John 16 not only reveals the confusion of the disciples as Good Friday draws close, but seems to reflect the turmoil of a young Church which is facing persecution and no longer has Jesus in its midst. 'When is he coming back to take us home?...

In the middle of the first century, the Apostle Paul wrote to a Christian fellowship in the Greek city of Philippi. The congregation had started out as a house church which Paul himself had previously founded (see Acts 16). Meanwhile, he had been det...

Today’s passage is one of the most famous in the New Testament. The vocabulary differs from Paul’s usual style. It has a poetic feel; in fact, he may well be quoting an early Christian hymn. In talking about the self-emptying of God – ‘kenosi...

Paul frames his concluding thoughts with the phrases, ‘the peace of God’ (verse 7) and ‘the God of peace’ (verse 9). Despite his predicament, he is full of joy (verse 4), because the still, small voice of God is assuring him of his presence a...

In Colossians, Paul lays out a vision of Christian living focused on the person of Jesus. The first chapter contains a lyrical passage, almost a hymn, in which he unpacks the implications of the incarnation.

In chapter 2 of Colossians, Paul continues to unpack the implications of the divinity of Christ. One of his themes here is freedom. When we become followers of Christ – a decision sealed in baptism ­– we enter in to a spiritual union with him t...

Colossians 3 contains straightforward and direct instructions for holy living, set in the context of a profound insight: that because we're united with Christ, we have become completely new people (verse 10). How we are on the outside needs to m...

The last chapter of Colossians consists mainly of greetings and commendations which give us a window into the relationships Paul had with his fellow-workers. While he commends them all, he seems to have had a particular fondness for Aristarchus, Mark...

Psalm 8 is a short but profound reflection on the majesty of God in the context of the created world, and on the surprising dignity of human beings. It is surprising, because in the light of God's awesome power shown in creation, we barely regis...

In a world where information is more available than it's ever been before and where we're all connected with everyone else, we're deeply conscious that the world is not the place it was meant to be. With all its beauty and hope, there ...

In recent years, wrongdoing by powerful people has increasingly made headlines. We've read about evil in high places in politics, business and the Church, from sexual abuse to financial scandals. A common theme seems to have been that those resp...

When we are under attack – perhaps facing opposition from other people, or struggling with spiritual depression or a lack of joy – it can be easy to feel isolated. As the psalmist says, 'There is not a good person left; honest people can no...

One of the characteristics of the book of Psalms is a deep honesty about human experience. There's grief, anger and pain in the Psalms, but also joy and hope.

In Psalm 15, the focus moves away from endurance in the face of attack to an emphasis on God's blessings. 'Lord, who may enter your Temple? Who may worship on Zion, your sacred hill?' the psalmist asks (verse 1).

In the Good News Bible, this psalm is headed, 'The prayer of an innocent person'. This is a fair description: the psalmist is convinced that God knows his heart and 'found no evil desire in me' (verse 3). He says he has 'alwa...

The Hebrew title of this psalm relates it to God's preservation of David in the face of Saul and his other enemies. God is envisaged as a mighty warrior, fighting irresistibly for the psalmist and overcoming his foes.

Psalms 20 and 21 are prayers for the king, written at a time when an absolute ruler was a far more significant figure than a modern prime minister or president. There certainly laws and customs he would have been wise to abide by – as King Ahab fou...

On first reading it might seem that Ecclesiastes is expressing a deeply nihilistic worldview. This is especially noticeable in the repeated phrase 'all is vanity' or 'chasing after the wind'. In the original Hebrew this phrase mea...

Ecclesiastes 2 explores the ways people try to fill their lives, in pursuit of pleasure or possessions. The lifestyle of pursuing pleasure is called hedonism. The Preacher describes experimenting with a hedonistic lifestyle by laughing and drinking w...

Chapter 3 begins by considering that there is a certain time for everything, including the right time to sow and reap, or work and enjoy the results of work. Many people make their self-worth dependent on their work – on what they can achieve, how ...