NEW TESTAMENT: Romans 6: 12 - 23 (RCL)
Roma 6:12 (NRSV) Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13 No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18 and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
h/t Montreal Anglican
notes
Paul has told his readers that baptism has changed their way of being from one in which God responded to their continual contravention of the Law by loving them more to one in which sin is no more. But freedom from sin is not yet definitive: they can still be tempted and can succumb to the “passions” of their “bodies”. So take care to avoid using any of your faculties and functions (“members”, v. 13) to advance the cause of evil, but rather work actively to advance God’s benevolence (“righteousness”). At the end of time, sin will not be your master, and you will fully live the baptised life, “under grace” (v. 14), in God’s free gift of love. In v. 15 Paul asks again the rhetorical question he posed in v. 1: are we now free to behave as we like, no longer being subject to the Law?; he again answers no!.
He now uses the analogy of slavery (or servanthood) to explain the two ways of being. You cannot serve two masters (v. 16). If sin is your master, you will face spiritual (as well as physical) death; death will be final. However if you serve God, your end is oneness with him (“righteousness”). Through baptism you have ceased to be under sin; you have committed yourselves willingly (“from the heart”, v. 17) to obedience to the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection (“form of teaching ...”). You have attained Christian liberty and have become servants of God (v. 18). He explains a divine truth “in human terms” (v. 19).
In the old way, you were slaves to licentiousness and accumulation of sin (for only some sins could be forgiven); in the new way, you work towards “sanctification” (v. 19, consecration to God and dedication to him). Before conversion, you thought yourselves free from God’s demands (v. 20), but the end-point of that life was “death” (v. 21). In the new way, the goal (“end”, v. 22) is sharing in God himself, “eternal life”. Now v. 23: “wages” are regular, recurrent. In the old way, you regularly deserved spiritual “death”, but God’s gift is pro gratia, without expectation of repayment.
Verse 12: “sin”: For Paul, hamartia (sin) is that personified active force that came into human history through Adam, has reigned over human beings up to Jesus’ coming, and seeks to continue to reign. It can entice Christians too. [NJBC]
Verse 12: “their passions”: In P46 (the oldest text of Romans) and elsewhere (notably in the writings of Irenaeus and Tertullian), the text is obey it, i.e. sin. The sense of the text is much the same. [NJBC]
Verse 13: Paul uses a military figure: “instruments of wickedness” is literally weapons of wickedness and “instruments of righteousness” is literally arms of righteousness. “Wickedness” (iniquity) and “righteousness” are also contrasted in 1QS (*Qumran Rule of the Community) 3:20-21. There sedeq (uprightness) is closely linked to observance of the law, whereas for Paul it assumes all the connotations of the new Christian life. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “instruments of righteousness”: Righteousness here is God’s act of grace towards the sinner that enables him or her to live in grace, i.e. to be no longer under the control of sin. Paul makes an allusion to Isaiah 11:5 (“Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.”) and 59:17 (“He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle”). [NJBC]
Verse 14: “will have”: NJBC considers the future tense here to express a categorical prohibition, so must is an appropriate translation.
Verses 16-22: “slaves”: Note that in 1:1 Paul calls himself (literally) a slave (Greek: doulos) of Christ. He uses the word as it was used in the Old Testament (strangely, the NRSV consistently translates the word as servant):
• Certain persons called themselves slaves of Yahweh: see Psalms 27:9; 31:16; 89:50.
• Slave was used to describe great figures who served Yahweh in the story leading to salvation (salvation history): Moses in 2 Kings 18:12; Joshua in Judges 2:8, and Abraham in Psalm 105:6.
Paul sees himself as being in the same lineage.
Verse 17: “form of teaching”: “Form” translates typos, a word which has two meanings: (1) a visible impression (of a stroke or a die), a mark, an image (as in our word typewriter), and (2) a compendious, terse, presentation of a topic. (It is so used in Plato’s Republic). Being coupled with didache (teaching) here, the latter sense seems more likely. So the reference seems to be to a succinct summary of faith which was “entrusted” to the newly baptised. [NJBC]
Verse 18: “set free from sin”: The notion of Christian liberty is operative from this point on in Romans: in 8:2, Paul writes: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death”. See also 7:3 and 8:21. [NJBC]
Verse 19: “to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity”: Paul is probably not thinking of typical pagan vices, but rather the same forms of sin of which the Qumran community repudiated their members: see 1QS (Rule of the Community) 3:5; 4:10, 23-24. [NJBC]
Verse 19: “sanctification”: In the sense in which Paul uses “saints” in 1:7: “To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints ...”. See also 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8. [NOAB]
Verse 22: “eternal life”: i.e. God’s future, the world to come. The term “eternal life” is used infrequently by Paul but he does also use it in 2:7; 5:21; Galatians 6:8. [NJBC]
Verse 23: “wages”: The Greek word literally means ration money, as paid to a soldier – a regular, recurrent payment. The idea is that the more one sinned, the more justification God had for cutting one off from him when one physically died. [NJBC]
GOSPEL: Matthew 10: 40 - 42 (RCL)
Matthew 10: 37 - 42 (Roman Catholic)
Matt 10:37 (NRSV) Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
40 "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple--truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."
notes
Our reading is Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples as he prepares them to continue his mission. Earlier he has told them that being his followers will, at times, be difficult: they will be persecuted. Now he tells them the nature of the authority they will have, and will hand on to future disciples.
Jewish law considered that one’s agent is like oneself. Jesus goes beyond this: to welcome a disciple is to welcome both him and the Father. Prophecy (v. 41) continues into the era of the risen Christ. If one “welcomes a prophet”, recognizing his office and actions (“name”), one will “receive a prophet’s reward”, i.e. a place in the Kingdom. A “righteous person” is probably a Christian. A person who welcomes him or her, recognizing what being a Christian means, will attain union with God. Then v. 42: one who, “in the name of a disciple” (and through him, of God), helps someone on the fringe of society (or the Church) even in a simple, kindly way will be rewarded in heaven.
