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2016, October 16 ~ Genesis 32:22-31 & 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

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Genesis 32: 22-31

The background to today’s reading includes Jacob’s supplanting his older brother, Esau, by tricking Isaac into giving him the blessing that properly belonged to Esau. Many years passed, and Jacob was very wealthy. He learned that Esau was coming to meet him with an army of 400 men. To protect his wealth, he divided his herds into two parts (so one part could escape if necessary), prayed to Yahweh, and sent gifts to Esau. In today’s reading, on the night before he expected to meet Esau, Jacob wrestled with a “man” all through the night. The angel/man/God changed Jacob’s name from Jacob (“supplanter”) to Israel (“one who strives with God”). Reflecting the antiquity of the story, the divine being vanished before sunrise.

In ancient Israel, “naming” something gave a person control over what was named. For this reason, the divine being did not respond to Jacob’s question, “Please tell me your name” (v. 29). At the end of the story, Jacob changed the name of the place to Peniel (“face of El”) because he had seen God face to face. In Hebrew, words ending in “el” are “God Words.” “El” was one of the oldest names for God in the Middle East. Examples include Gabriel, Daniel, Rachel, Temple Beth-el, Israel, and the like.

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concern 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 64 CE). Writing something in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries. By the Second Century, the Jesus Follower Community was more institutionalized and concerns about “heresy” had arisen.

2 Timothy is more personal than 1 Timothy. In today’s reading, the author, writing as Paul, continued to urge Timothy to be firm in his faith and to recognize that Scripture is inspired by God. Emphasizing the dangers of false belief, he urged Timothy to continue his ministry.

2016, October 9 ~ 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c & 2 Timothy 2:8-15

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2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

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. The books all emphasize that God controls history.

Consistent with that point, in today’s reading, it is Yahweh (!) who gives victory to Naaman, a general of Aram (modern Syria) over Israel around 850 BCE (v. 1). Elisha, the successor to Elijah, was in Samaria, the capital of Northern Israel at this time. Naaman came to Elisha with great riches and a letter from the king of Aram to the king of Israel asking that Naaman be cured of his “leprosy” (which could have been any skin ailment). Elisha directed Naaman to wash in the River Jordan seven times, and Naaman was healed.

As Naaman states (v.15), the lesson of this story is that Yahweh’s power is not territorially limited to the lands of Israel and Judea – it extends to the whole world.

2 Timothy 2:8-15

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concern 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 64 CE). Writing something 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.

2 Timothy is more personal than 1 Timothy. In today’s reading, the author, writing as Paul, restates key elements of the Gospel and emphasizes that “Paul” has endured hardships so that others may obtain salvation with eternal glory (v. 10). Verses 11 to 13 are generally regarded by scholars as an ancient hymn, and “Paul” encourages Timothy to present himself as one approved by God.

2016, October 2 ~ Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 & 2 Timothy 1:1-14

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

After the death of the good King Josiah in 609 BCE, Judea went into a sharp decline, culminating with the Babylonian Exile, the first part of which began in 597 BCE and the second part of which began in 586 and lasted until 539 BCE. Josiah emphasized the Torah, but in the reign of his successors “the law became slack” (1:4). Habakkuk prophesied (spoke for Yahweh) from the time Josiah’s death to the first deportation of Judean leaders in 597 BCE. He was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah and his messages are similar to Jeremiah’s. In today’s readings, Habakkuk laments the destruction and violence in Judea and the lack of justice. In the verses between today’s readings, he speaks for Yahweh and says that the Chaldeans (Babylonians) will serve as the instrument of God’s justice to punish the Judeans. In the second part of today’s reading, Yahweh replies that divine justice will come “at the appointed time” because of the righteous (2:3-4).

2 Timothy 1:1-14

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concern 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 64 CE). Writing something in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries. By then, the Jesus Follower Community was more institutionalized and concerns about “heresy” and false teachings arose.

2 Timothy is more personal than 1 Timothy. The author, writing as Paul, treats Timothy as his “beloved child” and his spiritual heir. Today’s reading contains a typical “Pauline salutation” followed by a “thanksgiving” for Timothy’s faith (vv. 3-7). “Paul” emphasizes that his understanding of the gospel is the true one, and presents the gospel proclamation in shorthand form in verses 9 and 10. “Paul” asserts 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).

