Jesus the Light of the World - William Holman Hunt, 1853-4, oil on canvas on wood at Keble College, Oxford

Prime Timers

The Prime Timers were a Bible study group at St. Martin's for eight years. One of the goals of our founder, Jackie Rose, was to have a weekly web page for the group and all the pages are still online here. The group disbanded but the readings below are being kept up to date.

Lectionary readings

The Readings for Sunday, August 19 are from Lectionary Year B, Proper 15 Sunday closest to August 17: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14; Psalm 111; Ephesians 5:15-20 and John 6:51-58. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

¹⁰ Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. ¹¹ He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. ¹² So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.
³ Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. ⁴ The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵ At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” ⁶ Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. ⁷ “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. ⁹ So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” ¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. ¹³ Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. ¹⁴ And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”

Proverbs 9:1-6

¹ Wisdom has built her house;
     she has set up its seven pillars.

² She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
     she has also set her table.

³ She has sent out her servants, and she calls
     from the highest point of the city,

⁴ “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
     To those who have no sense she says,

⁵ “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.

⁶ Leave your simple ways and you will live;
     walk in the way of insight.”

Psalm 111

¹ Praise the LORD.
     I will extol the LORD with all my heart
     in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

² Great are the works of the LORD;
     they are pondered by all who delight in them.

³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
     and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴ He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
     the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

⁵ He provides food for those who fear him;
     he remembers his covenant forever.

⁶ He has shown his people the power of his works,
     giving them the lands of other nations.

⁷ The works of his hands are faithful and just;
     all his precepts are trustworthy.

⁸ They are established for ever and ever,
     enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.

⁹ He provided redemption for his people;
     he ordained his covenant forever—
     holy and awesome is his name.

¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
     all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
     To him belongs eternal praise.

Psalm 34:9-14

⁹ Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
     for those who fear him lack nothing.

¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry,
     but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me;
     I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹² Whoever of you loves life
     and desires to see many good days,

¹³ keep your tongue from evil
     and your lips from telling lies.

¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;
     seek peace and pursue it.

Ephesians 5:15-20

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 6:51-58

⁵¹ Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

⁵² Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.