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The Pastoral Letters - Don't Be Ashamed
The Pastoral Letters - Don't Be Ashamed
by SPCK - N T Wright
Don’t Be Ashamed! 2Timothy 1.8-14 My grandfather was a clergyman, and like many of us who have to stand up and do things in front of other people he had a recurring nightmare. In his dream, he would find himself standing in the pulpit getting ready to preach a sermon, and look do…
2 Corinthians - Don't Be Mis-Matched
2 Corinthians - Don't Be Mis-Matched
by SPCK - N T Wright
Don’t Be Mis-Matched 2 CORINTHIANS 6.14-7.1 Every time a new Bible translation comes out, it seems, one of the questions people ask about it is whether the language is ‘inclusive’. When it mentions men, does it mention women as well? Does it imply that all Christians are basicall…
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - Easter Sunday Year C
Twelve Months of Sunday year c - Easter Sunday Year C
by SPCK - N T Wright
Easter Day Isaiah 65.17–25 1 Corinthians 15.19–26 Luke 24.1–12 ‘It seemed to them an idle tale.’ In Jesus’ world, nobody thought of ‘resurrection’ as happening to one person within ongoing history. It would happen at the very end, when God would raise all his people to share in…
2 Corinthians - No, They are False Prophets!
2 Corinthians - No, They are False Prophets!
by SPCK - N T Wright
No, They Are False Apostles! 2 CORINTHIANS 11.7-15 The door to my study was open when the telephone rang in the hall, so I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation, or rather this end of it. And what I heard was quite disturbing. ‘How could you think I imagined that . . .?’ ‘Bu…
Acts for Everyone part 1 - Peter's Rescue and Rhoda's Mistake
Acts for Everyone part 1 - Peter's Rescue and Rhoda's Mistake
by SPCK - N T Wright
Peter’s Rescue and Rhoda’s Mistake Acts 12.6-19 One of the sure touches of a master writer is knowing how to create a seriously funny scene in the middle of an extremely serious one. Think of Shakespeare’s subplots, with the gravedigger scene in Hamlet providing dark humour when …
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - Suffering as the Messiah Did
Early Christian Letters for Everyone - Suffering as the Messiah Did
by SPCK - N T Wright
Suffering as the Messiah Did 1 Peter 2.18-25 Not long ago, at the height of a snowstorm, our house, and two nearby villages as well, were without electric power for fourteen hours. Our heating system is controlled by electricity, so the house became very cold. We could burn logs …
John for Everyone part 2 - The Beloved Disciple
John for Everyone part 2 - The Beloved Disciple
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Beloved Disciple John 21.20-25 They came back almost in despair from the dress rehearsal. The costumes were ridiculous. The set was bizarre. The director seemed to have no real idea of how the action would work on stage. Even with an opera, where the music is what really matt…
Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians - The Christian Athlete
Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians - The Christian Athlete
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Christian Athlete 1 Corinthians 9.24-27 Last night on the television news I saw a sight which might have been funny if it hadn’t been so revolting. People, it seems, are getting bored with ordinary sports and games; so someone has had the bright idea of persuading (and presum…
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - The Death of John the Baptist
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - The Death of John the Baptist
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Death of John the Baptist Matthew 14.1-12 Imagine a movie set in a desert. The plot requires that the hero should travel across barren, dusty country for several days, somehow surviving not only the heat and drought but also the attacks of predators. At the very beginning of …
John for Everyone part 2 - The Death of Jesus
John for Everyone part 2 - The Death of Jesus
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Death of Jesus John 19.25-30 A colleague of mine worked in Lebanon during the awful civil war in the second half of the twentieth century. He reported an interesting phenomenon, which helps us to understand what was happening at the foot of the cross. Rival militias were stal…
2 Corinthians - The God of All Comfort
2 Corinthians - The God of All Comfort
by SPCK - N T Wright
The God of All Comfort 2 CORINTHIANS 1.1-7 The weekend I began work on this book was the weekend when Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother died. She had become a unique British institution. She was 101 years old, one of the few people ever to live in three centuries. The message was …
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 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…
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 …
Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians - The Reign of the Messiah
Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians - The Reign of the Messiah
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Reign of the Messiah 1 Corinthians 15.20-28 ‘The whole place is a mess. I want you to go in there and tidy it up.’ The chairman of the college council was appointing a new principal, and giving him his marching orders. The college had been in bad shape for a while, and the ti…
John for Everyone part 2 - The Resurrection and the Life
John for Everyone part 2 - The Resurrection and the Life
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Resurrection and the Life John 11.17-27 When did you last say ‘If only . . . ’? If only he hadn’t stepped out in front of that car . . . If only she had worked a bit harder and not failed the exam. . . . If only a different president had been elected last time round . . . If …
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - The Reasons for Parables
Matthew for Everyone Part 1 - The Reasons for Parables
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Reason for Parables Matthew 13.10-17 We went out one windy day to plant a row of trees. The storms of the previous winter had damaged some of the oaks that surrounded the ancient church, and we had decided to remove them and plant new ones. The actual planting was to be done …
Acts for Everyone Part 2 - The Snake on Malta