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2019, November 3 ~ Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 3, 2019

For the convenience of readers, the presentation now includes the Readings and the Commentary.

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

Reading

The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw.
O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen?
Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?
Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
So, the law becomes slack and justice never prevails.
The wicked surround the righteous — therefore judgment comes forth perverted.

I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart;
I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,
and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.
For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.
Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.

Commentary

Habakkuk 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.

Because of the reference to the Chaldeans (Babylonians) in v.1:6, Habakkuk is generally considered a contemporary of Jeremiah. His prophesy – speaking for YHWH – is dated after 612 BCE when the Babylonians gained domination of the Middle East.

After the righteous and reforming king, Josiah, was killed at Megiddo in 609 BCE, Judea had a series of hapless kings until the first deportation of exiles to Babylon in 597 BCE. The book of Habakkuk reflected the difficulties that faced Judea during this 12-year period.

Today’s reading is structured as a dialogue between Habakkuk and YHWH (“LORD” in all capital letters) in which the prophet asserts that YHWH is not listening (v.1). The prophet noted that the reforms of Josiah were not being followed (“the law [Torah] becomes slack” v.1.4) and – just as Jeremiah did – stated that injustice was prevailing.

In the omitted verses between the two parts of today’s reading, Habakkuk asserted that the Babylonians would serve as YHWH’s instrument of divine justice. In the second part of today’s reading, YHWH responded (v.2:4) that the “appointed time” would come and that the “righteous” (the Judahites) would survive in spite of the “proud” (the Chaldeans/Babylonians).

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Reading

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
Therefore, we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.

To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith,
so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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.

In today’s reading, the salutation was identical to 1 Thessalonians, followed by a thanksgiving for the faith of the community and a reference to “persecutions and afflictions” (v.4). The omitted verses (5 -10) assert that God will afflict the persecutors and work vengeance on those who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus.

Today’s reading concluded with an intercessory prayer that God will make the people worthy of God’s call so that the Lord Jesus will be glorified in the believers’ lives.

2019, October 27 ~ Joel 2:23-32 and 2 Timothy 4:4-8, 16-18

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Joel 2:23-32

Joel 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.

Joel (whose name means “YHWH is God”) is located in the Bible between Hosea and Amos (two of the earliest prophets – in the 700’s BCE) most likely because some of the themes in Joel are similar to those in Amos.

Joel’s prophesy, however, was much later and contained no reference to either the Assyrians or Babylonians. It is dated within the period 539 BCE to 333 BCE when the Persians ruled over Israel and Judea. Joel is thought by scholars to have been active from about 400 BCE to 350 BCE – a time of relative calm under the generally benevolent rule of the Persians.

In today’s reading, Joel referred to a locust plague (v.25) that was a call to repentance and resulted from YHWH’s judgment upon the people (Chapter 1). The balance of the reading is apocalyptic in tone and described Judah’s ultimate vindication in which the entire community would share a close relationship with God (vv.28-29).

Some of the portents of the “Day of the Lord” described in verses 30 and 31 were adopted by the authors of the Gospels according to Mark, Matthew and Luke (the “Synoptic Gospels”) to describe the time that Jesus of Nazareth was on the Cross.

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concerned the internal life, governance and behavior of the early Christian churches and their members. Most scholars agree they were written in the early Second Century in Paul’s name by some of his followers (Paul died in 63 CE). Writing a document in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries. By then, the Jesus Follower Community had become more institutionalized and concerns about “heresy” had arisen.

The Pastoral letters were written to Paul’s “co-workers” but have a broader audience. By the time they were written, Paul was regarded as an unambiguously authoritative figure of the past.

2 Timothy is more personal than 1 Timothy. The author, writing as Paul, treated Timothy as his “beloved child,” loyal disciple and his spiritual heir.

In today’s reading, “Paul” was portrayed as near death (“the time of my departure”) and as stating that his life was a sacrifice (a “libation”) and an athletic contest (“the good fight”). He asked forgiveness for those who opposed his message (v.16) and thanked God for the strength and support he received.

2019, October 20 ~ Jeremiah 31:27-34 and 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5

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Jeremiah 31:27-34

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 and was a late insertion. It has an “eschatological” (end times) tone (“the days are surely coming” in v.27) and affirmed the restoration of the houses of both Judah (the south) and Israel (the north).

The reference to “sour grapes” (vv.29 and 30) was a statement that there should be personal responsibility for one’s actions and that the “sins of the fathers” will not be borne by the children. This is consistent with the theology found in Ezekiel, another prophet of the Exile, particularly in Ezekiel 18. This was an important shift in the theology of Ancient Israel.

The writer went on to say that in the “end times” YHWH would make a “new covenant” with Israel (v.31), the law would be written on their hearts (v.33), and YHWH would forgive their iniquity (v.34).

2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concerned the internal life, governance and behavior of the early Christian churches and their members. Most scholars agree they were written in the early Second Century in Paul’s name by some of his followers (Paul died in 63 CE). Writing a document in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries. By then, the Jesus Follower Community had become more institutionalized and concerns about “heresy” had arisen.

