ONE INTERPRETER OF SCRIPTURE has written, “It is perhaps only to those who write them that commentaries are exciting.”1 Writing on Colossians and Philemon has been an exciting task, and one can only pray that this commentary helps make the reading of these letters more exciting and meaningful. In one of David Lodge’s novels a character named Morris Zapp is a professor of English at a large state school. Zapp has set for himself an ambitious scholarly project. He intends to examine the novels of Jane Austen from “every conceivable angle, historical, biographical, rhetorical, mythical, Freudian, Jungian, existentialist, Marxist, structuralist, Christian-allegorical, ethical, exponential, linguistic, phenomenological, archetypal, you name it; so that when one had finished each commentary, there would be nothing further to say about the novel in question.” The thought, “After Zapp, there would be silence,” motivated and deeply satisfied him.2
Unlike Professor Zapp, this commentator has no pretension of trying to offer an exhaustive word. Rather, I simply intend to help readers to mine the wealth of spiritual riches in Colossians and Philemon and to understand ways in which they apply today. The spiritual power of these letters does not allow either a final word or silence. My goal is to assist readers in developing their own insights into Colossians and Philemon, so that the world might ring anew with their messages about the all-sufficiency of Christ and the brotherhood that comes from being in Christ and that crosses all barriers.
This work would not have been possible without the help of many friends. I would like to express my deepest affection and appreciation for Steve Dwinnells, who was especially helpful in the preparation of the manuscript, and for David Drinnon, who helped in chasing down references. I also want to express my heartfelt fondness to the following students who, along with Dwinnells and Drinnon, brought joy and insight in studying the text together: Brian Anderson, Stephen Awoniyi, Troy Bryant, Gary Cost, Brian Curry, Jeff Douglas, Jeff Elieff, Gerald Feulmer, Cal Hampton, David Hewitt, Teruaki Hirao, Gregg Hodge, Jeff Jordan, Matt Lockett, Alan Lusk, Lamar McAbee, Keith McKinley, Yoon Jung Na, Cory Pitts, Jonathan Propes, Rob Schettler, Michael Sharp, Scott Tilton, Bert Walker, and Mark Webb. I would like to extend special thanks to Paul Debusman, reference librarian, for his many years of gracious and invaluable help in many research projects and especially this one.
I am particularly indebted to the close reading of the manuscript by Klyne Snodgrass, who offered much sage advice. I also appreciate greatly the input and encouragement of Jack Kuhatschek and Terry Muck and the careful and wise editing of Verlyn Verbrugge. I am also grateful for F. Matthew Schobert Jr. for his assistance in compiling the index. These persons naturally bear no responsibility for the weaknesses of this commentary, but their reading and those of the students listed above have provided tremendous help and stimulus, as did all who have written on this text before me.
I would like also to thank my wife, Diana, for her continued love and support, and my children, Sarah and John, who have brought such joy and delight to my life. This book is dedicated to the memory of Ruth Garland, a faithful missionary of Christ and loving mother.
David E. Garland
Professor of Christian Scriptures
George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University