Just like buses, innit. But weirdly enough, I’ve got another book out this year – very different from anything I’ve done before, and certainly different from the previous one.
But Colossians, as well as its baby brother Philemon, have been fascinations for years. I did my master’s thesis back in the day on the issue of slavery in the New Testament, so naturally, Philemon was a key focus. And over the years, I’ve found myself returning to, and teaching from, Colossians again and again.
So it was a joy and privilege to work on this for the happy team at Good Book Co. My editor Tim Thornborough said some very nice things, which was obviously lovely of him (but then he’s biased AND he wants to sell books, so perhaps he’s not really that unbiased)
Mark Meynell has done something remarkable. He has written a commentary on Colossians and Philemon that is engaging, exciting, exploding with ideas, and thoroughly nourishing to read. His deft handling of the question of slavery in regard to Onesimus is worth the price of the book alone. And there are some awesome illustrations that really help nail down the heart of these New Testament letters.
Here are a few snaps from one of my visits to Turkey’s Lycus Valley (the location of Colossae in the 1st Century AD) back in 2012. But there’s hardly anything to see – just an opportunity for historical imagination!
What’s left of Colossae! 
The Taurus Mountains 
Looking up the Lycus Valley (towards Laodicaea and Hierapolis) 
The River Lycus (basically a small stream!) 
Some pottery found on the mound
It is officially published tomorrow (1st September) and can be obtained from all good bookshops – but you can get some launch deals straight from the horse’s mouth:
