Early Christian Letters for Everyone - God's New Commandment
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - God's New Commandment
by SPCK - N T Wright
God’s New Commandment 1 John 2. 3-14 Sometimes when we sing hymns, the hymns tell a story. They move from one idea to another, in a linear fashion. There is something satisfying about this. We all like stories, and even when the ‘story’ is a sequence of ideas, it makes sense to u…
New Testament Prayer for Everyone - God's Love, God's Power - In Us
New Testament Prayer for Everyone - God's Love, God's Power - In Us
by SPCK - N T Wright
PART 2 PRAYERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT PRAYERS OF PAUL GOD’S LOVE, GOD’S POWER – IN US Ephesians 3: 14-21 Love and power, power and love: these are the themes of perhaps two-thirds of the novels, plays and poems ever written. The love of power has laid waste continents and empires. …
New Testament Wisdom for Everyone - God's Patience
New Testament Wisdom for Everyone - God's Patience
by SPCK - N T Wright
5 THE RENEWAL OF THE WORLD GOD’S PATIENCE 2 Peter 3: 11-18 By the time 2 Peter was written, Paul’s letters had already been circulating for some while in many of the churches, both in Turkey and Greece (where all of Paul’s letters except Romans were addressed), and possibly furth…
Lent for Everyone Year A - Good Friday Year A
Lent for Everyone Year A - Good Friday Year A
by SPCK - N T Wright
HOLY WEEK: GOOD FRIDAY Matthew 27.33 –56 Overwhelmed with horror at what we are seeing, we join the crowds as they hurry along behind the soldiers with their prisoner. Forget the calm tableau of so many historic paintings of the scene, with Mary and John standing at a discreet di…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Great is Ephesian Artemis
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Great is Ephesian Artemis
by SPCK - N T Wright
“Great is Ephesian Artemis” Acts 19.23-41 We ought to know the scene by now. We see it often enough on our television screens. A huge gathering, assembled in the street and the public square. Faces are flushed with excitement and anger. Being reminded of some great hero or leader…
Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Good News, Salvation and the Justice of God
Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Good News, Salvation and the Justice of God
by SPCK - N T Wright
Good News, Salvation and the Justice of God ROMANS 1.14-17 When I was a boy, one of my regular holiday occupations was making plastic model aeroplanes. I remember the excitement of getting the parts out of the box, carefully cutting them off the stem which held them together, and…
Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Good News about the New King
Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Good News about the New King
by SPCK - N T Wright
Good News about the New King ROMANS 1.1-7 From time to time, scientists have sent space probes to Mars. The object of the exercise is of course to try to find out more about the great planet which, although it’s our nearest neighbour, is still over a hundred million miles away. F…
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - Greetings
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - Greetings
by SPCK - N T Wright
Greetings Philemon 1.1-7 Jonathan knew it was going to be a difficult meeting. He had woken up very early that morning and gone through it again and again in his mind. He was quite clear about what needed to be done, but he was equally clear that the others wouldn’t see it like t…
The Pastoral Letters - Grace, Hope and Holiness
The Pastoral Letters - Grace, Hope and Holiness
by SPCK - N T Wright
Grace, Hope and Holiness Titus 2.10-15 Soon after the Russian revolution, a group of journalists and social commentators paid a visit to the newly formed Soviet Union to see how the revolutionaries were getting on in establishing a new type of society. They were shown the model c…
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - Grace, not Works
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - Grace, not Works
by SPCK - N T Wright
Grace, not Works Ephesians 2.8-10 In the mid-1970s a country vet in a small town in northern England suddenly became world-famous. James Herriot, quite suddenly and in mid-life, wrote books that sold in huge quantities around the world. Herriot (whose real name was Alfred Wight) …
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - Greetings and Thanksgiving
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - Greetings and Thanksgiving
by SPCK - N T Wright
Greetings and Thanksgiving 2 Thessalonians 1.1-7a When our four children were younger, we had to spend Christmas Day taking notes. Once the four of them began to open presents from friends and relatives, there was so much paper and string around, and so many toys, books and games…
New Testament Prayer for Everyone - Grace, Love and Fellowship
New Testament Prayer for Everyone - Grace, Love and Fellowship
by SPCK - N T Wright
PART 2 PRAYERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT PRAYERS OF PAUL GRACE, LOVE AND FELLOWSHIP 2 Corinthians 13: 13 The final sentence of 2 Corinthians is one of the most famous lines anywhere in Paul – so famous, in fact, that many people who hear it, or say it regularly, don’t even realize it …
Mark for Everyone - In the High Priest’s House
Mark for Everyone - In the High Priest’s House
by SPCK - N T Wright
Mark For Everyone MARK 14.53–72 In the High Priest’s House... ...Jesus retains his integrity at the cost of his life. Peter loses his integrity to save his skin. Mark has contrasted them vividly. The double picture is put together in another of Mark’s ‘sandwiches’. Peter arrives …
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - In Praise of Jesus Christ
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - In Praise of Jesus Christ
by SPCK - N T Wright
In Praise of Jesus Christ Colossians 1.15-20 I flicked the switch to turn on the television. I didn’t know what the programme would be; I was tired at the end of a long day and just wanted to relax for a few minutes. The sound came on a little before the picture appeared. A voice…
Revelation for Everyone - In the Throne Room
Revelation for Everyone - In the Throne Room
by SPCK - N T Wright
In the Throne Room Revelation 4.1-6a We were walking into the cathedral as part of a great procession. My companion, a senior clergyman, was looking at the service paper we had been given. ‘Ah!’ he said. ‘I see we have Revelation chapter 4 as the second reading.’ He smiled. ‘One …
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - Humility and Faith
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - Humility and Faith
by SPCK - N T Wright
Humility and Faith James 4.1-10 Schoolchildren of a certain age form exclusive friendships. Great human dramas are played out on a small scale when your daughter comes home in tears because her ‘best friend’ has declared she isn’t her best friend any more, but has taken up with s…
Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians - Inheriting God's Kingdom
Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians - Inheriting God's Kingdom
by SPCK - N T Wright
Inheriting God’s Kingdom 1 Corinthians 6.9-11 We stood in line for the ride at the funfair. But as we got closer I saw a sign. This ride was for little people only – for children. Beside the sign was a small wooden archway, and you had to walk through, without stooping, to get to…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Iconium