scholarship. serving. ministry.
On Trinity 5 in Year C, the gospel reading is the very well-known and widely misread story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10.38–end. You can find the video discussion of the passage here, and video discussion of the epistle for the week, Col 1.15–28, the so-called ‘Christ hymn’, here. Both are also linked at … Continue Reading
Ian Silk has written a Grove booklet on the vital subject of encouragement. I interviewed him about it, and include the video below. Here is the start of the chapter of the booklet, to give you a flavour. You can buy from the Grove website here. What is encouragement in common experience, and where is … Continue Reading
The gospel lectionary reading for Trinity 21 in this Year B is Mark 10.35–45. The lectionary choice is unfortunate this week, in that it cuts out the verses following last week’s read, Mark 10.32–34. Not only do these verses provide continuity with last week’s reading about the (rich) (young) (ruler) man, but they are an … Continue Reading
When I first heard the news of Michael Mosley’s disappearance on the island of Symi, I had a sense of foreboding which was confirmed four days later when his body was found. But more than that—I was taken by surprise at my sense of personal loss. Of course, there is always a rather unreal sense … Continue Reading
Evangelical identity is often thought to be best defined by the four aspects defined by David Bebbington in his Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s (London: Unwin Hyman, 1989; London: Routledge, 2003): There are four qualities that have been the special marks of Evangelical religion: conversionism, the belief that lives … Continue Reading
It is often held that the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10 shows us that devotion to the teaching of Jesus is superior to the work involved in practical service. But does that really make sense, not least in the context of the Parable of the Good Samaritan that immediately precedes it? James … Continue Reading
The short stories told by and about Jesus in the gospels are both attractive and challenging. They are attractive because they are easily memorable (and there is a basic neuroscientific connection between story and memory), because even in their compressed retelling they include compelling characters, and because we are drawn to Jesus’ pithy summaries of … Continue Reading
Tim Murray writes: Like every other church, we (at Amblecote Christian Centre near Stourbridge) faced an unknown situation when the government started restricting large gatherings and it became clear that the pandemic was going to have a major impact on the shape of our lives. The unknown was not just ‘what we would do as a church’ but … Continue Reading
On Maundy Thursday, it is traditional to focus on the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13—and possibly to re-enact this within a service. But in rushing to the final example, we miss the most important lesson, which comes in the middle, rather than at the end, of the passage. The passage … Continue Reading
On Maundy Thursday, it is traditional to focus on the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13—and possibly to re-enact this within a service. But in rushing to the final example, we miss the most important lesson, which comes in the middle, rather than at the end, of the passage. The passage … Continue Reading
On Maundy Thursday, it is traditional to focus on the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13—and possibly to re-enact this within a service. But in rushing to the final example, we miss the most important lesson, which comes in the middle, rather than at the end, of the passage. The passage … 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
This blog is reader supported, not funded in any other way. Why not make a one-off or regular donation. You do that directly through PayPal
or through Ko-fi.
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
