“From years of friendship, conversation, shared burdens, mutual intercession, and the same vision of our great God, I trust Sam’s biblical faithfulness. He brings a keen eye and a wakened soul to God’s Word. The overflow for us is fresh insight and strong feeling. I thank God for Sam Storms. My life is sweeter because of the seasoning he brings.”
John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

I've written for the average, educated Christian believer. Well, that's not entirely accurate. I'm assuming that, although "average," you are passionate to know Christ better, hungry to be filled with the knowledge of the truth, and desperate to see him lifted high and holy in your life and in the experience of the church as a whole. If that describes you, or what you wish were true of you, then this book was designed specifically with you in mind. Each meditation is intentionally short, and most can be read in five to ten minutes.

I've labored to maintain a delicate, and often difficult, balance between stylistic simplicity on the one hand and theological substance on the other. I've not avoided the hard texts in Colossians, but in addressing them I've worked at making Paul's meaning accessible to any Christian with an inquiring mind and a hungry heart. Notes are kept to a minimum. Only rarely do I appeal to something in the Greek text, and even then I strive to make it intelligible to those who read only the English Bible.

There is good reason for my use of the word meditation in describing these one hundred studies. In Psalm 145:5, David declared: "On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate." This is what Scripture ultimately was designed to do: point us to the glorious splendor of God's majesty and deepen our satisfaction in the wondrous work he has achieved in Christ. So, don't merely read these studies on Colossians: ruminate! Don't simply study: saturate! I believe that in this way, through concentrated meditation on the Christ-exalting Word of Paul's epistle to the Colossians, the Holy Spirit will awaken in your heart that joy in Jesus that Peter can only describe as "inexpressible and filled with glory" (1 Pet. 1:8).

I find that this book is useful as both a commentary and a devotional. Dr. Storms is a gifted scholar, but he is also a pastor and wonderfully balances mining the depths of Christ to be found in the book of Colossians with profound wisdom always leading to personal encouragement and application. Dr. Storms is a gifted scholar, but he is also a pastor and wonderfully balances mining the depths of Christ to be found in the book of Colossians with profound wisdom always leading to personal encouragement and application. This book is useful as both a commentary and a devotional.

Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: Crossway Books (February 4, 2008)

ISBN-10: 1581349319

ISBN-13:  978-1581349313

Amazon Customer Review:  *****

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