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The lectionary gospel reading for the Second Sunday before Advent is John 1. Like a precious family heirloom, we know that we need to handle it with care—but the danger is that we leave it on the shelf and never actually learn to read it well!
It contains remarkable riches in terms of its language, allusions, and theology, and repays careful thought and exposition.
Come and join Ian and James as they look at the key issues.
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Ian Paul: theologian, author, speaker, academic consultant. Associate Senior Research Fellow, Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology; Associate Minister, St Nic's, Nottingham; Managing Editor, Grove Books; member of General Synod and Archbishops' Council. Mac user; chocoholic. Tweets at @psephizo
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Gospel commentary index Lectionary Year A
Andrew Goddard Bible biblical interpretation Biblical literacy biblical theology Christmas Church of England culture discipleship discussion doctrine eschatology evangelism gay General Synod Grove guest Hermeneutics History hope interpretation James Blandford Baker Jesus John's gospel Justin Welby leadership lectionary Luke Luke's gospel Matthew ministry mission New Testament Paul politics preaching Revelation same sex marriage same sex unions sexuality theology video Year A Year B Year C
Ian,
I haven’t listened to this yet – just skimmed through it – but will listen carefully later. Three quick comments.
1. You mention the world having rationality (logos) and Bishop Robert Barron is big on this in his Word of Fire youtube videos: that the world has a logos or meaningfulness that our minds can investigate because it was made through the Logos (big them of later church fathers – is it John’s point?)
2. eskenosen / skene ‘tent’ – is the Hebrew verb s(h)kn (cf. mishkan) the source of the Greek verb?
3. Did you know that the Prologue of John has 496 syllables, which is a triangular number (the triangle of 31) and a perfect number (the third after 6 and 28) and also the numerical value of monogenes (John 1.14.18) – and there are 496 words in the Epilogue of John? – M.J.J. Menken Numerical Literary Techniques in John (1985). pp. 21, 390-93