Genesis 9:8-17
Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah also called the Pentateuch (five books) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1,650 BCE, if the accounts are historical.
The Book of Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated by scholars to about 950 BCE and some of which were developed as late as 450 BCE. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major “strands” or sources in the Torah, and these sources are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God’s characteristics.
Today’s reading is from the “Priestly” writers (550 to 450 BCE) whose name for God is translated “God” (not “LORD” as used by the Yahwistic writers). In these verses, God makes the first covenant recorded in the Bible. A “covenant” is different from a “contract” in that a covenant is a long-term continuing relationship, whereas a contract has a specific purpose and an end date. A covenant is often (but not always) between a superior party (such as God) and an inferior (Noah and humankind).
Covenants in the Bible are sometimes unconditional (such as God’s promise not to destroy the earth again by flood) that do not require a reciprocal action on the part of Noah or humankind. More often, however, Biblical covenants are presented as conditional so that if the “inferior” parties fulfill their obligations, the “superior” (usually God) will provide reciprocal benefits.
1 Peter 3:18-22
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. Similarly, authorship of the Torah was historically attributed to Moses, the Psalms to David, and Wisdom Literature to Solomon.
The First Letter of Peter was likely written in the last quarter of the First Century, long after Peter’s death in the 60’s CE. It was written in sophisticated Greek and resembles 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, the Anointed One of God.
In today’s reading, the author urges his audience to be willing to suffer for doing what is right, just as Jesus of Nazareth suffered for doing good. He notes that Jesus was “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (v.18), which is not to say that “part” of Jesus survived death, but that God raised him as the Christ to a new life in the divine realm where (metaphorically) he is “at the right hand of God” (v.22).
Writers of the Christian Scriptures often looked for analogies in the Hebrew Bible to explain practices in the Jesus Follower Movement. Here, the author presents the Flood in Noah’s time as prefiguring Baptism which is “an appeal to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (v.21).
2018, March 4 ~ Exodus 20:1-17 and 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienExodus 20:1-17
The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Torah/Pentateuch, and covers the period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness.
Today’s reading is set at Mount Sinai (“Horeb” in other parts of Exodus and in Deuteronomy) during the time in the Wilderness. In it, YHWH (“LORD” in all capital letters in the NRSV) gave the Decalogue – the ten “words” (v.1) – often called the Ten Commandments.
The structure of the Decalogue was a covenant: YHWH recounted what had been done for the Israelites (v.2) and then directed reciprocal obligations of the Israelites (v. 3-17). Because Ancient Israel was a patriarchal society, the 10 words were addressed to men (in the second person singular), and wives “belonged to” men, just as are houses, slaves, animals and other items (v.17). Each of the “words” is absolute and unconditional.
This is one of three versions of the Decalogue and is called the “Priestly Decalogue” because it refers to the Priestly account of creation in which God rested on the seventh day. Other versions of the Decalogue appear in Exodus 34:11-26 (the “Ritual Decalogue”) and in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. In the Deuteronomic version, wives do not “belong” to men (Dt. 5:21), and the rationale for observing the Sabbath is the liberation from Egypt rather than God’s resting on the seventh day of creation.
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
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.
In today’s reading, Paul continued his criticism of the “wisdom of the world” and asserted that “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom” (v.25). He explained that selfless love (the cross) is foolishness to those who rely on the wisdom of the world (v. 18, 20). God’s wisdom (v. 21) is the plan of salvation, and includes the crucifixion of the Christ/Messiah/Anointed One of God. For Jews, a crucified Messiah was indeed a “stumbling block” (v. 23), and it was also inconsistent with the secular wisdom of the Greeks.
2018, February 25 ~ Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Romans 4:13-25
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienGenesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah is also called the Pentateuch (five books) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1,650 BCE, if the accounts are historical.
Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated by scholars to about 950 BCE and some of which were developed as late as 450 BCE. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major “strands” or sources in the Torah, and they are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God’s characteristics.
Today’s reading is one of the three accounts of YHWH’s covenant with Abraham to bless him with many descendants. It was written by the Priestly writers between 550 and 450 BCE. Although the readings today appeared to make an unconditional covenant with Abram about numerous offspring (v.2), the omitted verses (8 to 14) required Abram and his offspring to be circumcised. This made the covenant a conditional one in which both parties had obligations.
The reading is also about names. In the Hebrew Bible, one’s name described who you were. Abram means “exalted ancestor” and has the same root as “Abba/father”. He is renamed Abraham (“ancestor of a multitude”) (v.5). Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah (“princess”) when Abraham was told that she (at age 90) would conceive and bear a son (v.15).
