Archive for month: May, 2017

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2017, June 11 ~ Genesis 1:1-2:3 & 2 Corinthians 13:5-14

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Genesis 1:1-2.3

The word “Genesis” means “origin” and the Book of Genesis starts with Creation and concludes with the death of Joseph (Jacob’s son) in Egypt. The Book 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.

Today’s reading is the First Creation Story. (The Second Creation Story begins at 2.4 and tells of YHWH’s forming the earthling – adam – out of the fertile earth – adamah – and breathing life into the earthling.) Even the name of God is different in the Second Creation Story.

The First Creation Story is structured as seven days in which God — Elohim (literally, “the gods”) in the Hebrew – brings order (Shalom) to all reality by separating its component parts. It is noteworthy that creation is not presented as a creation out of nothing but rather an ordering of the earth, the waters, light and time. (The already-existing earth is described as formless and darkness covers the already-existing waters in verse 2.)

This Story is very similar in structure to the seven-day Babylonian Creation Story which the Jewish People encountered during the Babylonian Captivity (587-539 BCE). For this reason and because of the emphasis on the Sabbath on the seventh day, scholars agree that this First Creation Story was composed by the “Priestly” authors in the period from 550 to 450 BCE.

This reading is selected for Trinity Sunday because (among other things) the name of God in Hebrew in this account (Elohim) is a plural word (Hebrew words ending in “im” are plural) and because Verse 1:26 says “Let us make humankind in our image.” Christian interpreters have sometimes also seen “the wind from God” (v.2) as the Spirit of the Trinity.

2 Corinthians 13:5-14

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was Hellenistic and emphasized reason, secular wisdom and a hierarchical structure in society. Paul’s relationship with the community was often strained.

Most scholars believe that the letter is a composite of several letters because Paul’s tone shifts so significantly within the letter. It moves from conciliatory (Chapter 2) to argumentative (3 to 5), to reconciling (6 and 7), to appealing for funds (8 and 9), to attacking “super-apostles” (11), to defensive regarding accusations he has enriched himself from the collections (12). Today’s reading is the concluding part of this Second Letter and is a mix of scolding and exhortation. For example, 13:2 and 13:10 are scolding and 13.11-12 are an appeal for good behavior on the part of the Corinthians.

Acts 2:1-21, 1 Cor. 12:3b-13 & Num. 11:24-30

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Acts 2:1-21

The book, “The Acts of the Apostles,” was written by the author of the Gospel According to Luke around 85 to 90 CE. Today’s reading is an account of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples on Pentecost. (Another account is given in John 20.22 when the resurrected Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit upon the disciples on the evening of Easter.)

Pentecost was a well-established Jewish Feast ordained by Lev. 23 to celebrate the spring barley harvest 50 days after Passover. It was also known as the Feast of Weeks and Jewish tradition held that the gift of the Law was given on this day. It was one of the three feasts in Judaism that called for Jews to come to Jerusalem. For this reason, Jews and proselytes (full converts to Judaism) gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast.

The “violent wind” (v.2) is likely a reference to the “wind from God” that swept over the waters in the First Creation Story (Gen. 1:2) and recognizes that breath is the sign of life, as when YHWH breathed life into the earthling in the Second Creation Story (Gen. 2:7).

In describing the disciples speaking other languages, the author signifies a reversal of the confusion caused by the multiplicity of languages “resulting” from the Tower of Babel story in Genesis 11.

1 Cor. 12:3b-13

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was Hellenistic and emphasized reason, secular wisdom and a hierarchical structure in society.

In today’s reading, Paul emphasizes diversity in unity, and uses the metaphor of the body as unifying the members and their different gifts of the Spirit (vv. 12-13). This discussion is a basis for his exhortation in the verses that follow (vv. 14-20) that even an individualistic attitude by any member would not make it any less a part of the whole body.

Num. 11:24-30

Numbers is the fourth book of the Torah (Hebrew meaning “teaching” or “Law”), known in Greek as the Pentateuch (“Five Books”). It describes the time of the Israelites in the Wilderness before entering the Promised Land. If the time in the Wilderness is historical (no archeological evidence has ever been found to support it), this would have been around 1250 BCE.

Most of the book of Numbers was written by the “Priestly Source” during the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE) and the 100 years after the Exile.

Today’s reading describes imparting the spirit of “prophesy” (ability to speak for God) on 70 elders. This sharing of the spirit causes concern among some of Moses’ followers, and Moses reassures them that the spirit of YHWH may be shared. The story reflects the Hebrew Bible’s ambivalence about prophesy generally.

2017, May 28 ~ Acts 1:6-14 & 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11

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Acts 1:6-14

Last Thursday was Ascension Thursday, and today’s reading presents an account of the Ascension of Jesus the Christ.

Even though Acts of the Apostles was written around 85 to 90 CE by the same person who wrote the Gospel According to Luke, the Gospel locates the Ascension on the Day of Easter (Luke 24:51). Acts, however, says Jesus was with his disciples for 40 days (1:3) – and this has become the traditional period between Easter and the day for observing the Ascension.

The opening verse of today’s reading shows that the disciples still did not “get it” that Kingdom of God did not mean restoring the temporal Kingdom of Israel. Jesus, the resurrected Christ, gently disabuses them of their limited approach, and promises the Holy Spirit will come upon them.

Jesus then ascends from Mount Olivet, which is described as “a sabbath day’s journey” away from Jerusalem. In the First Century, this was about half a mile – the maximum distance a devout Jew was permitted to walk on the Sabbath (an interpretation of Exodus 16.29).

