Commentaries on Colossians

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Philippians  ⇐ ⇒  1 Thessalonians

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For more great commentaries on Colossians, be sure to check:
Commentaries on the Epistles, Commentaries on the Whole New Testament
& Whole Bible Commentaries

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Order of Contents  35+

The Best Commentaries  8
Commentaries  23
Early Church  3
Medieval Church  1
Chapters in Colossians

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The Best Commentaries on Colossians

1600’s

Byfield, Nicholas – An Exposition upon the Epistle to the Colossians  1615

***  “The author lived in intense pain, and died at 44, yet he produced quite a mountain of literature.  He writes like an earnest, faithful man, resolved to keep back nothing of the counsel of God; but he too little studies brevity, and consequently he wearies most readers.  He is always worth consulting.” – Spurgeon

Davenant, John – An Exposition of Colossians, vols. 1, 2

Davenant was of the reformed tradition, though a hypothetical universalist.

***  “I know no exposition upon a detached portion of Scripture (with the single exception of Owen on the Hebrews) that will compare with it in all points.  Leighton is superior in sweetness, but far inferior in depth, accuracy, and discursiveness.” – Charles Bridges, as quoted by Spurgeon

Dickson, David – An Expositon of all St. Paul’s Epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude, wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened  (Romans-Jude)  Buy  1659  

Dickson was a prominent Scottish covenanter.

*** – ‘Dickson is a writer after our own heart.  For preachers he is a great ally.  There is nothing brilliant or profound; but everything is clear and well arranged, and the unction runs down like the oil from Aaron’s head.  In this volume the observations are brief.’

Note that the Banner of Truth reprint contains Dickson’s commentary on less books than the original.

Elton, Edward – An Exposition of the Epistle of St Paul to the Colossians delivered in sundry sermons 1615

Elton (d. 1624) was a reformed minister near London.

***  “A Puritan work; strongly Calvinistic, popular, and very full.” – Spurgeon

Fergusson, James – A Brief Exposition of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and the Thessalonians  Buy  1656-74

Fergusson was a Scottish covenanter.

*** – ‘He who possesses this work is rich.  The author handles his matter in the same manner as Hutcheson and Dickson, and he is of their class–a grand, gracious, savory divine.’

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Simple, Practical and Devotional

Spence, James – Sunday Mornings with my Flock, on St. Paul’s Latter to the Colossians, a Series of Discourses forming an Exposition of that Epistle  1875

***  “A good specimen of honest, popular expounding.  Intended for a congregation, but useful to the student.” – Spurgeon

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Advanced

Eadie, John – Commentary on Colossians  Reformed, Scottish

***  “Very full and reliable.  A work of the utmost value.”

“Expositions on several of Paul’s letters to the churches of the New Testament era followed [by Eadie], and it is significant that Dr. C.J. Ellicott considered them to be superior to anything in England up to that time.” – Cyril J. Barber

“A rich and inspiring exposition which preachers who have a knowledge of Greek will appreciate for its insights and detailed explanations.” – Cyril J. Barber

Lightfoot, J.B. – St. Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon: A Revised Text, with Introductions, Notes and Dissertations  1875

***  “Deservedly regarded as a standard work.  The more instructed student will appreciate it.”  “…Lightfoot writes for scholars.” – Spurgeon

“Valuable studies which admirably illuminate the text of both epistles. Of particular interest are the essays on the epistle from Laodicea, the origin and affinities of the Essenes, and the Essenes and Christianity.” – Cyril J. Barber

Note: any similarity between the early Jewish sect of the Essenes and Christianity is purely superficial; the two groups of thought are substantially different from each other, even where there may appear to be some overlap.

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Commentaries

1500’s

ed. Tomlin, Graham – Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Philippians, Colossians  Buy

Calvin, John – Commentary on Colossians

** – Spurgeon

Ridley, Lancelot – An Exposition in English upon the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians, wherein the letter is purely declared, with many good exhortations to flee vice and to take virtue  1548

Ridley (d. 1576) was a reformed Anglican.

