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2020, November 22 ~ Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; and Ephesians 1:15-23

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FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

Reading

11 Thus says the LORD God: I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the LORD God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.

20 Therefore, thus says the LORD God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, 22 I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.

Commentary

Ezekiel (whose name means “God strengthens”) is one of the three “Major” Prophets – so called because of the length of the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a priest who was among the first group of persons deported by the Babylonians when they captured Jerusalem in 597 BCE.

The Book of Ezekiel is in three parts: (1) Chapters 1 to 24 are prophesies of doom against Jerusalem before the destruction of the Temple in 586 BCE; (2) Chapters 25 to 32 are prophesies against foreign nations; and (3) Chapters 33 to 48 are prophesies of hope for the Judeans written during the Babylonian Exile (586-539 BCE).

Two of Ezekiel’s most enduring theological developments were the notions that through repentance, sin could be forgiven and Israel could live into a restored covenantal relationship with YHWH, and that the Jews had to accept personal responsibility for their own situation rather than blaming it on the sins of their predecessors.

Today’s reading is from the prophesies of hope. Ezekiel spoke for YHWH who was presented as a gathering shepherd (an image also found in Isaiah 40 and Jeremiah 31) who will bring all the dispersed Israelites into their own land (v.13). These assertions follow a condemnation of the “shepherds of Israel” (the kings) who took care of themselves but did not feed the sheep (v. 2-10). The kings are the “fat and strong sheep” whom YHWH will destroy (v.16) because they neglected the people. YHWH will judge between the good sheep and those who mistreated the weak (vv. 20-22).

God’s rule will be manifested in the establishment of a David as ruler (vv. 23-24). Although numerous passages imagine a descendent of David as the ideal, this passage seems to envisage a return of David himself, the earlier ideal ruler.

The creation of a new Davidic order was an important part of the Messianic expectations in Israel after the time of Babylonian Exile. This expectation was grounded on the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:12-13 that “I [YHWH] will establish his royal throne forever.”

Ephesians 1:15-23

Reading

15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Commentary

Ephesus was a large and prosperous city in what is now western Turkey. In the Acts of the Apostles and 1 Corinthians, Paul is said to have visited there. In Ephesus, there were Jesus Followers who were Jews and Jesus Followers who were Gentiles, and they did not always agree on what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.

Because the letter contained a number of terms not used in Paul’s other letters and gave new meanings to some of Paul’s characteristic terms, most scholars believe that this letter was written by one of Paul’s disciples late in the First Century. The letter was intended to unify the Jesus Follower community in Ephesus. The first three chapters are theological teachings, and the last three chapters consist of ethical exhortations.

Today’s reading is an introductory thanksgiving prayer for wisdom and for knowledge of the power of Jesus the Christ. The author affirmed that this power was given to the Christ through the Resurrection and the seating of the Christ at God’s right hand (v.20), a phrase used for Davidic rulers in Psalm 110:1. The Resurrection and exaltation have given the Christ power over hostile spiritual powers (“rule, power and dominion”) for all time (v.21-22). The author spoke of the church as the body of the Christ (v.23).

2020, March 8 ~ Genesis 12:1-4a and Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

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Genesis 12:1-4a

Reading

1 The LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

4a So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him.

Commentary

Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah also called the Pentateuch (“five books”) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1650 BCE, if the accounts are historical.

The Book of Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated to about 950 BCE and some of which were developed as late as 450 BCE. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major “strands” or sources in the Torah, and these sources are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God’s characteristics.

The first 11 Chapters of Genesis are called the “primeval history” which ends with the Tower of Babel story — an “etiology” (story of origins) relating to the scattering of humankind and the multiplicity of languages. The last chapter of the primeval history also traces Abram’s lineage back to Noah’s son, Shem (which means “name” in Hebrew and from which we get the word “Semites”).

Today’s reading is part of the oldest writings and presents YHWH (“LORD” in all capital letters) anthropomorphically in that the LORD had a conversation with Abram.