Verse 40: Comments: Jewish law considered that one’s agent is like oneself.: See Mishna Berokot 5:5. [NJBC]
Verse 41: There seem to have been some bad prophets in Matthew’s community: see 7:15-16 (“Beware of false prophets ...”) and 23:34. See also Didache 11:3-6. [NJBC]
Verse 41: “righteous person”: Scholarly opinions vary regarding to whom this is a reference. One scholar suggests that it is a person who has suffered persecution for the faith and remains in the community as an honoured witness. [NJBC]
Verse 42: “little ones”: Jesus calls his disciples “children” in Mark 10:24 and refers to them as “infants” in Matthew 11:25. So an interpretation (which may be different from that given in Comments) is that Jesus is referring here to those who have started the journey to understanding God’s ways but have a long way to go. See also 18:6, 10, 14 where Jesus also refers to “little ones”. Clearly, “little ones” are very important to God. [NJBC]
Verse 42: “their”: This is a gender-neutral way of saying his or her or one’s. The reference is to the person who gives to the “little ones”.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Corinthians 13: 11 - 13 (all)
2Cor 13:11 (NRSV) Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.
13 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
h/t montreal Anglican
This letter, which Paul now concludes, shows a lack of harmony among Corinthian Christians. Paul exhorts them to restore the “order” and “peace” which God expects. The “holy kiss” (v. 12) was a symbol of communal love among Christians; it was shared at the Eucharist. The “saints” are other Christians. Note the order in v. 13: the “grace of ... Christ” leads us to “the love of God”; this love flows into common participation in God and with each other. This verse is known as the Grace.
Verse 12: “a holy kiss”: See also Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 12: “saints”: Christians in western Macedonia or Illyricum (Albania and Montenegro). [NJBC]
Verse 13: Ephesians 5:23 is comparable with this triadic tradition, which is not a trinitarian formula in the dogmatic sense. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ”: See also Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 16:23; Philippians 4:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:28; Philemon 25. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “the love of God”: In Romans 8:39, Paul says: “nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
Verse 13: “the communion of the Holy Spirit”: In Philippians 2:1, Paul says: “If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete” meaning there definitely are these qualities in God. [NJBC]
GOSPEL: Matthew 28: 16 - 20 (RCL)
Matt 28:16 (NRSV) Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
After his resurrection, Jesus has told Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” (v. 1) to “tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (v. 10). Now Jesus appears to “the eleven” (v. 16, less Judas) on “the mountain” where he was transfigured. Some worship (v. 17) him, but others doubt. He has received “all authority” (v. 18) from the Father, so he now sends out his followers to “all nations” (v. 19, not just Israel) to:
* baptise in the possession and protection (“name”) of the Trinity, and
* to carry on his teaching ministry.
To help in this daunting task, he is, and will be, with them until the Kingdom of God comes fully.
See also Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:36-39; John 20:19-23; Acts 1:9-11. In Luke, Jesus appears to his disciples in Jerusalem and vicinity. [NJBC]
Verse 16: “the mountain”: As in 5:1, 15:29 and 17:1, 7 (the Transfiguration), Jesus reveals his purpose to his followers on a mountain.
Verse 17: “worshipped him”: Literally prostrated themselves in worship. [NOAB]
Verse 18: “authority”: This notion is also found in 11:27 (“All things have been handed over to me by my Father ...”); Luke 10:22; Philippians 2:9 (“... God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name”); Ephesians 1:20-22. “authority”: See also Daniel 7:14 (“To him was given dominion and glory and kingship ...”); 2 Chronicles 36:23; Matthew 6:10 (the Lord’s Prayer). [NJBC]
Verse 19: “all nations”: Not just in Israel, as in 10:5-6 and 15:24. The Gentile mission has been hinted at in 2:1-2; 4:15; 8:5-13; 10:18; 15:21-28; 22:1-10; 24:14; 25:32; 26:13. For the mission to all nations, see also Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 19: “in the name of”: Based on Psalm 124, the meaning is in the possession of and under the protection of.
Verse 19: “the Father ... Son ... and ... Holy Spirit”: This triadic formula may have its roots in the apocalyptic triad of God, the Son of Man (or Elect One) and Angel found in Daniel 7 and Ezekiel 1. See also 1 Enoch 14. [NJBC]
Verse 20: “obey”: NJBC translates the Greek as observe.
Verse 20: “I am with you”: In 18:20, Jesus says “‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them’”. While Paul is in Corinth, God tells him in a vision: “‘I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you ...’”: see Acts 18:10. [NOAB] [NJBC]
The gift of the Holy Spirit is not specifically mentioned as it is in John 20:22 (“When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit”) and Acts 2:1-4 (Pentecost), but in Paul the Holy Spirit is at times the presence of Jesus among us. In 2 Corinthians 3:17, Paul writes: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. [NJBC]
2Cor 13:11 (NRSV) Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.
13 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
h/t montreal Anglican
This letter, which Paul now concludes, shows a lack of harmony among Corinthian Christians. Paul exhorts them to restore the “order” and “peace” which God expects. The “holy kiss” (v. 12) was a symbol of communal love among Christians; it was shared at the Eucharist. The “saints” are other Christians. Note the order in v. 13: the “grace of ... Christ” leads us to “the love of God”; this love flows into common participation in God and with each other. This verse is known as the Grace.
