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The Sunday lectionary gospel reading for Trinity 18 in this Year B is Mark 9.38–50. It is a rather unusual reading; it completes the collection of sayings that we began last week, and there is some continuity across the two passages; and it does belong (as we noted last week) to a section of teachings … Continue Reading
David Ball writes: David Runcorn, one of the convenors of Inclusive Evangelicals and the author of the forthcoming book, Playing in the Dust—a pilgrimage with the creation stories (Canterbury Press), has recently posted a blog on the Inclusive Evangelicals website asking the question ‘Is Genesis chapter 2 a definition of marriage?’ In this article, I seek … Continue Reading
The Sunday gospel lectionary reading for Trinity 17 in this Year B is Mark 9.30–37 (the reading for Trinity 16 three years ago because of where the weekends fall). In our reading of Mark, we have leap-frogged from the confession at Ceasarea Philippi, over the Transfiguration (which is considered at other times in the lectionary) … Continue Reading
The Sunday gospel lectionary reading for Trinity 17 in Year B is Mark 9.30–37. In our reading of Mark, we have leap-frogged from the confession at Ceasarea Philippi, over the Transfiguration (which is considered at other times in the lectionary) and the following deliverance episode, to a short cluster of sayings, though stopping short of … Continue Reading
The New Testament’s language of ‘gathering’ is interesting and theologically rich. At one level, it simply designates the bringing together of things in a physically common space; thus Herod ‘gathers‘ all the chief priests (note the plural!) and teachers of the law to learn from them where the Messiah was to be born in Matt … Continue Reading
The gospel lectionary reading for Trinity 15 in this Year B (the reading for Trinity 14 three years ago) is Mark 7.24-37, which includes the episode of Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician woman that often brings readers up short, containing as it does what appears to be a rather shocking insult. Jesus is seeking to … Continue Reading
The gospel lectionary reading for Trinity 15 in this Year B is Mark 7.24-37, which includes the episode of Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician woman that often brings readers up short, containing as it does what appears to be a rather shocking insult. It has become very popular to read this as a story about … Continue Reading
The British New Testament Society meets at the end of August every year, and draws around 180 scholars from the UK, from Europe and some even come from the US for the weekend. It comprises three main papers from eminent scholars, a series of specialist groups, looking at sections of the New Testament, which meet … Continue Reading
As we come to the gospel lectionary reading for Trinity 13, we reach the last of five consecutive Sundays (since Trinity 9) working through John 6, and have the final verses (including an overlap with last week’s reading) of John 6.56–69. If you have continued to follow the lectionary through the summer, you might be … Continue Reading
The final reading from John 6, for Trinity 13 in Year B, ends with many of Jesus’ disciples turning away, together with Jesus’ response. Typically Johannine, the passage and Jesus’ speech folds in new ideas about the Father, the Spirit, life, and believing in Jesus. Come and join Ian and James as they explore the … Continue Reading
We are in the fourth of five weeks in the lectionary winding our way slowly through the feeding of the 5,000 in John 6 and the following discourse, in which Jesus declares he is the bread of life, and that he will feed all who come to him. The reading for Trinity 12 in this … 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
