Dr. Hawthorne was twice voted "Teacher of the Year" during his long tenure at Wheaton College and his earlier book on Philippians for the Word Biblical Commentary Series sold widely. His teaching and writing skills are evident in this work on Colossians as he integrates past contributions of British and German scholars Lightfoot, Moule, Martin, Wright, Dunn and Lohse, with his intimate knowledge of New Testament Greek and personal insights into the text. The work was incomplete at the time of his death, ending at chapter 3 verse 16. There are 350 pages and 700 references to help serious readers of the Bible understand the meaning of Paul's ideas and apply them to the Christian walk today, especially what it means for a Christian to be "in Christ" - i.e. "in" the one who is 'the firstborn over all creation' and who has disarmed all the spiritual powers and authorities that hold people in fear.