Verse 12: “a holy kiss”: See also Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 12: “saints”: Christians in western Macedonia or Illyricum (Albania and Montenegro). [NJBC]
Verse 13: Ephesians 5:23 is comparable with this triadic tradition, which is not a trinitarian formula in the dogmatic sense. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ”: See also Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 16:23; Philippians 4:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:28; Philemon 25. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “the love of God”: In Romans 8:39, Paul says: “nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
Verse 13: “the communion of the Holy Spirit”: In Philippians 2:1, Paul says: “If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete” meaning there definitely are these qualities in God. [NJBC]
GOSPEL: Matthew 28: 16 - 20 (RCL)
Matt 28:16 (NRSV) Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
After his resurrection, Jesus has told Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” (v. 1) to “tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (v. 10). Now Jesus appears to “the eleven” (v. 16, less Judas) on “the mountain” where he was transfigured. Some worship (v. 17) him, but others doubt. He has received “all authority” (v. 18) from the Father, so he now sends out his followers to “all nations” (v. 19, not just Israel) to:
* baptise in the possession and protection (“name”) of the Trinity, and
* to carry on his teaching ministry.
To help in this daunting task, he is, and will be, with them until the Kingdom of God comes fully.
See also Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:36-39; John 20:19-23; Acts 1:9-11. In Luke, Jesus appears to his disciples in Jerusalem and vicinity. [NJBC]
Verse 16: “the mountain”: As in 5:1, 15:29 and 17:1, 7 (the Transfiguration), Jesus reveals his purpose to his followers on a mountain.
Verse 17: “worshipped him”: Literally prostrated themselves in worship. [NOAB]
Verse 18: “authority”: This notion is also found in 11:27 (“All things have been handed over to me by my Father ...”); Luke 10:22; Philippians 2:9 (“... God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name”); Ephesians 1:20-22. “authority”: See also Daniel 7:14 (“To him was given dominion and glory and kingship ...”); 2 Chronicles 36:23; Matthew 6:10 (the Lord’s Prayer). [NJBC]
Verse 19: “all nations”: Not just in Israel, as in 10:5-6 and 15:24. The Gentile mission has been hinted at in 2:1-2; 4:15; 8:5-13; 10:18; 15:21-28; 22:1-10; 24:14; 25:32; 26:13. For the mission to all nations, see also Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 19: “in the name of”: Based on Psalm 124, the meaning is in the possession of and under the protection of.
Verse 19: “the Father ... Son ... and ... Holy Spirit”: This triadic formula may have its roots in the apocalyptic triad of God, the Son of Man (or Elect One) and Angel found in Daniel 7 and Ezekiel 1. See also 1 Enoch 14. [NJBC]
Verse 20: “obey”: NJBC translates the Greek as observe.
Verse 20: “I am with you”: In 18:20, Jesus says “‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them’”. While Paul is in Corinth, God tells him in a vision: “‘I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you ...’”: see Acts 18:10. [NOAB] [NJBC]
The gift of the Holy Spirit is not specifically mentioned as it is in John 20:22 (“When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit”) and Acts 2:1-4 (Pentecost), but in Paul the Holy Spirit is at times the presence of Jesus among us. In 2 Corinthians 3:17, Paul writes: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. [NJBC]
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
FIRST READING: Acts 2: 1 - 21 (RCL)
Acts 2:1 (NRSV) When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Par'thians, Medes, E'lamites, and residents of Mesopota'mia, Judea and Cappado'cia, Pon'tus and Asia, 10 Phryg'ia and Pamphyl'ia, Egypt and the parts of Lib'ya belonging to Cyre'ne, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cre'tans and A'rabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Jo'el:
17 "In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
Notes h/t Montreal Anglican
The day of Pentecost has come; it is now fifty days since Easter. The way Luke puts it shows that Pentecost is a milestone in the story of salvation: recall Luke 2:6, “the time came for her to deliver her child ...” and Luke 9:51, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up ...” These too are milestones, and the language is similar. Other translations have was fulfilled for “had come” (v. 1) – the coming of the Holy Spirit is fulfilment. Look at the manner in which the Holy Spirit comes: the sound is “like the rush of a violent wind” (v. 2); and then, “divided tongues, as of fire” (v. 3). Luke attempts to describe the event in human terms, but it is never possible to explain a divine mystery: all we can do is say what it is like. The coming of the Holy Spirit is the gift inaugurating the final stage of the salvation story (or history, chronology); this era leads up to the end of time. His arrival is in fulfilment of Christ's promise, recorded in 1:8.
Acts is about mission, about speaking, proclaiming, the good news to people everywhere, in languages (and language) they can understand; Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit is the driving force behind this work, e.g. in the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch, we read “the Spirit said to Philip ...” (8:29). They spoke “in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability” (v. 4). Divided into nations in antiquity, now all humanity is one; now God is in our midst. The Spirit is the launching pad for this mission. The list in vv. 9-10 includes Jews from the whole of the known world. The mission to Gentiles will begin later. “God's deeds of power” (v. 11), of which all spoke, are explained by Peter in vv. 14-36, based on a quotation from the book of Joel (vv. 17-18): as the end of the era in which we are living approaches, many people will prophesy, and many will “see” things beyond what we call concrete reality. And this will happen because God pours out the Holy Spirit. Prophecy here is probably enthusiastically sharing the faith, “speaking about God's deeds of power” (v. 11). The “portents” (v. 19, events that foreshadow the end of the era) are expressed in terms of primitive science but we need to realize that things will happen which make no sense to our rational minds, things we cannot explain.
The fifty-day wait for the Holy Spirit is only found in Luke/Acts. In John 20:22, Jesus breathes on the disciples, and says “‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”. This raises the question: is Pentecost the same as Jesus’ gift of the Spirit? I present two possible answers:
• V. 4 reports that the disciples were speaking in different languages, without specifying which; v. 8 reports that members of the crowd were hearing in different languages. Perhaps members of the crowd were given a gift of interpretation of the tongues, and simply reported hearing their own language, so that the message might reach everyone.
• In John 20:22, the Holy Spirit comes to the disciples, but in Acts he/she comes to (or is seen by) many.
Pentecost is the point where the true Israel starts to separate itself from unbelieving Jewry, to become the Church. Jews from greater Israel (the Diaspora) witness the event.
This story is reminiscent of Isaiah 66:15-20, especially the Septuagint translation. Isaiah 66:18-20 (NRSV) says, in part: “I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. ... They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations ... just as the Israelites bring a grain offering ...”
