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Thomas O'Brien

About Thomas O'Brien

Tom O’Brien, a retired corporate lawyer, is a Canon and Examining Chaplain for Holy Scripture in the Diocese of Southeast Florida. He was a Lay Deputy to five General Conventions, a member of the Council of Advice to the President of the House of Deputies, and was a recipient of the House of Deputies Medal for exceptional service to the Episcopal Church. Tom has been teaching courses on the Bible and Theology for the last 24 years in various venues. He holds degrees from Notre Dame (magna cum laude), Yale Law School, and an M.A. in Theology (summa cum laude) from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, FL. He and his wife, Alison, live in Palm Beach Gardens.

Entries by Thomas O'Brien

2018, December 16 ~ Zephaniah 3:14-20; and Philippians 4:4-7

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Zephaniah 3:14-20 Zephaniah is one of the 12 “Minor” Prophets, so-called because their works form a single scroll in the Hebrew Bible, as compared to the longer works of the “Major” Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Zephaniah was a prophet to Judea during the reign of the good King Josiah (640-609 BCE) who instituted […]

2018, December 2 ~ Jeremiah 33:14-16; and 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

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Jeremiah 33:14-16 After the good King Josiah (who instituted many Deuteronomic reforms) was killed in battle in 609 BCE at Megiddo (the Greek name for which is Armageddon), the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 BCE until Jerusalem was […]

2018, November 18 ~ 1 Samuel 1:4-20; Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-25

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In some denominations, two different readings from the Hebrew Bible are available, and one is chosen to be read. Track 1 – 1 Samuel 1:4-20 The Book of Samuel is part of the “Deuteronomic History” that includes the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. These books emphasized that God controls history, and when […]

2018, November 4 ~ Wisdom 3:1-9, Isaiah 25:6-9, and Revelation 21:1-6a

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The first reading is from either the Wisdom of Solomon or Isaiah for congregations celebrating All Saints’ Day. Wisdom 3:1-9 The Book of Wisdom, also known as “The Wisdom of Solomon,” is not part of the “Canon” (accepted books) of the Hebrew Bible. It is, however, included as part of the Hebrew Scriptures in Roman […]

2018, October 28 ~ Jeremiah 31:7-9 and Hebrews 7:23-28

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Jeremiah 31:7-9 After the good King Josiah (who instituted many Deuteronomic reforms) was killed in battle in 609 BCE at Megiddo (the Greek name for which is Armageddon), the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 BCE until Jerusalem was […]

2018, October 21 ~ Isaiah 53:4-12 and Hebrews 5:1-10

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Isaiah 53:4-12 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) who called for Jerusalem to repent […]

2018, October 14 ~ Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 and Hebrews 4:12-16

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Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 After Solomon died in 930 BCE, the Kingdom of Israel split into two parts, the North (called Israel with 10 tribes) and the South (called Judea with two tribes). Each of the Kingdoms had their own king. The reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (788-747 BCE) was very prosperous and a […]