The Pastoral letters were written to Paul’s “co-workers” but have a broader audience. By the time they were written, Paul was regarded as an unambiguously authoritative figure of the past.

2 Timothy is more personal than 1 Timothy. The author, writing as Paul, treated Timothy as his “beloved child”, loyal disciple and his spiritual heir. In the letter, Paul was portrayed as near death.

Today’s reading continues the author’s exhortation to follow the teachings of Paul (v.14).

In the early Second Century, there was no codification of the Christian Scriptures, even though some of Paul’s authentic letters were likely in circulation and Jesus Followers may have known of some of the four Gospels that were later included in the Christian Bible. The reference to “the sacred writings” (v.15) was to the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Septuagint (LXX).

The author warns about the danger of turning away from “sound doctrine” (v. 3) and wandering away to “myths” (v.4).

2019, October 13 ~ Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 and 2 Timothy 2:8-15

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Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

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 part of an extended insertion in the Book of Jeremiah that begins with Chapter 26. The incidents reported in these four chapters (26-29) represent an early interpretation of the significance of the life and message of Jeremiah, and were likely written by the Deuteronomists in 75 years the after the Exile (which ended in 539 BCE).

The “elders among the exiles” (v.1) would have been those leaders sent to Babylon in the first wave of the Exile in 597 BCE. (A larger group was sent in 586 when the Temple was destroyed.)

The “directions” given by YHWH in verses 4 to 7 are what actually – as a matter of history – had happened in Babylon when the Exiles were there. In effect, after the Exile, the Deuteronomists interpreted the behaviors of the Judeans in Babylon during the Exile as reflecting the “will” of YHWH. Later in the chapter, the Deuteronomist says that YHWH will “visit” the Judeans only after their seventy years in Babylon (597 to 539 BCE) are completed (v.10).

2 Timothy 2:8-15

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concerned the internal life, governance and behavior of the early Christian churches and their members. Most scholars agree they were written in the early Second Century in Paul’s name by some of his followers (Paul died in 63 CE). Writing a document in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries. By then, the Jesus Follower Community had become more institutionalized and concerns about “heresy” had arisen.

The Pastoral letters were written to Paul’s “co-workers” but have a broader audience. By the time they were written, Paul was regarded as an unambiguously authoritative figure of the past.

2 Timothy is more personal than 1 Timothy. The author, writing as Paul, treated Timothy as his “beloved child”, loyal disciple and his spiritual heir. In the letter, Paul was portrayed as near death.

Today’s reading includes a synopsis of the “gospel” (good news) that Paul preached in his epistles (e.g. Rom. 1.3). A recitation of hardships was a common motif in Paul’s epistles and are repeated here (vv.9-10) to emphasize the depth of “Paul’s” faithfulness.

The saying in verses 11 to 13 are likely a quotation from a hymn that would have been used in the Jesus Follower Community early in the Second Century.

2019, October 6 ~ Lamentations 1:1-6 and 2 Timothy 1:1-14

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Lamentations 1:1-6

In Christian versions of the Bible, Lamentations is included between Jeremiah and Ezekiel because of a tradition that the book was written by Jeremiah (just as the Psalms were incorrectly attributed to David and most Wisdom Literature was attributed to Solomon). In the Hebrew Bible, Lamentations is not included with the Prophets, but is situated among the “Writings.”

Lamentations consists of a sequence of five lyric poems that lament the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and the beginning of the Exile in 586 BCE. It was written in the period from 586 BCE and 520 BCE when the Exile was over and the Temple was being rebuilt.

The first four chapters of Lamentations are written as an acrostic in which the first letter of each successive verse follows the sequence of the Hebrew alphabet.

Today’s verses are the opening part of an extended lament over Jerusalem, which has lost its lovers (i.e. allies) (v.2) and now lives among the “nations” (Gentiles) (v.3). The theology of the verses is consistent with the Deuteronomic belief that if one engages in “bad acts” the consequences will be bad, and YHWH was punishing Jerusalem for its transgressions (v.5).

2 Timothy 1:1-14

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concerned the internal life, governance and behavior of the early Christian churches and their members. Most scholars agree they were written in the early Second Century in Paul’s name by some of his followers (Paul died in 63 CE). Writing a document in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries. By then, the Jesus Follower Community had become more institutionalized and concerns about “heresy” had arisen.

The Pastoral letters were written to Paul’s “co-workers” but have a broader audience. By the time they were written, Paul was regarded as an unambiguously authoritative figure of the past.

2 Timothy is more personal than 1 Timothy. The author, writing as Paul, treated Timothy as his “beloved child” (v.2), loyal disciple and his spiritual heir. In the letter, Paul was portrayed as near death.

Today’s reading contains a typical “Pauline salutation” followed by a “thanksgiving” for Timothy’s faith (vv. 3-7). “Paul” showed his connection to Judaism in saying that he worshiped “as my ancestors did” (v.3). Speaking as Paul, the author emphasized that his understanding of the gospel is the true one, and presented the gospel proclamation in shorthand form in verses 9 and 10.

