Tom Wright
The Pastoral Letters - Foolish Words and the Word of Truth
The Pastoral Letters - Foolish Words and the Word of Truth
by SPCK - N T Wright
Foolish Words and the Word of Truth 2Timothy 2.14-19 ‘What we need to know’, said the young lawyer, ‘is what Professor Johnson really means by “reform”. He says he’s proposing a “reform” in the way we admit undergraduates to the College. But the word “reform” really means “the sa…
The Pastoral Letters - God's Word is not Tied Up
The Pastoral Letters - God's Word is not Tied Up
by SPCK - N T Wright
God’s Word Is Not Tied Up 2Timothy 2.8-13 ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones,’ goes the old rhyme, ‘but calling names won’t hurt me.’ It may be good to mutter little jingles like that if people are being rude to you, but actually the rhyme is only partly true. And when it come…
The Pastoral Letters - Conditions of Service
The Pastoral Letters - Conditions of Service
by SPCK - N T Wright
Rekindle the Gift! 2Timothy 1.1-7 PAUL FOR EVERYONE THE PASTORAL LETTERS 1Paul, an apostle of King Jesus by God’s will, according to the promise of life in King Jesus; 2to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy and peace from God the father and King Jesus our Lord. 3I serve God wit…
The Pastoral Letters - Foes and Friends
The Pastoral Letters - Foes and Friends
by SPCK - N T Wright
Foes and Friends 2Timothy 1.15-18 The most difficult thing I have found in Christian ministry is opposition from people I thought were friends, or at least colleagues, fellow-workers. One of the hardest parts, of course, is the nagging thought that people who disagree with me mig…
The Pastoral Letters - Don't Be Ashamed
The Pastoral Letters - Don't Be Ashamed
by SPCK - N T Wright
Don’t Be Ashamed! 2Timothy 1.8-14 My grandfather was a clergyman, and like many of us who have to stand up and do things in front of other people he had a recurring nightmare. In his dream, he would find himself standing in the pulpit getting ready to preach a sermon, and look do…
The Pastoral Letters - Rekindle the Gift!
The Pastoral Letters - Rekindle the Gift!
by SPCK - David Adam
Rekindle the Gift! 2Timothy 1.1-7 There was snow outside, and the living room was cold when I came downstairs. I don’t know why I’d woken up early, but I now shivered as I huddled on the sofa and waited for one of my parents to follow me downstairs. (I can’t have been more than a…
The Pastoral Letters - What to Do with Money
The Pastoral Letters - What to Do with Money
by SPCK - N T Wright
What to Do with Money 1Timothy 6.17-21 ‘We’d have been all right if it hadn’t been for the stock-market crash.’ He was a delightful man, full of kindness and fun, looking back on a long and exciting life. He had travelled widely, met lots of interesting people, written books, cli…
The Pastoral Letters - The King's Royal Appearing
The Pastoral Letters - The King's Royal Appearing
by SPCK - N T Wright
The King’s Royal Appearing 1Timothy 6.11-16 As I write this, London is getting ready for another major royal event. It is the fiftieth anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and the crowds and the television cameras are taking up positions to celebrate the day with …
The Pastoral Letters - Godliness and Contentment
The Pastoral Letters - Godliness and Contentment
by SPCK - N T Wright
Godliness and Contentment 1Timothy 6.6-10 It is hardly an exaggeration to say that this famous passage is an indictment of modern Western culture. Never before in history has there been such a restless pursuit of riches, by more and more highly developed means. Never before has t…
The Pastoral Letters - Slaves, Masters and Sound Teaching
The Pastoral Letters - Slaves, Masters and Sound Teaching
by SPCK - N T Wright
Slaves, Masters and Sound Teaching 1Timothy 6.1-5 Supposing the world goes on for another thousand years, and the Christians alive at that time look back at our generation, what will shock them most? We could each, no doubt, draw up our list of (other people’s) failings and fault…
The Pastoral Letters - Elders
The Pastoral Letters - Elders
by SPCK - N T Wright
Elders 1Timothy 5.17-25 I had an urgent message the other day from a friend. He is a priest, and was applying for a new job in a different country. The trouble is that he has family responsibilities, and after doing all the calculations he reckoned he simply couldn’t live on the …
The Pastoral Letters - Widows
The Pastoral Letters - Widows
by SPCK - N T Wright
Widows 1Timothy 5.9-16 I like the old joke about the two different types of people. You can divide the world into two: those who think there are two types of people and those who disagree. But there really are two types when it comes to establishing a new community. There are the…
The Pastoral Letters - Human Families and God's Family
The Pastoral Letters - Human Families and God's Family
by SPCK - N T Wright
Human Families and God’s Family 1Timothy 5.1-8 I know a wonderful couple who have 11 children. Mind you, they didn’t have 11 together. His first wife died; her first husband died; they then met and married; and when they put his six and her five together, lo and behold, they had …
The Pastoral Letters - Pay Attention to Yourself and Your Teaching
The Pastoral Letters - Pay Attention to Yourself and Your Teaching
by SPCK - N T Wright
Pay Attention to Yourself and Your Teaching 1Timothy 4.11-16 I listened as the great scientist brought his lecture to its climax. He had ranged across the universe, explored tiny life forms on the one hand and vast tracts of intergalactic space on the other. He had spoken of the …
The Pastoral Letters - Get Into Training
The Pastoral Letters - Get Into Training
by SPCK - N T Wright
Get into Training! 1Timothy 4.6-10 The last time I made a serious effort to get physically fit I had a specific purpose in mind. We were about to launch into a complicated move of house, and I knew that I was going to be on my feet all day for a long time, carrying boxes, books, …
The Pastoral Letters - Beware of False Teaching!
The Pastoral Letters - Beware of False Teaching!
by SPCK - N T Wright
Beware of False Teaching! 1Timothy 4.1-5 Jane grew up in a family which was always playing games. Outdoor games, whenever possible; but if the weather was bad, and especially on long winter evenings, the children would curl up around the fire and play – well, you name it: Scrabbl…
The Pastoral Letters - The Mystery of Godliness
The Pastoral Letters - The Mystery of Godliness
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Mystery of Godliness 1Timothy 3.14-16 The senior officer investigating the case consulted his colleagues once more, and then went out to speak to the waiting press. ‘I’m sorry to say’, he said, ‘that the incident remains a complete mystery. There is no explanation for what ha…
The Pastoral Letters - The Character of Deacons