Awet Andemicael and Greg Sterling discuss strength, grace, and theories of power in 2 Corinthians 12:2-10. The text is appointed for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, in year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
A Thorn in the Flesh (Seventh Sunday after Pentecost)
Voiceover Voice:
Even ordinary people can have access to God. Even those of us who have failings, we can also have access to mysteries that are beyond human understanding.
Helena Martin:
This is Chapter, Verse, and Season: a lectionary podcast from Yale Bible Study. Join us each week as two Yale Divinity School professors look at an upcoming text from the Revised Common Lectionary.
This episode, we have Awet Andemicael, Associate Dean for Marquand Chapel and Assistant Professor Adjunct of Theology, and Gregory Sterling, the Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament. They’re discussing 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, which is appointed for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 9, in Year B. Here’s the text.
[2 Corinthians 12:2-10]
I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
Awet Andemicael:
I don’t get to talk to you in your capacity as a New Testament scholar that much and I know you’ve taught this text in class. What are some of the highlights that you tend to focus on when you’re teaching this text?
Gregory Sterling:
I love this text. It follows right on the heels of one of the hardship lists in 2 Corinthians, and we sometimes call this text the fool’s speech because Paul repeatedly says, “I’m out of my mind”, or “I’m speaking like a fool” in this text. And the thing that I find so fascinating about this particular text is that it juxtaposes a heavenly experience with the thorn in the flesh. So, he breaks from the hardship list and then goes to this experience he has, but he says, “I don’t know exactly how this happened. I don’t know what I saw, and I can’t tell you what I heard.” So, he can’t tell us anything about it, just that he had it. And then he’s just back more to a hardship list type by referring to this thorn in the flesh that God gave him. And people say, well, what’s that? And there are different views. Sometimes, some people said, well, maybe it’s when he says “flesh”, maybe that means he struggles with his sexual appetite. Or maybe it means he has a physical or mental illness. Or maybe it’s about persecution. And the truth is, we don’t know because he doesn’t tell us.
I remember reading Sir William Ramsey, who lived a long time ago, but this is one of the best guesses. He said he thought Paul had malaria and it affected his eyesight because in Galatians he says, “see with what large letters I’m writing.” So that at times it would affect his eyesight. Who knows? We don’t know. But I think what’s really interesting about the text is that Paul is comparing himself to his rival apostles, they’re mentioned in the previous chapter. And unlike them, who give these kinds of experiences as their credentials, Paul is saying that these credentials only show his weakness, and he chooses things that show his weakness. And that allows him to emphasize the power of God. And so, it’s his way of saying this. I think of how different that is from the way we think and the way that ancient Stoics think. And when I think about it, I remember the poem of William Ernest Henley, which became the title of a major motion picture, Invictus, about the South African rugby team. But we all remember the last part of this poem, “It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” That’s what a Stoic would say and that’s exactly what Paul will not say. And so, he contrasts his view with his rival apostles.
So, my question back to you, Awet, you’re a theologian. All right, in the proper sense. [laughs] Unlike those of us who are pretend theologians. So how do you think of this juxtaposition of the weakness of the human flesh or mortality and the experience of God’s grace within it?
Awet Andemicael:
Yeah, that’s a very good question. There are two main themes or main ways that I think about this juxtaposition. One is the reminder that there are actual human beings who get access to this deep mystery of who God is. So, when God allows us, when God reveals God’s self to us, whether it’s in this very mysterious way that Paul describes with this vision of the third heaven, or sometimes in more mundane ways that we tend to experience regularly. This is something beyond what would normally be possible for a creature. For us to have insight into the depths, the mysteries of God. But in receiving that vision, receiving that access, we still remain human, we’re still creatures, we still have our failings. It’s not like we have to become superhuman creatures in order to gain that access. And that’s possible because it’s God who is the source of that. It’s not that we gain some new power or some new, we gain a new capacity, but we don’t become more than human in order to access God, who is more than human, more than creaturely.
So that reminds us that it’s kind of comforting for those of us who aren’t these great champions of the faith and aren’t superhuman figures, even in human sort of conventional social understandings. Even ordinary people can have access to God. Even those of us who have failings, who have frailties, who are weak. We can also have access to mysteries that are beyond human understanding, which we would typically expect would be only for the very well educated or the very elite or the very whatevers. That all of us have access to that because of the depths and the generosity of the grace of God. So that’s one thing that is comforting.
