Long before the massive “Christian Origins and the Question of God” project, long he was “The Right Reverend Father in God, by Divine Providence Lord Bishop of Durham,” we had N. T. Wright, Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey. While some the later themes of Wright’s theology are not fully developed by the time he penned this commentary, his lucid way of writing along with his detail-oriented exegetical style makes this an excellent guide to two of Paul’s letters.

Wright’s goal in this small commentary is twofold:

1. “To clear up potential ambiguities or obscurities, so that the reader is able to hear, as nearly as possible, what the text itself says” (10).
2. “To open the reader’s eyes to see the text, and those parts of Paul’s thought which it reflects, as a whole, over and above the mass of detail” (10).

He accomplishes both of these goals in a small sub-two-hundred page package.

About a year ago, I preached through the entire book of Colossians, and this commentary was a tremendous help. Anyone who is serious about reading scripture can enjoy this book—no special training required.

Wright, N. T. Colossians and Philemon. William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1986. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries.