This week, we wrap up our look into Colossians 1. From Eugene Peterson’s poetic rendering of scripture to the core idea that "Christ is enough," we explore the life-changing truth that Christ’s presence in us is the foundation of our faith. We discuss the tension between conviction and complacency, and why Paul’s words remind us that our commitment to God isn’t a one-time decision but an ongoing transformation.

After introductory greetings, the book of Colossians launches into a glorious passages of praise to Christ.

It is widely considered to be a poem or perhaps even early Christian hymn, and we are intrigued by the variety of ways this is typeset in different translations. The most cryptic phrase to our ears is the part about Jesus being "firstborn from the dead", and we discuss the idea of His preeminence more generally in these verses.

The closing chapter of Philippians seems to oscillate between extremely specific remarks and some thoughts that are truly general.

Being separated in time and culture from the first audience, we naturally gravitate towards the grand sweeping statements. Interestingly, the very fact these are abstracted from specific circumstances makes them more (not less) practical. We dwell on the idea of "fixing our thoughts on what is true", and are fascinated by how the "peace of God" relates to the "God of peace".

Paul highlights that Christ is our confidence, and makes a vivid contrast with the attitude of confidence in our own human effort.

It is remarkable that the contrast is illustrated not by "worldly" aspirations or desires, but rather by religious adherence. Despite "obeying the law without fault", Paul considers his religious accomplishments to be worthless compared to knowing Jesus. We explore this comparison, and ponder what it means to know Christ.

Avoiding "worldly" demands and customs is a long-standing passtime for Adventists and other protestant denominations.

The lesson this week assumes this is the same as Paul's emphasis in Philippians 2 that we should "shine like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people." We explore these verses, and they way they relate to living as agents of God's kingdom. Perhaps the focus on being different and increasingly set apart from the world is less helpful than a focus on being more similar to Christ.

The lesson this week explores Unity through Humility.

Philippians 2 builds on the themes of chapter 1 (love, joy, patience) and draws attention to attitudes that can build community. Paul's seems to quote a poem or hymn, outlining Jesus as our example. It is interesting to think of these words in relation to the 12 disciples, as well as directly to the church in Philippi.

Paul's evaluation of life and death is famous but still surprising.

We explore only a few verses in Philippians 1, but they are enough to stimulate an exploration of how a Christian might "understand" death. The lesson succumbs to a strong temptation to highlight the Adventist understanding of death as an unconscious sleep, although this seems not to be Paul's focus in these verses. We are struck by the way he expresses death as "gain" and life as an offering of service to Christ.

There are plenty of similarities between the opening parts of Philippians and Colossians.

We love the salutation "grace and peace", and are intrigued by the emphasis on knowledge and understanding. Both passages have phrases which might seem to point towards legalism and a kind of perfectionism, but our conversation leads us to quite a different understanding.