On the other side, maybe more of a properly theological way of thinking about this, part of what it says to me is that the power that Paul is talking about is a completely different kind of power from what we’re used to talking about. So, as you said, in Stoic philosophy, certainly in the Roman Empire more broadly and at this time, power was connected to a certain kind of manly virtue and military strength and physical strength. And to some extent, that’s certainly the way we think about it today. We might add social status and political maneuvering, all these other ways of thinking about power. That’s how we get things done, right? And that’s how you can, that’s the kind of power most of us aspire to. Even if the ends that we’re trying to achieve are good ends, the way we get to it is through this conventional, creaturely kind of power. But the kind of power that’s made perfect in weakness. We can’t be talking about the same kind of power. It’s a completely different paradigm of power. But what opens up that possibility is the grace of God. So, the fact that Paul talks about, says that my grace, God says God’s grace is sufficient for Paul, because power is made perfect in weakness. So, that grace is not just a capacity to be able to navigate and live with and work his way around this thorn in the flesh. But it’s also a kind of grace that creates just a new way of thinking, a new, new possibility for being human and for exercising power and receiving power. So, that it is the kind of power that does get perfected in human weakness, that does get perfected and finding its fulfillment in our frailties because its source and its goal are the power of God and the reality of God. And this kind of new gracious economy where power functions completely differently and where God can bring about extraordinary things through people who are the least of these. Are the lowest. The people who are the most disempowered can be the ones who make the biggest impact on the world.
Gregory Sterling:
I keep thinking about an ancient story that is just an early Christian legend that when Jesus got up into heaven he was met by an angel and the angel said, “Well, did everything go well on earth?” And he said, “Well, yes. It went according to plan.” And he said, “Well, how are you going to accomplish your mission that you started out?” “Well, I entrusted it to a group of human beings.” And the angel said, “What? [laughs] To a group of human beings. How are they going to do it?” And I think sometimes we have to realize that we don’t depend on ourselves, we really do depend upon God. And I feel that way as Dean, I will just say that in a very candid way. That, that’s the only way I can sleep at night.
Awet Andemicael:
Mmm. You know one thing that strikes me as odd but interesting about this passage, I wanted to ask you about it, so Paul says that God said, “strength is made perfect in weakness”, not strength is made perfect despite weakness. So that seems really significant. What does that mean exactly? Because you could understand if you said that my power is made perfect despite your weakness. I can still, is there a way in which the weakness is actually the frailty, the limitation is actually required, necessary for this kind of power to be made perfect?
Gregory Sterling:
I think it is because it then shows that it’s not just human power or the natural strength of the individual. It’s divine power suffused within a human being. And that’s what makes it perfect.
Awet Andemicael:
Mmm. Oh, that’s interesting. So, it’s both the human and the divine at work together?
Gregory Sterling:
It is but it’s a sense that the divine enters this weak space and gives that strength and makes that
possible.
Awet Andemicael:
Mm-hmm.
Gregory Sterling:
That’s how I read it anyway.
Awet Andemicael:
That makes sense. Yeah. And that creates something that is completely different from what would’ve been possible if it had been just human strength, even if it had been extraordinary or remarkable strength, right?
Gregory Sterling:
Yeah, and I think the implication of this is also that when we recognize our own weakness, it makes us sensitive to the call of God to serve the weak. Because we realize that’s who we are, and so we have an affinity, and we trust that God’s power can help them as it has us.
Awet Andemicael:
Oh, that’s interesting. So, we can identify with the people that we’re serving rather than putting ourselves in some kind of position of authority or superiority over them because we have more strength. That’s helpful. That’s interesting.
Gregory Sterling:
So, Paul always thinks in paradox, or likes to think in paradox, and I find this passage is a great illustration of it.
Awet Andemicael:
Yeah.
Gregory Sterling:
So, I think it touches right at the heart of Paul’s thinking.
Helena Martin:
Thanks for listening. For a transcript of today’s episode and lots more, check out yalebiblesudy.org.
Chapter, Verse, and Season is a production of the Center for Continuing Education at Yale Divinity School. It’s produced by: Creator and Managing Editor, Joel Baden; Production Manager, Kelly Morrissey; Associate Producer, Aidan Stoddart; and I’m your Host and Executive Producer, Helena Martin. And our theme music is by Calvin Linderman.
We’ll be back with another conversation from Chapter, Verse, and Season.