Rollock, Robert – Lectures on Colossians  EEBO  †1599  41 Lectures

** – ‘It is said that when this great divine died the entire population of Edinburgh attended his funeral.  His Lectures on Colossians were once very popular, but are now extremely scarce.  The style is very simple and colloquial, and the matter far from profound.’ – Spurgeon

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1600’s

Cartwright, Thomas – An Exposition of Colossians in Sundry Sermons  d. 1603

Cartwright (1534-1603) was an influential and leading English presbyterian.

**  “This is but a small affair, consisting of scanty and second rate ‘notes’ by a hearer.  Yet what there is of it has the true ring, and is rich in spirituality.” – Spurgeon

Dod, John & Robert Cleaver – A Profitable Metaphrase upon the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians  appended to Ten Sermons, pp. 265-288  1634

Daille, John – 49 Sermons upon the Whole Epistle of the Apostle St. Paul to the Colossians  Buy  d. 1670

Daillie (1594-1670) was of the reformed tradition, though a hypothetical-universalist.

On his work on the Philippians:  **  “Written in a deliciously florid style.  Very sweet and evangelical: after the French manner.” – Spurgeon

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Simple, Practical & Devotional

1800’s

Gisborne, Thomas – A Familiar Exposition of Colossians in 8 Sermons  1816

Gisborne (1758-1846) was a clergyman in the Anglican Church.

**  “Sermons which very much remind us of those of Henry Melvill, but with less of the Gospel in them.  Gisborne was a preacher of considerable repute, but he was more at home upon moral than spiritual topics.” – Spurgeon

Milner, Joseph – Sermons on Colossians, 1 Thessalonians 5, and James 1  1841

Milner (1744–1797)

**  “Respectable sermons by the Church historian.” – Spurgeon

Moule, H.C.G. – Colossian and Philemon Studies: Lessons in Faith and Holiness  in The Expositor’s Library

“Moule was known for his saintliness and evangelical fervor. These studies bear testimony to his ability as an expositor. They deal adequately with the text and deftly apply the message of these epistles.” – Cyril J. Barber

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1900’s

Nicholson, William Rufus – Popular Studies in Colossians: Oneness with Christ  Buy  1903  284 pp.  rep. Kregel

“”Formerly published under the title Oneness in Christ. Combines outstanding scholarship with a deeply devotional spirit.” – Cyril J. Barber

English, Eugene Schuyler – Studies in the Epistle to the Colossians  Buy  1944

“A devotional and practical study which combines doctrinal orthodoxy with loyalty to the Word. The exposition unfolds the meaning and theme of the epistle.” – Cyril J. Barber

King, Guy Hope – Crossing the Border: an Expositional Study of Colossians  Buy  1957

“A lucid study which emphasizes the spiritual truths of a believer’s position in Christ, and shows how the reality of this truth affects everyday living.” – Cyril J. Barber

Morris, Leon – ‘Colossians’ in The Biblical Expositor: The Living Theme of the Great Book with General and Introductory Essays and Exposition, vol. 3  Buy  ed. Carl Henry  1960

This little known commentary set by leading evangelicals (many of which were reformed) is brief (think airplane view) but helpful.

Harrison, Everett F. – Colossians: Christ All Sufficient  Buy  1971 in Everyman’s Bible Commentary

Harrison was a Presbyterian and professor at Fuller Theological Seminary.

“Good things frequently come in small packages. This is one of them.” – Cyril J. Barber

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Intermediate

1800’s

MacLaren, Alexander – Colossians and Philemon in The Expositor’s Bible, ed. Nicoll

This is different than MacLaren’s expositions on the whole Bible.

