Colossians 2 : 6 - 15 as a Thesis : A Rhetorical - Critical Study

Scholarly attention to Colossians in the recent past has included attention to the nature of the Colossian heresy,1 the hymn to Christ in Col. 1:15-20,2 and the literary style of Colossians generally.3 Although rhetorical studies of Colossians have appeared, comprehensive rhetorical studies which consider the letter’s invention, arrangement, and style have been few in number.4 The current article is an attempt to address the paucity of rhetorical analyses of the letter by examining the rhetorical elements in and considering the rhetorical function of the Col 2:6-15, which I maintain represents a complete rhetorical argument known as a thesis.5