Verse 1: The Feast of Weeks, celebrating the wheat harvest, was fifty days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover; hence the name Pentecost. Only from the second century AD on (notes JBC) was the giving of the law to Moses also celebrated as part of the Feast of Weeks. Leviticus 23:15-21 commands that this festival be celebrated, and how.
Verse 1: “had come”: NJBC has was fulfilled.
Verse 1: “all together”: These may be the 120 people of 1:15: “In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) ...”.
Verse 1: “in one place”: perhaps the house of 1:13: “When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying ...”. The scene changes to an arena or other public area in v. 5.
Comments: His arrival is in fulfilment of Christ's promise, recorded in 1:8. 1:8 says “... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”.
Verse 8: Here they speak in foreign tongues (or, in some cases, dialects), but in 1 Corinthians 14:1-33, their form of speech is incomprehensible. [NOAB]
Verses 9-11: The list is generally from east to west, but Judea is out of place. This list is unlikely to be of Lucan origin, for Luke tells of missionary work in Syria, Cilicia, Macedonia and Achaia. Also, "Cretans and Arabs” (people of Jewish descent, from Arabia) seems to have been tacked on by a later hand. [JBC]
Verse 11: “God’s deeds of power”: Peter tells of them in vv. 22-36. [JBC]
Verses 12-13: This prefigures Israel’s general rejection of Jesus’ teaching, later in the book.
Verses 17-21: The citation from Joel 2:28-32 follows the Septuagint translation. A most important guide to Luke’s intentions is the series of alterations he (or his source) has made in the quoted text to produce a pertinent testimony:
• “In the last days”: This phrase replaces afterwards, making the prophecy more plainly the eschatological vision it already is. It is understood in the expanded sense of the time of the Church: see 1:6-8.
• “they shall prophesy” (v. 18): Luke has added this phrase. While Jesus’ status as a prophet is never more than obliquely affirmed in Luke-Acts, and neither is the risen Lord’s status as a prophet like Moses, yet it is an important ingredient of Luke’s theory of the necessity of the Passion and the nature of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Luke brings out that the fact that the apostolic mission is part of the eschatological prophecy of Jesus himself in the Temple sermon (3:22-26).
• “portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below” (v. 19): Luke has added “above”, “below” and “signs” for much the same reasons. [NJBC]
SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 12: 3b - 13 (RCL)
1 Corinthians 12: 3b - 7, 12 - 13 (Roman Catholic)
1Cor 12:3 (NRSV) [N]o one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Early in this letter, Paul has noted that the Christians at Corinth “are not lacking in any spiritual gift” (1:7); even so, they appear to have written to him “concerning spiritual gifts” (v. 1): it seems that there are questions in the community. One gift is inspired speech. The tests for whether one speaks under the influence of the Holy Spirit are:
• that one accepts Christ’s authority and pledges obedience to him, “Jesus is Lord” (v. 3) and
• that one does not curse Jesus (even under duress).
Speech that fails these tests is influenced by other (pagan, v. 2) spirits.
“Gifts” (v. 4) is widely defined, and includes “services” (v. 5, ministries) and “activities” (v. 6, operations). Note the suggestion of the Trinity: “same Spirit ... same Lord ... same God” (vv. 4-6), and note also:
• the Spirit himself is a gift of the Father;
• Christ was sent to serve or minister; and
• the Father is the source of all being and “activities”.
With a common origin, all gifts are shown through the Holy Spirit, not for personal edification but “for the common good” (v. 7), for building up the Church. While the gifts in vv. 8-10 can be grouped, the precise meanings are uncertain:
• “wisdom ... knowledge ... faith”;
• “healing ... working of miracles ... prophecy”;
• “discernment ... tongues ... interpretation”.
“Wisdom” and “knowledge” seem to be the ability to instruct; “faith” seems to be exceptionally deep faith – that God can do anything. “Discernment” is the ability to tell whether gifts genuinely come from God. “Tongues” may be unintelligible speech which needs “interpretation”. Each of us receives a gift (perhaps not one listed); God chooses, not us. Finally, likening the Church to a “body” (v. 12), Christ’s body, Paul says that:
• our God-given gifts contribute to the Church as a whole;
• baptism is through the “Spirit” (v. 13); and
• regardless of ethnic origin or social status, we are all empowered by the Holy Spirit.
For more on the gifts of the Spirit, see Chapters 13-14. [NOAB]
This passage tells how the Holy Spirit enables members of the community to fulfil special roles for the benefit of all.
Verse 1: “Now concerning”: This is the first question raised by the Corinthian Christians. For others (also introduced by “now concerning”), see 7:25 (virgins); 8:1 (food which had been sacrificed to idols); 16:1 (collection for fellow Christians); 16:12 (our brother Apollos will come to you). See also 15:1.
Verse 2: “enticed”: Pagan religions in Greece embodied unbridled enthusiasm and emotionalism, even extending to the orgiastic frenzies of the devotees of Dionysios. [JBC]
Verse 2: “idols that could not speak”: i.e. they could not answer prayers. For this thought in the Old Testament, see 1 Kings 18:26-29 (Baal does not answer his prophets) and Psalm 115:4-8. Perhaps Paul contrasts the silence of the idols with the noisy (demon-inspired) outcry of the worshippers. [Blk1Cor]
Verse 3: “Let Jesus be cursed”: There were overtones of contempt in the way the “spirit-people” neglected the lessons of the life of the historical Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 5:15), and Paul probably created this shocking formula to crystallize the implications of their attitude. Other interpretations are possible.
