The question of the genuineness of the two epistles contained in this volume has been deliberately deferred. It could not be discussed with any advantage apart from the Epistle to the Ephesians, for the three letters are inseparably bound together. Meanwhile however the doctrinal and historical discussions will, if I mistake not, have furnished answers to the main objections which have been urged; while the commentary will have shown how thoroughly natural the language and thoughts are, if conceived as arising out of an immediate emergency. More especially it will have been made apparent that the Epistle to the Colossians hangs together as a whole, and that the phenomena are altogether adverse to any theory of interpolation such as that recently put forward by Professor Holtzmann. In the commentary, as well as in the introduction, it has been a chief aim to illustrate and develope the theological conception of the Person of Christ, which underlies the Epistle to the Colossians. The Colossian heresy for instance owes its importance mainly to the fact that it throws out this conception into bolder relief. To this portion of the subject therefore I venture to direct special attention. I cannot conclude without offering my thanks to Mr A. A. VanSittart who, as on former occasions, has given his aid in correcting the proof sheets of this volume; and to the Rev. J. J. Scott, of Trinity College, who has prepared the index. I wish also to express my obligations to Dr Schiller-Szinessy, of whose Talmudical learning I have freely availed myself in verifying Frankel’s quotations and in other ways. I should add however that he is not in any degree responsible for my conclusions and has not even seen what I have written. TRINITY COLLEGE, _April 30, 1875_. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS. EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. _INTRODUCTION._ PAGE I. _The Churches of the Lycus_ 1–72 II. _The Colossian Heresy_ 73–113 _On some points connected with the Essenes._ 1. _The name Essene_ 114–119 2. _Origin and Affinities of the 119–157 Essenes_ 3. _Essenism and Christianity_ 158–179 III. _Character and Contents of the Epistle_ 180–194 _TEXT AND NOTES_ 197–311 _On some Various Readings in the Epistle_ 312–322 _On the meaning of πλήρωμα_ 323–339 _The Epistle from Laodicea_ 340–366 EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. _INTRODUCTION_ 369–395