2019, April 21 ~ Isaiah 65:17-25; Acts 10:34-43; and 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

At the principal service on Easter Sunday, the Lectionary provides for a reading from Acts and a reading from either Isaiah or 1 Corinthians.

Isaiah 65:17-25

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 in the 20 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.

Today’s reading is from “Third Isaiah” and has an apocalyptic tone – God (as creator) will intervene and create a New Jerusalem in which there will be Shalom (peace – even among animals (v.25) – and good order for all). There will be long life for everyone (v.20) and people will enjoy the fruits of their labors (v.22). The vision reverses the “curse” of unproductive labor expressed in the Garden of Eden story (Gen.3:18) by assuring the people of the New Jerusalem that their labors will not be in vain (v. 23).

Acts 10:34-43

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with an account of the Ascension of Jesus and ending at the so-called Council of Jerusalem where it was agreed that Gentiles did not have to be circumcised and keep all the Kosher dietary laws in order to become Jesus Followers.

Today’s reading is presented as a speech by Peter to the people of Caesarea after a Roman centurion, Cornelius (a Gentile), asked to be baptized. Peter’s speech is a synopsis of the entire Gospel According to Luke (the Gospel we are reading for most of this Lectionary Year).

In the verses that follow today’s reading, Peter saw that Cornelius and the others who heard him had received the Holy Spirit. Peter baptized Cornelius, even though he was a Gentile, along with the others who heard him (v.48). This story is presented in Acts as a turning point for the Jesus Follower Movement and as a basis for the decision at the Council of Jerusalem to accept uncircumcised Gentiles as part of the Jesus Follower Movement.

1 Corinthians 15:19-26

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

Today’s reading is part of Paul’s extended discussion of “resurrection of the dead” in Chapter 15. In the verses just before today’s reading, Paul recognized that the Corinthians were Hellenists who generally accepted the Platonic division between the body and the “immortal soul.” Paul emphasized, however, that not only the body is resurrected, but the entire person, and Paul used the words “resurrection of the dead” to encompass the entirety of resurrection.

In today’s reading, Paul acknowledged that if there is no resurrection of the dead, Jesus the Christ could not have been raised. If there is no Resurrection of the Christ, Paul said there is no basis for salvation and that believers’ faith would be in vain (v.19).

But, Paul asserted, Jesus the Christ has been raised (v.20). As a First Century Jew, Paul believed that death itself was the result of Adam’s disobedience (v.22).

Because Jesus the Christ has been resurrected, death has been destroyed (v.26).