This chapter in Genesis begins the “ancestral history of Israel” in which YHWH calls Abram (whose name is the same root word as “Abba” or father) to go to a land that YHWH will show him. There, Abram will be a father of a great nation and (as a descendent of Shem) his “name” will be great (v.2). Unlike some other covenants in Genesis, this promise of the LORD is “conditional” in that it will not become effective unless Abram goes to the land YHWH shows him.

In Verse 3 is the phrase “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (which Paul interpreted as a blessing on the Gentiles through Abraham). This phrase is also translated as “by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves” – or in other words, people will say “may we be like Abraham.”

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

Reading

1 What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.5 But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.

13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”) —in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

Commentary

Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE), about 10 years before the earliest Gospel (Mark) was written, to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among many messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.

The “backstory” is that in 49 CE, Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome, including Jewish Jesus Followers. The next Emperor was Nero who reigned from 54 to 68 CE. Nero reversed his predecessor’s decree and allowed Jews to return to Rome. This return caused tensions within the Jesus Follower Community in which Gentiles had become prominent.

In today’s reading, Paul’s initial statements are directed at Jewish Jesus Followers – persons who (like Paul) saw Abraham as their ancestor “according to the flesh.” (v.1) Paul went on to assert that Abraham’s righteousness (right relationship with God) was a result of Abraham’s faithfulness and trust in God (v.13), rather than something “earned” like wages (v.4).

In Paul’s epistles, the word “Faith” is almost always better understood a “Faithfulness.” For most modern persons, “Faith” is understood primarily as a cognitive assent to one or more propositions, but “faithfulness” is the active living into one’s beliefs through grace and trust in God.

In the last verses of today’s reading, Paul continued his discussion of the law and its limitations. Paul did not diminish the value of adherence to the law by Jews (including Jewish Jesus Followers). For him, the two “laws” that did not have to be observed by Gentile Jesus Followers were the requirements of circumcision and eating only Kosher food.  Paul noted (v. 13) that at the time the LORD made the promise to Abram, it was not “through the law” (i.e. Abram was not circumcised and did not obey the Kosher dietary laws at the time described in Genesis 12). Paul emphasized that mere obedience to the law is not sufficient for the fullness of a right relationship with God. It depends on faithfulness (v.16).

2020, March 1 ~ Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7 and Romans 5:12-19

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Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7

Reading

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’“ 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Commentary

Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah also called the Pentateuch (“five books”) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1650 BCE, if the accounts are historical.

The Book of Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated to about 950 BCE and some of which were developed as late as 450 BCE. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major “strands” or sources in the Torah, and these sources are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God’s characteristics.

Today’s reading is part of the Second Creation Story. The First Creation Story is in Genesis 1 and recounts creation in six days and God’s resting on the seventh day.

Today’s reading is part of an early tradition. One clue to the date of today’s reading is that God’s name in the New Revised Standard Version is “LORD” in all capital letters. LORD is the translation of YHWH and is a different name for God than the one used in Genesis 1 (Elohim, literally, “the gods” or “Providence”).

The earliest written tradition presented LORD God anthropomorphically – a God who formed “adam” (the Hebrew word for “earthling”) from the fertile earth (adamah in Hebrew), breathed life into the earthling, had conversations with humans, and placed “adam” in a garden to till it and keep it (2:15) – showing that productive work was part of the original blessing.

The complex myth-story of the serpent, the woman (not yet named Eve) and eating the forbidden fruit by the woman and by adam (who was “with her” – v.6) has been interpreted on many levels. Some see the story as the beginning of disorder in human relations (as opposed to the good order inherent in creation). Others see it as the development of human consciousness and the loss of innocence from knowing “good and evil” and having one’s “eyes opened” (v.7) as predicted by the serpent (v.5a)

Although the story is often taken by some Christians as an account of “Original Sin,” the word “sin” does not appear in the story. “Original Sin” was a concept developed by Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE).

