Is the ‘rapture’ taught in 1 Thess 4?
The lectionary epistle for the Third Sunday before Advent in Year A is 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18. This is notorious for being used to teach the idea of the ‘secret rapture’ of believers before Jesus’ return, so that those who are alive are snatched up to heaven. The Greek term harpazo is translated in the Vulgate by the Latin verb rapio (from which we get ‘rapture’). But Paul is using the analogy of the emperor coming to visit a city—something the Thessalonians will know well—and the direction of travel is consistently downwards. There is no change in direction for King Jesus arriving into…
Gospel commentary index Lectionary Year B
In 2018, I sensed God calling me to write a weekly commentary on the gospel lectionary reading for the following Sunday. So I began with Year C, when the main…
Visit Istanbul and the Seven Cities of Revelation in Sept–Oct 2027
Maggie and I are planning to lead another study trip to western Turkey next autumn, from Tuesday 28th September to Thursday 7th October 2027 inclusive visiting Istanbul and the seven…
Is wasted money the problem with the Church of England?
A lengthy new report argues that the primary reason for decline in the Church of England is the wrong allocation of money and resources. It proposes that decisions about ministry…
Does ‘love’ in the New Testament mean what we think it does?
The term ‘love’ is clearly important in the New Testament in a range of contexts. But modern use of ‘love’ shifts its meaning into all sorts of different areas. One…
The people of God in Revelation 7
The lectionary reading for All Saints in Year A is Rev 7.9–17—an extraordinary vision of the people of God, which begins at the start of the chapter, in the interlude…
What is the role of the New Testament in Christian ethics?
The late Richard Hays’ book The Moral Vision of the New Testament was a landmark work that offered a serious, structured approach to the question of how the New Testament should…
Should Christians ‘man up’?
There has been a growing movement claiming that Christianity calls for a certain kind of masculinity, protesting against a perceived feminisation of the faith. Is there any grounds for this?…
The French being French? What is behind the recent riots?
Mike Starkey writes: It’s early afternoon on Friday 16 October 2026. I enter the public transport office in central Strasbourg, next to the Alt Winmärik tram stop. Alt Winmärik means…
Paul’s suffering and boldness in 1 Thess 2
In the epistle for Trinity 21 in Year A, 1 Thess 2.1–8, Paul and his co-authors explain their approach to ministry, but do so by appeal to what the Thessalonians…
Is baptism by immersion Anglican?
Why was a faculty application for a portable baptismal pool in a church in Southwell and Nottingham rejected? What does that tell us about processes in the Church of England—and…
