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2019, July 21 ~ Amos 8:1-12 and Colossians 1:15-28

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Amos 8:1-12

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). Each of the Kingdoms had its own king.

The reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (788-747 BCE) was very prosperous, but a time of great inequality between rich and poor in which large landowners gained control of the lands of small farmers.

Amos was a cattle herder and cared for fig trees in Judea, but he was called by YHWH 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). He was the first (chronologically) of the prophets whose words left an indelible stamp on later thought in Israel about God.

In today’s reading, Amos criticized the unfair and fraudulent business practices of the wealthy and their impatience for the Holy Days to pass (v.5) so they could resume bilking the poor, enslaving them (v.6) and taking their lands.

The reading has some clever aspects. In verse 2, the Hebrew words for “fruit” and for “end” sound alike, Amos sees “fruit” but YHWH sees the “end.”

The reading also describes the “Day of the Lord” – a time of terror and mourning and darkness at noon (v. 9), a motif picked up by the authors of the Gospels in describing the Crucifixion (see Mark 15:33).

Amos said that YHWH would remember these misdeeds and punish the evildoers. In 722 BCE, Assyria conquered Israel and scattered its wealthy class.

Colossians 1:15-28

Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short (three chapters) and expressed concern about apocalyptic and mystical practices that were inconsistent with Paul’s understanding of being a Jesus Follower.

Scholars debate whether this letter was written by Paul or by his disciples in the decade after Paul’s death in 63 CE. It lacks many terms used in Paul’s authentic letters and its style is more liturgical than Paul’s other letters..

Today’s reading is highly theological and focuses on the Christ as the “image of God,” the “firstborn of all creation” (v.15), as existing before all things and that in which all things hold together (v.17).

2019, July 14 ~ Amos 7:7-14 and Colossians 1:1-14

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Amos 7:7-17

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). Each of the Kingdoms had its own king.

The reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (788-747 BCE) was very prosperous, but a time of great inequality between rich and poor in which large landowners gained control of the lands of small farmers.

Amos was a cattle herder and cared for fig trees in Judea, but he was called by YHWH 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). He was the first (chronologically) of the prophets whose words left an indelible stamp on later thought in Israel about God.

Today’s reading is part of a series of visions in which Amos told Israel that its political and religious institutions had not measured up (the “plumb line” in v.8) to YHWH’s commands and would be destroyed.

Like many prophets of YHWH, court prophets (such as Amaziah) told the kings what the kings wanted to hear. Amaziah denied that Amos’ words came from YHWH (v.11), but Amos countered that he was not a “professional prophet” (v.14) and invoked strong curses upon Israel (v.17) on behalf of YHWH.

Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE and much of its population was dispersed. It remained a subjugated land until 1947.

Colossians 1:1-14

Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short (three chapters) and expressed concern about apocalyptic and mystical practices that were inconsistent with Paul’s understanding of being a Jesus Follower.

Scholars debate whether this letter was written by Paul or by his disciples in the decade after Paul’s death in 63 CE. It lacks many terms used in Paul’s letters and its style is liturgical.

Today’s reading is the introduction to the letter and follows the typical format for Paul’s letters – a salutation (vv. 1-2), introductory thanksgiving (vv. 3-8) and a prayer (vv. 9-14). The substance of the Letter to the Colossians will be explored in the next three weeks.

2016, April 16 ~ Acts 10:34-43, Jeremiah 31:1-6 & Colossians 3:1-4

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Acts 10:34-43

The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written by the 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 (in Chapter 15) at the so-called Council of Jerusalem in 49 CE. According to Acts, at the Council, it was agreed by the elders of the Jesus Follower Movement that Gentiles did not have to be circumcised or keep all the kosher dietary laws in order to become Jesus Followers.

Today’s reading is a synopsis of the entire Gospel According to Luke, and is delivered by Peter when he is asked to baptize the Roman centurion, Cornelius. In the verses that follow today’s reading, Peter notes that Cornelius had received the Holy Spirit. He therefore baptized him, even though he was a Gentile. At the Council of Jerusalem, the Baptism of Cornelius was referred to by Peter as a reason for permitting Gentiles to become Jesus Followers (15:7-8).

Jeremiah 31:1-6

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 Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Babylonians deported some Judean leaders in 597 and a larger number of them in 586 (the beginning of the Babylonian Exile). Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e. speaking for Yahweh) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.

