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The gospel for Trinity 10 in Year A is Matthew 14.22–33, Jesus walking on the sea to the terrified disciples. The episode has parallels in Mark and John, but only Matthew includes the further account of Peter stepping out of the boat to meet Jesus—and this raises import issues of interpretation. Should we focus on … Continue Reading
The common reading of Jesus (and Peter) walking on the water is: when there is a storm, and you get out of the boat, keep your eyes on Jesus. But the passage is more intriguing than this, and the danger is that, in reading it this way, we are precisely repeating Peter’s error! The Sunday lectionary … Continue Reading
The feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew is much briefer than in the other gospels. But he draws extensively on images from the Old Testament, and focuses on Jesus, the one who invites us, provides for us, and invites us to follow him. The Sunday lectionary reading for the Trinity 9 in Year A is … Continue Reading
If gentiles are now coming to faith in Jesus, and many Jews are not, has the word of God and his promise to Israel failed? That is the critical question Paul starts to address in Roman 9.1–5, the epistle for Trinity 9 in Year A. This passage cannot be read in isolation, as Paul uses … Continue Reading
The readings for Trinity 8 in Year A are Romans 8.26–39, the ‘pinnacle’ of the New Testament, and Matt 13.31-33, 44-52, the collection of short—yet vivid and compelling—parables of the kingdom not yet read. The video discussion of Romans 8 can be found here, and is linked at the end of this article. The video … Continue Reading
In Romans 8.26–39 (the reading for Trinity 8 in Year A), Paul offers us a remarkable exposition of life in the Spirit. There is a dense cluster of Trinitarian language in the first half, and significant theological and pastoral issues: do all things really work for our good? What does God’s foreknowledge mean? Have we … Continue Reading
Romans 7.15–25a is the epistle for Trinity 5 in Year A, and includes the famous ‘I’-passage over which there has been much debate. Is Paul speaking in the first person recounting his own experience as a Christian? Or in his pre-Christian life? Or is he recounting the experience of Israel under the law? Or of … Continue Reading
The gospel read for Trinity 4 in Year A of Matt 10.40–42 is perhaps the strangest choice in the whole lectionary—at only three verses! (The lectionary epistle is Romans 6.12–23; the video discussion for that is here, and the video discussion for Matt 10 is here. Both are included at the end of this article.) … Continue Reading
The gospel reading for Trinity 3 in Year A is Matthew 10.24–39—we continue to work through Jesus’ teaching on mission in Matthew 10, but the lectionary has jumped across from the specifics of his sending out the Twelve (last week in Matthew 9.35–10.8) to more general teaching about being faithful under pressure. (You can find … Continue Reading
In Romans 6, Paul uses the actions of baptism (going down into the waters of death, coming up to breathe the air of new life) to explain our new status in resurrection life. Underlying this is Paul’s eschatology—when we are in Christ, we begin to live the new life of the age to come. This … Continue Reading
At last! After the detours in Luke-Acts and John for the series of feasts around Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity, the lectionary finally brings us back to the Gospel according to Matthew for Trinity 2 in Year A! Whew! The reading set, Matt 9.35–10.8, is slightly odd, in that it bridges from one section of Matthew, … 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 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 power preaching Revelation same sex marriage same sex unions sexuality theology video Year A Year B Year C
