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.
Barnabas: key to the missionary work of the Spirit in Acts 11
The first Sunday after Trinity (formerly known as Pentecost 2) is also often used to celebrate the feast of St Barnabas, who was responsible for receiving, encouraging, and working with the apostle Saul/Paul. In our lectionary reading, Acts 11.19–30, he performs a vital role in encouraging the believers in Antioch and advocating for them to the leadership of the church in Jerusalem. (Although this is not strictly the gospel reading for Sunday, since Acts is really ‘Luke Part II’ then we can think of it that way! And we have been dipping into Acts already this year). Our chapter divisions…
Helen King’s motion for General Synod: a help or a hindrance?
This July, in the final session of this quinquennium, General Synod is due to debate a Private Members Motion from Helen King suggesting that there are no fundamental objections to…
Faith that receives grace in Romans 4 video discussion
The epistle for Trinity 1 in Year A is Romans 4.13–25. Many people are put off preaching on Romans, and Paul’s language here is dense and compressed. Yet the central…
What is prophecy?
I write a quarterly column for Preach Magazine, and for this next edition I have written an article on the nature of prophecy in Old and New Testaments. This is…
Is the Church of England pastoral and not missional?
Angela Tilby, in her weekly column in the Church Times, has claimed that the Church of England is pastoral and not missional. But she can only do this by being…
The Trinity, Matthew 28, and the Great Commission
The Sunday gospel lectionary reading for Trinity Sunday in this Year A is Matt 28.16–20. As with the readings in Years B and C, it is short and compact. (See…
The Trinity, Matthew 28, and 2 Corinthians 13 video discussion
Should we preach on the Trinity on Trinity Sunday? The answer is less obvious than you might think! And what do we make of the triadic formula in Matt 28.19?…
When and from where is Jesus ‘coming on the clouds’?
The phrase ‘coming on the clouds’ is commonly misread as referring to Jesus’ return at the end of the age—when reading it in context and noticing its source in Daniel…
Who should read the Bible in church?
Who should read the Bible aloud in church as part of our services? Should the preacher do it, or someone else? Is it more important that it is done well,…
The end-times Spirit comes at Pentecost in Acts 2
This Sunday is the feast of Pentecost, fifty days from Passover (hence the name), in the Jewish calendar the festival of Shavuot (‘weeks’), one of the three great pilgrim festivals…
The spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12
The lectionary New Testament readings for the Pentecost, this coming Sunday, are 1 Corinthians 12.3b-13, Acts 2.1-21, and John 20.19-23—but the first or second reading must be from Acts. So…