Verse 3: “Jesus is Lord”: For this confession in baptism, see Romans 10:9; Philippians 2:11. See also Galatians 3:13. [NJBC]
Verses 4-7: The real test of gifts is whether they come from God and contribute to the common good and edify the community: see also 8:1. [NOAB] Christians differ from one another, not only in physical make-up but in the spiritual gifts distributed (“varieties”, Greek: diaireseis) to each. Uniformity of experience and service is not to be expected. [Blk1Cor]
Verse 7: The point is that each member of the church has a manifestation of a gift appropriate to his or her self. [Blk1Cor]
Verses 8-10: This list is not exhaustive, and precise definitions of what Paul means are impossible. It is very likely that the Corinthian Christians knew what he meant. See 12:27-30; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11 for different lists of gifts. [NJBC]
Verse 9: “faith”: All Corinthian Christians must have possessed the faith by which one begins the Christian way of life and continues on it, so perhaps the faith in question is that connected with “working of miracles” (v. 10) and “gifts of healing”. [Blk1Cor] In 13:2, Paul writes: “... if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing”.
Verse 10: “miracles”: On apostolic miracles, Paul says in Romans 15:18-19: “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ”. See also Galatians 3:5 and 2 Corinthians 12:12. [NOAB]
Verse 10: “discernment”: 1 John 4:1 warns: “... do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”. [NOAB]
Verse 10: “various kinds of tongues”: Paul writes in 13:1, only a few verses later: “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal”. See also Chapter 14. Paul is thinking of unintelligible speech. [Blk1Cor]
Verse 10: “interpretation of tongues”: See also 14:9-19, a section that begins “... if in a tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air”. [NOAB]
Verse 11: “are activated”: i.e. are put into operation. [Blk1Cor]
Verses 12-13: The analogy of the body was frequently employed in the ancient world. [Blk1Cor]
Verse 13: The Church is the manifestation and extension of the Lord’s body in this world. The Church is the body of Christ because it is composed of members who share in the life of the Risen Lord.
Verse 13: “baptised into one body”: See also Romans 12:4-5 (“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ...”) and Ephesians 4:14-16.
Verse 13: “made to drink of one Spirit”: In 3:16 Paul asks, perhaps rhetorically: “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?”. See also 6:19. The tense of the verb mitigates against this being a reference to the Eucharist.
GOSPEL: John 20: 19 - 23 (all)
John 20:19 (NRSV) When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Early on Easter Day, Mary Magdalene has discovered that Jesus’ body is missing from the tomb. There is a man standing nearby, whom she assumes is the gardener. When he speaks to her, she recognizes him as Jesus. She has told the disciples: “I have seen the Lord” (v. 18).
Jesus now appears to his disciples in his resurrection body: he bears the marks of his crucifixion, yet can pass through doors; he is truly alive. Earlier, he has said “[my] peace I leave with you” (14:27). As he has been sent into the world with the Father’s authority, so he now sends out the disciples (and the Church) to continue his work (v. 21). To early Christians, Jesus’ exaltation, his appearances and the giving of the Holy Spirit are one event. Conversion and baptism involve forgiveness of sins; those who reject the good news are not forgiven (“retained”, v. 23).
Verses 19-23: Apart from in the longer ending of Mark (see Mark 16:14-18), which a number of important manuscripts lack, and the mention of an appearance “to the twelve” (see 1 Corinthians 15:5), the only parallel to this story is Luke 24:36ff, where Jesus shows himself to “the eleven and their companions”. The community would meet for Eucharist during the evening. So this passage would have a special resonance for the worshipping community, as they met for their weekly commemoration of Jesus’ resurrection. When Paul visited Greece, Christians celebrated the Eucharist in the evening: Acts 20:7 says “On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he [Paul] intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight” [BlkJn]
Verse 19: The “disciples” may have been a larger group than the remaining eleven (less Thomas). [JBC]
Verse 19: “the doors ... were locked”: For “fear of the Jews” see also 7:13 and 19:38. It is not clear why at this time Jesus’ followers should fear them.
Verse 19: “Jesus came and stood among them”: In 1 Corinthians 15:35-56, Paul asks a rhetorical question, and answers it: “... someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies”.
Verse 19: “Peace be with you”: Exchanging the peace was a usual Jewish greeting (see Judges 6:23; 19:20; Tobit 12:17) but the repetition of the words in vv. 21 and 26 suggests a reference back to 14:27 (“ ... my peace I give to you”) and 16:33 (“... in me you may have peace”). [BlkJn]
Verse 20: “hands ... side”: Identifying marks. See also Luke 24:25-26. [NOAB]
Verse 20: “rejoiced”: This fulfils the promises of renewed joy: see 14:19 and 16:16-24. [NJBC] This contrasts with Luke 24:37: there the stress is on terror and amazement. [JBC]
Verse 21: “Peace”: Also a promised gift: see 14:27. [NJBC]
Verse 21: “‘so I send you’”: See also 5:23; 13:20; 17:18. [NJBC]
Verse 22: The commissioning of the disciples also appears in other post-resurrection appearances: see Luke 24:47-48; Matthew 28:19-20a. Jesus confers on the disciples the mission of which he has spoken: see 17:18. See also 4:38 and 13:16. [NJBC]
According to BlkJn, 7:39 says that the Holy Spirit would be received after Jesus’ glorification; 15:26 and 16:7 say that the Holy Spirit would be received after Jesus returned to the Father. The ascension has now happened.
Verse 22: “he breathed on them”: The same image is used to describe the communication of natural life in Genesis 2:7. Here it is used to express the communication of the new, spiritual, life of re-created humanity. [NOAB] In Greek, pneuma means both breath and spirit. In Genesis 2:7, God breathes into the nostrils of Adam, giving him earthly life; [JBC] the Septuagint translation uses pneuma there. See also Ezekiel 37:9 (the valley of dry bones) and Wisdom of Solomon 15:11.