Book of the Bible:
2 Corinthians
Subjects:
Corinthians
Guests
Text
New Revised Standard Version Bible
Copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Credits
Host and Executive Producer: Helena Martin
Production Manager: Kelly Morrissey
Creator and Managing Editor: Joel Baden
Assistant Producer: Aidan Stoddart
Music: Calvin Linderman
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
StitcherMore Episodes
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss David, his kingship, and its implications for the modern political climate in 2 Samuel 23:1-7. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, the Reign of Christ, Proper 29, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss scriptural perspective, to whom we're giving our hearts, and perfect love in Mark 13:1-8. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 28, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Harry Attridge discuss Ruth's faithfulness, Levirate marriage, and what turns out to be the most explicit biblical sex scene in Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 27, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss universality, immortality, hope, and intertextuality in Isaiah 25:6-9 and Revelation 21:1-6a. These texts are appointed for the Feast of All Saints, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Content Warning: Infant Death
Awet Andemicael and Gregory Sterling discuss Job's transformation, believing in God even during great suffering, and the impossibility of theodicy in Job 42:1-6, 10-17. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 25, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss which of Jesus' natures suffered on the cross, visual representations of suffering, and the identity of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:4-12. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 24, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss balance, grace, and being called to account in Hebrews 4:12-16. The text is appointed for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss Satan, unanswered questions, and internal contradictions in Job 1:1, 2:1-10. The text is appointed for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Linn Tonstad and Yii-Jan Lin discuss pedagogy, amputation, embodiment, and a worm in Mark 9:38-50. The text is appointed for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss wisdom literature, motherhood, and patriarchy in Proverbs 31:10-31. The text is appointed for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Greg Sterling discuss the power of speech, risk in hymnody… and middle school!... in James 3:1-12. The text is appointed for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bruce Gordon and Felicity Harley-McGowan discuss wisdom, reading practice, and habituation in Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23. The text is appointed for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss Jewish identity, prophetic critique, and washing hands in Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23. The text is appointed for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
LinnTonstad and Yii-Jan Lin discuss cosmology, martial imagery, incarceration, and power in Ephesians 6:10-20. The text is appointed for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kyama Mugambi and John Pittard discuss wisdom, leadership, and community flourishing in 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14. The text is appointed for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Greg Sterling discuss incarnation, sacrament, and references to the Hebrew Bible in John 6:35, 41-51. The text is appointed for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Teresa Morgan and Molly Zahn discuss parables, punishment, and kingly power in 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a. The text is appointed for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Willie James Jennings and Adrián Hernández-Acosta discuss leakage, control, chaos, and healing in Mark 5:21-43. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss domestic violence, discernment, God’s presence, and collaborative reading practices in 2 Samuel 7:1-14a. The text is appointed for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bruce Gordon and Felicity Harley-McGowan discuss color, invitation, and the embodiment of language in Ephesians 1:3-14. The text is appointed for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Willie James Jennings and Adrián Hernández-Acosta discuss steadfastness, alignment, and the depths opening inside repetition in Psalm 130. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloë Starr discuss fear, sleep, prayer, and even sine waves in Mark 4:35-41. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss gardening, the lectionary, and the impact of little things in reference to Mark 4:26-34. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kyama Mugambi and John Pittard discuss blasphemy, forgiveness, and Satan in Mark 3:20-35. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Teresa Morgan and Molly Zahn discuss law, Judaism, and how Jesus engages these topics in Mark 2:23–3:6. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Linn Tonstad and Yii-Jan Lin discuss secrets, stupidity, revelation, and belief in John 3:1-17. The text is appointed for Trinity Sunday, the First Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta and Willie James Jennings discuss colonial wounds, prophecy, resurrection, and exile in Ezekiel 37:1-14. The text is appointed for the Day of Pentecost in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bruce Gordon and Felicity Harley-McGowan discuss warning, delight, and the rhythms of life in Psalm 1. The text is appointed for the Seventh Sunday of Easter in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloë Starr discuss self-sacrifice in history, obedience in love, and the demands of true friendship in John 15:9-17. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Molly Zahn and Teresa Morgan discuss interpretation, disenfranchisement, and magic in Acts 8:26-40. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Pittard and Kyama Mugambi discuss commandments, faith, and risk in 1 John 3:16-24. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Willie Jennings and Adrián Hernández-Acosta discuss wounds, tactility, and boiled fish in Luke 24:36b-48. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloё Starr discuss liberation theology, wealth redistribution, and ordered community in Acts 4:32-35. