Intro; Half Title Page; Series Page; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Contents; Series Preface; Author's Preface; Abbreviations; Transliteration; The Roman Empire in the First Century AD; Introduction to Colossians; I. Letter Opening: Paul and Timothy Desire Grace and Peace for the Colossians (1:1-2); II. Letter Thanksgiving: Paul Thanks God for the Readers' Christian Lives (1:3-23); A. Paul Recognizes the Genuine Faith, Love, and Hope of God's End-Time People (1:3-8); B. Paul Prays Continually That Believers Would Understand God's Will (1:9-14)

C. Christ's Supremacy over the First Creation Is a Pattern for the New Creation (1:15-23)III. Letter Body: Christians Should Strive for Maturity (1:24-4:6); A. Paul Rejoices in His Struggle to Proclaim Christ (1:24-2:5); B. Believers Should Live Only on the Basis of Christ (2:6-15); C. Believers Should Not Be Required to Submit to Extraordinary Religious Practices (2:16-23); D. Believers Should Seek Heavenly Things and Not Old Earthly Things (3:1-4); E. Believers Must Lay Aside the Sinful Lifestyle of the Old World (3:5-11)

F. Believers Should Live a New-Creational Lifestyle with a Christocentric Focus (3:12-17)G. Believers Should Live Out the New-Creational Lifestyle in the Family and Workplace (3:18-4:1); H.The New-Creational Lifestyle Should Lead to Prayer for the Effective Spread of the Gospel (4:2-6); IV. Letter Closing: Paul Emphasizes His Pastoral Concern for the Colossians (4:7-18); Introduction to Philemon; I. Letter Opening: Paul and Timothy Desire Grace and Peace for Philemon and the Colossian Church (1-3); II. Introductory Thanksgiving and Prayer: Paul Thanks God for Philemon and Prays for Him (4-7)

III. Letter Body: Paul's Appeal (8-21)A. Paul Appeals to Philemon's Inner Heart (8-14); B. Paul Confidently Appeals to Philemon to Accept His Slave (15-21); IV. Letter Closing: Paul Asks Philemon to Show Him Pastoral Concern, and Paul Shows His Pastoral Concern for the Church in Philemon's House (22-25); Excursus 1 The Problem of Using the Criteria of Vocabulary and Writing Style to Discern Purportedly Non-Pauline Letters; Excursus 2 Criteria for Discerning Old Testament Allusions and Their Use; Excursus 3 "Christ among the Gentiles" as Part of: the Mystery.

Excursus 4 The Old Testament Background of "the Uncircumcision of Your Flesh" in Colossians 2:13Excursus 5 The Master-Slave Relationship; Works Cited; Index of Subjects; Index of Authors; Index of Greek Words; Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings; Back Cover.