The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, by Hieronymus Francken II, 1616, oil on canvas at The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

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 8 are from the Lectionary Year A Proper 27: Track 1: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25; Psalm 78:1-7 or Track 2: Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16 or Amos 5:18-24; Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20 or Psalm 70 and for both: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and Matthew 25:1-13. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Track 1:

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

¹ Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. ² Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. ³ But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants.

¹⁴ “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. ¹⁵ But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

¹⁶ Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! ¹⁷ It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. ¹⁸ And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.”

¹⁹ Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. ²⁰ If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.” ²¹ But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the LORD.” ²² Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. ²³ “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” ²⁴ And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.” ²⁵ On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.

Psalm 78:1-7

¹ My people, hear my teaching;
     listen to the words of my mouth.

² I will open my mouth with a parable;
     I will utter hidden things, things from of old—

³ things we have heard and known,
     things our ancestors have told us.
   ⁴ We will not hide them from their descendants;

we will tell the next generation
     the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power,
     and the wonders he has done.

⁵ He decreed statutes for Jacob
     and established the law in Israel,
     which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children,

⁶ so the next generation would know them,
     even the children yet to be born,
     and they in turn would tell their children.

⁷ Then they would put their trust in God
     and would not forget his deeds
     but would keep his commands.

or Track 2:

Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16

Wisdom is radiant and unfading,
and she is easily discerned by those who love her,
and is found by those who seek her.
She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.
One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty,
for she will be found sitting at the gate.
To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding,
and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care,
because she goes about seeking those worthy of her,
and she graciously appears to them in their paths,
and meets them in every thought.

or Amos 5:18-24

¹⁸ Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD!
     Why do you long for the day of the LORD?

That day will be darkness, not light.
    ¹⁹ It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear,

as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall
     only to have a snake bite him.

²⁰ Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light—
     pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?

²¹ “I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
     your assemblies are a stench to me.

²² Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
     I will not accept them.

Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
     I will have no regard for them.

²³ Away with the noise of your songs!
     I will not listen to the music of your harps.

²⁴ But let justice roll on like a river,
     righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20

The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction,
and concern for instruction is love of her,
and love of her is the keeping of her laws,
and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality,
and immortality brings one near to God;
so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom.

or Psalm 70

¹ Hasten, O God, to save me;
     come quickly, LORD, to help me.

² May those who want to take my life
     be put to shame and confusion;
     may all who desire my ruin
     be turned back in disgrace.

³ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” turn back
     because of their shame.

⁴ But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
     may those who long for your saving help always say,
     “The LORD is great!”

⁵ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
     come quickly to me, O God.

You are my help and my deliverer;
     LORD, do not delay.

and for both:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Matthew 25:1-13

¹ “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ “ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. ¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ ¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ ¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.