The Prophet Isaiah by Fra Bartolomeo, 1516, Panel at the Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence

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, January 19 are from the Lectionary Year A Second Sunday after the Epiphany: Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-12; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 and John 1:29-42. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Isaiah 49:1-7

¹ Listen to me, you islands;
     hear this, you distant nations:

Before I was born the LORD called me;
     from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.

² He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
     in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me into a polished arrow
     and concealed me in his quiver.

³ He said to me, “You are my servant,
     Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

⁴ But I said, “I have labored in vain;
     I have spent my strength for nothing at all.

Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand,
     and my reward is with my God.”

⁵ And now the LORD says—
     he who formed me in the womb to be his servant

to bring Jacob back to him
     and gather Israel to himself,

for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD
     and my God has been my strength—

⁶ he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
     to restore the tribes of Jacob
     and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
     that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

⁷ This is what the LORD says—
     the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—

to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
     to the servant of rulers:

“Kings will see you and stand up,
     princes will see and bow down,

because of the LORD, who is faithful,
     the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Psalm 40:1-12

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
     he turned to me and heard my cry.

² He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
     he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

³ He put a new song in my mouth,
     a hymn of praise to our God.
     Many will see and fear the LORD
     and put their trust in him.

⁴ Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
     who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

⁵ Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done,
     the things you planned for us.
     None can compare with you;

were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
     they would be too many to declare.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
     but my ears you have opened —

burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
   ⁷ Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—

it is written about me in the scroll.
   ⁸ I desire to do your will, my God;
     your law is within my heart.”

⁹ I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
     I do not seal my lips, LORD, as you know.

¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
     I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
     I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.

¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
     may your love and faithfulness always protect me.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

¹ Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

² To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— ⁶ God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 1:29-42

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³² Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. ³³ And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” ³⁹ “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. ⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter ).

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.