Revision of the author's thesis (doctoral--Toronto). - Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002
Recent research in the field of Jewish apocalypticism has opened the way to a fuller understanding of the problem addressed in Colossians. In Part I, Sappington explores the ascetic-mystical piety underlying the Jewish apocalypses. In Part II, he argues that there is a striking correspondence between this phenomenon and the error that threatened the church at Colossae. Finally, Sappington analyses Paul's response to the error, arguing that the themes of 'revelation' (Col. 2.1-5) and 'redemption' (Col. 2.9-15) are critical to our understanding of Paul's exposition