The Priestly writers took the position that the name YHWH was not known to the Israelites until the Exodus (Exodus 3 and 6). In today’s reading, YHWH disclosed the divine name to Abram as “El Shaddai” – translated variously as “God Almighty” or “God of the Mountains” or even as “God with Breasts” (a fertile god).
Romans 4:13-25
Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.
Nero’s predecessor (Claudius) expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 CE. During Nero’s reign (54-68 CE), he allowed Jews (including Jewish Jesus Followers) to return, and this created tensions within the Jesus Follower Community. (They were not called “Christians” until the 80’s.)
In today’s reading, Paul held up Abraham as an example of “righteousness” (being in right relation with God and man) who was blessed by God, not because of the Law (which wasn’t given until Sinai) but because of his faithfulness. Paul argued that through faithfulness to God who raised Jesus from the dead (v.24), both Gentile and Jewish Jesus Followers share in the faith of Abraham and are “justified” (i.e. in a righteous state with God and man as Abraham was).
2018, February 18 ~ Genesis 9:8-17 and 1 Peter 3:18-22
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienGenesis 9:8-17
Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah also called the Pentateuch (five books) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1,650 BCE, if the accounts are historical.
The Book of Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated by scholars to about 950 BCE and some of which were developed as late as 450 BCE. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major “strands” or sources in the Torah, and these sources are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God’s characteristics.
Today’s reading is from the “Priestly” writers (550 to 450 BCE) whose name for God is translated “God” (not “LORD” as used by the Yahwistic writers). In these verses, God makes the first covenant recorded in the Bible. A “covenant” is different from a “contract” in that a covenant is a long-term continuing relationship, whereas a contract has a specific purpose and an end date. A covenant is often (but not always) between a superior party (such as God) and an inferior (Noah and humankind).
Covenants in the Bible are sometimes unconditional (such as God’s promise not to destroy the earth again by flood) that do not require a reciprocal action on the part of Noah or humankind. More often, however, Biblical covenants are presented as conditional so that if the “inferior” parties fulfill their obligations, the “superior” (usually God) will provide reciprocal benefits.
1 Peter 3:18-22
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. Similarly, authorship of the Torah was historically attributed to Moses, the Psalms to David, and Wisdom Literature to Solomon.
The First Letter of Peter was likely written in the last quarter of the First Century, long after Peter’s death in the 60’s CE. It was written in sophisticated Greek and resembles 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, the Anointed One of God.
In today’s reading, the author urges his audience to be willing to suffer for doing what is right, just as Jesus of Nazareth suffered for doing good. He notes that Jesus was “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (v.18), which is not to say that “part” of Jesus survived death, but that God raised him as the Christ to a new life in the divine realm where (metaphorically) he is “at the right hand of God” (v.22).
Writers of the Christian Scriptures often looked for analogies in the Hebrew Bible to explain practices in the Jesus Follower Movement. Here, the author presents the Flood in Noah’s time as prefiguring Baptism which is “an appeal to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (v.21).
2018, February 11 ~ 2 Kings 2:1-12 and 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'Brien2 Kings 2:1-12
The Book of Kings is part of the “Deuteronomic History” that includes the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. These books are a didactic history of Ancient Israel from the time in the Wilderness (c. 1250 BCE) to the Babylonian Captivity in 587 BCE. They emphasize that God controls history, and when the people (and their kings) worship Yahweh properly, good things happen to them. When the kings and people worship false gods, however, bad events overtake them.
Today’s story recounts the succession of the prophet Elijah by his faithful disciple, Elisha, who asks for a “double share” (the share of an oldest son) of Elijah’s spirit (v.9). According to Biblical chronology, the events took place about 840 BCE, after the reigns of Ahab and two kings who followed him.
The account has a number of parallels to the stories of Moses and his successor, Joshua. Elijah and Elisha crossed from the west bank of the Jordan River to the east bank (v.8), just as Moses and Joshua crossed the Sea of Reeds. After Elijah was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot (v.11), Elisha parted the Jordan and crossed to the west side just as Joshua did (v.14).
Because Elijah was raised to heaven, his return to earth is seen as a harbinger of the coming of the Messiah. A place/chair for Elijah is left open at table (and often the doors of homes are left open) at Passover Seders in the event Elijah might return that night. In many ways, John the Baptist is portrayed as an Elijah-like figure in the Gospels.
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
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. 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.