2016, September 25 ~ Amos 6:1a, 4-7 & 1 Timothy 6:6-19

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Amos 6:1a, 4-7

After Solomon died in 930 BCE, the Kingdom of Israel split into two parts, the North (called Israel with 10 tribes) and the South (called Judea with two tribes). The reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (788-747 BCE) was very prosperous and a time of great inequality between rich and poor. Amos was a cattle herder and cared for fig trees in Judea, but he was called by Yahweh to go north to prophesy (speak for the LORD) against Israel from about 760 to 750 BCE. Amos is one of the 12 “minor” prophets whose works are shorter than the three “major” prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel).

In today’s reading, Amos (speaking for Yahweh) harshly criticized the wealthy in Israel and predicted their doom. His mention of the “ruin of Joseph” (v.6) is a colloquial reference to the impending destruction of Northern Israel by Assyria in 722 BCE. The “back story” to this reference is: according to Numbers 18, the Tribe of Levi was not allocated land because they were priests and received tithes from the other tribes. Therefore, there would have been only 11 tribes receiving land. To fix this, Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were each allocated lands and counted among the 12 Tribes of Israel. Because the Tribe of Ephraim became the largest and most prosperous of the Northern 10 tribes and King Jeroboam was an Ephraimite, the nation of Northern Israel was sometimes referred to as “Ephraim” or “Joseph.”

1 Timothy 6:6-19

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concern 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 64 CE). Writing something in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries.

Today’s reading is from the last chapter of the letter. The author cautions against love of money, encourages the active “pursuit” of righteousness and “fighting the good fight of the faith.” (v.12)

2016, September 18 ~ Amos 8:4-7 and 1 Timothy 2:1-7

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Amos 8:4-7

After Solomon died in 930 BCE, the Kingdom of Israel split into two parts, the North (called Israel) and the South (called Judea). The reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (788-747 BCE) was very prosperous and was a time of great inequality between rich and poor. Amos was a cattle herder and cared for fig trees in Judea, but he was called by Yahweh to prophesy (speak for the LORD) against Israel from about 760 to 750 BCE. Amos is one of the 12 “minor” prophets whose works are shorter than the three “major” prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel). In today’s reading, Amos criticizes the unfair and fraudulent business practices of the wealthy and their impatience for the Holy Days to pass so they can resume bilking the poor and enslaving them. Amos says that YHWH will remember these misdeeds and punish the evildoers. In 722 BCE, Assyria conquered Israel and scattered its wealthy class.

1 Timothy 2:1-7

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concern 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 64 CE). Writing in someone else’s name was a common practice in the First and Second Centuries. By this time, the Jesus Follower Community was more institutionalized. Today’s reading urges accommodation by the Jesus Followers to the worldly authorities for the sake of the peace of the church. 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).

2016, September 11 ~ Exodus 32:7-14 & 1 Timothy 1:12-17

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Exodus 32: 7-14

Exodus, the second book of the Bible, covers the period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the call(s) of Moses, Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness.

At Mount Sinai (the holy mountain is “Horeb” in some other books), Moses received the Law from YHWH for 40 days and nights. (“Forty” is a euphemism in the Bible for “a long time.”) While Moses was away, the people under Aaron (Moses’ brother) became impatient and cast a calf made from gold earrings that Egyptian women (somewhat curiously) gave them when they left Egypt. Aaron also built an altar and proclaimed a festival to YHWH.

YHWH is presented today’s passage as having very human qualities. At first, the angry God disowns the Israelites, says Moses brought them out of Egypt, and determines to “consume them.” Moses responds that “they are your people” and the Egyptians will question YHWH’s power and motives if the Israelites were rescued by YHWH and then were killed. He reminds YHWH of the promises to the Patriarchs, and YHWH’s mind is changed about bringing disaster on the people.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

The Letters to Timothy and Titus are called “Pastoral Letters” because they concern 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 62 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.

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

2016, September 4 ~ Deuteronomy 30:15-20 & Philemon 1:1-21

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Deuteronomy 30: 15-20

Deuteronomy is the fifth (and last) book of the Torah. It is structured as Moses’ final speech to the Israelites just before they enter the Promised Land (which, if the events are historical, would have been around 1225 BCE).

“Deuteronomy” comes from Greek words meaning “Second Law.” The book is presented as a “restatement’ of the laws in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. Although much of the book was written in the reign of Josiah (640 to 609 BCE), there were later revisions during and after the Exile (587-539 BCE).

All the Deuteronomic books (Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) contain an over-arching theme that “explains” Ancient Israel’s Exile and Judea’s subjugation to other nations. Rather than seeing the Exile and the other conquests of Judea as the result of the greater economic and military might of foreign nations, they are portrayed as the result of failing to obey the commandments of the LORD (v. 16) and being “led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them” (v.17). Verses 16 and 17 start with “if” and reflect the Deuteronomists’ understanding that the Covenant with the LORD was conditional. Judea failed to live up to its part of the covenant, and this is why it suffered.

