Colossians and Philemon

The Crossway Classic Commentaries

by J.B. Lightfoot, Alister E. McGrath (Introduction), J.I. Packer (Series Editor)

For hundreds of years Christendom has been blessed with Bible commentaries written by great men of God highly respected for their godly walk and their insight into spiritual truth. The Crossway Classic Commentaries series presents the very best work on individual Bible books, carefully adapted for maximum understanding and usefulness for today's believers. Christians throughout the centuries have marveled at the spiritual treasures in the apostle Paul's letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. Grand themes of the supremacy of Christ, the superiority of the Gospel over false belief systems, the joy of setting one's focus on things above, and the love-bonds between all followers of the Savior continue to inspire Christians today. This classic commentary will encourage and equip all who desire a deeper walk with God and a growing faith in him.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Biblical Studies

Paperback

First published June 1, 1997

About the author

The Right Reverend Joseph Barber Lightfoot, D.D. (Trinity College, Cambridge University, 1864; M.A., Cambridge, 1854; B.A., Cambridge, 1851) was an Anglican theologian who was ordinaed priest in 1858. He served as Hulsean Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, 1861–75, Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity 1875–79, and was consecrated Bishop of Durham by William Thomson, Archbishop of York, entering the House of Lords ex officio in 1879.

Reviews

[John Waldrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is there to say about Lightfoot? His scholarship and familiarity with the Greek language and with texts he comments about are unparalleled. His dissertations at the end of the commentary are also delightful reads.

[Michael Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

J. B. Lightfoot (1828-1889) was an Anglican bishop and scholar whose specialty was philology (the source and meaning of words in the original language).

This reproduction of his commentary on the New Testament letters of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians and Philemon demonstrates his fidelity to the original Greek. 20th-century scholarly commentaries generally cited Prof. Lightfoot's insights. It also includes his separate treatment on the Essene community, the Jewish sect whose extensive writings on the Old Testament were discovered in caves near the Dead Sea in 1947 and 1956, rendering his contributions woefully outdated.

In sum, this work is extremely dense, technical, and demands the reader's at least passing acquaintance with Greek, Hebrew, and Latin languages - the minimum standard requirements in today's scholarly world. Therefore, I cannot recommend this daunting, erudite commentary to other than the professional scholar, or a true Bible geek like myself!

[Matt Maples · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very technical, but insightful commentary on the powerful little book called Colossians. If you want to get deep into these 4 powerful chapter, 5 including Philemon, then give this book a try. But beware that it is a challenging read.

[Jim Kilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to commentaries on Philemon, Lightfoot is the "gold standard." Though I appreciated the simplicity of this edited edition, in the end, I found myself preferring original publication.