Romans 5:12-19

Reading

12 As sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned—13 sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 14 Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16 And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17 If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore, just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Commentary

Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.

The “backstory” is that in 49 CE, Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome, including Jewish Jesus Followers. The next Emperor was Nero who reigned from 54 to 68 CE. Nero reversed his predecessor’s decree and allowed Jews to return to Rome. This return caused tensions within the Jesus Follower Community in which Gentiles had become prominent.

In today’s reading, Paul (who remained a Jew all his life) interpreted Adam’s disobedience as introducing “sin” into the world. Through sin, death spread to all (v.12) – just as the LORD had told Adam would occur (Gen.2:17).

For Paul, the good news is that the Christ’s saving work surpasses even the effects of Adam’s disobedience. Salvation is much more than forgiveness. The obedience of Jesús the Christ brought to all (Jew and Gentile alike) the gifts of “righteousness” (being in right relation with God and others) and grace so that life now has dominion over death (v.17).

2019, December 8 ~ Isaiah 11:1-10 and Romans 15:4-13

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Isaiah 11:1-10

Reading

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Commentary

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.

Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH – translated as “LORD” in all capital letters in the NRSV) who called for Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before Jerusalem came under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55. In these chapters, a prophet brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 in which a prophet gave encouragement to Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile had ended.

Although this chapter is included in “First Isaiah” there are differing scholarly opinions as to the time of its composition. Because verses 6 to 9 are so similar to portions of Isaiah 65, many scholars see today’s reading as part of post-Exilic messianic expectations.

In saying that a “shoot shall come from the stump of Jesse [David’s father]” (v.1), the writer said that the Messiah will be from the House of David. This understanding was combined with the promise by YHWH to David (spoken through Nathan) in 2 Sam.7:13-16 (“I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever… your throne shall be established forever”).

The Gospels according to Matthew and Luke both state the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth as Bethlehem, the town from which David came (1 Sam.16).

In addition to bringing about peace, harmony and “righteousness” (everything in proper relationship with everything else), the concluding verse implied a restoration of the Davidic Kingdom in which the root of Jesse would “stand as a signal” for the “peoples” and “nations.” The Hebrew and Greek words for “peoples” and “nations” are also translatable as “Gentiles.”

Romans 15:4-13

Reading

Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,
and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”;
and again, he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people,”
and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples praise him;”
and again, Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.

Nero’s predecessor (Claudius) expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 CE. During Nero’s reign (54-68 CE), he allowed Jews (including Jewish Jesus Followers) to return, and this created tensions within the Jesus Follower Community. (They were not called “Christians” until the 80’s.)

Paul died in 63 or 64 CE. Accordingly, the Temple in Jerusalem (which was destroyed in 70) was in full operation all during Paul’s life. As a Jew who was also a Jesus Follower, Paul continued to have expectations about the fullness of the Coming of the Messiah.

In today’s reading, Paul recognized the importance of the Hebrew Scriptures (v.4), urged the Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers to glorify God with one voice (v.6) and noted the Jewishness of Jesus of Nazareth (“servant of the circumcised [i.e. Jews]” (v.9).

In verses 9, 10 and 11, Paul loosely paraphrased (most likely because he relied on the LXX Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) verses from Psalm 18:49, Deuteronomy 32:43 and Psalm 117:1. In verse 12, he paraphrased the last verse of today’s reading from Isaiah and stated that the “root of Jesse” would “rule the Gentiles.”

2019, December 1 ~ Isaiah 2:1-5 and Romans 13:11-14

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Isaiah 2:1-5

Reading

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come, the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Commentary

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.

Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH – translated as “LORD” in all capital letters in the NRSV) who called for Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before Jerusalem came under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55. In these chapters, a prophet brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 in which a prophet gave encouragement to Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile ended.

