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.
Should Christians ‘man up’?
There has been a growing movement claiming that Christianity calls for a certain kind of masculinity, protesting against a perceived feminisation of the faith. Is there any grounds for this? What kind of language do we find in the New Testament? This article explores the issues around Paul’s language ‘act like men’ in 1 Cor 16.13; digs into its Old Testament origins; relates it to Paul’s other language about discipline and struggle; and teases out the pastoral implications for all of us. Towards the end of his second letter to the Corinthians, which we have in our New Testament as…
The French being French? What is behind the recent riots?
Mike Starkey writes: It’s early afternoon on Friday 16 October 2026. I enter the public transport office in central Strasbourg, next to the Alt Winmärik tram stop. Alt Winmärik means…
Paul’s suffering and boldness in 1 Thess 2
In the epistle for Trinity 21 in Year A, 1 Thess 2.1–8, Paul and his co-authors explain their approach to ministry, but do so by appeal to what the Thessalonians…
Is baptism by immersion Anglican?
Why was a faculty application for a portable baptismal pool in a church in Southwell and Nottingham rejected? What does that tell us about processes in the Church of England—and…
What exactly do we ‘render unto Caesar’ in Matthew 22?
The gospel reading for Trinity 20 in Year A is Matthew 22.15–22, the short exchange between Jesus and his opponents on the question of the Roman ‘poll’ tax. This has…
What can we learn from The Cauldron of the Middle East?
The situation in the Middle East dominates our news—yet so much comment is woefully ill-informed. What do we need to understand, and how can the Church remedy its failure to…
Paul’s affirmations in 1 Thessalonians 1 video discussion
Paul’s opens his earliest letter, 1 Thessalonians (the reading for Trinity 20 in Years A) with a range of remarkable affirmations. Already he is expressing in nuce things that he…
How should the Church of England respond to the Green Party’s antisemitism?
The Green Party has become one of the most extreme in the UK following its annual conference. If the Church of England bans clergy from being members of other extreme…
Amazing grace and startling judgement in Matthew 22
The lectionary gospel for Trinity 19 in Year A is Matthew 22.1–14, the parable of the wedding banquet. This is the third of three parables about judgement in this section…
‘Open Reception’ and sexuality: three obstacles to a New Proposal
When the Church of England changed its practice to allow the ordination of women, there was a period of ‘open reception.’ Is there a parallel with same-sex marriage? Could ‘open reception’…
Paul’s affection for his people in Philippians 4 video discussion
The epistle for Trinity 19 in Year A is Phil 4.1–9. This reading follows on from the previous teaching about ‘having your citizenship in heaven’ and expounds what that means….