Paul’s controversies with the Corinthians continued, and he wrote a number of letters to them. The Second Letter is a composite of fragments from these letters. In the Second Letter, Paul countered some Jewish Jesus Followers who were disagreeing with Paul and undermining his authority.
In today’s reading, Paul’s reference to “the god of this world” (v.4), meant the Roman authorities as well as the secular wisdom of the age. Paul affirmed that Jesus the Christ is the “image of God” (v.4) and the “Lord” (v.5). Paul paraphrased part of the First Creation Story of Genesis regarding the creation of light and said that the light of the knowledge of God is found in Jesus the Christ (v.6).
2018, February 4 ~ Isaiah 40:21-31; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienIsaiah 40:21-31
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 called for Jerusalem to repent in the 20 years before Jerusalem was under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55 and 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 and, for the most part, gave encouragement to Judeans who returned to Jerusalem (which had been largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile.
Today’s reading is from the first chapter from “Second Isaiah.” The chapter that tells the Judeans they have “paid their penalty” (v.2) and reassures them that YHWH (translated as the “LORD” in all capital letters) is the creator of the universe and has power over all nations. Accordingly, YHWH will restore them to Jerusalem. This presentation of YHWH as a cosmic god for all peoples is a shift from the understanding of YHWH as a “national god” only for Israel.
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
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. 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.
In today’s reading, Paul emphasized that his preaching of the gospel is an “obligation laid on me” (v.16) – just as prophets were “required” to speak the word of God. He then continued to urge the Corinthians to rise above their own sense of “liberty” (freedom from the constraints of ordinary human affairs because of secular wisdom) so that the Corinthians could participate fully in the gospel of love and enable others to participate also.
Paul said that to spread the gospel he became “as a Jew,” “as one under the law,” and as one “outside the law” (v.20-21). Paul was referring to Jews, “God Fearers” who were not Jews but who observed some of the Jewish Law, and Gentiles. Paul stated, in effect, that he empathetically presented the gospel in terms with which each group might resonate. His statement that he “became weak” and “became all things to all people” (v.22) reflects his empathetic presentation of the gospel. The reference to “the weak” also related back to the last part of Chapter 8 in which Paul urged the Corinthians not to eat meat sacrificed to idols if this would cause someone whose conscience is weak to fall (8:10-13).
2018, January 28 ~ Deuteronomy 18:15-20; and 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienDeuteronomy 18:15-20
Deuteronomy is the fifth (and last) book of the Torah and is presented as Moses’ final speech to the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land. “Deuteronomy” comes from Greek words that mean “Second Law” and is structured as a “restatement” of the laws found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. Parts of it were revised as late as 450 BCE, but the bulk of the book is generally dated to the reign of King Josiah of Judea (640-609 BCE).
In today’s reading, Moses tells the Israelites that YHWH will raise up a prophet “like me” [Moses] as requested by the people at Horeb (the Deuteronomists’ name for Mount Sinai). Moses “recounts” that YHWH told him that YHWH would put words in the prophet’s mouth and the prophet would speak in YHWH’s name (v.18).
These verses in Deuteronomy formed the basis for the vision that the Messiah would be a prophet and the “New Moses.” This vision was one among many different visions of the Messiah in circulation in the First Century, including the “New David,” the suffering servant, the Paschal Lamb, the Son of Man, and the New High Priest.
The Gospel According to Matthew specifically presented Jesus of Nazareth as the New Moses. This Gospel contains stories about Jesus that are not in any other Gospels and are direct parallels to stories about Moses in the Hebrew Bible. For example, by unusual means, Moses and Jesus avoided death at the hands of rulers who tried to kill all the male infants (Pharaoh and Herod). Moses and Jesus both left Egypt for the Promised Land under God’s protection. Moses went up on the mountain (Sinai or Horeb) to obtain the Law, and Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount to fulfill the Law.
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
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. 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.
In today’s reading, it is difficult to know exactly when Paul is quoting Hellenistic/Corinthian “knowledge” and whether he is quoting it approvingly or not. (Quotation marks were unknown in the First Century; the early predecessors to quotation marks were not used until the 3rd or 4th Century CE. Quotation marks as we know them were developed in the 17th Century.)
In Corinth, sacrificing meat to idols was a normal part of the social fabric. Paul walked a fine line: he did not forbid Corinthians from eating this meat, but he cautioned Jesus Followers that if they ate meat sacrificed to idols, this might harm those who did not fully understand that “no idol in the world really exists” (v.4) and for whom eating meat sacrificed to idols was a “stumbling block” (v.9). Paul admonished that wounding the conscience of one who is weak in this matter would be a sin against the Christ (v.12).