Today’s reading is from First Isaiah, and is set in the time from 733 to 701 BCE. The opening verse is similar to Isaiah 1:1 and is a “superscription” or introduction. The fact that there are two superscriptions strongly supports the conclusion that the Book of Isaiah is an amalgam of once independent collections of Isaiah’s prophesies. As a “prophet,” Isaiah did not foretell the future, and the word translated as “saw” in these verses is from a Hebrew word that is literally translated as “saw in a vision.”

In verses 2 to 4, Isaiah saw the restoration of Israel through the power of YHWH and many peoples and nations coming to Jerusalem for instruction (in Hebrew, “Torah”). The root of the word translated as “nations” and “peoples” is “goyim” which is also translatable as “Gentiles.” These verses are repeated in Micah 4:1-4. Micah was a younger contemporary of First Isaiah.

The last verse is the beginning of a call for the House of Jacob (i.e. Israel) to reform and walk in the light of YHWH.

Romans 13:11-14

Reading

You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Commentary

Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.

The Roman Emperor Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 CE. His successor, Nero (54-68 CE), allowed Jews (including Jewish Jesus Followers) to return to Rome, and this created tensions about leadership and worship within the Jesus Follower Community. (They were not called “Christians” until the 80’s.)

Paul died in 63 or 64 CE. Accordingly, the Temple in Jerusalem (which was destroyed in 70) was in full operation all during Paul’s life. As a Jew who was also a Jesus Follower, Paul saw the Jesus Follower Movement as part of a broader Judaism, and continued to have expectations about the fullness of the Coming of the Messiah/the Christ.

Today’s reading is the concluding verses of Chapter 13 in which Paul exhorted the community to practice conventional civic virtues: be subject to governing authorities (v.1), pay taxes (v.7) and love one another (v.9). Some scholars conclude that Paul expressed these views because he was aware of recent pogroms against Jews in Alexandria around 40 CE and the expulsion of Jews from Rome by Claudius. He therefore urged civil obedience by the Jesus Follower Community so that the Jewish Jesus Followers would not be vulnerable.

In today’s verses, Paul urged his hearers to live honorably because “salvation” (understood as the Return of the Christ) was perceived to be near (v.11). He urged them to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” – a metaphor for baptism (v.14). In speaking of “the flesh,” Paul was not referring to the human body, but instead (as he did consistently in his epistles) equates “the flesh” with self-centeredness, striving for power, and selfishness.

2019, November 24 ~ Jeremiah 23:1-6 and Colossians 1:11-20

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Jeremiah 23:1-6

Reading

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD. Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the LORD.
The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The LORD is our righteousness.”

Commentary

After the righteous and reforming King Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo (from which we get the Greek word Armageddon) in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Babylonians deported a number of Judean leaders to Babylon in 597 and a larger number in 586 (the beginning of the Babylonian Exile). Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e. speaking for YHWH) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.

Most Bible scholars agree that the Book of Jeremiah underwent substantial revisions between the time of Jeremiah (627 to 586 BCE) and the First Century. In the Dead Sea Scrolls, there were different versions of the Book of Jeremiah. The Ancient Greek Septuagint Translation (the LXX – dating from 300 to 200 BCE) has some chapters that are not in the Hebrew versions.

Sections in the book that are in “poetry style” are generally attributed to the prophet, and parts in “prose style” were added later by writers whose theological outlook was closely aligned with the Deuteronomists. (In fact, Chapter 52 in Jeremiah is virtually word-for-word with 2 Kings 24:18 to 25:30 written by the Deuteronomists after the Exile.)

Today’s reading is in prose style and attacked the kings and priests (the “shepherds”). Consistent with the “do bad, get bad” theology of the Deuteronomists, YHWH (“LORD” in all capital letters) will “attend to” them for their “evil doings” (v.2). The writers then held up the promise that YHWH would raise up for “David” (Judea) a righteous king who would enable Israel to live in safety and righteousness (v.5). For the Deuteronomists, YHWH was in charge of everything, and caused the Exile, the end of the Exile through Cyrus of Persia, the return of the Judeans to Jerusalem and the relatively peaceful Persian Era (539 to 333 BCE).

