SPCK

The Unveiling of God’s Covenant Justice ROMANS 3.21-24 There are many plays and movies which turn, often at the last minute, on a sudden intervention. Someone arrives, perhaps galloping in on horseback into a trial or a wedding or a lynching, bringing news of a reprieve, or a mes…

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Jews as well as Gentiles Are Guilty of Sin

by SPCK - N T Wright

Jews as well as Gentiles Are Guilty of Sin ROMANS 3.9-20 Only twice in my life have I been in a court of law. Neither time was pleasant. Once I was up against a gardening contractor who had ruined my garden and then demanded payment. When I refused, he sued. The proceedings were …

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - God's Determined Faithfulness

by SPCK - N T Wright

God’s Determined Faithfulness ROMANS 3.1-8 I once carried some valuable jewellery half way round the world. My wife and I were going to New Zealand. Friends of ours in England were wanting to send something – I think it was a necklace – to another part of the family. They didn’t …

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - The Badge, the Name and the Meaning

by SPCK - N T Wright

The Badge, the Name and the Meaning ROMANS 2.25-29 From time to time one of the big supermarket chains decides to try to pass off its own products as though they were made by one of the regular manufacturers. I remember one store a while ago which sold breakfast cereal with a pac…

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - The Claim of the Jew - and Its Problems

by SPCK - N T Wright

The Claim of the Jew – and Its Problems ROMANS 2.17-24 In my country, the police struggle hard to maintain their credibility. It used to be quite easy. The police force had a great tradition of community service; they were known and respected. They knew when to be gentle and let …

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - How God's Impartial Judgement Will Work

by SPCK - N T Wright

How God’s Impartial Judgment Will Work ROMANS 2.12-16 ‘I mentioned not long ago the mad Emperor Caligula, who had new laws pinned up in places where people couldn’t read them. Well, once Paul has declared that God will judge the whole human race with complete impartiality, he has…

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - God's Coming Judgement Will Be Impartial, the Same for All

by SPCK - N T Wright

God’s Coming Judgment Will Be Impartial, the Same for All ROMANS 2.1-11 ‘Couldn’t we just give him one more chance?’ The young man had been working at the factory for just over a month. He was performing reasonably well, but there was a problem. He had a violent temper, and he wo…

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Darkened Mind, Darkened Behaviour

by SPCK - N T Wright

Darkened Mind, Darkened Behaviour ROMANS 1.28-32 Some years ago I attended a prize-giving at a local school. The headmaster made an entertaining speech, in the course of which he read out, without telling us who had written it or when, a long description of how the younger genera…

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Unclean Desires, Dishonoured Bodies

by SPCK - N T Wright

Unclean Desires, Dishonoured Bodies ROMANS 1.24-27 Imagine someone who knows nothing of music coming across a violin bow. It would be very puzzling. It has obviously been carefully made, they might think; but what is it for? It’s too narrow to be a kind of polishing implement; it…

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Humans Reject God and Embrace Corruption

by SPCK - N T Wright

Humans Reject God and Embrace Corruption ROMANS 1.18-23 I have just watched a large copper beech tree being felled. It was a difficult and dangerous job for those engaged in it, and I was fascinated to see how they went about their work, with ropes and other climbing equipment as…

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Good News, Salvation and the Justice of God

by SPCK - N T Wright

Good News, Salvation and the Justice of God ROMANS 1.14-17 When I was a boy, one of my regular holiday occupations was making plastic model aeroplanes. I remember the excitement of getting the parts out of the box, carefully cutting them off the stem which held them together, and…

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Revelation for Everyone - The Monster and the Whore

by SPCK - N T Wright

The Monster and the Whore Revelation 18.9-18 I remember my excitement when, as a boy, I learned to read a map. Someone had given me a ‘maps made easy’ sort of book, which explained how all the symbols worked. I remember being especially fascinated by the contour lines. Growing up…

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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…

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Good News about the New King

by SPCK - N T Wright

Good News about the New King ROMANS 1.1-7 From time to time, scientists have sent space probes to Mars. The object of the exercise is of course to try to find out more about the great planet which, although it’s our nearest neighbour, is still over a hundred million miles away. F…

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Paul for Everyone Romans part 1 - Introduction

by SPCK - N T Wright

INTRODUCTION On the very first occasion when someone stood up in public to tell people about Jesus, he made it very clear: this message is for everyone. It was a great day – sometimes called the birthday of the church. The great wind of God’s spirit had swept through Jesus’ follo…

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Twelve Months of Sunday year c - Proper 4 Year C

by SPCK - N T Wright

Proper 4 1 Kings 18.20–21 [22–29] 30–39 Galatians 1.1–12 Luke 7.1–10 Elijah calls for fire, but the larger story is about rain. Drought has plagued the land. King Ahab is cross with Elijah, blaming the messenger for the message. Elijah, fresh from his triumph in restoring a boy t…

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Twelve Months of Sunday year c - Proper 5 Year C

by SPCK - N T Wright

Proper 5 1 Kings 17.8–24 Galatians 1.11–24 Luke 7.11–17 Luke has, fairly obviously, told the story of the widow’s son at Nain in such a way as to evoke the similar story of Elijah and the widow’s son at Zarephath – who, interestingly, was already referred to in Jesus’ ‘Nazareth m…

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Twelve Months of Sunday year c - Proper 6 Year C

by SPCK - N T Wright

Proper 6 1 Kings 21.1–21a Galatians 2.15–21 Luke 7.36—8.3 ‘He loved me and gave himself for me.’ These words in Galatians 2.20, coupled with those in 1.4, probably form the earliest written statement of what we know as the doctrine of the atonement. They invite comment at sever…

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