Overview
Amidst the steady increase of studies on believers as sons of God in Paul's letters, Colossians' important development of this concept has been unexplored. Redressing the neglect of Colossians, this study investigates the character and function of believers' sonship in the letter, particularly as that is related to Christ's own filial identity and shaped by the Old Testament hope for Israel’s redemption and creation’s renewal. Following a survey of sonship to God in the Old Testament and Judaism, Peter Christian Moore examines Christ's sonship in the opening thanksgiving of Colossians, the poetic praise of 1:15–20, and the reference to circumcision in 2:11. Building on this filial Christology, Moore traces the letter’s development of believers' sonship to God, showing how Colossians routinely ties their sonship to Christ, the Son, conditions it by a similar complex of Old Testament promises, and employs it for believers’ protection and perseverance.
Full Product Details
Author: Dr. Peter Christian Moore
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
Dimensions:
Width: 15.40cm
, Height: 2.40cm
, Length: 23.20cm
Weight: 0.620kg
ISBN: 9781978717138
ISBN 10: 197871713
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 19 February 2026
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
The theme of sonship, with its numerous scriptural resonances, lies on or just below the surface of countless discourses in Paul’s undisputed letter. Peter Christian Moore rightly shows this also to be true in the Letter to the Colossians. Despite being neglect by contemporary scholars, Moore argues that the logic of sonship is fundamental the argument of Colossians, supporting the letter’s exceedingly high Christology and, relatedly, its insistence that believers in Christ participate in Jesus’s Messianic identity and Israel’s second exodus, thus affording them divine sonship and its attendant covenant benefits. Readers of this volume with be rewarded with a wealth biblical-theological insights that aid in uncovering the coherency of this most important NT letter. -- John K. Goodrich, Academic Dean and Professor of Biblical Studies, Compass Bible Institute, US Moore illuminates Colossians by providing a deep-dive into the multifaceted concept of sonship in light of the Old Testament. He argues that the sonship of Christ is crucial for understanding the sonship of believers who are ""in Christ."" -- Brandon D. Crowe, Professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary, US
The theme of sonship, with its numerous scriptural resonances, lies on or just below the surface of countless discourses in Paul’s undisputed letter. Peter Christian Moore rightly shows this also to be true in the Letter to the Colossians. Despite being neglect by contemporary scholars, Moore argues that the logic of sonship is fundamental the argument of Colossians, supporting the letter’s exceedingly high Christology and, relatedly, its insistence that believers in Christ participate in Jesus’s Messianic identity and Israel’s second exodus, thus affording them divine sonship and its attendant covenant benefits. Readers of this volume with be rewarded with a wealth biblical-theological insights that aid in uncovering the coherency of this most important NT letter. -- John K. Goodrich, Academic Dean and Professor of Biblical Studies, Compass Bible Institute, US Moore illuminates Colossians by providing a deep-dive into the multifaceted concept of sonship in light of the Old Testament. He argues that the sonship of Christ is crucial for understanding the sonship of believers who are ""in Christ."" -- Brandon D. Crowe, Professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary, US This excellent study on Sonship in Colossians is meticulously researched and carefully argued. It fills gaps both in research on sonship and on Colossians and is certain to become essential reading for both. -- Constantine R. Campbell, Professor of New Testament and Research Director, Australian University College of Divinity
Author Information
Peter Christian Moore teaches New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary online and Bible and humanities at Phil-Mont Christian Academy, US.
