OK, so Matthew's ending was meant to be easy after John and Mark.  It is, I'm happy with the ideas that are emerging (wish they'd done it earlier in the week, but still).  I'm going to side step any weird and wonderful debates about the trinitarian formula for Baptism, but I have a question about verse 17...

Roughly it is rendered thus...

When the disciples saw Jesus they worshipped hum but some of them doubted.

But (thanks Word International Commentary) the more accurate translation from the Greek is,

.. they prostrated themselves [suggesting worship] but they doubted.

In other words, it wasn't that 'some' doubted it was 'all' of them.

Now I'm happy enough either way, can work with each of these, but why is it that the word 'some' has been inserted (in any language I can understand, or make a stab at deciphering, (so not many))?  What is so uncomfortable about all the eleven being uncertain at this point?  Such uncertainty is clearly presumed in other gospels, so why do we wriggle uncomfortably when Matthew states it?

καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν προσεκύνησαν, οἱ δὲ ἐδίστασαν

Some MS have

και ιδοντες αυτον προσεκυνησαν αυτω οι δε εδιστασαν

But that's still a 'they' not a 'some of them' isn't it?

HELP! I need a proper NT person to explain it to me! Sean where are you?!!

This piece of research by CRUK is interesting - well to me and 48,000 people a year anyway.  I did read the stuff on CRUKs own website but it wasn't especially clear.

I have no idea whether any of the tissue I donated would have found its way into this project, but it demonstrates exactly why it was the right thing to do.

One day the cure will be found... one day....

Today I had a short meeting with a couple of Gideons; they were basically trying to recruit new members as there are very few of them left in this area.

I have a soft spot for Gideons.  When I was thirteen I was given a Gideon New Testament... I still have it somewhere (I saw it the other day so it's not exactly buried).  For a long time I used the daily reading guide listed in it and dutifully read the allotted passages.  Whilst I'm not convinced it's the best way to read the Bible, it got me into practices that have served me well for something like (eek) 36 years.  I am pretty sure that being given my Gideon NT was a significant part of my faith story.

When I lived in Dibley, one of my congregation was a lifelong Gideon, an elderly man (well into his nineties) somewhat crusty but with a mischievous sense of fun and an indomitable spirit.  He was a great encourager to me in my time there, and I was pleased to support his work in Bible distribution.

So, even though I have difficulty with their stance on women (only men can be Gideons; only wives of Gideons can be directly involved) I retain my soft spot for them.  That they give out Testaments to any or all who will take them, without charge, without strings, is something I deeply admire.  To open the drawer of a hotel room, or locker of hospital ward, to enter an unfamiliar place and find 'my' holy book already there... that's a great gift.

I'm not sure if this is vaguely a sign of having achieved some level of something or other, but I was amused today to find myself being misquoted in an essay a URC minister had written.  I can see how the misquote arose, but it amused me... I had quoted a 'Sunday School hymn' which the author assumed I learned as a child, erm no.  Although it would be plausible - I was 9 or 10 when the hymn was published - I did not learn it until my early twenties when I was a Sunday School teacher.  The author could not have known this.

I kind of feel I have somehow arrived... but as what I don't know!!

Amusing, especially in the light of some of what we considered on Sunday.

Today is the last of my catching up days off from Easter... it is wet having rained all night and now the sun is engaged in a tussle with some VERY black clouds outside my house (the clouds seem to winning just now). So glad I made yesterday the fun day and today is the catch-up the housework day.

Later on I'll be off to the recycling centre - seem to go there every couple of weeks with four bins full of stuff... what did we do before recycling?  And how much of this packaging is REALLY necessary? Scary.

Then it's back to normal - well for a week or two anyway.