Verse 22: “‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”: In 15:26 and 16:7 Jesus says that when he has returned to the Father, he will send the Holy Spirit. In v. 17 he has told Mary Magdalene that he has not yet ascended, so in that he now gives the disciples the Holy Spirit, the ascension has now happened. So in John, Jesus’ resurrection, his ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit all happen in the same day. But to John (and other New Testament authors) chronology is of secondary importance. In common with the authors of the synoptic gospels, John insists on the connection between the resurrection and the animation of the Church by the Holy Spirit. [JBC] Note the connection between the granting of authority and receipt of the Holy Spirit. See 16:7 for the continuation of Jesus’ ministry by the Holy Spirit.
While in 7:39 Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will only be given after Jesus’ glorification and in 16:7 he says that he will send the Holy Spirit after he has returned to the Father, here Jesus appears to grant the Holy Spirit before he has been exalted. Scholars have puzzled over this for centuries. The most likely explanation is that early Christians were less concerned with chronological sequence than we are – they saw Jesus’ resurrection, he appearances, his exaltation, and the gift of the Holy Spirit as one event. Only later did they begin to be described as separate events. As support for this apparent lack of chronological sense, note that while Luke describes the Ascension as occurring at Pentecost in Acts 1:3-10, he describes Jesus’ decisive parting from the world on Easter Day in Luke 24:51: “While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven”.
Verse 23: Through the Holy Spirit, the Church continues the judicial role of Christ (see 3:19; 5:27; 9:39) in the matter of sin (see Matthew 16:19; 18:18; Luke 24:47). (In Matthew 16:19, “bind” and “loose” are technical rabbinic terms: “bind” means forbid; “loose” means permit.) [JBC]
Verse 23: “forgive ... retain”: BlkJn notes that these expressions are not used elsewhere in John and not at all in the Matthean parallels (see Matthew 18:18; 16:19). He notes that Matthew 16:19 (“whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven ...”) recalls Isaiah 22:22, so he suggests that both this verse in John and the parallels in Matthew may be variants of a common original. This original, which might well have been in Aramaic, may have followed Isaiah in speaking of the conferral of authority as opening and shutting. In this case, John and Matthew provide different interpretations of what Jesus said, with the Johannine version arising out of the ambiguity in the Aramaic words, for there the word to shut also means to seize or to hold. Given hold for shut, loose (release, set free) for open follows naturally. In support of this hypothesis, BlkJn notes that the Greek verb translated retain is not used here in any of its normal senses, so it may be a Semitism.
Verse 23: Comments: Conversion and baptism involve forgiveness of sins: See also Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16 for mention of baptism in a similar position.
Saints days
6 Ini Kopuria, Founder of the Melanesian Brotherhood, 1945
7 The Pioneers of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, 1890
8 Roland Allen, Mission Strategist, 1947
9 Columba, Abbot of Iona, 597
10 Ephrem of Edessa, Syria, Deacon, 373
11 Saint Barnabas the Apostle
12 Enmegahbowh, Priest and Missionary, 1902
13 Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Apologist and Writer, 1936
14 Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea, 379
15 Evelyn Underhill, Theologian and Mystic 1941
16 George Berkeley, 1753, and Joseph Butler, 1752, Bishops and Theologians
17
18 Bernard Mizeki, Catechist and Martyr in Rhodesia, 1896
Acts 2:1 (NRSV) When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Par'thians, Medes, E'lamites, and residents of Mesopota'mia, Judea and Cappado'cia, Pon'tus and Asia, 10 Phryg'ia and Pamphyl'ia, Egypt and the parts of Lib'ya belonging to Cyre'ne, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cre'tans and A'rabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Jo'el:
17 "In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
Notes h/t Montreal Anglican
The day of Pentecost has come; it is now fifty days since Easter. The way Luke puts it shows that Pentecost is a milestone in the story of salvation: recall Luke 2:6, “the time came for her to deliver her child ...” and Luke 9:51, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up ...” These too are milestones, and the language is similar. Other translations have was fulfilled for “had come” (v. 1) – the coming of the Holy Spirit is fulfilment. Look at the manner in which the Holy Spirit comes: the sound is “like the rush of a violent wind” (v. 2); and then, “divided tongues, as of fire” (v. 3). Luke attempts to describe the event in human terms, but it is never possible to explain a divine mystery: all we can do is say what it is like. The coming of the Holy Spirit is the gift inaugurating the final stage of the salvation story (or history, chronology); this era leads up to the end of time. His arrival is in fulfilment of Christ's promise, recorded in 1:8.
Acts is about mission, about speaking, proclaiming, the good news to people everywhere, in languages (and language) they can understand; Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit is the driving force behind this work, e.g. in the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch, we read “the Spirit said to Philip ...” (8:29). They spoke “in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability” (v. 4). Divided into nations in antiquity, now all humanity is one; now God is in our midst. The Spirit is the launching pad for this mission. The list in vv. 9-10 includes Jews from the whole of the known world. The mission to Gentiles will begin later. “God's deeds of power” (v. 11), of which all spoke, are explained by Peter in vv. 14-36, based on a quotation from the book of Joel (vv. 17-18): as the end of the era in which we are living approaches, many people will prophesy, and many will “see” things beyond what we call concrete reality. And this will happen because God pours out the Holy Spirit. Prophecy here is probably enthusiastically sharing the faith, “speaking about God's deeds of power” (v. 11). The “portents” (v. 19, events that foreshadow the end of the era) are expressed in terms of primitive science but we need to realize that things will happen which make no sense to our rational minds, things we cannot explain.
The fifty-day wait for the Holy Spirit is only found in Luke/Acts. In John 20:22, Jesus breathes on the disciples, and says “‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”. This raises the question: is Pentecost the same as Jesus’ gift of the Spirit? I present two possible answers:
• V. 4 reports that the disciples were speaking in different languages, without specifying which; v. 8 reports that members of the crowd were hearing in different languages. Perhaps members of the crowd were given a gift of interpretation of the tongues, and simply reported hearing their own language, so that the message might reach everyone.
• In John 20:22, the Holy Spirit comes to the disciples, but in Acts he/she comes to (or is seen by) many.
