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Ian Paul
Advent is once more upon us (pun intended!), and with it comes two sets of confusion: the idea that Advent is the anticipation of Christmas (when it is really about looking forward to Jesus’ return and The End); and the notion that the set passages in the lectionary are all about Jesus’ return. As we … Continue Reading
The Sunday gospel lectionary reading for Advent 1 in Year C is Luke 21.25–36, from this gospel’s version of what is often called the ‘Little Apocalypse’. As usual, we need to read on to put this text in its context to understand both the text itself and how it compares with its parallels in Mark … Continue Reading
In all three Synoptic gospels, Jesus concludes a conversation about the contrast between his teaching and practice and that of the Pharisees (and John the Baptist) by means of a parable about wine and wineskins. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the … Continue Reading
I write a quarterly column for Preach magazine, in which I explore a significant word or phrase in the Bible, or a theme or section of Scripture, and the ideas that it expresses. At the end of this piece I list the previous articles I have written for them. Here I explore what we can … Continue Reading
This Sunday, the last of the liturgical year, is Christ the king, and comes immediately before Advent. It is a slightly odd festival, since one of the key themes of Advent is not the anticipation of Christmas, but the anticipation of Jesus’ return as king; the Latin adventus is a translation of the Greek parousia … Continue Reading
It is often thought that in John 18 Jesus says ‘My kingdom is not of this world’. But this mistranslation is misleading: his kingdom makes itself felt in this world, but the origin of its power and the nature of its exercise is quite different from ‘worldy’ power. As we celebrate Christ the King on … Continue Reading
Justin Welby’s resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury is truly unprecedented. No archbishop has ever, in the history of the Church of England, resigned—not even in 1621 when the primate of all England shot and killed a gamekeeper with a crossbow while hunting. It has felt like a very strange week; when I think back to … Continue Reading
The theme for the Tyndale Fellowship New Testament Study Group in 2025 is Eschatology in the New Testament, and we are meeting from Monday 30th June to Wednesday 2nd July 2025 at the excellent conference facility of The Hayes Conference Centre, Derbyshire, UK. It is easily accessible by train from London, and off the M1 by … Continue Reading
The Sunday lectionary reading for the Second Sunday before Advent in Year B is Mark 13.1–8. This feels a little odd, in that we last visited Mark 13 all the way back last Advent, when this lectionary year was just beginning, and the reading is quite truncated and only really makes sense when the chapter … Continue Reading
Mark 13 is paradoxically a passage many find difficult and challenging—but one of our favourites to talk about! Popular reading takes it to be about the end of the world and Jesus’ return—but there are clear indications in the text that this is not the case. When it is read in the context of the … Continue Reading
Note: please see link to sign the petition at the end of this article. Ann Onymous writes: Our late Queen famously once said ‘recollections may vary’. Ever the diplomat. Our current Archbishop was known to be a huge fan of Her Majesty. In a 2021 BBC Newscast interview when he was asked about the need … Continue Reading
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