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Linn Tonstad and Yii-Jan Lin discuss recognition, situatedness, and destabilization in John 20:1-18. The text is appointed for Easter Day, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Molly Zahn and Teresa Morgan discuss trauma, uncertainty, and geogrpahy in Mark 16:1-8. The text is appointed for the Great Vigil of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Pittard and Kyama Mugambi discuss paradox, salvation, identity, and suffering in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. The text is appointed for Good Friday, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Collins and Jennifer Herdt discuss liberation, service, and lifestyle in John 13:1-17. The text is appointed for Maundy Thursday, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Almeda Wright and Kate Ott discuss parades, entrances, and subverted expectations in Mark 11:1-11. The text is appointed for the Liturgy of the Palms in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Greg Mobley and Jerry Streets discuss penitence, self-reflection, and love in Psalm 51:1-12. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Adam Eitel discuss typological hermeneutics, the virtue of patience, and the theology of Irenaeus in relation to Numbers 21:4b-9 and John 3:13-17. The text is appointed for Holy Cross Day, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Andrew McGowan discuss textual criticism, reception history, and genre in Exodus 20:1-17. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday in Lent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss faith, righteousness, and the interfaith legacy of Abraham in Romans 4:1-5, 13-17. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday in Lent, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kate Ott and Almeda Wright discuss rainbows, natural disasters, and ecological justice in Genesis 9:8-17. The text is appointed for the First Sunday in Lent, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Gregory Mobley and Frederick “Jerry” Streets discuss Godshine, what to do with the moments that illuminate, and the beauty that surrounds all of us in Mark 9:2-9. The text is appointed for Transfiguration, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss rejoicing, pain, and surrendering power to find joy in Psalm 147:1-11, 20c. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Greg Mobley and Jerry Streets discuss the prophetic message of the Hebrew Bible, Jesus, and the nature of the prophetic in our time in Deuteronomy 18:15-20. The text is appointed for theFourth Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kate Ott and Almeda Wright discuss justice work, prophecy, and God changing God’s mind in Jonah 3:1-5, 10. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Andrew McGowan discuss wordplay, prophecy, and numinous experience in 1 Samuel 3:1-10. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss baptism, division, and the Holy Spirit in Acts 19:1-7. The text is appointed for the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Gregory Mobley and Frederick J. (Jerry) Streets discuss the spiritual value of routine, Biblical-liturgical expression, and hope in Luke 2:22-40. The text is appointed for the First Sunday after Christmas, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Andrew McGowan discuss reception history, empire, and hope in Isaiah 9:2-7. The text is appointed for Christmas in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kate Ott and Almeda Wright discuss consent, social power, and Biblical mansplaining in Luke 1:26-38. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Advent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss wilderness, resistance, and prophecy in John 1:6-8, 19-28. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Advent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Bill Goettler discuss audience, promise, and good news in Isaiah 40:1-11. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Advent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss apocalypse, prophecy, and difficult interpretation in Mark 13:24-37. The text is appointed for the First Sunday of Advent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Andrew McGowan discuss sheep, shepherds, and the use of political metaphor in Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24. The text is appointed for the Feast of the Reign of Christ (Proper 29) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss addiction, recovery, community, and “keeping awake” in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 28) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Bill Goettler discuss wealth, disempowerment, and the meaning of parables in Matthew 25:1-13. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 27) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss family dynamics and the strengths of congregational life in 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 26) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jennifer Herdt and Jere Wells discuss waywardness, law, and intimacy with God in Deuteronomy 34:1-12. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 25) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss Moses, theophany, and the dangers of Christocentrism in Exodus 33:12-23. The text is appointed for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kate Ott and Almeda Wright discuss the challenge of problematic parables in Matthew 22:1-14. The text is appointed for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss Paul’s Jewishness, the work of faith, and Divine aid in Philippians 3:4b-14. The text is appointed for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Sarah Drummond discuss leadership, faithlessness, and providence in Exodus 17:1-7. The text is appointed for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jennifer Herdt and Jere Wells discuss praise, divine mystery, and liberation in Psalm 145:1-8. The text is appointed for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss the challenge of forgiveness and the role of grace in Matthew 18:21-35. The text is appointed for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 19) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joel Baden discuss prophecy, change, and divine threats in Ezekiel 33:7-11. The text is appointed for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jennifer Herdt and Jere Wells discuss Paul, evangelism, and the transformation of evil in Romans 12:9-21. The text is appointed for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss history, intergenerational