Pentecost is the point where the true Israel starts to separate itself from unbelieving Jewry, to become the Church. Jews from greater Israel (the Diaspora) witness the event.
This story is reminiscent of Isaiah 66:15-20, especially the Septuagint translation. Isaiah 66:18-20 (NRSV) says, in part: “I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. ... They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations ... just as the Israelites bring a grain offering ...”
Verse 1: The Feast of Weeks, celebrating the wheat harvest, was fifty days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover; hence the name Pentecost. Only from the second century AD on (notes JBC) was the giving of the law to Moses also celebrated as part of the Feast of Weeks. Leviticus 23:15-21 commands that this festival be celebrated, and how.
Verse 1: “had come”: NJBC has was fulfilled.
Verse 1: “all together”: These may be the 120 people of 1:15: “In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) ...”.
Verse 1: “in one place”: perhaps the house of 1:13: “When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying ...”. The scene changes to an arena or other public area in v. 5.
Comments: His arrival is in fulfilment of Christ's promise, recorded in 1:8. 1:8 says “... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”.
Verse 8: Here they speak in foreign tongues (or, in some cases, dialects), but in 1 Corinthians 14:1-33, their form of speech is incomprehensible. [NOAB]
Verses 9-11: The list is generally from east to west, but Judea is out of place. This list is unlikely to be of Lucan origin, for Luke tells of missionary work in Syria, Cilicia, Macedonia and Achaia. Also, "Cretans and Arabs” (people of Jewish descent, from Arabia) seems to have been tacked on by a later hand. [JBC]
Verse 11: “God’s deeds of power”: Peter tells of them in vv. 22-36. [JBC]
Verses 12-13: This prefigures Israel’s general rejection of Jesus’ teaching, later in the book.
Verses 17-21: The citation from Joel 2:28-32 follows the Septuagint translation. A most important guide to Luke’s intentions is the series of alterations he (or his source) has made in the quoted text to produce a pertinent testimony:
• “In the last days”: This phrase replaces afterwards, making the prophecy more plainly the eschatological vision it already is. It is understood in the expanded sense of the time of the Church: see 1:6-8.
• “they shall prophesy” (v. 18): Luke has added this phrase. While Jesus’ status as a prophet is never more than obliquely affirmed in Luke-Acts, and neither is the risen Lord’s status as a prophet like Moses, yet it is an important ingredient of Luke’s theory of the necessity of the Passion and the nature of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Luke brings out that the fact that the apostolic mission is part of the eschatological prophecy of Jesus himself in the Temple sermon (3:22-26).
• “portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below” (v. 19): Luke has added “above”, “below” and “signs” for much the same reasons. [NJBC]
SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 12: 3b - 13 (RCL)
1 Corinthians 12: 3b - 7, 12 - 13 (Roman Catholic)
1Cor 12:3 (NRSV) [N]o one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Early in this letter, Paul has noted that the Christians at Corinth “are not lacking in any spiritual gift” (1:7); even so, they appear to have written to him “concerning spiritual gifts” (v. 1): it seems that there are questions in the community. One gift is inspired speech. The tests for whether one speaks under the influence of the Holy Spirit are:
• that one accepts Christ’s authority and pledges obedience to him, “Jesus is Lord” (v. 3) and
• that one does not curse Jesus (even under duress).
Speech that fails these tests is influenced by other (pagan, v. 2) spirits.
“Gifts” (v. 4) is widely defined, and includes “services” (v. 5, ministries) and “activities” (v. 6, operations). Note the suggestion of the Trinity: “same Spirit ... same Lord ... same God” (vv. 4-6), and note also:
• the Spirit himself is a gift of the Father;
• Christ was sent to serve or minister; and
• the Father is the source of all being and “activities”.
With a common origin, all gifts are shown through the Holy Spirit, not for personal edification but “for the common good” (v. 7), for building up the Church. While the gifts in vv. 8-10 can be grouped, the precise meanings are uncertain:
• “wisdom ... knowledge ... faith”;
• “healing ... working of miracles ... prophecy”;
• “discernment ... tongues ... interpretation”.
“Wisdom” and “knowledge” seem to be the ability to instruct; “faith” seems to be exceptionally deep faith – that God can do anything. “Discernment” is the ability to tell whether gifts genuinely come from God. “Tongues” may be unintelligible speech which needs “interpretation”. Each of us receives a gift (perhaps not one listed); God chooses, not us. Finally, likening the Church to a “body” (v. 12), Christ’s body, Paul says that:
• our God-given gifts contribute to the Church as a whole;
• baptism is through the “Spirit” (v. 13); and
• regardless of ethnic origin or social status, we are all empowered by the Holy Spirit.
For more on the gifts of the Spirit, see Chapters 13-14. [NOAB]
This passage tells how the Holy Spirit enables members of the community to fulfil special roles for the benefit of all.
Verse 1: “Now concerning”: This is the first question raised by the Corinthian Christians. For others (also introduced by “now concerning”), see 7:25 (virgins); 8:1 (food which had been sacrificed to idols); 16:1 (collection for fellow Christians); 16:12 (our brother Apollos will come to you). See also 15:1.
Verse 2: “enticed”: Pagan religions in Greece embodied unbridled enthusiasm and emotionalism, even extending to the orgiastic frenzies of the devotees of Dionysios. [JBC]
Verse 2: “idols that could not speak”: i.e. they could not answer prayers. For this thought in the Old Testament, see 1 Kings 18:26-29 (Baal does not answer his prophets) and Psalm 115:4-8. Perhaps Paul contrasts the silence of the idols with the noisy (demon-inspired) outcry of the worshippers. [Blk1Cor]
Verse 3: “Let Jesus be cursed”: There were overtones of contempt in the way the “spirit-people” neglected the lessons of the life of the historical Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 5:15), and Paul probably created this shocking formula to crystallize the implications of their attitude. Other interpretations are possible.