In Luke and Acts, unlike the other Gospels in which the disciples go to Galilee, they remain in Jerusalem to await the promised coming of the Holy Spirit. According to Acts, the coming of the Spirit occurs on Pentecost, a celebratory day that was also known as the Feast of Weeks in First Century Judaism.

1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11

In the First Century, it was not uncommon to write something in another person’s name so that the writing would have extra “authority” – particularly when the writer believed he knew what the “authority” (in this case, Peter) would have said.

The First Letter of Peter was written in the last decade of the First Century, long after Peter’s death. It was written in sophisticated Greek and resembles the form of Paul’s letters. Its focus is not on the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth, but on the Resurrection and the affirmation that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.

Today’s reading emphasizes that suffering is witnesses to the truth of the faith of the Christian community. (This letter is one of the three places in the Christian Scriptures that refers to Jesus Followers as “Christians.” Acts 11:26 notes that the first use was in Antioch, and the term is used again in Acts 26:28.)

The reading concludes with a final exhortation to trust in the power of God.

2017, May 21 ~ Acts 17:22-31 & 1 Peter 3:13-22

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Acts 17:22-31

The book, “The Acts of the Apostles,” was written by the author of the Gospel According to Luke around 85 to 90 CE. The second half of Acts (Chapters 16 to 28) recounts Paul’s Missionary Journeys.

Just before today’s reading, Paul was at a synagogue where he would have focused his conversion efforts on Gentiles who were sympathetic to Jewish Law (called “God Fearers”). (The Jesus Follower Movement was part of Judaism until the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE and for some years thereafter.)

In today’s reading, Paul is presented as making an address to the Athenians at the Aeropagus (a hill west of the Acropolis and a place associated with Socrates). Modern persons would likely call Paul’s audience “pagans,” but in the First Century, most persons worshiped many gods and even regarded Jews as non-theists because they worshiped only one god.

The Athenians and the Romans had local gods, gods for activities such as farming and war, and gods for their homes. “Care” of the gods was performed through cult practices (including prayer and sacrifices) and was considered very important to the good functioning of society. (“Cult” is derived from a Latin word meaning “care” as in the word “agriculture” – care of the fields.)

Although an inscription to an unknown god has never been found in Athens, the author of Acts has Paul present the argument to the Athenians that their statue to the “unknown god” shows how religious they are (likely an ironic statement). He presents a God unknown to them who creates and gives life to all, allocates the boundaries of nations, commands all persons to repent, will have an appointed man judge the world in righteousness, and gives assurance of all this by raising the man from the dead.

1 Peter 3:13-22

In the First Century, it was not uncommon to write something in another person’s name so that the writing would have extra “authority” – particularly when the writer believed he knew what the “authority” (in this case, Peter) would have said. The First Letter of Peter was likely written in the last quarter of the First Century, long after Peter’s death.

In today’s reading, the author urges his audience to be willing to suffer for doing what is right, just as Jesus suffered for doing good. He summarizes the Christian Faith as hope (v.15) and notes that Jesus The Christ was “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (v.18).

He presents the Flood in Noah’s time as prefiguring Baptism which is “an appeal to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (v.21)

2017, May 14 ~ Acts 7:55-60 & 1 Peter 2:2-10

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Acts 7:55-60

The book, “The Acts of the Apostles,” was written by the author of the Gospel According to Luke around 85 to 90 CE.

Today’s reading presents the death by stoning of Stephen, the first martyr.

Stephen’s story began in Chapter 6 when the apostles appointed Stephen as one of the first seven deacons (based on a Greek word “to serve”) to distribute food to the widows of Jewish Jesus Followers and Gentile Jesus Followers.

Stephen is portrayed as performing signs and wonders. His opponents, however, seized him, brought him before a council, and falsely accused him of speaking against the Temple and the Law. He responded by giving a lengthy account of the stories of Ancient Israel including Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua and David. (Some aspects are different from the stories in the Hebrew Bible because the author of Acts relied on the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible called the Septuagint.) Stephen concluded by accusing his opponents of being “stiff necked” and failing to follow the law.

In today’s reading, as Stephen is facing death, he has a vision of “the Son of Man” standing at God’s right hand. “Son of Man” is a term found both in Daniel and in Ezekiel, and is best understood as “THE Human Being” — the best that a human can be. The reading concludes by noting that the witnesses to Stephen’s death laid their coats at the feet of Saul – the Jewish version of the Roman name “Paul.” Saul’s “Damascus Road Experience” is recounted in Chapter 9 of Acts, and Paul is the main character in Chapters 15 to 28 of Acts. As Stephen dies, he asks God not to hold the sin against his executors, an echo of Luke 23:34 (“Father, forgive them”) – words found only in the Gospel According to Luke.

1 Peter 2:2-10

In the First Century, it was not uncommon to write something in another person’s name so that the writing would have extra “authority” – particularly when the writer believed he knew what the “authority” (in this case, Peter) would have said.

The First Letter of Peter was likely written in the last quarter of the First Century, long after Peter’s death. It was written in sophisticated Greek and resembles the form of Paul’s letters. Its focus is not on the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth, but on the Resurrection and the affirmation that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.

Today’s reading contains the last (of five) directives to the Jesus Followers: to long for the means of spiritual nourishment. It emphasizes that we are all part of “a holy priesthood” (v.5) and that the Christian life is communal, not individual (“a chosen race, a holy nation, God’s own people.” (v.9)