2 Chron 17 – The size of Jehoshaphat’s army.

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According to 2 Chron 17:13-19, Jehoshaphat had an army of 1,160,000 men stationed in Jerusalem.  This number is over and above those mentioned in v2.

This number suggests that there were more Judahites fighting for King Jehoshaphat than there were Russian soliders in the Battle of Kursk (the largest battle in military history).

Various attempts have been made to make sense of this number.

(a) Some take the number literally

JFB appear to accept the number without hesitation, remarking:

‘No monarch, since the time of Solomon, equalled Jehoshaphat in the extent of his revenue, in the strength of his fortifications, and in the number of his troops.’

…

2 Chronicles 13 – Trusting God (against the odds)

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For Gary Brady, this account is a ‘hidden gem’, teaching us how to conduct ourselves in our own warfare against the world, the flesh and the devil.

Summary:

1. We may seem to be outnumbered, but are not

Whatever we make of the large numbers in this chapter, it is clear that Abijah faced an army twice the size of his own.

But ‘one plus God’ is a majority.

The odds against Christians may seem overwhelming. …

Clerical attire

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I would like to understand why, in Anglican and many other traditions, it is the custom for clergy to conduct their liturgical duties while wearing special clothing.

I was interested, then, to read this short article…

Angela Tilby (‘How Clergy Dress Sends a Message’, Church Times, 26 June 2026) explores the meaning and significance of clergy dress.

…and this longer one…

Ian Paul (‘How clergy dress sends a message—but which one, and why?’) Online.…

Matthew 27:52f – Many bodies raised

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[An updated version of an article first posted in November 2019]

27:52f And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised.  (They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.)

The main issue to be discussed here is the historicity (or otherwise) of this account.

1. Historicity doubted

So-called ‘mainstream’ critical scholarship regards it as ‘legendary’.  According to Harper’s Bible Commentary, for example,

‘One wonders what the resurrected saints were doing between Good Friday and Easter.

…

Jonah as allegory

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The book of Jonah is sometimes regarded as an allegory, in which:

‘Jonah represents disobedient Israel; the sea represents the Gentiles; the great fish is Babylon; and the three days in the fish’s belly symbolizes the Babylonian captivity of the Jews.’ (Ryrie, who does not think that the book is an allegory)

Most conservative scholars reject this interpretation on the grounds that the book is historical, and not fictional, in nature:

According to 2 Kings 14:25, Jonah was a real prophet.…

Genesis 21:1-7 – Promise fulfilled (sermon notes)

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[Notes of a sermon preached at St Andrew’s Eaton (Norwich) on 6th September 2026]

“It shall greatly help ye to understand the Scriptures if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth before and what followeth after.”  (Coverdale, prologue to his 1535 Bible translation)

1. What goeth before?

The birth of Isaac ends the suspense that began in Gen 11:30 — ‘Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.’…

Psalm 59 – ‘You are my fortress’ – sermon notes

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[Notes of a sermon preached at Holy Trinity Norwich on 20th September 2026

‘In this world you will have trouble. (Jn 16:33).

This was true of Jesus himself, whose life was in danger from the very beginning.

It was also true of his first followers.  If tradition is to be believed, only one of Jesus’ disciples died peacefully of old age in his own bed.

It is true of many Christians today:

Bulbula (Ethiopia); Atahar (Bangladesh); Zaira (Central Asia); Somayeh (Iran).…

Psalm 56 – From fear to faith – sermon notes

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[Notes of a sermon preached at Holy Trinity Norwich on 30th August 2026]

Have you ever been afraid?  (Examples of phobias: arachnophobia, acrophobia, arachibutyrophobia.)

Have you ever felt under threat because of your Christian faith?

Worldwide, over 200 million people are living in fear because they are followers of Jesus Christ.

Bulbullah (Ethiopia): Once a persecutor of Christians himself, faced intense hostility from friends and family after converting to Christianity.

Atahar (Bangladesh): Attacked and driven from his market stall by a mob of 500 people.…

‘Soul Sleep – An Unbiblical Doctrine'(?)

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I summarise, and then comment on, this short work by Hiram R. Diaz III, published by Scripturalist Publications.

According to the doctrine of soul sleep, the soul, after the death of the body, exists in a state of unconsciousness until both body and soul arise at the Day of Judgment.

The image of death as ‘sleep’ is prevalent in both the Old Testament and the New Testament Scriptures.

Many Christian thinkers – both ancient and modern – have taught that this image, understood metaphorically, indicates that the soul has some degree of conscious existence between death and the final resurrection.…

When did Jesus pray?

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Jesus’ life was saturated with prayer.

He prayed:

  1. In the morning, Mk 1:35
  2. In the evening, Mk 6:46
  3. Before great crises
    1. his baptism, Lk 3:21
    2. calling his disciples, Lk 6:12f
    3. Peter’s confession, Lk 9:18, 21f
    4. his Transfiguration, Lk 9:28ff
  4. Before great achievements
    1. feeding the multitude, Mt 15:36; Jn 6:11
    2. healings, Mk 14:23ff
    3. raising Lazarus, Jn 11:41f
  5. After great achievements, Mk 1:35
  6. When under great pressure of work, Lk 5:16
  7. When in great sorrow, Mk 26:36ff
  8. When dying, Lk 23:46

(After J.…