2018, January 21 ~ Jonah 3:1-5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienJonah 3:1-5, 10
The Book of Jonah is one of the shortest (and most humorous) books in the Bible, and is included in the 12 Minor Prophets. Though Jonah is never described in the book as a “prophet,” he is a “prophet” who eventually spoke for YHWH by urging the people of Nineveh to repent.
The story was written after the Exile (after 539 BCE), but was set earlier when Assyria was threatening Israel and Judea (850 to 600 BCE). The Northern 10 tribes (Israel) was conquered by Assyria in 722 BCE.
For Judeans, converting Nineveh (the capital of Assyria) was unthinkable, and Jonah tried to avoid doing it. When first told by YHWH to go to Nineveh (northern modern Iraq), Jonah got on a ship to Tarshish (modern Spain) – as far from Assyria as possible in the then-known world.
When the ship foundered because of Jonah’s presence and violation of YHWH’s direction to go to Nineveh, the sailors threw him overboard and Jonah was swallowed by a large fish. Jonah prayed for deliverance, and the fish “spewed him out on dry land” (v. 2.10).
In today’s reading, YHWH again directed Jonah to go to Nineveh, where Jonah told the people the city would be destroyed in 40 days. The people proclaimed a fast, and God spared the city.
The story emphasized two theological understandings that are found in much of the Hebrew Bible: (1) God directs all that happens and (2) God sometimes has a change of mind. It also presented a view that countered the exclusivism of Ezra and Nehemiah (YHWH worship is only for Judeans) and affirmed that God’s mercy is for all people, even one’s enemies.
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
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) (likely while Paul was in Ephesus) and presented his views on many issues that were controversial in the early Jesus Follower Community.
Today’s reading reflects Paul’s understanding that the current economic system in Corinth (private property, slavery, commerce) and social forms (such as patriarchal marriage) were about to disappear (v. 31) when a new order arrived. Over time, these notions evolved into the idea of the “Second Coming” of the Christ.
The “Second Coming” developed relatively early in the Jesus Follower Movement because Jesus of Nazareth had not fulfilled all the traditional “job descriptions” of the Messiah in his earthly life – the nation was not unified; the Romans were not expelled; Shalom (peace and order) did not reign. It became understood that at the Second Coming, all will be fulfilled.
2018, January 14 ~ 1 Samuel 3:1-20; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'Brien1 Samuel 3:1-20
The Book of Samuel is part of the “Deuteronomic History” that includes the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. These books are a “didactic history” that covers the period from just before the entry into the Promised Land (c.1220 BCE, if the account is historical) to the beginning of Babylonian Captivity (586 BCE). The books were written in the period from 640 BCE to 550 BCE and continued to be revised even after that.
The Deuteronomists emphasized that YHWH controls history, and when the people (and their kings) worshiped YHWH properly, good things would happen to them. When they worshiped false gods, however, bad events would overtake them.
The Book of Samuel (to the extent it may be historical) covers from the end of the Time of the Judges (c.1030 BCE) to the last years of the Reign of David (c. 965 BCE).
Today’s reading describes the call by YHWH of young Samuel (whose name means “God [el] has heard’). Samuel is described as the last of the Judges and the first of the great prophets of Israel. He is a towering and admirable figure in the Hebrew Bible. His mother, Hannah, was barren until YHWH “remembered” her in response to her prayers. He was dedicated by Hannah to YHWH as a “nazirite” (1 Sam.1:9) — one who would never cut his hair and or touch wine or strong drink. Two other nazirites in Scripture were Samson (who did not fulfill his vows) and John the Baptizer.
Among his significant acts, Samuel (at YHWH’s direction) anointed the first two kings of Israel (Saul and David). The Book of Samuel is ambivalent about whether having a king was good for Israel (it united the tribes politically against their enemies) or bad because Israel ceased to be a theocracy (governed by YHWH through priests).
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was diverse and Hellenistic, and 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) (likely while Paul was in Ephesus) and presented his views on several issues.
Today’s reading appears to be in response to a letter received from Corinth, as shown by the Hellenistic (“enlightened”) statements in verses 12 and 13 that Paul quotes (and refutes) in today’s reading. Paul discusses the human body and rejects fornication, not on the basis of the Law, but on the bases that Jesus Followers are members of Christ (v.15) and united to the Lord (v.17) so that one’s body is a temple/sanctuary (v.19). Paul concludes that one should glorify God in one’s body (v.20).
