How did Mark’s Gospel end (and begin)?

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Mark’s Gospel – by common consent the first to be written – seems strangely incomplete.  It has no record of Jesus’ birth.  Joseph, his adoptive father, is not named at all.  But even more peculiar is the ending: it is extremely abrupt (ending with the word ‘gar‘ – ‘for’, or ‘because’), it ends on a note of fear, and, although Jesus’ resurrection is reported, no actual appearances are mentioned.

It is this apparent incompleteness that no doubt accounts for Mark’s Gospel being placed second, rather than first, in the NT canon. …

Could Jesus read and write?

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The question of Jesus’ level of literacy has been explored by Chris Keith and John Nelson, among others.

Without a doubt, Jesus of Nazareth was a man of great intelligence.

Even at the age of twelve, he was debating with the religious leaders in the Temple in Jerusalem, and amazing them with his knowledge and insight (Luke 2:46-47).

However, Keith thinks that

‘Even this portrayal of Jesus in the temple impressing educated teachers at twelve cannot automatically be taken at face value…It contrasts with the earlier portrayal of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark as someone who is rejected as a synagogue teacher by his fellow villagers in Nazareth because he is in the manual labor class (Mark 6:1-6; also Matt 13:54-58).’

…

What is ‘love’?

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What is God? – ‘God is love’.  What are the greatest commandments? – ‘Love God with everything you have, and love your neighbour as yourself’.  What is the greatest thing? – ‘Love’.

Armed with such majestic statements, it is tempting to slip into a mentality which says, ‘Love is not only the greatest thing: it is the only thing (that really matters)’.

One practical consequence is that evangelism is reduced to ‘sharing the love of God/Jesus’. …

1 Chron 4:9-10 – The Prayer of Jabez

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1 Chron 4:9 Jabez was more respected than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, for she said, “I experienced pain when I gave birth to him.” 4:10 Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only you would greatly bless me and expand my territory! May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain!” God answered his prayer.

The prayer of Jabez has been made famous by the publication in 2000 of Bruce Wilkinson’s book of the same name.…

Was Lazarus the Beloved Disciple and author of the Fourth Gospel?

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The traditional view is that the ‘Beloved Disciple’ of the Fourth Gospel is the John, the son of Zebedee, who also wrote (or at least was a major source for) that Gospel.

At first glance, the theory that Lazarus was the Beloved Disciple and author of (or major contributor to) the Fourth Gospel was Lazarus seems far-fetched.

But consider the following, which considers the internal evidence.

The Fourth Gospel and the Synoptics

The writer of the Fourth Gospel seems to belong to a different theological world than that of the other Evangelists,. …

What is a man?

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At the beginning of his book, Authentic Masculinity (Moody Publishers, 2026) Seth Troutt, S. (2026) suggests:

  1. A man is not God – therefore he must be humble.
  2. A man is not an animal – therefore he must be disciplined.
  3. A man is not a boy – therefore he must be responsible.
  4. A man is not a woman – therefore he must be chivalrous
…

How can I know that I am a Christian?

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How can I have confidence that I am a true Christian, and have passed from condemnation into eternal life?

Kevin DeYoung offers a threefold answer from 1 John.

I summarise:

1. Theological

I can have confidence that I am a true believer if I believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God (1 Jn 4:14-16; 5:1, 5; 5:11-13).  I believe that he is the Christ or the Messiah (1 Jn 2:22), that he is the Son of God (1 Jn 5:10), and that he has come in the flesh (1 Jn 4:2).…

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) which 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.…