community, and the heroic acts of Biblical women in Exodus 1:8-2:10. The text is appointed for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 16) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Sarah Drummond discuss unity, transformation… and beards… in Psalm 133. The text is appointed for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Bill Goettler discuss generational transition, faithlessness, and the voice of God in 1 Kings 19:9-18. The text is appointed for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jennifer Herdt and Jere Wells discuss justice, abundance, and the spiritual power of leftovers in Matthew 14:13-21. The text is appointed for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Justin Crisp and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss praise, transaction, and God’s action in history in Psalm 105:1-11. The text is appointed for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Almeda Wright and Kate Ott discuss the messages of dreams and mundane reality in Genesis 28:10-19a. The text is appointed for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss applying the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23) to our own dynamic lives of faith. The text is appointed for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss environmental justice, co-creation, and the kingdom of God in Psalm 145:8-14. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss hard truths and be in-dwelled by Christ in Romans 6:12–23. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss Jesus’ scarier proclamations in Matthew 10:24-39. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Sarah Drummond discuss hospitality, laughter, and the complexity of Sarah as a character in Genesis 18:1-15. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harold Attridge and John Hare discuss faith, doubt, shame, and mystic union in Romans 4:13-25. The text is appointed for the second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Justin Crisp and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss rest, reveling, and revelation in Genesis 1:1–2:4a The text is appointed for Trinity Sunday, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Adam Eitel discuss diversity, reversal, and the power of the Spirit in Acts 2:1-21 and John 20:19-23. The text is appointed for the Day of Pentecost in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss righteousness, liberation, and vulnerability in Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35. The text is appointed for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Almeda Wright and Kate Ott discuss suffering, meaning, and unjust power structures in 1 Peter 3:13-22. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss prophecy, interfaith reading, and incarnation in John 14:1-14. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jacqueline Vayntrub and Christian Wiman discuss paradox, poetry, and life beyond death in Psalm 23. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joanne Jennings and Bill Goettler discuss divine encounter and human conversation in Luke 24:13-35. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss interfaith perspectives on the story of Easter in conversation with John 20:19-31. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss power, peace and healing in Acts 10:34-43. The text is appointed for Easter Day, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Collins and Jennifer Herdt discuss the problem of suffering, the impact of loss, and the resilience of human nature in Job 14:1-14 and 1 Peter 4:1-8. The text is appointed for Holy Saturday, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Justin Crisp and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss Christology, glory, and exclusion in John 18:1–19:42. The text is appointed for Good Friday in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Sarah Drummond discuss sacrificial practice, identity markers, and imagined history in Exodus 12:1-14. The text is appointed for Maundy Thursday in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss crucifixion, suffering, obedience, and solidarity in Philippians 2:5-11. The text is appointed for the Liturgy of the Passion (Palm Sunday), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Yejide Peters Pietersen and Bill Goettler discuss miracles, healing, and grief in John 11:1-45. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss the role of Joseph, the divine potential of dreams, and membership in the Holy Family in Matthew 1:18-25. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss life in the wilderness for the Israelites, being tested and testing God in Exodus 17:1-7. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday in Lent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss blessing, migration, and the inspiring legacy of Abraham across religious traditions in Genesis 12:1-4a. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday in Lent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss seduction, curiosity, craftiness, and misogyny in Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7. The text is appointed for the First Sunday in Lent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss leadership, inherited stories, and transfiguring moments in Exodus 24:12-18 and Matthew 17:1-9. The texts are appointed for Transfiguration Sunday, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Almeda Wright and Kate Ott discuss pedagogy, mixed metaphors, ageism, and spiritual growth in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss hypocrisy, reward systems, righteousness, and religious performance in Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12). The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Justin Crisp and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss blessedness, poverty, consolation, and the dangers of transactional theology in Matthew 5:1-12. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joanne Jennings and Bill Goettler discuss living with both faith and fear in Psalm 27:1, 4-9. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss the story of John the Baptist, a wild and perhaps uncertain character, in John 1:29-42. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss Messianism, prophetic gentleness, and hermeneutical approaches in Isaiah 42:1-9. The text is appointed for the First Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Vasileios Marinis and Volker Leppin discuss human nature, sovereignty over creation, and preacherly responsibility with reference to Psalm 8. The text is appointed for the First Sunday after Christmas, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Yejide Peters Pietersen and Bill Goettler discuss the spirit of children, the multiplicity of interpretation, and pastoral responsibility at Christmas, with reference to Luke 2:1-14 (15-20). The text is appointed for Christmas Eve in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss Christian and Muslim interpretations of the Nativty of Jesus, with special reference to Matthew 1:18-25. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Judith Gundry and Adam Eitel discuss patience, endurance of suffering, and the challenges of family conflict in James 5:7-10. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Advent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss the imagined future of the glorious kingdom in Isaiah 11:1-10 and Romans 15:4-13. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Advent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
