You Tube Theology

This Sunday’s gospel lectionary reading for Advent 2 in Year C is Luke 3.1–6, the location and opening of John the Baptist’s ministry. We will hear more about the content of John’s ministry next week; for now, we are just given the setting.

But this setting tells us a huge amount about the gospel. The list of rulers is carefully designed not only to locate the gospel in the wider world, but also to match expectations of first century history. It moves us on from the earlier part of his story (in the first two chapters), demonstrates Luke's accuracy as a historian—and implicitly claims that the good news announced by John is world changing.

Come and join Ian and James as they explore these questions! Revd James Blandford-Baker is vicar of Histon and Impington, two villages just north of Cambridge. Revd Dr Ian Paul is Associate Minister of St Nic's, Nottingham, and writes the widely-read blog www.psephizo.com.

Full written commentary behind the discussion can be found on the blog.