asadmin I often get asked about the Trinity – this uniquely Christian understanding that God is one being with three natures: Father, Son and Spirit. How did we get to this point? Is there a bible verse which gives us ‘the Trinity’, all neatly packaged up? The truth is that there is no one single verse … Read more
Of the many characters in the biblical story, John the Baptist has to be one of the best, doesn’t he? The camel hair clothing, the diet of locusts and honey… Be honest: you’d travel out into the desert to see what all the fuss about, wouldn’t you? I think I would. John plays a vital … Read more
The message of Jesus is good news. Indeed, that’s what the word ‘gospel’ means – literally ‘good news’. And yet sometimes we can miss the wood for the trees; we can all too easily forget that, at its heart, this really is good news. Better than good: it’s the best news I ever heard – … Read more
And so we come to the end…. The Book of Colossians is an amazing portion of scripture, and you won’t be surprised to learn that it’s one of my favourite books of the bible. Reading Colossians is like enjoying a bar of rich, dark chocolate – an intense experience, best enjoyed in small mouthfuls to … Read more
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that ‘the church’ is made up of individual people. Everyone has their own story, and their own connections. This little section in the letter, when Paul – whose piece of papyrus is probably running out of space – is firing off some quickfire messages, is a great reminder that what … Read more
In 1873 Thomas Edison approached the British government – then the most powerful government in the world – asking for investment in his new invention, the lightbulb. The Committee which assessed it turned him down, saying this new-fangled idea was ‘okay for our transatlantic friends…but unworthy of the attention of practical or scientific men.’ The … Read more
This passage is not a defence of slavery. It’s worth stating that at the start; as we saw yesterday, Paul is acutely conscious of the perceived danger of Christ to the social order – putting the church itself at risk (more widespread persecution is beginning, indeed may have already begun, by this time). It’s also … Read more
One of the thorny questions that the church has always faced – and individual Christians, as part of the church community – is how followers of Jesus relate to the social order around them. Where do they conform and where do they stick out? Or, to put it another way, what do they challenge? It … Read more
Colossians 3:12-17 is one of the most treasured portions of all scripture. It just seems to encapsulate perfectly what a loving, healthy lifestyle should look like – even to those who may not consider themselves to be followers of Christ. For example, this is the second most popular passage chosen by couples marrying in church … Read more
One of the great dimensions of following Christ is that it has calls us both to personal and corporate transformation. We lead new lives, not just as individuals but within communities – especially communities of believers. In this marvellous chapter of Colossians, St Paul moves seamlessly from one to the other. Towards the end of … Read more