Colossians & Philemon

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Dec 2006 by Bateman, Herbert W IV

Colossians & Philemon. By Marianne Meye Thompson. Two Horizons New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005, x 287 pp., $20.00 paper.

Thompson's commentary on Colossians & Philemon is part of the Two Horizons New Testament Commentary series that features both theological exegesis and theological reflection. Thompson's particular commentary divides into six sections. The first three are devoted to Colossians: Introduction to Colossians (pp. 1-12); Commentary on Colossians (pp. 13-109); and Theological Horizons of Colossians (pp. 111-91). The last three address Philemon: Introduction to Philemon (pp. 193-204); Commentary on Philemon (pp. 205-27); and Theological Horizons of Philemon (pp. 229-66).

As is characteristic of any introduction on Colossians, Thompson handles issues surrounding Colossians as a Pauline work (pp. 2-5); the setting of the letter in connection with Paul's circumstances (pp. 5-9); the situation at Colossae (pp. 6-9); and the theological contribution of Colossians (pp. 9-12). When addressing prefatory questions about Philemon, she treats the occasion for the letter (pp. 194-98); the purpose of the letter (pp. 198-200); authorship and canonicity (pp. 200-202); and slavery in the ancient world (pp. 202-4). Although she "rehearses briefly" the dissenting arguments against Pauline authorship for Colossians, she presents overwhelming acceptance of Paul's authorship for Philemon, beginning with but not limited to Marcion, Tertullian, Ignatius, Jerome, and others. Nevertheless, both are deemed Pauline.

She views the occasion for Colossians (and we might add Philemon because both are carried by the same person, Tychicus) to be twofold: a response to received reports about the church via Epaphras, and an opportunity to reconcile Onesimus to Philemon (Col 4:8-9, Phlm 12-13). What was the nature of these reports? Thompson's position is that "the Colossians are being influenced by Jews or, perhaps better, Jewish Christians, who advocated certain ascetic practices and ecstatic spiritual experiences in order to attain to 'higher levels' of understanding the mysteries of God" (p. 7). Subsequently, the theological contribution of Colossians to Paul's other works emerges: "The death of Jesus brings redemption and forgiveness (1:13-14; 2:13-14), the pacification of those hostile to God (1:20-22), inclusion of all people in the family of God (1:12, 21-22; 2:11-13), and the granting of new life (2:12-13; 3:1-3)" (p. 12). In other words, Jesus is all we need. As for Philemon, and contrary to various traditions, Thompson avers that "Paul writes primarily to effect reconciliation between Philemon and Onesimus, not as master and slave but as brothers in the Lord." She continues, "The key words that are to shape their relationship are not master and slave but brother, fellowship (partnership), and love (vv. 16-17)" (p. 199).

Thompson's commentaries on Colossians (pp. 13-109) and Philemon (pp. 193-204) are presented nicely in a paragraph-by-paragraph, expositional-like discourse with the text. She breaks Colossians in fourteen units of thought. Her paragraph divisions for the salutation (1:1-2, 3-8, 9-14); the hymn (1:15-20, 21-23); and the pattern for living (2:16-23, 3:1-4, 5-11, 12-17, 18-4:1, 2-6, 7-18) are similar to those of Peter T. O'Brien (Colossians, Philemon [WBC; Waco: Word, 1982]); R. McL. Wilson (Colossians and Philemon [ICC; London: T & T Clark International, 20051); Margaret Y. MacDonald (Colossians and Ephesians [SacPag; Collegeville: Liturgical, 2000]); and James D. G. Dunn (The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon [NIGTC; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 19961). Thompson's differences are Col 1:21-29; 2:1-7; and 2:8-15. Likewise, her paragraph divisions for Philemon nearly always agree with others. Whereas O'Brien, Wilson, and Dunn divide the text into four units: Phlm 1-3, 4-7, 8-20, and 21-25 (MacDonald does not address Philemon), Thompson's four paragraph divisions differ only at Phlm 8-16 and 17-25. Nevertheless, most of her paragraph divisions parallel a cross-section of exegetical works.

Common to both the Colossians and Philemon commentary is her approach to the text and subsequent engagement with the text. Each paragraph unit begins with a translation followed by a discussion that addresses key phrases and their theological contribution to the book. Special attention is given to key words, which involve a discussion of the term and a translation. She presents in parenthesis the Greek word and its transliteration. She also interacts succinctly with Jewish and Greco-Roman material of the period, pre- and post-Nicene church fathers, and a variety of recent and not-so-recent commentators. Furthermore, she is deliberately theological, as expected, due to the intent of the series.

While canvassing the theological horizons for Colossians, Thompson begins with a theology of Colossians (pp. 111-31); moves to a continuity/discontinuity survey of Colossians with Paul's broader theology (pp. 131-54); and ends with a constructive theology for the book (pp. 155-191). Philemon's theological horizons, however, are limited to a theology of Philemon in the context of biblical theology (pp. 229-46) and a presentation of how Philemon was misconstrued by nineteenth-century American interpreters, although this section also concludes with a constructive theology for the book (pp. 246-66).