If these “predictions” were in fact made after the Exile, the writers had “20/20 hindsight” that the “remnant” (a common designation for the Judeans who returned to Jerusalem after the Exile) would be “fruitful and multiply” – the command given by God to the humans in Gen. 1:28.

Colossians 1:11-20

Reading

May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers– all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Commentary

Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short (three chapters) and expressed concern about apocalyptic and mystical practices that were inconsistent with Paul’s understanding of what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.

Scholars debate whether this letter was written by Paul or by his disciples in the decade after Paul’s death in 63 CE. It lacks many terms used in Paul’s authentic letters and its style is more liturgical than Paul’s other letters.

In today’s reading, the author adopted an apocalyptic theme by contrasting light and darkness (vv. 12-13). He expressed the theme that believers are redeemed and receive forgiveness of sin in the Christ (v. 14). “Redemption” conveys the sense of being bought back, the way something already owned is redeemed from a pawn shop. He described Jesus of Nazareth as the “image” (or symbol or manifestation) of the invisible God (v.15) and described the Cosmic Christ as the unifying force for all created things, the one who brings life to us even though we encounter our own deaths, and the force that reconciles all things in the God of Love.

2019, November 10 ~Haggai 1:15b-2:9 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 10, 2019

Haggai 1:15b – 2:9

Reading

In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying:
Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say,
Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory?
How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing?
Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the LORD; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the LORD; work, for I am with you, says the LORD of hosts,
according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear.
For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land;
and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts.
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts.
The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the LORD of hosts.

Commentary

Haggai is one the “Minor Prophets” – the 12 prophets whose works are much shorter than those of the “Major Prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel) and are found in a single scroll.

The Persian King Cyrus defeated the Babylonians in 538 BCE, decreed that the captive Judeans were permitted to return to Jerusalem, and encouraged them to rebuild the Temple. Little progress was made on the Temple in the next 18 years, but in 520 BCE, the rebuilding process began in earnest and the Temple was rebuilt by 515 BCE.

Haggai, along with the prophet Zechariah, was primarily responsible for inspiring the Jewish leadership and populace to complete the reconstruction of the Temple.
The first verses of Haggai (vv.1-11) were an oracle of judgment against the people for failing to complete the Temple. The leaders and people responded favorably (vv.12-15a). In today’s reading, Haggai encouraged the people in their efforts and stated that YHWH (“LORD” in all capital letters) would support them.
The precise date for Haggai’s exhortation is October 17, 520 BCE, and he would have spoken during the Festival of Booths, a time of remembering the Exodus (v.5).

It is possible that some of the Judeans present in 520 BCE would have remembered the Temple of Solomon that was destroyed in 586 BCE, and would know that the new Temple would be more splendid than the former (v.9).

The balance of this short book (two chapters) consists of an oracle of salvation, and the promise of an ideal age. This ideal age did not occur, though Judea remained under the generally benevolent rule of the Persians until the Persians were defeated by Alexander the Great in 333 BCE.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Reading

As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters,
not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.
Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction.
He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God.
Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?

But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
For this purpose, he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

Commentary

Thessalonica, a port city in northern Greece, was capital of the Roman province of Macedonia in the First Century. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians is the oldest part of the Christian Scriptures and was written by Paul before 50 CE, about 20 years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written. A principal theme of both 1 and 2 Thessalonians was the return of the Lord Jesus in the end time.

In 2 Thessalonians, however, there was an emphasis on living in the present and warnings about forgeries of Paul’s writings. For these reasons, many scholars conclude that 2 Thessalonians was written by one of Paul’s disciples after Paul’s death in 64 CE.

