Tiberius Denarius coin - Give unto Caesar...

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, October 18 are from the Lectionary Year A Proper 24: Track 1: Exodus 33:12-23; Psalm 99 or Track 2: Isaiah 45:1-7; Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13) and for both: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 and Matthew 22:15-22. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Track 1:

Exodus 33:12-23

¹² Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ ¹³ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” ¹⁴ The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” ¹⁵ Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. ¹⁶ How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

¹⁷ And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” ¹⁸ Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” ¹⁹ And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ²⁰ But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” ²¹ Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. ²² When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

Psalm 99

¹ The LORD reigns,
     let the nations tremble;
     he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
     let the earth shake.

² Great is the LORD in Zion;
     he is exalted over all the nations.

³ Let them praise your great and awesome name—
     he is holy.

⁴ The King is mighty, he loves justice—
     you have established equity;
     in Jacob you have done what is just and right.

⁵ Exalt the LORD our God
     and worship at his footstool;
     he is holy.

⁶ Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
     Samuel was among those who called on his name;
     they called on the LORD and he answered them.

⁷ He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
     they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

⁸ LORD our God, you answered them;
     you were to Israel a forgiving God,
     though you punished their misdeeds.

⁹ Exalt the LORD our God
     and worship at his holy mountain,
     for the LORD our God is holy.

or Track 2:

Isaiah 45:1-7

¹ “This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus,
     whose right hand I take hold of

to subdue nations before him
     and to strip kings of their armor,

to open doors before him
     so that gates will not be shut:

² I will go before you and will level the mountains;

I will break down gates of bronze
     and cut through bars of iron.

³ I will give you hidden treasures,
     riches stored in secret places,

so that you may know that I am the LORD,
     the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

⁴ For the sake of Jacob my servant,
     of Israel my chosen,

I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me.

⁵ I am the LORD, and there is no other;
     apart from me there is no God.
     I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,

⁶ so that from the rising of the sun
     to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me.
     I am the LORD, and there is no other.

⁷ I form the light and create darkness,
     I bring prosperity and create disaster;
     I, the LORD, do all these things.

Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13)

¹ Sing to the LORD a new song;
     sing to the LORD, all the earth.

² Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
     proclaim his salvation day after day.

³ Declare his glory among the nations,
     his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

⁴ For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
     he is to be feared above all gods.

⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
     but the LORD made the heavens.

⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
     strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

⁷ Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,
     ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

⁸ Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
     bring an offering and come into his courts.

⁹ Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
     tremble before him, all the earth.

[¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
     The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
     he will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
      let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
  ¹² Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;

let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
     ¹³ Let all creation rejoice before the LORD,
      for he comes, he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness
     and the peoples in his faithfulness.]

and for both:

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

¹ Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you.

² We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. ³ We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ⁷ And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹ for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Matthew 22:15-22

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. ¹⁶ They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. ¹⁷ Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” ¹⁸ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, ²⁰ and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” ²¹ “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” ²² When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.