2 Corinthians - The Generosity of the Macedonian Churches
2 Corinthians - The Generosity of the Macedonian Churches
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Generosity of the Macedonian Churches 2 CORINTHIANS 8.1-7 A magazine in Britain has a regular cartoon feature entitled ‘Scenes You Don’t Often See’. It’s a sharp little comment on the selfishness of modern life, and has included drawings of such unlikely scenes as someone buy…
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - The Fourth Sunday of Advent Year C
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - The Fourth Sunday of Advent Year C
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Fourth Sunday of Advent Micah 5.2–5a Hebrews 10.5–10 Luke 1.39–45 ‘He shall be the one of peace.’ We can feel the sigh of relief rising from prophet and hearers alike. To a world of uncertainty, fear, wars and rumours of wars, there comes the news of a king whose rule will es…
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - The Fourth Sunday of Easter Year C
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - The Fourth Sunday of Easter Year C
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Fourth Sunday of Easter Acts 9.36–43 Revelation 7.9–17 John 10.22–30 Within the Easter kaleidoscope, the Lamb becomes the Shepherd. John 10 is already complex enough, with Jesus as both ‘shepherd’ and ‘door’, but Revelation characteristically twists the imagery round once mor…
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany Year C
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany Year C
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany Ezekiel 43.27—44.4 1 Corinthians 13.1–13 Luke 2.22–40 Ezekiel had seen the glory of the Lord abandoning Jerusalem and the Temple to their fate (chs 10—11). Fittingly, it is he who describes, in the strange visions of chapters 43—44, the return of tha…
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - The Fourth Sunday of Lent Year C
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - The Fourth Sunday of Lent Year C
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Fourth Sunday of Lent Joshua 5.9–12 2 Corinthians 5.16–end Luke 15.1–3, 11b–end At Gilgal the Israelites, like the prodigal, exchanged the food of the wilderness for the food of home. In a dense little scene, explicable only in its wider context, the covenant signs come rushi…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Judgement of Jesus
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Judgement of Jesus
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Judgement of Jesus Acts 15.12-21 One of the difficulties about living in the new European Union (I realize that this remark may be out of date as soon as it’s written, since new proposals come forward every few weeks, but the general truth still stands) is that there are at l…
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - The Kindness that Imitates God Himself
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - The Kindness that Imitates God Himself
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Kindness that Imitates God Himself Ephesians 4.25-5.2 The best-known literary figure in eighteenth-century England was Dr Samuel Johnson. A native of Lichfield in Staffordshire, he spent most of his adult life in London. He wrote many works, especially his famous Dictionary a…
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 …
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - The King, Living within You
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - The King, Living within You
by SPCK - N T Wright
The King, Living within You Colossians 1.24-29 If trees could talk, imagine the sort of conversation that might go on. Here is an old, weathered and seasoned oak tree, talking to the small sapling that’s just started to grow up nearby. ‘Soon it will be autumn, and the winds will …
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - The King is Proclaimed
Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters - The King is Proclaimed
by SPCK - N T Wright
The King is Proclaimed Philippians 1.12-18a One of the most dramatic stories anywhere in ancient literature is that of Joseph, the second youngest son of the patriarch Jacob. His father spoiled him rotten, and his older brothers were jealous. They wanted to kill him, then they de…
Luke for Everyone - the King, the Servants and the Money
Luke for Everyone - the King, the Servants and the Money
by SPCK - N T Wright
The King, the Servants and the Money Luke 19.11-27 King Richard I reigned over England from 1189 to 1199. For most of the first half of his reign he was abroad, fighting in the Crusades; then, as he made his way home, he was captured and imprisoned. During his absence, his brothe…
John for Everyone part 2 - The King of the Jews
John for Everyone part 2 - The King of the Jews
by SPCK - N T Wright
The King of the Jews John 19.16b-24 There was a shocking photograph in the newspaper the other day. A cart was being driven through the streets of a city in the Far East. On the cart were standing fifteen or twenty men. Round the neck of each, hanging from a string, was a notice.…
Revelation for Everyone - The Letter to Smyrna
Revelation for Everyone - The Letter to Smyrna
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Letter to Smyrna Revelation 2.8-11 I was involved some years ago in making a series of radio programmes where people from quite different backgrounds came together for an hour to discuss complex and challenging topics of the day. Since this was being made by the British Broad…
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Letter to the Churches
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Letter to the Churches
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Letter to the Churches Acts 15.22-35 Yet again in the news there is a story of a ‘leak’ from government sources. Official documents may say one thing, but someone whispering round the corner to a friendly journalist has said another. One minister denies that there is a proble…
Revelation for Everyone - The Letter to Thyatira
Revelation for Everyone - The Letter to Thyatira
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Letter to Thyatira Revelation 2.18-29 Some cities are known by their industrial products. The city near where I grew up, Newcastle in the north-east of England, was famous for two hundred years as one of the chief suppliers of coal to the country, and to many places abroad. T…
Paul for Everyone Romans part 2 - The Living Sacrifice
Paul for Everyone Romans part 2 - The Living Sacrifice
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Living Sacrifice ROMANS 12.1-5 William was coming to the end of his first year as chairman of the company when I met him at a lunch. ‘How’s it been going?’ I asked. ‘Oh,’ he said, ‘it’s been wonderful in several ways. The company is doing well and I’m proud to be part of it.’…
Revelation for Everyone - The Letter to Sardis
Revelation for Everyone - The Letter to Sardis
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Letter to Sardis Revelation 3.1-6 You might be surprised to know that, in some parts of England, ‘The Wars of the Roses’ still live on. These wars were fought between the Houses of York (the white rose) and Lancaster (the red rose) in the fifteenth century. But, ever since, t…
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - The Living Stone