Four Gospels, One Jesus - The way of an eagle in the sky
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The way of an eagle in the sky
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
‘The way of an eagle in the sky’ Following John’s story, style and structure The ‘way of an eagle in the sky’ may be hard to understand (Prov. 30.19) but many readers have felt similarly as they have sought to follow the twists and turns, heights and depths of this most subtle ev…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The ox plods a long, slow journey
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The ox plods a long, slow journey
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The ox plods a long, slow journey Luke’s style and structure Unlike Mark’s disorderly rushing about, Luke writes an ‘orderly account’ (1.4). His preface has a calm, literary self-confidence, and this continues into the main narrative. While Mark introduces everything ‘and immedia…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The Teacher's suffering
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The Teacher's suffering
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The Teacher’s suffering The Passion, Matthew 26—27 Matthew includes nearly every verse of Mark’s Passion in the same order, except little details about the young man (Mk. 4.51–52), and Simon of Cyrene’s sons (Mk. 15.21b). Only about 26 verses are unique to Matthew (26.1–2, 25, 52…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The ox, the herd, and the drivers
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The ox, the herd, and the drivers
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The ox, the herd, and the drivers Luke’s characterization The gospels’ stories involve three main protagonists – Jesus himself, his disciples and the religious leaders of his day, with three storylines developing en route to their shared climax at the death and resurrection. So l…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The sacrificial, saving victim
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The sacrificial, saving victim
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The sacrificial, saving victim The Passion, Luke 22—23 In Luke’s Passion narrative, Jesus becomes passive, like Mark’s lion being tied up and muzzled, or Matthew’s Teacher refusing to call up legions of angels. Here the reason is divine necessity: ‘it is necessary’ (dei) appears …
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The Teacher's vindication
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The Teacher's vindication
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The Teacher’s vindication The Resurrection, Matthew 28 This atmosphere of supernatural intervention openly visible to all continues into Matthew’s resurrection account, as does his desire to tie up the loose ends and explain the difficulties. While Mark ends with a characteristic…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The Powerful Ox
Four Gospels, One Jesus - The Powerful Ox
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
The powerful ox Symbolism and meaning After the human face of God in Matthew’s Teacher of Israel and the bounding lion of Mark, the next symbol for Jesus might seem odd: to us, the ox seems somewhat slow and stupid – and, indeed, some commentators have been known to call Luke, wi…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Those who are burdened with heavy loads
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Those who are burdened with heavy loads
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
Those who are burdened with heavy loads The ministry of the ox The keynote for Luke’s portrait of Jesus is set in his initial visit to the synagogue at Nazareth (4.16–30). Luke’s story is three times longer than the equivalent accounts which occur much later in Mark and Matthew (…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What kind of animal is this creature?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What kind of animal is this creature?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
What kind of animal is this creature? Identity and interlude, Mark 8—10 So, everybody misunderstands Jesus during the first half of this gospel – his family (3.21–35), the crowds (4.10–12), the Gerasenes (5.17), his own home town (6.1–6), the religious leaders (7.6; 8.11–12) and …
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Where is he who is born King of the Jews?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - Where is he who is born King of the Jews?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
Where is he who is born King of the Jews? Infancy narratives, Matthew 1—2 Mark begins with ‘the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ’, but Matthew picks another key word – genesis: ‘the book of the generation (biblos geneseos) of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham’ (1.…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What about the authors?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What about the authors?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
What about the authors? Redaction and composition I cannot always read my favourite newspaper at coffee-time in our staff common room, because someone else has bagged it already! Never mind, there are others around, and reading various papers reveals their different styles and vi…
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What sorts of material do the gospels contain?
Four Gospels, One Jesus - What sorts of material do the gospels contain?
by SPCK - Richard A Burridge
What sorts of material do the gospels contain? Forms David Watson was a very eloquent and talented speaker who would illustrate his addresses with stories, anecdotes and jokes, using the same material also in his books. I remember listening to him and reading his work when I was …
LWPT Meditations - Fifth Sunday of Easter - Year B
LWPT Meditations - Fifth Sunday of Easter - Year B
by Susan Thorne
Meditation - 5th Sunday of Easter Year B Acts 8: 26-40 Psalm 22: 25-31 1 John 4: 7-21 John 15: 1-8 I once went into a cafe to buy my dog a sandwich. She was hungry and I had forgotten to pack any dog biscuits with our picnic. Of course, I didn’t want to admit the sandwich was for…
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Praxis and Symbol: Torag and Temple
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Praxis and Symbol: Torag and Temple
by SPCK - N T Wright
Chapter TWO LIKE BIRDS HOVERING OVERHEAD: THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL 3. Praxis and Symbol: Torah and Temple In worldview terms, ancient Jewish praxis and symbol ran closely together, precisely because the symbols were what they were. I was going to write that the Torah…
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Introduction
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Introduction
by SPCK - N T Wright
Chapter Three ATHENE AND HER OWL: THE WISDOM OF THE GREEKS Introduction Perhaps it was the questions Homer raised and never answered: why the vain Olympians should interfere in Agamemnon’s war; or how air, water, earth and fire combine into a kosmos; how we can be ‘free’; what ma…
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Questions in Context: History, Exegesis, "Application"
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Questions in Context: History, Exegesis, "Application"
by SPCK - N T Wright
Part 1: PAUL AND HIS WORLD Chapter One RETURN OF THE RUNAWAY? 2 Philemon and the Study of Paul (iv) Questions in context: History, Exegesis, “Application” The two questions we have now sketched – Paul’s worldview and his theology – have an unequal pedigree in scholarship. Paul’s …
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Jewish Responses to Pagan Philosophy
PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - Jewish Responses to Pagan Philosophy
by SPCK - N T Wright
3. Athene and Her Owl: the Wisdom of the Greeks Jewish Responses to Pagan Philosophy Before we do that, one final task remains. Granted that Paul grew up in the world of strict Pharisaic Judaism, what response might we expect him to have to the world of pagan philosophy? It would…
Paul and the Faithfulness of God - Sources