Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - On Judging Others
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - On Judging Others
by SPCK - N T Wright
On Judging Others Matthew 7.1-6 William Shakespeare based a whole play on the second verse of Matthew 7. Measure for Measure is classified as a ‘comedy’, and indeed everything works out very well in the end. But much of the play is dark and disturbing. Angelo, a noble but stern l…
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - On Fasting and Lasting Treasure
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - On Fasting and Lasting Treasure
by SPCK - N T Wright
On Fasting and Lasting Treasure Matthew 6.16-24 The student looked crestfallen, as well he might. For weeks he had thought he was doing all right. Yes, he hadn’t been working as hard as he could have done; but he was in the college football team, and he was playing in a rock grou…
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - On Prayer
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - On Prayer
by SPCK - N T Wright
On Prayer Matthew 7.7-12 I hate fundraising. Many people are good at it; many actually enjoy it; but I can’t stand it. I hate asking people for things anyway, and asking for money is the worst of all. As a result, I’m not very good at it. I understand that in some countries it’s …
Luke for Everyone - On Paying Taxes to Caesar
Luke for Everyone - On Paying Taxes to Caesar
by SPCK - N T Wright
On Paying Taxes to Caesar Luke 20.20-26 We went a few weeks ago to see the longest-running stage play in history. Agatha Christie’s play The Mousetrap has now been performed continuously for almost my entire lifetime. At the time of writing it has had over 20,000 performances. An…
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - On Epaphroditus
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - On Epaphroditus
by SPCK - N T Wright
On Epaphroditus Philippians 2.25-30 When I was at school a first-year physics teacher once asked us the question in an examination: What are the advantages of having two eyes? The correct answer, of course, was that with two eyes you can see things in three dimensions, and learn …
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - On Following Jesus
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - On Following Jesus
by SPCK - N T Wright
On Following Jesus Matthew 8.14-22 What do you always do first thing in the morning? For some, it will be shaving. For others, it will be making a cup of tea. For some, it will be vigorous exercise. For others, it will be reading the newspaper. Put it the other way: if someone fo…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Paul Before Agrippa
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Paul Before Agrippa
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paul Before AgrippaActs 26.1-11 One of the great, though controversial, bishops of Durham in the first half of the twentieth century was Hensley Henson. He was a brilliant speaker and writer, a much loved (though sharp-tongued) pastor, and a great campaigner on all kinds of soc…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Paul the Pastor Looks Back - and Looks on
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Paul the Pastor Looks Back - and Looks on
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paul the Pastor Looks Back – and Looks On Acts 20.13-27 ‘To know George’, said the speaker at his funeral, ‘you had to hear him preach.’ And immediately I felt a strong stab of regret. George Caird had been my teacher throughout my graduate years. I had attended his lectures and …
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Paul Before the Sanhedrin
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Paul Before the Sanhedrin
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paul Before the Sanhedrin Acts 23.1-11 Ever since the French Revolution, politics has been seen in terms of a left–right spectrum. The further Left you go (it is assumed), the more you will favour freedom from constricting and aristocratic authority, loose structures, plenty of v…
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - Paul's Appeal to His Children
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - Paul's Appeal to His Children
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paul’s Appeal to His Children Galatians 4.12-20 The French teacher was a strict disciplinarian. We weren’t allowed to speak a word of English during the classes, and neither did he. Everything, even trivial comments or requests, had to be made in French. He was determined that we…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Paul in Ephesus
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - Paul in Ephesus
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paul in Ephesus Acts 19.1-10 The response of the disciples Paul met at Ephesus has passed into common parlance, at least among theologians. Not long ago I was helping to organize a conference, and was inviting distinguished speakers from various parts of the world to attend and r…
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - Paul's Appeal
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - Paul's Appeal
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paul’s Appeal Philemon 1.8-14 There was once a leading bishop in the Church of England who took a strong line on several of the major issues facing the church and the society of his day. Many times he went to see the Archbishop of Canterbury to put pressure on him to steer the ch…
Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Paul Longs to see the Roman Christians
Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Paul Longs to see the Roman Christians
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paul Longs to see the Roman Christians ROMANS 1.8-13 The first time I went to Rome there was a great deal to see. I knew about many of the classical sites, the spectacular buildings, the ancient palaces, the Forum, and so on. But there were many surprises as well. One in particul…
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - Paul Confronts Peter in Antioch
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - Paul Confronts Peter in Antioch
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paul Confronts Peter in Antioch Galatians 2.11-14 When my brother was at school, he took part in a performance of ‘Noye’s Fludde’ by Benjamin Britten. Actually, he took the part of Noah himself. His costume and make-up were superb. Though he was only 17, he looked like a really o…
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - Paul's Agreement with Peter and James
Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians - Paul's Agreement with Peter and James
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paul’s Agreement with Peter and James Galatians 2.6-10 One of the most famous walks in England is along a high ridge in the Lake District called Striding Edge. It runs to the east of the mountain called Helvellyn, one of the highest mountains in England, and, particularly in bad …
Acts for Everyone part 1 - Philip and the Ethiopian
Acts for Everyone part 1 - Philip and the Ethiopian
by SPCK - N T Wright
Philip and the Ethiopian Acts 8.26-40 I was once visiting Cambridge (the English Cambridge, not the American one) to do some lectures. One afternoon I was working on the themes for the lectures still to come, when I found to my surprise an urgent thought in my head: Go to Evenson…
John for Everyone Part 1 - Philip and Nathanael
John for Everyone Part 1 - Philip and Nathanael
by SPCK - N T Wright
Philip and Nathanael John 1.43-51 Jacob was a schemer and twister. All his early life he had one eye on the main chance, especially if it meant getting one up on his older twin, Esau. In fact, even the story of how they were born included the telling detail: he’d been holding on …
John for Everyone part 2 - Pilate and the Judaeans