A passion for deep, responsible, and faithful biblical interpretation has been a hallmark of Grant Osborne's ministry in both the academy and church. His writings have long been in use by scholars. In these commentaries on Colossians and Philemon he gifts to all of us a reliable, meaty exposition in everyday language. Those studying the Bible personally and in groups, as well as pastors and teachers, have here a good resource. It is rooted in scholarship, for the church, and gets straight to the point. This is serious thinking, plainly written.<br />--<b>Jon C. Laansma</b>, Associate Professor of Greek and New Testament, Wheaton College and Graduate School<br /><br />"Grant Osborne is ideally suited to write a series of concise commentaries on the New Testament. His exegetical and hermeneutical skills are well known, and anyone who has had the privilege of being in his classes also knows his pastoral heart and wisdom. This commentary is ideal for pastors and Bible study leaders as it pays close attention to the text without getting lost in technical details. Osborne expounds the text faithfully, asking what God was saying through Paul to the Colossians and to Philemon and what that means for us today. This will be a wonderful resource for preachers and Bible study leaders, and for help in daily Bible reading."<br />--<b>Ray Van Neste</b>, Professor of Biblical Studies, Director of the Ryan Center for Biblical Studies, Union University<br /><br />"Grant Osborne is an eminent New Testament scholar and warm-hearted professor who loves the word of God. Through decades of effective teaching at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and church ministry around the world, he has demonstrated an ability to guide his readers in a careful understanding of the Bible. This accessible new commentary on Colossians and Philemon helps readers understand the text clearly and accurately. But it also draws us to consider the implications of the text, providing key insights on faithful application and preaching that reflect a lifetime of ministry experience. This unique combination of scholarship and practical experience makes this volume an invaluable resource for all students of God's word, and especially those who are called to preach and teach."<br />--<b>H. Wayne Johnson</b>, Associate Academic Dean and associate professor of pastoral theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School<br /><br />"For many years it has been my privilege to serve with Dr. Osborne as a fellow elder in our church and to observe him preaching and teaching the New Testament to enthralled laypeople. This commentary (series) provides exactly what our church has appreciated again and again: his winsome ability to step down the current of high-voltage scholarship in ways that illuminate the biblical text for ordinary Christians, and energize them to light their world for Christ!"<br />--<b>Todd Habegger</b>, Senior Pastor, Village Church of Gurnee (IL)<br /><br />"With this new series, readers will have before them what we--his students--experienced in all of Professor Osborne's classes: patient regard for every word in the text, exegetical finesse, a preference for an eclectic resolution to the options facing the interpreter, a sensitivity to theological questions, and most of all a reverence for God's word."<br />--<b>Scot McKnight</b>, Julius R. Mantey Professor in New Testament, Northern Seminary