Philemon 1: 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 three of the verses of the entire letter.

The letter is written from prison, but the site is not specified. Paul is 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 notes that he converted Philemon (“owing me in your own self” v.19).

2016, August 28 ~ Sirach 10:12-18 & Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

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Sirach 10:12-18

The Book of Sirach is not included in the Jewish version of the Hebrew Bible, but is included in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox versions of the Hebrew Bible. Protestants place Sirach in a separate section of the Bible called the “Apocrypha” (which means “hidden books”). The book is known by the name of its author, and its full title is “The Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach.” In the Roman Catholic tradition, the book is known as “Ecclesiasticus” (“the Church’s book”). It was written around 180 BCE, during a time when the Seleucids (from Syria) were ruling Judea and trying to impose Greek gods upon the Judeans. Ben Sira describes himself as a “scribe” (which means a person of learning). The Prologue to Sirach contains the first reference in Jewish Literature to “the Law, the Prophesies, and the rest of the books” – the division of the Hebrew Bible into three parts. The book primarily consists of “traditional” advice to young men in the Jewish community, consistent with the advice to young men contained in the Book of Proverbs. In today’s reading, Sirach states that human pride and sin lead to retribution by the Lord – a view consistent with Deuteronomy’s over-all theme that if you do good, good things will happen, but if you do bad things (such as worship false gods), bad things will happen.

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

The Letter to the Hebrews is an anonymous sermon addressed to Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urges them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution. Most scholars agree it was written after Paul’s death in 62 CE. Today’s reading is from the last chapter of the Letter and exhorts his listeners to show mutual love and hospitality (referring to Abraham’s entertaining angels/God at Mamre). As the reading concludes, the author tells his listeners to praise God and do good deeds.

2016, August 21~ Isaiah 58:9b-14 & Hebrews 12:18-29

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Isaiah 58:9b-14

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 reflects the difficult issues facing the Judeans in the period after the Exile. In today’s reading, the author prophesies (that is, speaks for YHWH) by offering conditional encouragement to the Judeans that their fortunes will be restored if they care for the hungry and observe the Sabbath.

Hebrews 12:18-29

The Letter to the Hebrews is an anonymous sermon addressed to Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers urging them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution. Most scholars agree it was written after Paul’s death in 62 CE. Today’s reading reflects the growing separation – after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. – between the Jesus Follower Movement (which morphed into Christianity in the last part of the First Century) and Pharisaical Judaism (which morphed into Rabbinic Judaism). The author contrasts Mount Sinai as a place of terror with Mount Zion where the spirits of the righteous are made perfect by Jesus. He says the blood of Abel cried for vengeance (Gen. 4:10) but the blood of Jesus “speaks a better word” (v. 24). He paraphrases the prophet Haggai 2:6 for the expression “Yet once more” as a basis for the removal of created things in favor of “that which cannot be shaken” (v. 27). The actual context in Haggai is that the Lord would cause the return of riches from foreigners so the Temple could be rebuilt in splendor after the Exile ended in 539 BCE.

2016, August 14 ~ Jeremiah 23:23-29 & Hebrews 11:29-12:2

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Jeremiah 23:23-29

After the righteous King Josiah was killed in battle 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 586 BCE when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the Judean leaders to Babylon. Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e. speaking for Yahweh) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.

The Book of Jeremiah underwent substantial revisions between the time of Jeremiah and the First Century. Many of the sections that are in “poetry style” are attributed to the prophet, and parts in “prose style” were added later. Indeed, parts of Jeremiah are word-for-word the same as 2 Kings, a book written by the Deuteronomists (authors of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings).

Today’s reading is in “prose style” and attacks prophets who tell lies by interpreting dreams. Although dreams are sometimes favorably regarded in the Hebrew Bible (Joseph, son of Jacob; Jacob’s ladder dream; Daniel’s interpretations), this passage echoes Deuteronomy Chapter 13 which states that those divining by dreams should be put to death for treason against YHWH.

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

The Letter to the Hebrews is an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers who were suffering persecution. It urges them to maintain their Faith and Hope in the face of hardship. Although the Letter is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 62 CE. In today’s reading, the author refers to the faith of many persons in the Hebrew Bible, including the mothers of children who were brought back to life by Elijah and Elisha (v. 35). But, the author continues, even all these witnesses to faith were not “made perfect” because Jesus is the “perfecter of our faith.” (12:2)