MacPhail, S.R. – The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians  1911  in Bible-Handbooks for Bible Classes, ed. Dods & Whyte

Wilson, Daniel – Expository Lectures on Colossians, being an attempt to apply the Apostle’s Argument Respecting the Errors on the Subject of the Mediation of Christ at Colosse to the Present Circumstances of the Church  1845

**  “By a famous modern evangelical, who shows much ability in wielding this Scripture against Tractarians and others.  The work contains little original exegesis.” – Spurgeon

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1900’s

Robertson, A.T. – Paul and the Intellectuals: the Epistles to the Colossians  1928  145 pp.  The substance of these 12 chapters were the 1926 Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary

“A verse-by-verse treatment of the letter expounded in the light of its historic setting and the emergence of an incipient form of Gnosticism.” – Cyril J. Barber

Hendriksen, William – New Testament Commentary: Colossians  Buy  

“Contains an extensive introduction, a new translation of the text, an informative commentary, a valuable summary of the data covered in the book, and a series of critical notes dealing with problems which are of a more specialized nature.” – Cyril J. Barber

Clark, Gordon – Colossians  Buy

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Advanced

1800’s

Meyer, H.A.W. – Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Epistles to the Colossians

**  “No doubt wonderfully learned, but we cannot get on with it.  Quotations from heretics we have happily never heard of before are of no great use to simple believers like ourselves.” – Spurgeon

Westcott, Frederick Brooke – A Letter to Asia, being a Paraphrase and Brief Exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Believers at Colossae  Buy  1914  224 pp.  This was reprinted by Klock & Klock

Westcott was one of the more conservative liberals.

“The son of the renowned B.F. Westcott provides his readers with an informative paraphrase and a brief exposition of Paul’s letter to the believers at Colossae.” – Cyril J. Barber

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1900’s

Moule, Charles Francis Digby – The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians and to Philemon  Buy  1958  in The Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Part of the new edition of the Cambridge Greek Testament. An exegetical commentary particularly valuable for its treatment of the theological terms and linguistic points of interest.” – Cyril J. Barber

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The Early Church on Colossians

Compilation

ed. Gorday, Peter – Ancient Christian Commentary: Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon  Buy

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Individual Fathers

Ambrosiaster – Commentaries on Galatians-Philemon  Buy

Chrysostom – Homilies on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

**  ‘Enough of solid truth and brilliant utterance will be found here to justify this father’s title of ‘Golden Mouth’; but still all is not gold which fell from his lips, and to modern readers Chrysostom is not so instructive as he was to his own age [A.D. 349-407].’ – Spurgeon

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The Medieval Church on Colossians

Aquinas, Thomas – Commentary on Colossians

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Colossians 1

1600’s

Bayne, Paul – Commentary on Colossians 1 & 2  1634

***  “…Edifying and very rare.” – Spurgeon

Lockyer, Nicholas – England Faithfully Watched with in her Wounds: or, Christ as a Father Sitting up with his Children in their Swooning State, which is the sum of Several Lectures Painfully Preached upon Colossians 1  1646  Here are his sermons on Col. 1:11-12

***  “Rich, full, simple.  A fair specimen of plain Puritan preaching.” – Spurgeon

Manton, Thomas – Christ’s Eternal Existence and the Dignity of his Person Asserted and Proved, in Opposition to the Doctrine of the Socinians  8 sermons on Col. 1:14-20  89 pp.  in Works, vol. 1, p. 415 ff.

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1800’s

Guthrie, Thomas – Christ the Inheritance of the Saints, Illustrated in a series of Discourses from Colossians  1859  only covers ch. 1

Guthrie was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland.

**  “Not so much an exposition as a series of brilliant discourses, or prose poems.  Dr. Guthrie has only touched upon the first chapter.” – Spurgeon

“A Presbyterian preacher of the last century, Guthrie pastored the Edinburgh Church of Old Greyfriars for nearly thirty years. These expository discourses cover Colossians 1:12-20.” – Cyril J. Barber

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Colossians 2

Bayne, Paul – Commentary on Colossians 1 & 2  1634

***  “…Edifying and very rare.” – Spurgeon

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Related Pages

Whole Bible Commentaries

Old Testament Commentaries

New Testament Commentaries