In today’s reading, the prophet speaks for YHWH to say that all the families of Israel (the 12 Tribes) will be restored, just as the Israelites were restored in the Exodus. They will again take their tambourines (v.4), just as Miriam (Moses’ sister) and the women used tambourines to celebrate passing through the Sea of Reeds (Ex. 15:20).

Colossians 3:1-4

Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short and expresses concern about practices that were inconsistent with Paul’s understanding of being a Jesus Follower. Scholars debate whether it was written by Paul or his disciples in the decade after Paul’s death in 63 CE.

In today’s reading, the author expresses an eschatological vision – not the end of the world, but an end of the world as the Colossians knew it. He urges the Colossians, as persons who have already “been raised with Christ,” to focus on heavenly matters rather than earthly concerns. The statement “for you have died” (v.3) is a reference back to “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe” (2:20) – you are no longer limited by the four primal elements.

2016. November 20 ~ Jeremiah 23:1-6 & Colossians 1:11-20

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Jeremiah 23:1-6

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 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 sections 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). The consistent Deuteronomic themes in the prose style parts are that Yahweh controls Judea’s fate and if Judeans and their kings do not worship Yahweh faithfully, they will be scattered. Yahweh’s power is such, however, that a “remnant” will return from Babylon to Judea.

Today’s reading is in prose style and attacks the kings and priests (the “shepherds”). It holds up the promise that Yahweh will raise up for “David” (Judea) a righteous king who will enable Israel to live in safety and righteousness.

Colossians 1:11-20

Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short (four chapters) and expresses concern about practices that are inconsistent with Paul’s understanding of being a Jesus Follower. Scholars debate whether it was written by Paul or by his disciples in the decade after Paul’s death in 64 CE.

In today’s reading, the author adopts an apocalyptic theme in contrasting light and darkness (vv. 12-13). He expresses the theme that believers are redeemed and receive forgiveness of sin in the Christ (v. 14). “Redemption” conveys the sense of being bought back, the way something already owned is redeemed from a pawn shop. He describes Jesus of Nazareth as the “image” (or symbol or manifestation) of the invisible God (v.15) and describes the Cosmic Christ as the unifying force for all created things, the one who brings life to us even though we encounter our own deaths, and the force that reconciles all things in the God of Love.

2016, July 31st ~ Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23 & Colossians 3:1-11

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Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23

Ecclesiastes was written by a person known in Hebrew as Qohelet (which means the “Gatherer” or “Teacher” or “Preacher”). Because the book contains Persian and Aramaic “loan-words,” the book is dated to the time of Persian rule of Judea (539 to 333 BCE). (Loan-words are words borrowed from one language to another; for example, “rendezvous” is a loan-word in English from French.) In verse 12, Qohelet assumes the persona of Solomon, the traditionally wise king who reigned from 968 to 928 BCE, but the book was written much later.

The Persian Period was one of great prosperity, but one in which the individual was an insignificant part of a large Empire. The over-arching themes in Ecclesiastes are that everything is “vanity” (the Hebrew word, hebel, is also translated as “vapor” or “breath”) and our lives are transient and insignificant. “Vanity” is used to describe all that is ephemeral, insubstantial, enigmatic, or absurd. Qohelet asserts that the fruit of one’s toil and one’s wisdom and knowledge cannot be taken with us when we die.

Colossians 3:1-11

Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short and expresses concern about practices that are inconsistent with Paul’s understanding of being a Jesus Follower. Scholars debate whether it was written by Paul or his disciples in the decade after Paul’s death in 62 CE. In today’s reading, the author expresses his eschatological vision – not an end of the world, but an end of the world as the Colossians knew it. He urges the Colossians to put on a “new self” so that earthly distinctions such as Jew and Greek (i.e. Gentile) will no longer exist.

