Janice Capel Anderson 
Colossians: An Introduction and Study Guide [PDF ebook] 
Authorship, Rhetoric, and Code

This guide introduces readers to key issues in the interpretation and reception of Colossians. Anderson first explores the issue of Pauline authorship. She challenges readers to reflect on why the question of authorship has dominated scholarship as well as why and how interpreters create stories about the letter. Second, Andersonexamines rhetoric and context. She asks readers to consider how the letter constructs and seeks to persuade its addressees past and present. She surveys several pictures of the first audience and opponents. Finally, Anderson delves into the functions of the Colossian household code, its reception, and the ethics of interpretation.