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The letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians : a socio-rhetorical commentary on the captivity Epistles /

This title offers an innovative way of looking at Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon as inter-related documents written at different levels of moral discourse. The author also analyses these documents as examples of Asiatic rhetoric.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Witherington, Ben, III, 1951-
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Grand Rapids, Mich. : William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, [2007]
Subjects:
Bible. > Philemon > Commentaries.
Bible. > Philemon > Socio-rhetorical criticism.
Bible. > Colossians > Commentaries.
Bible. > Colossians > Socio-rhetorical criticism.
Bible. > Ephesians > Commentaries.
Bible. > Ephesians > Socio-rhetorical criticism.
Online Access:Table of contents only
Table of Contents:
  • The letter to Philemon
  • The epistolary prescript : vv. 1-3
  • Thanksgiving/exordium : a refresher course : vv. 4-7
  • A closer look : when rhetoric is not mere rhetoric
  • An appeal for a useful servant : vv. 8-16
  • A closer look : Paul in chains, Onesimus in bondage
  • Peroratio : summing up and touching the heart of the matter : vv. 17-22
  • A closer look : the cost of manumission
  • Epistolary conclusion : vv. 23-24
  • Bridging the horizons : Philemon
  • The letter to the Colossians
  • The authorship of Colossians
  • Further thoughts on the relationship of Colossians and Ephesians
  • The false teaching/philosophy in Colossae
  • The theology of Colossians
  • The occasion of Colossians
  • Epistolary prescript : 1.1-2
  • Exordium/thanksgiving prayer : 1.3-14
  • Narratio : the pattern of Christ : 1.15-20
  • A closer look : the formation of the Christ hymn
  • Propositio/partitio : 1.21-23
  • Probatio : argument one : minister of the mystery : 1.24-2.5
  • Probatio : argument two : the bone of contention : 2.6-3.4
  • A closer look : the Colossian "philosophy"
  • A closer look : the theological substance of Colossians
  • Probatio : argument three : the necessity of virtue : 3.5-4.1
  • Vice and virtue lists : 3:5-17
  • The household code : 3:18-4:1
  • A closer look : evaluating the household codes fairly in Paul's context
  • A closer look : Paul on marriage and slavery in context
  • Peroratio : prayer and wisdom : 4.2-6
  • Epistolary closing : 4:7-18
  • Bridging the horizons : Colossians
  • The homily called Ephesians
  • Homilies in the New Testament era
  • Ephesians as a letter to Ephesus?
  • Epideictic rhetoric : the art of persuasive sermon-making
  • Pseudonymity?
  • Epistolary prescript : 1.1-2
  • Exordium : a blessing of a eulogy : 1.3-14
  • A closer look : for heaven's sake
  • Thanksgiving prayer/captatio benevolentiae : 1.15-23
  • A closer look : the ethos of community in Ephesians
  • Narratio : Gentiles then and now and their apostle : 2.1-22; 3.2-13
  • Concluding prayer and doxology : 3.1, 14-21
  • Exhortatio : reminder of community values and virtues : 4.1-6.9
  • The formation of a more perfect union : 4.1-16
  • A closer look : what goes up must come down : pneumatic exegesis
  • New creatures : 4.17-24; putting off and putting on : 4.25-32
  • The imitation of God, the image of holiness : 5.1-21
  • Christians in the house : 5.21-6.9
  • A closer look : the Christian household code revisited
  • Peroratio : standing notwithstanding the opposition : 6.10-20
  • Epistolary postscript : the end of the matter : 6.21-24
  • Bridging the horizons : Ephesians.