2016, July 24th ~ Genesis 18:20-32 & Colossians 2:6-19

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Genesis 18:20-32
Genesis, like much of the Torah, is an amalgam of oral and written 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 part of an early tradition. Two clues to the date of today’s reading are (1) that God’s name is printed in the NRSV as “LORD” in all capital letters (LORD is the translation of YHWH) and (2) God is presented anthropomorphically – a God who walked in Eden and spoke directly with humans. In the verses just before today’s reading, YHWH is described as having an internal debate about whether to disclose God’s own plans to Abraham. In today’s story, Abraham conducts a back-and-forth negotiation with a very human-like YHWH regarding the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. By appealing to YHWH’s sense of fairness and justice, Abraham gets YHWH to reduce dramatically the number of “righteous” people needed to save the cities. Nevertheless, the two cities are destroyed by YHWH in the next chapter.

Colossians 2:6-19
Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short (four chapters) and expresses concern about practices that are inconsistent with the author’s understanding of being a Jesus Follower. Scholars debate whether it was written by Paul or his disciples in the decade after Paul’s death in 62 CE. Today’s reading is the theological core of the letter. The author notes that the Colossians have orally received Christ, and warns against “philosophy” (other ethical teachings) and practices associated with some forms of 1st Century Judaism: “elemental spirits” (v.8), physical circumcision (v.13), matters of food and drink (v. 16), and observing festivals, new moons and Sabbaths (v. 16).

2016, July 17th ~ Genesis 18: 1-10a & Colossians 1:15-28

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Genesis 18: 1-10a
In the passages just before today’s reading, the account noted that Abraham was 99 years old and Sarah was more than 90 years old. Today’s reading speaks of Yahweh appearing to Abraham (whenever the translation is “LORD” in all capital letters, the word in the Hebrew Bible is YHWH) at Mamre, an ancient Southern sacred place near Hebron. Yahweh appears as three men, and Abraham offers them a “little bread.” In hyperbole that is often characteristic of the Hebrew Bible, Abraham directs Sarah to make bread from 27 pounds of flour and to prepare an entire calf for three people! Somewhat confusingly, the three men sometimes speak as one person (v.5 and v.9) and at other times, only one of them speaks (v.10) to say that Sarah will have a son in a year. In the verses after today’s reading, Sarah laughs at this prediction. The Hebrew Bible loves puns, and the name of Abraham and Sarah’s son, “Isaac,” means “he laughs.” Christian interpreters sometimes see the three men as prefiguring the Trinity.

Colossians 1:15-28
Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short (four chapters) and expresses concern about practices that are inconsistent with Paul’s understanding of being a Jesus Follower. Scholars debate whether it was written by Paul or his disciples in the decade after Paul’s death in 62 CE. In today’s reading, the author emphasizes the supremacy of Christ over the cosmos and over the church and says that the Christ is the image of the invisible God. Unlike some of Paul’s writings, this letter asserts that continued steadfastness to the faith is needed for reconciliation in Christ’s earthly body and to attain salvation at the end of times. The author recounts Paul’s sufferings as a way of illustrating his belief that believers must suffer before the culmination of history.

2016, July 10th ~ Deuteronomy 30:9-14 & Colossians 1:1-14

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Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Deuteronomy is the fifth (and last) book of the Torah and is presented as if it were Moses’ final speech to the Israelites just before they enter the Promised Land. “Deuteronomy” comes from Greek words that mean “Second Law” and the book is a “restatement’ of the laws in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. There were later revisions to the book of Deuteronomy after the Exile ended in 539 BCE, but the bulk of the book is generally dated to the reign of Josiah from 640 to 609 BCE. The first part of today’s reading expresses a theme found in all the Deuteronomic books (Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings): “if you do good, you will get good, but if you do bad, you will get bad.” Reference to the “book of the law” in verse 10 may be a later addition because most scholars agree that the Torah was finalized and codified in the 5th Century BCE. Verses 11 to 14 challenge assumptions that divine wisdom is not knowable, and the reference to the “word” being “in your mouth” (v. 14) reflects the reality that oral transmission was prevalent in non-literate societies.

Colossians 1:1-14
Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short (four chapters) and expresses concern about practices that are inconsistent with Paul’s understanding of being a Jesus Follower. Scholars debate whether it was written by Paul or his disciples in the decade after Paul’s death in 62 CE. In today’s reading, the author emphasizes faith, love and hope as key Christian virtues (vv. 4-5) and adopts an apocalyptic theme in contrasting light and darkness (vv. 12-13). He expresses the theme that believers are redeemed and receive forgiveness of sin in Christ (v. 14). “Redemption” conveys the sense of being bought back, the way something already owned is redeemed from a pawn shop.