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David Ball writes: When people say, “We read the Bible differently from you,” it begs the question: is there a right or wrong way to read Scripture? In our post-modern context, it is easy for us to think that every reading of Scripture is as legitimate as another. If I read the Bible in a … Continue Reading
What is Advent and the End of the World all about? Come and join my Zoom teaching morning on 28th October! As we continue to read through Matthew’s gospel in ordinary time in the lectionary, for Trinity 17 in Year A we vault over the entry into Jerusalem and land in the middle of Jesus’ … Continue Reading
The gospel reading for Trinity 17 in year A is Matt 21.23–32. It comes in the same place in the narrative as in Mark and Luke, but then Matthew expands the episode with material unique to his gospel. To make sense of it, we need to know a little of the background situation, and notice … Continue Reading
I have spent more nearly 40 years giving feedback and encouraging others to do so in a range of professional, personal and ministerial contexts. These have included being a personnel professional in an FMCG multi-national, being an ordained leader working with lay and ordained colleagues, and in the context of theological education. As a result … Continue Reading
The account of the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 has been drawn on in a range of situations where Christians have argued for a radical change in our understanding of the church and salvation. It comes up frequently in the current debate on sexuality, but was cited by Dick France, late Principal of Wycliffe … Continue Reading
The lectionary gospel readers for the Fourth Sunday of Easter take the three parts of John 10 in turn; being in Year A, we are reading the first ten verses. But this is a good example of where our modern chapter divisions (first created by Stephen Langton, the 13th-century Archbishop of Canterbury who helped to … Continue Reading
The Sunday gospel lectionary reading for Easter 4 is Jesus’ teaching about himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10.1–10. It is actually part of the continued debate with the Pharisees after the healing of the man born blind in John 9, and takes place in Jerusalem. Join James and Ian as they discuss 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. I have written for them on: the phrase ‘Word of God’ the theme of ‘Mission’ the meaning of ‘Apocalypse‘ the ministry of ‘Healing’, … Continue Reading
Tom Bowring writes: I fall into writing this piece from a place of unwilling necessity following a period of reflective silence. If you were to ask my wife, she’d tell you I never talk about Afghanistan and, as psychologists do, go on to suggest this is as much about personal growth and transition as it … Continue Reading
The lectionary gospel readers for the Fourth Sunday of Easter take the three parts of John 10 in turn; in Year A, we read the first ten verses, and now in Year B we look at the second section. But this is a good example of where our modern chapter divisions (first created by Stephen … Continue Reading
As we continue to read through Matthew’s gospel in ordinary time in the lectionary, for Trinity 16 in Year A we vault over the entry into Jerusalem and land in the middle of Jesus’ controversies with the leaders in the city in Matt 21.23–32. Some of the events here, in particular the ‘triumphal’ entry itself, … Continue Reading
Ian Paul: theologian, author, speaker, academic consultant. Adjunct Professor, Fuller Theological Seminary; Associate Minister, St Nic's, Nottingham; Managing Editor, Grove Books; member of General Synod. Mac user; chocoholic. Tweets at @psephizo
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