Visit Greece in the footsteps of St Paul in April 2027
PLEASE NOTE: This trip is now fully booked! If you would like to be on a waiting list for our future trips to Greece (likely April 2028), Turkey (September 2027) or Israel (possible 2028), please email Steve Upton at at [email protected] I am planning to lead a study trip to Greece in the footsteps of St Paul, from Tuesday 20th to Thursday 29th April 2027 inclusive visiting Thessaloniki, Philippi, Berea, Meteroa, Delphi, Corinth, and Athens. It is a great time of year to go, as the weather is warm but not too hot, the sites are less busy, and for…
Gospel commentary index Lectionary Year A
On this page, you can find an index to all the commentary articles on the gospel lectionary readings for the whole of Year A, together with links to the video discussions between Ian and James. The articles will be reposted with updates during the year—but they are listed here for convenience and planning ahead.
Peter’s confession of Jesus in Matthew 16
Peter’s confession of Jesus in Matthew 16.13–20 has some fascinating differences from the parallel accounts in Luke and Mark—and a unique Matthean comment addressed by Jesus to Peter. Video discussion can be found here and is also linked at the end of this article. The reading for Trinity 12 in Year A is Matt 16.13–20, quite a short reading, but forming in Matthew, as the episode does in Mark, a pivotal moment in the gospel narrative, where, at the northernmost point of his ministry, Jesus turns from the adulation of the crowds in Galilee to the opposition of the authorities…
Peter’s confession in Matthew 16 video discussion
The reading for Trinity 12 in Year A is Matthew 16.13–20. It is Peter’s confession of who Jesus is as Messiah, but it also contains Matthew’s unique material in which…
The Church of England and the Assumption of Mary
As we approach the feast of ‘The Blessed Virgin Mary’ in the calendar, I offer my annual repost of the exploration of whether the Assumption is actually something recognised and celebrated…
Will Andy Burnham end rough sleeping?
Andy Burnham has made a promise to end rough sleeping as a priority. Although this sounds good, such promises have been made before—and failed to deliver. The danger is that…
Does Jesus learn how not to be racist from the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15?
The first part of our passage is claimed to show that Jesus overturned the Jewish food laws. The second part is claimed to show that Jesus was racially prejudiced just…
Jesus, food law, and the Canaanite woman in Matt 15 video discussion
The gospel lectionary reading for Trinity 11 in Year A is Matthew 15.[10-20] 21-28. If we take the whole text, there are two episodes which are both commonly misinterpreted. The…
The Truth is Much Wilder? Awe and Atheism in BBC’s Evolution
Dr Zachary Ardern writes: The Nicene Creed affirms: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. The…
Jesus (and Peter) walk on the water in Matthew 14 video discussion
The gospel for Trinity 10 in Year A is Matthew 14.22–33, Jesus walking on the sea to the terrified disciples. The episode has parallels in Mark and John, but only…
Roman writing tablets and reading Luke-Acts
The discovery of the Vindolanda tablets in the 1970s, and since then the Uley tablets and the Bloomberg tablets, has transformed our understanding of ordinary, functional literacy in the Roman…
Jesus (and Peter) walk on the water in Matthew 14
The common reading of Jesus (and Peter) walking on the water is: when there is a storm, and you get out of the boat, keep your eyes on Jesus. But the…
Slavery, Ghana, and the Church
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, has been visiting west Africa, and was pictured meeting both the King of the Ashanti (above) and visiting the sites of slave trading, in…