“Paul” asserted his status as a herald, apostle, teacher and sufferer (vv. 11-12) as a prelude to criticizing persons who “have turned away from me” (v.15). The reference to “that day” in verse 12 shows the growing belief within the Jesus Follower Movement in a Second Coming of Christ when the Kingdom of God would be fulfilled.

2019, September 29 ~ Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 and 1 Timothy 6:6-19

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Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

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 a portion of an extended prose insert that begins at Jer. 31:38 and is referred to as an “Appendix” to the “Book of Consolation” (Chapters 30 and 31) in which the writer says that YHWH would restore Judea after the Exile.

Today’s reading purports to be set in 588 BCE, just before the Exile began. Jeremiah’s purchase of land emphasized a faith in the future restoration of Judea. The purchase price of 17 shekels of silver would have been seven ounces of silver (about $150 today).

Baruch, referred to in v.13, was Jeremiah’s secretary and was said to have recorded portions of what became the “Book of Jeremiah” (Jer. 36:4).

1 Timothy 6:6-19

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concerned the internal life, governance and behavior of the early Christian churches and their members. Most scholars agree they were written in the early Second Century in Paul’s name by some of his followers (Paul died in 63 CE). Writing a document in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries. By then, the Jesus Follower Community had become more institutionalized and concerns about “heresy” had arisen.

The Pastoral letters were written to Paul’s “co-workers” but have a broader audience. By the time they were written, Paul was regarded as an authoritative figure of the past.

Today’s reading is most of the last chapter of the letter. The author cautioned against love of money as the “root of all kinds of evil” (v.10). The author encouraged the active “pursuit” of righteousness and “fighting the good fight of the faith” (v.12). The reference to Pontius Pilate in verse 13 is the only mention of him (outside the Gospels and Acts) that appears in the New Testament.

2019, September 22 ~ Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 and 1 Timothy 2:1-7

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Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1

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 “poetry style” and (except for YHWH’s interjection about the worship of foreign idols in verse 19b) was structured as a lament by the City of Jerusalem over its fate. In verses 19a and 20, the writer quoted the people of Judah (which included Jerusalem) who bemoaned their situation – either in anticipation of the conquest by the Babylonians or after it.

“Balm in Gilead” (v. 22) refers to the medicinal resin of the storax tree found in Gilead, an area east of the Jordan River in what is now modern Jordan.

1 Timothy 2:1-7

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concerned the internal life, governance and behavior of the early Christian churches and their members. Most scholars agree they were written in the early Second Century in Paul’s name by some of his followers (Paul died in 63 CE). Writing a document in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries. By then, the Jesus Follower Community had become more institutionalized and concerns about “heresy” had arisen.

The Pastoral letters were written to Paul’s “co-workers” but have a broader audience. By the time they were written, Paul was regarded as an unambiguously authoritative figure of the past.

Today’s reading urged accommodation by the Jesus Followers to the worldly authorities for the sake of the peace of the church. In urging this, the writer did not address the fact that the Roman Emperor claimed to be divine and worthy of worship. The writer affirmed that there is “one God” (v.5), a reformulation of the Jewish statement (the “Shema”) found in Deut. 6:4-9.

The idea of Christ Jesus as a “ransom” (v. 6) traces back to Mark 10:45 (“For the Son of Man came … to give his life as a ransom for many”). This idea, in turn, was primarily derived from the Fourth Servant Poem of Isaiah (Is. 52:13 to 53:12) which portrayed Judea as a suffering servant during the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE).

2019, September 15 ~ Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 and 1 Timothy 1:12-17

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Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28

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.)

In today’s reading, the first two verses are in “prose style” and serve as an introduction to the warnings to Jerusalem given in the years just before the Babylonian conquest in 597 BCE and the Babylonian Exile in 587 BCE.

The balance of the reading (except for verse 27) is in “poetry style.” In it, YHWH condemns evil (v.22) and sees the cities in ruins because of YHWH’s fierce anger (v.26). Verse 27 is a later insertion (after the Exile ended in 539 BCE) that YHWH would not make the destruction a “full end” and that there would be a restoration.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concerned the internal life, governance and behavior of the early Christian churches and their members. Most scholars agree they were written in the early Second Century in Paul’s name by some of his followers (Paul died in 63 CE). Writing a document in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries. By then, the Jesus Follower Community had become more institutionalized and concerns about “heresy” had arisen.

The Pastoral letters were written to Paul’s “co-workers” but have a broader audience. By the time they were written, Paul was regarded as an unambiguously authoritative figure of the past.

In today’s reading, as a prelude to opposing false teachings, “Paul” asserted his authority by saying that his conversion occurred “because [Jesus] judged me faithful and appointed me to his service (v.12). He stated that Jesus the Christ came to save sinners (v.15) and made him “an example to those who would come to believe in [Jesus] for eternal life” (v. 16).

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.

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).