AndrewMcGowan and Ned Parker discuss the holiness of divine absence and the anticipation of things to come in Matthew 24:36-44. The text is appointed for the First Sunday of Advent in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss colonial narratives, indigenous theology, and the downsides of going to a “Promised Land” in Deuteronomy 26:1-11. The text is appointed for Thanksgiving Day (USA), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss Hebrew vocabulary, shepherd imagery, and the legacy of King David in Jeremiah 23:1-6. The text is appointed for the Feast of Christ the King (Proper 29), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss eschatology, aspiration, and ancient Near Eastern curse formulations in Isaiah 65:17-25. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 28), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Collins and Jennifer Herdt discuss poverty, apocalyptic imagery, and economic justice in reference to Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 and Luke 6:20-31. The text is appointed for All Saints’ Day, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harold Attridge and Greg Sterling discuss redemption, the proper use of wealth, and the strange company Jesus keeps in Luke 19:1-10. The text is appointed for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 26, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Adam Eitel discuss shame, redemption, and rehabilitation in Joel 2:23-32. The text is appointed for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 25, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss punishment, free will, and the dangers of metaphor in Jeremiah 31:27-34. The text is appointed for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 24, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jacqueline Vayntrub and Christian Wiman discuss joy, salvation history, and chicken guts in Psalm 66:1-12. The text is appointed for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss trauma, hope, and poetic Hebrew in Lamentations 1:1-6 and 3:19-26. The text is appointed for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss faith, ritual performance, and divine blessing in Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16. The text is appointed for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Justin Crisp and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss capitalism, shrewdness, and the logic of parables in Luke 16:1-13. The text is appointed for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Collins and Jennifer Herdt discuss the undoing of creation, fidelity, and false prophets in Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28. The text is appointed for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 19, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Eric Reymond discuss precarity, God as creator and destroyer, and the potter metaphor in Jeremiah 18:1-11. The text is appointed for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 18, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss humility, reversing the status quo, speaking truth to power in Sirach 10:12-18. The text is appointed for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 17, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Christian Wiman and Jacqueline Vayntrub discuss justice, prayer and action, and getting God's attention in Isaiah 58:9b-14. The text is appointed for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 16, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloë Starr discuss faith heroes through history, triumphant faith, and the role of sin in Hebrews 11:29-12:2. The text is appointed for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 15, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Greg Sterling and Harry Attridge discuss women in early Christian communities, eschatology, and faith as a matter of the heart in Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16. The text is appointed for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 14, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Judith Gundry and Adam Eitel discuss possession, wealth, and covetousness in Luke 12:13-21. The text is appointed for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 13, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Tisa Wenger and Joel Baden discuss bargaining, God and Abraham's new relationship, and the righteous of Sodom and Gamorrah in Genesis 18:20-32. The text is appointed for Track 2 on the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 12, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Andrew McGowan and Ned Parker discuss Mary and Martha, extroversion, and authenticity in Luke 10:38-42. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 11, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss poverty, God's expectations, and our responsibilities to one another in Psalm 82. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 10, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Eric Reymond discuss kings, skin diseases, and prophetic power in 2 Kings 5:1-14. