Christ before Pilate. Mihály Munkácsy, 1881. Oil on Canvas at the Déri Museum, Debrecen, Hungary

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, November 22, are from Lectionary Year B, Last Sunday After Pentecost--Christ the King. Track 1: 2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-13, (14-19) or Track 2: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Psalm 93 and for both: Revelation 1:4b-8 and John 18:33-37. The text is from the Revised Standard Version *

Track 1:

2 Samuel 23:1-7

¹ Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel: ² "The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me, his word is upon my tongue. ³ The God of Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, ⁴ he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth upon a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth ⁵ Yea, does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? ⁶ But godless men are all like thorns that are thrown away; for they cannot be taken with the hand; ⁷ but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire."

Psalm 132:1-13, (14-19)

¹ A Song of Ascents. Remember, O LORD, in David's favor, all the hardships he endured;

² how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,

³ "I will not enter my house or get into my bed;

⁴ I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,

⁵ until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."

⁶ Lo, we heard of it in Eph'rathah, we found it in the fields of Ja'ar.

⁷ "Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!"

⁸ Arise, O LORD, and go to thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy might.

⁹ Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy.

¹⁰ For thy servant David's sake do not turn away the face of thy anointed one.

¹¹ The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.

¹² If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies which I shall teach them, their sons also for ever shall sit upon your throne."

¹³ For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation:

¹⁴ "This is my resting place for ever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

¹⁵ I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.

¹⁶ Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.

¹⁷ There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.

¹⁸ His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself his crown will shed its luster."

or Track 2:

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

⁹ As I looked, thrones were placed and one that was ancient of days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. ¹⁰ A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. ¹¹ I looked then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. ¹² As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. ¹³ I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. ¹⁴ And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Psalm 93

¹ The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. Yea, the world is established; it shall never be moved;

² thy throne is established from of old; thou art from everlasting.

³ The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their roaring.

⁴ Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty!

⁵ Thy decrees are very sure; holiness befits thy house, O LORD, for evermore.

and for both:

Revelation 1:4b-8

^4bGrace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. ⁷ Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. ⁸ "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

John 18:33-37

³³ Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" ³⁴ Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" ³⁵ Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?" ³⁶ Jesus answered, "My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world." ³⁷ Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice."

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.