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Transfiguration Sunday, 11th February 2024 (Last Sunday before Lent)
Mark 9:2-99:2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 9:3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 9:4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses,…
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Preaching Paths 11 February 2024 Transfiguration Sunday
Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Mark’s gospel presents the ministry of Jesus as the pivotal event in a two-tiered struggle for the triumph of the reign of God, fought on both an earthly plane and a heavenly one. Mark presents Jesus confronting Satanic temptation and evil spirits long before he contends with…
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Preaching Paths 4 February 2024
Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Like a painter applying quick strokes, broad and vivid, to a canvas, Mark widens our view of Jesus’ urgent mission and ministry in our lection’s three short scenes (Mk 1:29-39). We move from the loud, public exorcism scene in the synagogue (1:20-28) to Simon’s home in Capernaum,…
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Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, 28th January, 2024
Mark 1:21-281:21 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 1:22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 1:23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 1:24 and he cried…
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Preaching Paths 28 January 2024
Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary In today’s text (Mk 1:20-28), we find Jesus in Galilee where he has been proclaiming that the eschatological clock has advanced (“the time is fulfilled”) and the hour of confrontation with unholy powers, spiritual and earthly, has come (“the reign of God has come near”). Now, a…
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Third Sunday after the Epiphany, 21st January 2024
Mark 1:14-201:14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” 1:16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew…
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Preaching Paths 21 January 2024
Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Early Christian writers were, on the whole, rather dismissive of Mark. Its Greek is the blunt, rugged speech of street and market. It was not until scholars recognized that Mark’s material was probably based on direct oral recitations of Jesus-traditions, conveyed mouth-to-mouth in the early church and…
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Preaching Paths 14 January 2024
Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary This week the lectionary steps aside from Mark to take up John’s story of the gathering of Jesus’ first disciples (John 1:43-51). Preachers will need to get acquainted with the lection’s literary context. The Messianic “secret” is out, so to speak, in John. The opening verses (1:1-18)…
Insights into Biblical Greek Grammar and Syntax 