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 9, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloë Starr discuss prophetic leadership, sudden loss, and mentorship in 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 8, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harold Attridge and John Hare discuss gender identity, ethnic dynamics, and changes of the heart in Galatians 3:23-29. The text is appointed for Proper 7, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss joy, multiculturalism, and feminine language in Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31. The text is appointed for Trinity Sunday, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss signs and wonders, Hebrew Bible connections, the promise of salvation, and more in Acts 2:1-21. The text is appointed for Pentecost, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Yejide Peters Pietersen and Bill Goettler discuss love-songs, community, and connection in reference to John 17:20-26. The text is appointed for the Feast of the Ascension, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloë Starr discuss social justice, human failure, and heavenly hope in Revelation 21:10, 22–22:5. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Eric Reymond discuss poetic structure, creation language, and the mechanics of praise in Psalm 148. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Andrew McGowan and Ned Parker discuss whiteness, danger, and comfort in Revelation 7:9-17. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harold Attridge and Gregory Sterling discuss Resurrection encounters and calls to action in Acts 9:1-20 and John 21:1-19. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Easter, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss doubt, trauma, and the value of “Doubting Thomas” in John 20:19-31. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Easter, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harry Attridge and John Hare discuss faith, uncertainty, and the power of emotion in John 20:1-18. The text is appointed for Easter Day, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss the construction of stories, Christian supersessionism, and the legacy of Christian storytelling in relation to Genesis 22:1-18. The text is appointed for the Easter Vigil, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Judy Gundry and Adam Eitel discuss the innocence of Jesus, divine kingship, and more in John 18:1-19:42. The text is appointed for Good Friday, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Collins and Jennifer Herdt discuss enslavement imagery, Passover liberation, and models of service in Exodus 12:1-14 and John 13:1-17. The texts are appointed for Maundy Thursday, in all three years of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Andrew McGowan and Ned Parker discuss community, sacrament, and suffering in Luke 22:14-23:56. The text is appointed for the Palm Sunday, the Liturgy of the Passion, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Tisa Wenger and Joel Baden discuss divine violence, colonialism, and the notion of “wilderness” in Isaiah 43:16-21. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Yejide Peters Pietersen and Bill Goettler discuss reconciliation, spiritual role-models, and what it means to “become the righteousness of God” with reference to 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. The text is appointed for the 4th Sunday in Lent, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Judith Gundry and Adam Eitel discuss repentance, leniency, and divine warnings in Luke 13:1-9. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday in Lent, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Eric Reymond discuss inheritance, offspring, and the promises of God in Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday in Lent, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harold Attridge and John Hare discuss the possibility of being in relationship with God in Romans 10:8b-13. The text is appointed for the First Sunday in Lent, March 6, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss the healing and transforming power of God in Luke 9:28-43. The text is appointed for Transfiguration Sunday, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Sarah Drummond and Joel Baden discuss forgiveness and the sibling dynamics at work in Genesis 45:3-11,15. The text is appointed for the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss Jesus’ blessings and warnings in Luke 6:17-26. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, Sunday, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jacqueline Vayntrub and Christian Wiman discuss the difference between verse and prose in Isaiah 6:1-13. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Sarah Drummond and Joel Baden discuss reluctant prophets and God’s will in Jeremiah 1:4-10. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloe Starr discuss the church universal and love as the basis for the exercise of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss recognizing God in the midst of community and the diversity of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss the power of God in Psalm 29. The text is appointed for the First Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Adam Eitel discuss the mystery, language and lyricism in John 1:1-18. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday after Christmas, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Gregory Sterling and Harold Attridge discuss the humanity of young Jesus and the role of Mary as mother in Luke 2:41-52. The text is appointed for the First Sunday after Christmas, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Sarah Drummond and Joel Baden discuss birth, kingship and signs of God’s redemption in Isaiah 9:2-7. The text is appointed for Christmas (Proper 1), December 24, Years A, B, and C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss the Magnificat and our understanding of Mary through the ages in relation to Luke 1:46b-55. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Advent 4), Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Sarah Drummond discuss hope, apathy, and why the context of prophecy matters in Zephaniah 3:14-20. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Advent (Advent 3), Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss disaster and hope, glory, and reversal in Baruch 5:1-9. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Advent (Advent 2), Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss messianic prophecy, timelessness, and historic context in Jeremiah 33:14-16. The text is appointed for the First Sunday of Advent (Advent 1), Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Chapter, Verse, and Season gives listeners the opportunity to overhear the kinds of conversations that take place in the halls of Yale Divinity School. Each week, professors from different theological disciplines chat about biblical texts from the Revised Common Lectionary. They bring their own interests to the table and hopefully spark new insights into the scripture appointed for each Sunday.