2018, January 7 ~ Genesis 1:1-5; Acts 19:1-7
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienGenesis 1:1-5
Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah also called the Pentateuch (five books) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1,650 BCE, if the accounts are historical.
The Book of Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) 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. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major “strands” or sources in the Torah, and these sources are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God’s characteristics.
Today’s reading describes the first day of the seven-day “First Creation Story.” It is part of the “Priestly” tradition written in the period from 550 to 450 BCE. The name used for God in this account is “Elohim” (literally, “the gods”) and is different name from the name (YHWH or “LORD God”) used in the Second Creation Story (Gen. 2:4b – 24). The Second Creation Story is part of the “Yahwistic” tradition dated to about 970 to 930 BCE – the reigns of David and Solomon.
The First Creation Story emphasizes order and categorizing by separation. Priestly writers portrayed order and precision as leading to “Shalom” (peace, good order). It is noteworthy that creation is not “out of nothing” (creation ex nihilo) but describes God as creating by bringing order out of a “formless void” (v. 2) and a watery chaos (“the deep” and “the waters”).
Overcoming the chaos of the ocean was also an important theme in the Babylonian Creation Myth (the “Enuma Elish”) which the Judeans would have encountered during the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE).
Acts 19:1-7
The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written by the author of the Gospel According to Luke around 85 to 90 CE. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with an account of the Ascension. The last 13 chapters describe Paul’s Missionary Journeys – not always consistently with Paul’s letters.
Today’s reading is set in Ephesus and is part of Paul’s Third Missionary Journey, one that began in Antioch in Syria and ended in Jerusalem. Ephesus was a large and prosperous city in what is now western Turkey, and was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. According to Acts 19:10, Paul spent two years in Ephesus converting both Jews and Greeks and performing miracles (v.11).
One of the major themes of both the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles is the impact of the Holy Spirit – often portrayed as the driving force for all that happens. Today’s reading is an example of the prominence the author of Luke/Acts gives to the Holy Spirit.
2017, December 31 ~ Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3; Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienIsaiah 61:10-62:3
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 called for Jerusalem to repent in the 20 years before Jerusalem was under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55 and 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 and, for the most part, gave encouragement to Judeans who returned to Jerusalem (which had been largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile.
Today’s reading is from “Third Isaiah” and is a series of joyful verses. The first two verses (from “I will greatly rejoice” to “spring up before all the nations” are spoken by Zion/Jerusalem. As is often characteristic of psalm-like verses in the Hebrew Bible (as was also true of ancient Canaanite poetry), the verses are repetitive – the idea in one phrase is repeated in slightly different words in the next. For example, “I will greatly rejoice” is followed by “my whole being will exult.” Similarly, Zion is “clothed with garments of salvation” is repeated as the “robe of righteousness.”
In the verses beginning “For Zion’s sake,” the speaker shifts from Zion to the prophet, but the use of repetitive ideas continues: “I will not keep silent” is followed by “I will not rest.” You [Zion] shall wear “a crown of beauty” and “a royal diadem.”
Being “called by a new name” meant Zion/Jerusalem will have a change of fortune and a new identity given by YHWH.
Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7
Galatia was a large Roman province in what is now western Turkey. This letter was likely written by Paul in the early 50’s (CE), and dealt (in part) with controversies between Jewish Jesus Followers and Gentile Jesus Followers regarding the continuing importance of Torah (Law) and whether Gentile Jesus Followers had to be circumcised and follow the Kosher dietary laws. It is a “transitional” letter in that – when compared to Paul’s last letter (Romans) — it shows his views on the relationship between the Torah and the Gentile Jesus Followers continued to evolve.
Today’s reading unfortunately omits verses that help the reader/hearer better understand Paul’s position on the relationship between the law (Torah) and the faithfulness of (not faith in) Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Paul states that through the grace of the faithfulness of Jesus the Christ/Anointed, Jesus Followers are “no longer subject to a disciplinarian [the Law]” (vv. 24-25).
In the second part of today’s reading (beginning with “But in the fulness of time”), Paul emphasizes that Jesus of Nazareth was a human and a Jew (“born of a woman under the law”) to “redeem those under the law” (the Jews). The Greek word translated here as “redeem” means to buy back, as in redeeming something one owns from a pawn shop. All persons, because of the Spirit of the Son, are children of God who can call God “Abba” (Aramaic for father) and are heirs of the Kingdom.