The first part of today’s readings discussed what has come to be known as the “Second Coming” of Christ. The idea of a Second Coming arose because many of the understandings about the “Day of the Lord” and the expected effects of the Messiah were not fulfilled either in the lifetime of Jesus of Nazareth or in the period after his death. For this reason, the early Jesus Follower Community developed ideas about a “Second Coming” which would fulfill these expectations. Projections about a Second Coming are also found in the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 13, Matt 24 and Luke 21) and the Book of Revelation – all written in the last 30 years of the First Century CE.

Today’s reading emphasized that the Second Coming had not yet occurred and urged rejection of the false claims regarding it. The writer suggested that an unidentified “lawless one” (v.3) would be revealed as an event before the Second Coming/Day of the Lord.

The second part of today’s reading was a customary thanksgiving for the acceptance by the Jesus Follower Community of the good news (v.14) and an exhortation to hold fast to “Paul’s” teachings (v.15).

2019, September 1 ~ Jeremiah 2:4-13 and Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

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Jeremiah 2:4-13

After the righteous and reforming King Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo (from which we get the Greek word Armageddon) in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Babylonians deported a number of Judean leaders to Babylon in 597 and a larger number in 586 (the beginning of the Babylonian Exile). Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e. speaking for YHWH) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.

Most Bible scholars agree that the Book of Jeremiah underwent substantial revisions between the time of Jeremiah (627 to 586 BCE) and the First Century. Sections in the book that are in “poetry style” are generally attributed to the prophet, and parts in “prose style” were added later by writers whose theological outlook was closely aligned with the Deuteronomists. (In fact, Chapter 52 in Jeremiah is virtually word for word with 2 Kings 24:18 to 25:30 written by the Deuteronomists after the Exile.)

Today’s reading is in “poetry style” and consists of a “covenant lawsuit” brought by YHWH (“LORD” in all capital letters) against Jacob and “all the families of Israel” (v.4). Jacob and Israel are interchangeable names – Jacob’s name was changed to “Israel” in Genesis 32 when he wrestled with a man/angel/God.

YHWH declared innocence in the relationship with Israel, and said the people have been unfaithful without cause and ungrateful for all YHWH had done for them (vv. 5-8). The priests knew the law, but did not know God (v.8) and false prophets preached in the name of Baal. (Archaeological evidence shows that Baal worship and YHWH worship coexisted in Israel until after the Exile (587-539 BCE).

The last part of the reading is an accusation against Israel and its children – the hearers of the prophesy (v.9) – for changing its gods (v.11) and forsaking the fountain of “living water” (v. 13) The image of “living water” was used in the conversation between Jesus of Nazareth with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:10.

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers, urging them to maintain their Faith and Hope in the face of hardship. The letter developed a number of important images such as Jesus the Christ as the High Priest. The author emphasized the continuing importance of the Bible and Jewish tradition.

Today’s reading is from the final chapter of the Letter and was primarily an exhortation for moral uprightness by the Jesus Followers. The mention of “entertaining angels” (v.2) was a reference to Abraham’s over-the-top hospitality to three strangers/angels/God at Mamre (Gen. 18).

Reflecting an evolving Christology, the author affirmed that The Christ is the same today and forever (v.8), and through The Christ – as the unifying force of all reality — the community was able to offer sacrifices pleasing to God (v. 16).

2019, August 25 ~ Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Hebrews 12:18-29

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Jeremiah 1:4-10

After the righteous and reforming King Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo (from which we get the Greek word Armageddon) in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Babylonians deported a number of Judean leaders to Babylon in 597 and a larger number in 586 (the beginning of the Babylonian Exile). Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e. speaking for YHWH) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.

Most Bible scholars agree that the Book of Jeremiah underwent substantial revisions between the time of Jeremiah (627 to 586 BCE) and the First Century. Sections in the book that are in “poetry style” are generally attributed to the prophet, and parts in “prose style” were added later by writers whose theological outlook was closely aligned with the Deuteronomists. (In fact, Chapter 52 in Jeremiah is virtually word for word with 2 Kings 24:18 to 25:30 written by the Deuteronomists after the Exile.)

