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St John 3: 1-17 1 Ἦν δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων, Νικόδημος ὄνομα αὐτῷ, ἄρχων τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων. 2 Οὗτος ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ῥαββί, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἐλήλυθας διδάσκαλος· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα δύναται ποιεῖν ἃ σὺ ποιεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ Θεὸς μετ’ αὐτοῦ. 3 Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. 4 Λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Νικόδημος· πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν; Μὴ δύναται εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς…

Owing to extensive travel I shall not be posting comments for Sunday 26th February but shall resume next week with a post for Sunday 5th March.

by Sally Brown Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The event we call the Transfiguration of the Lord can leave the preacher, as it evidently did the three disciples who experienced it, at a loss for words. Jesus is somehow changed, surrounded by a shining cloud reminiscent of the cloud signifying divine presence said (in Exodus)…

Matthew 17: 1-9 [1]Καὶ μεθ᾿ ἡμέρας ἓξ παραλαμβάνει ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ ᾿Ιάκωβον καὶ ᾿Ιωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναφέρει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν κατ᾿ ἰδίαν· [2]καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαμψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς. [3]καὶἰδοὺ ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς Μωσῆς καὶ ᾿Ηλίας μετ᾿…

Sally A. Brown, Elizabeth M. Engle Professor of Preaching Emerita Princeton Theological Seminary Jesus speaks in this passage as any rabbi of his day might—as an interpreter of scripture (the Hebrew scriptures). Yet his aim is somewhat different. Rather than discuss particular cases, or applications, of the law, Jesus is interested in intensifying their meaning.…

Matthew 5:21-37 21 Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, οὐ φονεύσεις· ὃς δ᾿ ἂν φονεύσῃ, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει. 22 Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ εἰκῇ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει· ὃς δ᾿ ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ῥακά, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ  μωρέ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς…

Various duties have prevented me preparing this week’s blog entry. I shall resume next week with comments for Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany.

Elizabeth M. Engle Professor of Preaching and Worship Emerita Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton, NJ The Beautitudes that open the three-chapter “Sermon on the Mount” section of Matthew are beloved among Christians. It will come as a surprise to some that, as a rhetorical form, the beatitudes of Jesus are neither “unique” nor “unparalleled” in ancient…

Matthew 5:1-12 [1]Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος, καὶ καθίσαντος αὐτοῦ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, [2]καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς λέγων· [3] Mακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. [4] μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται. [5] μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν. [6] μακάριοι…

Preaching Paths 1.22.23 John the Baptist has been arrested and thrown into prison by Herod. Jesus, recognizing that it is dangerous to preach news of a kingdom unauthorized by Rome, “withdraws” to Galilee. He chooses a region of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, occupied by Rome in his own time, but by the Assyrians…