Understanding Paul's Epistle to the Colossians

Publisher Marketing: You will enjoy the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians as you never have before in this masterful interpretation of Paul's voice as spoken to the church at Colosse. When Paul wrote his epistle to the church at Colosse, he wrote to his contemporaries in ordinary, everyday language that they understood. In his references, his analogies, and even his allegories, there was nothing he said that would have been unclear to those who read his writings. We forget that Paul did not write in King James English, New American Standard, or even the much-loved and oft-quoted New International Version. Paul wrote in Greek, a language unfamiliar to much of the modern English-speaking world, but one that was widely used in his day. Phrases that we look to Bible linguists to explain, such as "putting off the body of the sins of the flesh" and "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God," were understood as ordinary, everyday allusions to the people who received Paul's writings. Of course even that is misleading, because these phrases, included by translators many centuries later, were in popular use fifteen centuries after Paul's death. To understand Paul's intent in using the words and phrases he did, and to apply his words and meanings to our lives today, we have to couch his words in modern-day concepts. Paul wrote in phrases and concepts his contemporaries understood, and we have to read his writings in terms we understand. We must look at Paul's writings in the context of our modern world. Paul's time is now, and this book will help you understand what the believers at Colosse understood his words to mean. This is Paul speaking to us in 21st century language.