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2019, September 8 ~ Jeremiah 18:1-11 and Philemon 1-21

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Jeremiah 18:1-11

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 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 contains two critical aspects of the theology of the Deuteronomists: (1) YHWH – like a potter — is in charge of everything and can “shape evil against” Israel (v.11) and “declare concerning a nation” (v. 7); and (2) that if a nation or an individual obeys YHWH’s commands and “turns from evil” (v.8), good outcomes will result. These themes are present in all the books written and edited by the Deuteronomists (Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings).

Many scholars agree that the tone of this passage is “Post-Exilic” – that is, it was written to the community in Judea after the Exile as both an explanation of why the Exile occurred and as a warning against failing to worship YHWH fully going forward.

Philemon 1-21

The Letter to Philemon is the shortest of the letters attributed to Paul, and is presented as his last letter in the Bible. (When Jerome translated the letters for the Vulgate, he arranged them from the longest to the shortest on the theory that the longer letters were more important.) Today’s reading contains all but the last four verses of the entire letter.

The letter was written from prison, but the site was not specified. Paul was sending the slave Onesimus (whose name means “helpful”) back to Philemon with a request to free him as a “brother in the Lord” (v. 16). Paul noted that he converted Philemon (“owing me in your own self” v.19).

It is not clear in the letter if Onesimus ran away from his master, or if he was sent by his owner to serve Paul in prison.

2017, December 3 ~ Isaiah 64:1-9; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

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Isaiah 64:1-9

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Israel’s history. Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and were written in the 20 years before Jerusalem was under direct siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55 and brings hope to the Judeans during the time of the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they have suffered enough and will return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 and, for the most part, gives encouragement to the Judeans who returned to Jerusalem after the Exile.

Although today’s reading is from the chapters called “Third Isaiah,” these verses were composed soon after Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians and the Babylonian Exile began in 587 BCE. This is clearly shown by the two verses immediately preceding today’s reading (63:18-19) and the two verses following it (vv. 10-11), all of which refer to the recent destruction of Jerusalem.

The reading itself is a lament and prayer to the LORD/YHWH (vv. 8-9) that confessed the sinfulness of the Judeans (vv. 5b-7) and their perception of YHWH’s hiddenness (v.7) from them. The concluding verses appealed to YHWH as a father and as a potter who molded the people (v.8). Jeremiah also used the image of a potter to describe YHWH who molded the people (Jer. 18:6).

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was Hellenistic and the Corinthians emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers also taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s understandings of what it means to be a Jesus Follower. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written in the 50’s (CE) and presented his views on several issues.

Today’s reading from the opening chapter of the letter is a salutation customary in ancient Greek letters (vv. 1-3) followed by a thanksgiving for the grace of God given to the Jesus Followers in Corinth through Christ Jesus (vv.4-7). Paul acknowledged the importance of rhetoric and reason in Corinth by noting that the Corinthians have been “enriched” in “speech and knowledge” (v.5). He tells them that the Lord Jesus Christ will strengthen them so they will be blameless at the time of judgment and fulfillment, the “day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 8). Paul reminded them that they were called into “the fellowship of the Son” (v.9).

Having praised the Corinthians and reminded them of the gifts they received from God, in the verses that follow today’s reading, Paul launched into his arguments and appealed that “there be no divisions among you” (v.10).