author had in mind. Paul's Prison Epistles can play a key role in the 21st century church's mission to help people rightly understand Jesus Christ and His work, and to arrest our culture's slide into gnostic-like New Age ideas that have become part of the average man's worldview. The mystery of God's will is still made known "in Christ," for it is still through Jesus alone that "redemption ... forgiveness ... and the riches of God's grace" are "lavished upon us!" It is for us to "be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might" so that, "having done everything, we may stand firm." The author is Professor Emeritus of the New Testament at Central Christian College of the Bible (Moberly, MO).

In this comprehensive introduction to the apostle Paul, Stanley Porter devotes serious consideration both to the background and major contours of Paul’s thought and to the unique contributions of each of his letters. Porter begins by introducing the Pauline tradition and outlining the basics of Paul’s life, the chronology of his ministry, and his several imprisonments. Porter then discusses the background to Paul’s thought, examines some of the major themes of his writings, and treats issues concerning the Pauline epistles, such as pseudonymity and canon. Finally, Porter delves into all thirteen of Paul’s letters individually, placing them within their historical contexts and examining critical issues relating to the content and interpretation of each letter. The result is a thorough, balanced treatment of one of the most important figures in Christianity.