Thanks Larry, I had just now written in my sermon notes 'Its not about the 99, but about the one'. You are quite right. Of course, the context makes the 99 being self-righteous folk quite attractive - especially as v 7 speaks of 99 righteous who need no repentance. Who they?

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Jonathan Hunt

Preaching Elder
Cheltenham Evangelical Free Church (Confessionally Based)
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.
-- Thomas Elsworth