Today’s reading is in “poetry style” and describes Jeremiah’s call in terms that are reminiscent of the calls of Moses in Exodus 3, Gideon in Judges 6 and Isaiah in Isaiah 6. In this sense, Jeremiah is presented as a “prophet like Moses” who would be raised up as anticipated in Deut. 18:15. Just as with Moses, Gideon and Isaiah, Jeremiah claims (v.6) he is not fit to speak for YHWH (translated as “LORD” in all capital letters), but YHWH touches Jeremiah’s mouth (v.9) and puts words in it so that he can speak for YHWH.

The phrase “to destroy and overthrow and to build up and plant” (v.10) expresses a key theme expressed in Jeremiah – Jerusalem will be destroyed by the Babylonians but will be rebuilt after the Exile ends.

Hebrews 12:18-29

The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers, urging them to maintain their Faith and Hope in the face of hardship. The letter developed a number of important images such as Jesus the Christ as the High Priest. The author emphasized the continuing importance of the Bible and Jewish tradition.

Today’s reading is the conclusion of the author’s discussion of “faith” (better understood as “faithfulness”) that began in Chapter 10. In recognizing the intangibility of “faith,” the author contrasted Mount Zion and the city of the Living God (to which the Jesus Followers have come through faithfulness) with Mount Sinai (“something that can be touched” – v.18).

The author of Hebrews knew the Hebrew Bible well, and used the Greek translation, the Septuagint, as his source. In urging his hearers to listen to the letter with care, he paraphrased Haggai 2.6 in stating the God will remove created things (v.27) to give Jesus Followers a “kingdom that cannot be shaken” (v.28). In describing God as “a consuming fire” (v.29), the author relied on phrases in Deut. 4 and 9.

2019, August 18 ~ Isaiah 5:1-7 and Hebrews 11:29-12:2

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Isaiah 5:1-7

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.

Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH – translated as “LORD” in all capital letters in the NRSV) who called for Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before Jerusalem came under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55. In these chapters, a prophet brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 in which a prophet gave encouragement to Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile had ended.

Today’s reading is part of First Isaiah and characterizes itself as a “love song” (v.1) for the prophet’s “beloved” – identified in verse 7 as YHWH. In ancient poetry, a vineyard was often a symbol of someone who is beloved, and YHWH’s beloved is identified as “the house of Israel and the people of Judah” (v.7).

Because the vineyard yielded wild grapes (v.4), the prophet stated the vineyard would be trampled down and made a waste (vv.5-6). This occurred when the Assyrians conquered Northern Israel in 722 BCE and Babylonians conquered Judea in 597 BCE.

Like many other prophets, Isaiah criticized injustice in Israel and Judah. Using clever word plays in Hebrew, the author noted that where YHWH expected justice (“mispat”), there was bloodshed (“mishpah”). YHWH expected righteousness (“tsedaqah”) but heard a cry (“tse’aqah”) (v.7).

Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2

The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers, urging them to maintain their Faith and Hope in the face of hardship. The letter developed a number of important images such as Jesus the Christ as the High Priest.

In today’s reading, the author asserted that it was “faith” that enabled (or caused) a large number of notable events that are recounted in the Hebrew Bible (vv. 29-38).

All the Christian Scriptures were written in Greek, and the Greek word for “faith” in the Letter is “pistis” – a word that has an active connotation, and can fairly be understood as “faithfulness.” Faith is not presented in the Letter as an intellectual assent to a series of propositions (as “Faith” is sometimes understood today). Instead, as stated in the beginning of Chapter 11, Faith is action based on “the conviction of things not seen” (11:1).

The reading concluded with the view that although the faithful persons in the Hebrew Bible were “commended” (v.39), they could not be made “perfect” (or complete) without Jesus as the “pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” (12:2).