Colossians/Philemon
The letter to the Colossians gives us precious insights into aspects of Paul’s teaching that are only alluded to in his other writings. As the apostle deals with false teaching, he develops a magnificent picture of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and its implications for us. Most commentaries on Colossians also deal with the letter to Philemon which reveals Paul in another light, dealing with a particular problem of personal relationships.
The most detailed study of these letters is provided by P.T. O’Brien (Word, 1982). Although this commentary is based on careful exegesis of the Greek text, it is written in such a way as to be understandable by most readers.
F.F. Bruce’s contribution to the New International Commentary of the New Testament (Eerdmans, 1984) is less technical and offers a commentary on Ephesians in the same volume, which is good value for money.
The older commentaries by J.B. Lightfoot (1876) and C.F.D. Moule (1968) still have much to offer the thoughtful student of Colossians and Philemon. N. Wright has written the new Tyndale commentary (1986) on these epistles which is more helpful than the previous edition by H. Carson.
Dick Lucas contributes his commentary entitled Fullness and Freedom to the Bible Speaks Today series (1980). This may be the best way into Colossians for the average reader for it not only works hard at interpreting the text but applies it to contemporary issues.
Esther
There are not many books in the Bible that do not mention God! In fact there are only two: Esther and the Song of Songs. These two books provide more difficulty than most in understanding how they are ‘useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Tim 3:16). Esther is a book that explains the origin of the feast of Purim, and celebrates a national deliverance, not explicitly by divine intervention, but through political intrigue.
Joyce Baldwin, Esther, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (IVP,1984) provides a quite thorough treatment of the issues raised by the book, although in the end I think that her conclusions about the relevance of the book (“The unseen hand behind the events of Susa is no less active in guiding history today’) are not really satisfactory.
Carey A. Moore, Esther, Anchor Bible 7B (Doubleday, 1971) is a less conservative and more technical commentary, which treats the book as ‘a historical novel’.
A very detailed literary study, for those with access to a theological library, and willing to do a lot of work is Sandra Beth Berg, The Book of Esther: Motifs, Themes and Structure (Scholars Press, 1979).
The best commentary, in my opinion is in David Clines, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, New Century Bible Commentary (Eerdmans, 1984) — a little frustrating in his failure to draw conclusions on questions like historicity, but he lays out the evidence thoroughly and clearly, and has many good insights.
