SPCK
The Pastoral Letters - Godliness and Contentment
The Pastoral Letters - Godliness and Contentment
by SPCK - N T Wright
Godliness and Contentment 1Timothy 6.6-10 It is hardly an exaggeration to say that this famous passage is an indictment of modern Western culture. Never before in history has there been such a restless pursuit of riches, by more and more highly developed means. Never before has t…
The Pastoral Letters - Slaves, Masters and Sound Teaching
The Pastoral Letters - Slaves, Masters and Sound Teaching
by SPCK - N T Wright
Slaves, Masters and Sound Teaching 1Timothy 6.1-5 Supposing the world goes on for another thousand years, and the Christians alive at that time look back at our generation, what will shock them most? We could each, no doubt, draw up our list of (other people’s) failings and fault…
The Pastoral Letters - Elders
The Pastoral Letters - Elders
by SPCK - N T Wright
Elders 1Timothy 5.17-25 I had an urgent message the other day from a friend. He is a priest, and was applying for a new job in a different country. The trouble is that he has family responsibilities, and after doing all the calculations he reckoned he simply couldn’t live on the …
The Pastoral Letters - Widows
The Pastoral Letters - Widows
by SPCK - N T Wright
Widows 1Timothy 5.9-16 I like the old joke about the two different types of people. You can divide the world into two: those who think there are two types of people and those who disagree. But there really are two types when it comes to establishing a new community. There are the…
The Pastoral Letters - Human Families and God's Family
The Pastoral Letters - Human Families and God's Family
by SPCK - N T Wright
Human Families and God’s Family 1Timothy 5.1-8 I know a wonderful couple who have 11 children. Mind you, they didn’t have 11 together. His first wife died; her first husband died; they then met and married; and when they put his six and her five together, lo and behold, they had …
The Pastoral Letters - Pay Attention to Yourself and Your Teaching
The Pastoral Letters - Pay Attention to Yourself and Your Teaching
by SPCK - N T Wright
Pay Attention to Yourself and Your Teaching 1Timothy 4.11-16 I listened as the great scientist brought his lecture to its climax. He had ranged across the universe, explored tiny life forms on the one hand and vast tracts of intergalactic space on the other. He had spoken of the …
The Pastoral Letters - Get Into Training
The Pastoral Letters - Get Into Training
by SPCK - N T Wright
Get into Training! 1Timothy 4.6-10 The last time I made a serious effort to get physically fit I had a specific purpose in mind. We were about to launch into a complicated move of house, and I knew that I was going to be on my feet all day for a long time, carrying boxes, books, …
The Pastoral Letters - Beware of False Teaching!
The Pastoral Letters - Beware of False Teaching!
by SPCK - N T Wright
Beware of False Teaching! 1Timothy 4.1-5 Jane grew up in a family which was always playing games. Outdoor games, whenever possible; but if the weather was bad, and especially on long winter evenings, the children would curl up around the fire and play – well, you name it: Scrabbl…
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…
The Pastoral Letters - The Character of Deacons
The Pastoral Letters - The Character of Deacons
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Character of Deacons 1Timothy 3.8-13 We had just begun to taxi out to the runway, and I was settling back in my seat and wondering what the airline might come up with for lunch. Suddenly the plane stopped. After a short pause, the captain came on the intercom. ‘Sorry, folks,’…
The Pastoral Letters - The Character of a Bishop
The Pastoral Letters - The Character of a Bishop
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Character of a Bishop 1Timothy 3.1-7 A friend gave me a lift in the car the other night. He’s a politician and has been a member of parliament for 25 years. But now he’s decided to run for a new kind of public office: he’s hoping to be a candidate to be Mayor of London. ‘Sudd…
The Pastoral Letters - Women Must Be Allowed to be Learners
The Pastoral Letters - Women Must Be Allowed to be Learners
by SPCK - N T Wright
Woman Must Be Allowed to be Learners 1Timothy 2.8-15 As I write this, a short war has just finished in the Middle East. The newspapers have been full of it, and now they are picking over the details: was it really justified, who was to blame, did the invading armies fight accordi…
The Pastoral Letters - The First Rule: Prayer fo the World
The Pastoral Letters - The First Rule: Prayer fo the World
by SPCK - N T Wright
The First Rule: Prayer for the World 1Timothy 2.1-7 When did you last make a list of people you wanted to pray for? Whose were the first names you wrote down? Most of us would start with the people we know and love best: our spouse, our children, our parents; other close relative…
The Pastoral Letters - The Battle of Faith
The Pastoral Letters - The Battle of Faith
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Battle of Faith 1Timothy 1.18-20 In the days before ships could navigate by satellite, the compass was the most crucial item on board. Whether it was sunny or snowing, whether it was day or night, whether the ship was on course or off course, the compass was the vital sign th…
The Pastoral Letters - Paul as an Example of God's Saving Grace
The Pastoral Letters - Paul as an Example of God's Saving Grace
by SPCK - N T Wright
Paul as an Example of God’s Saving Grace 1Timothy 1.12-17 When I was a boy, television was in its infancy. There was only one channel, and there wasn’t very much to watch on it. But, when I graduated off the programmes for little children (Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben, the Flowerp…
The Pastoral Letters - The Purpose of the Law
The Pastoral Letters - The Purpose of the Law
by SPCK - N T Wright
The Purpose of the Law 1Timothy 1.8-11 We stood by the stream, looking across to the other side of the valley. It was a perfect spring day: gentle breeze, high cloud, bright sunshine, the hills around us at their best. Somewhere in the distance we could hear a sheep calling to it…
The Pastoral Letters - The Teaching about the Truth
The Pastoral Letters - The Teaching about the Truth
by SPCK - N T Wright
True Teaching about the Truth 1Timothy 1.1-7 I remember with considerable embarrassment one of the very first sermons I ever preached. In my mind’s eye I could see it so well. I knew – or thought I knew – what I wanted to say. But when I sat down to put it together, to write it o…
The Pastoral Letters - Introduction