The Apostle Paul in prison, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1627, oil on oak panel at the Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart

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, December 1 are from Lectionary Year A, First Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14 and Matthew 24:36-44. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Isaiah 2:1-5

¹ This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

² In the last days
     the mountain of the LORD’s temple

will be established as the highest of the mountains;
     it will be exalted above the hills,

and all nations will stream to it.
   ³ Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
     to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,
     so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion,
     the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

⁴ He will judge between the nations
     and will settle disputes for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares
     and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,
     nor will they train for war anymore.

⁵ Come, descendants of Jacob,
     let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Psalm 122

¹ I rejoiced with those who said to me,
     “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

² Our feet are standing
     in your gates, Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem is built like a city
     that is closely compacted together.

⁴ That is where the tribes go up—
     the tribes of the LORD—
     to praise the name of the LORD
     according to the statute given to Israel.

⁵ There stand the thrones for judgment,
     the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
     “May those who love you be secure.

⁷ May there be peace within your walls
     and security within your citadels.”

⁸ For the sake of my family and friends,
     I will say, “Peace be within you.”

⁹ For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
     I will seek your prosperity.

Romans 13:11-14

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Matthew 24:36-44

Jesus said the the disciples, ³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.