Early Christian Letters for Everyone - The Living Stone
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - The Living Stone
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Living Stone 1 Peter 2.4-10 I have never been a great gardener. Among many other reasons – lack of patience, moving house too often – I would name the problem I met the very first time I tried to take control of the small garden outside our first house. It was overgrown and n…
Revelation for Everyone - The Lion, The Lamb
Revelation for Everyone - The Lion, The Lamb
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Lion, the Lamb Revelation 5.1-7 We stood and stared at the letter as it lay on the doormat. It was a smart envelope, good quality paper, with clear, bold typewritten name and address. And at the top, in even larger letters, we saw the words: TO BE OPENED BY ADDRESSEE ONLY. An…
John for Everyone Part 1 - The Light of the World
John for Everyone Part 1 - The Light of the World
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Light of the World John 8.12-20 As we turned the corner, we saw a large yellow sign beside the road. The two words that jumped out at us were ‘ACCIDENT’ and ‘WITNESS’. It appeared there had been a road accident at that dangerous corner the previous Friday night. Some people h…
Mark for Everyone - The Triumphal Entry
Mark for Everyone - The Triumphal Entry
by SPCK - N T Wright
Mark For Everyone MARK 11.1–11 The Triumphal Entry... ...If you’ve ever been to the Holy Land, you will know that to go from Jericho to Jerusalem involves a long, hard climb. Jericho is the lowest city on earth, over 800 feet below sea level. Jerusalem, which is only a dozen or s…
Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians - The Need for Love and the Character of Love
Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians - The Need for Love and the Character of Love
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Need for Love and the Character of Love 1 Corinthians 12.31b-13.7 When people say, as they sometimes do, that Paul must have been a very difficult person to have around – that he seems to have been awkward, cantankerous, argumentative, and generally an unpleasant character – …
Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians - The Mystery and the Victory
Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians - The Mystery and the Victory
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Mystery and the Victory 1 Corinthians 15.50-58 He stood there in baggy jeans, trainers, and an old sweater. ‘You can’t come in like that,’ I said. ‘This is a smart lunch, and we’re the guests. We’ve got to get it right.’ ‘No problem,’ he replied, and within three minutes had …
New Testament Wisdom for Everyone - The Mystery and The Victory
New Testament Wisdom for Everyone - The Mystery and The Victory
by SPCK - N T Wright
5 THE RENEWAL OF THE WORLD THE MYSTETY AND THE VICTORY 1 Corinthians 15: 50-58 He stood there in baggy jeans, trainers, and an old sweater. ‘You can’t come in like that,’ I said. ‘This is a smart lunch, and we’re the guests. We’ve got to get it right.’ ‘No problem,’ he replied, a…
Luke for Everyone - The Nature of Discipleship
Luke for Everyone - The Nature of Discipleship
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Nature of Discipleship Luke 9.46-62 The most famous work of early English literature is Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. As we read it today, we get a sudden and vivid picture of life in the fourteenth century, and of the rich and diverse human characters of the time, with their j…
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…
Mark for Everyone - The Most Important Commandment
Mark for Everyone - The Most Important Commandment
by SPCK - N T Wright
Mark For Everyone MARK 12.28–34 The Most Important Commandment... ...If the house is on fire, what will you grab as you escape? Your children, of course, if they can’t walk themselves. Your wallet. Your computer. Your passport and personal documents. A precious photograph. The wr…
New Testament Wisdom for Everyone - The Most Important Commandment
New Testament Wisdom for Everyone - The Most Important Commandment
by SPCK - N T Wright
3 THE GREAEST OF THE VIRTUES THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENT Mark 12: 28-34 If the house is on fire, what will you grab as you escape? Your children, of course, if they can’t walk themselves. Your wallet. Your computer. Your passport and personal documents. A precious photograph. …
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Power of God and the Power of Ephesus
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Power of God and the Power of Ephesus
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Power of God and the Power of Ephesus Acts 19.11-22 When I was growing up, one of the leading politicians in the British Labour Party was a man named George Brown. He was extremely able, very shrewd. Some thought at one point he might have been a challenger for the job of par…
John for Everyone part 2 - The Plan of Caiaphas
John for Everyone part 2 - The Plan of Caiaphas
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Plan of Caiaphas John 11.47-57 We hadn’t been in the country very long when we noticed that our host was driving in a strange fashion. At first, being sleepy from the journey, we thought we were just imagining it; but then it became quite unmistakable. He would drive along an…
Mark for Everyone - The Parable of the Tenants
Mark for Everyone - The Parable of the Tenants
by SPCK - N T Wright
Mark For Everyone MARK 12.1–12 The Parable of the Tenants... ...Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice is normally listed as a comedy. The main characters all end up with their problems resolved. But the last two or three times I have seen the play I have come away feeling tha…
Matthew for Everyone Part 2 - The Parable of the Talents
Matthew for Everyone Part 2 - The Parable of the Talents
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Parable of the Talents Matthew 25.14-30 As I write this, all over this country there are students – including one of my own children – who are taking examinations. In some cases these are not particularly serious. They will merely give the teachers and pupils a sense of how m…
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - The Persecuted Church
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - The Persecuted Church
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Persecuted Church Thessalonians 2.13-16 The day started clear and bright, with not a cloud in the sky. My son and I set off to climb in the mountains with every hope that the weather would hold. But as we reached the top of our first peak, a shock awaited us. We were climbing…
Hebrews for Everyone - The Permanent Priesthood of Jesus
Hebrews for Everyone - The Permanent Priesthood of Jesus
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Permanent Priesthood of Jesus Hebrews 7.20-28 Many of the ancient parish churches in England have a board somewhere close to the door which lists all the rectors who have had charge of that parish. Often the list begins way back in the eighth or ninth century. Even when it’s …
Revelation for Everyone - The Plagues Begin