Verse 3: “Jesus is Lord”: For this confession in baptism, see Romans 10:9; Philippians 2:11. See also Galatians 3:13. [NJBC]
Verses 4-7: The real test of gifts is whether they come from God and contribute to the common good and edify the community: see also 8:1. [NOAB] Christians differ from one another, not only in physical make-up but in the spiritual gifts distributed (“varieties”, Greek: diaireseis) to each. Uniformity of experience and service is not to be expected. [Blk1Cor]
Verse 7: The point is that each member of the church has a manifestation of a gift appropriate to his or her self. [Blk1Cor]
Verses 8-10: This list is not exhaustive, and precise definitions of what Paul means are impossible. It is very likely that the Corinthian Christians knew what he meant. See 12:27-30; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11 for different lists of gifts. [NJBC]
Verse 9: “faith”: All Corinthian Christians must have possessed the faith by which one begins the Christian way of life and continues on it, so perhaps the faith in question is that connected with “working of miracles” (v. 10) and “gifts of healing”. [Blk1Cor] In 13:2, Paul writes: “... if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing”.
Verse 10: “miracles”: On apostolic miracles, Paul says in Romans 15:18-19: “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ”. See also Galatians 3:5 and 2 Corinthians 12:12. [NOAB]
Verse 10: “discernment”: 1 John 4:1 warns: “... do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”. [NOAB]
Verse 10: “various kinds of tongues”: Paul writes in 13:1, only a few verses later: “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal”. See also Chapter 14. Paul is thinking of unintelligible speech. [Blk1Cor]
Verse 10: “interpretation of tongues”: See also 14:9-19, a section that begins “... if in a tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air”. [NOAB]
Verse 11: “are activated”: i.e. are put into operation. [Blk1Cor]
Verses 12-13: The analogy of the body was frequently employed in the ancient world. [Blk1Cor]
Verse 13: The Church is the manifestation and extension of the Lord’s body in this world. The Church is the body of Christ because it is composed of members who share in the life of the Risen Lord.
Verse 13: “baptised into one body”: See also Romans 12:4-5 (“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ...”) and Ephesians 4:14-16.
Verse 13: “made to drink of one Spirit”: In 3:16 Paul asks, perhaps rhetorically: “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?”. See also 6:19. The tense of the verb mitigates against this being a reference to the Eucharist.
GOSPEL: John 20: 19 - 23 (all)
John 20:19 (NRSV) When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Early on Easter Day, Mary Magdalene has discovered that Jesus’ body is missing from the tomb. There is a man standing nearby, whom she assumes is the gardener. When he speaks to her, she recognizes him as Jesus. She has told the disciples: “I have seen the Lord” (v. 18).
Jesus now appears to his disciples in his resurrection body: he bears the marks of his crucifixion, yet can pass through doors; he is truly alive. Earlier, he has said “[my] peace I leave with you” (14:27). As he has been sent into the world with the Father’s authority, so he now sends out the disciples (and the Church) to continue his work (v. 21). To early Christians, Jesus’ exaltation, his appearances and the giving of the Holy Spirit are one event. Conversion and baptism involve forgiveness of sins; those who reject the good news are not forgiven (“retained”, v. 23).
Verses 19-23: Apart from in the longer ending of Mark (see Mark 16:14-18), which a number of important manuscripts lack, and the mention of an appearance “to the twelve” (see 1 Corinthians 15:5), the only parallel to this story is Luke 24:36ff, where Jesus shows himself to “the eleven and their companions”. The community would meet for Eucharist during the evening. So this passage would have a special resonance for the worshipping community, as they met for their weekly commemoration of Jesus’ resurrection. When Paul visited Greece, Christians celebrated the Eucharist in the evening: Acts 20:7 says “On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he [Paul] intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight” [BlkJn]
Verse 19: The “disciples” may have been a larger group than the remaining eleven (less Thomas). [JBC]
Verse 19: “the doors ... were locked”: For “fear of the Jews” see also 7:13 and 19:38. It is not clear why at this time Jesus’ followers should fear them.
Verse 19: “Jesus came and stood among them”: In 1 Corinthians 15:35-56, Paul asks a rhetorical question, and answers it: “... someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies”.
Verse 19: “Peace be with you”: Exchanging the peace was a usual Jewish greeting (see Judges 6:23; 19:20; Tobit 12:17) but the repetition of the words in vv. 21 and 26 suggests a reference back to 14:27 (“ ... my peace I give to you”) and 16:33 (“... in me you may have peace”). [BlkJn]
Verse 20: “hands ... side”: Identifying marks. See also Luke 24:25-26. [NOAB]
Verse 20: “rejoiced”: This fulfils the promises of renewed joy: see 14:19 and 16:16-24. [NJBC] This contrasts with Luke 24:37: there the stress is on terror and amazement. [JBC]
Verse 21: “Peace”: Also a promised gift: see 14:27. [NJBC]
Verse 21: “‘so I send you’”: See also 5:23; 13:20; 17:18. [NJBC]
Verse 22: The commissioning of the disciples also appears in other post-resurrection appearances: see Luke 24:47-48; Matthew 28:19-20a. Jesus confers on the disciples the mission of which he has spoken: see 17:18. See also 4:38 and 13:16. [NJBC]
According to BlkJn, 7:39 says that the Holy Spirit would be received after Jesus’ glorification; 15:26 and 16:7 say that the Holy Spirit would be received after Jesus returned to the Father. The ascension has now happened.
Verse 22: “he breathed on them”: The same image is used to describe the communication of natural life in Genesis 2:7. Here it is used to express the communication of the new, spiritual, life of re-created humanity. [NOAB] In Greek, pneuma means both breath and spirit. In Genesis 2:7, God breathes into the nostrils of Adam, giving him earthly life; [JBC] the Septuagint translation uses pneuma there. See also Ezekiel 37:9 (the valley of dry bones) and Wisdom of Solomon 15:11.
Verse 22: “‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”: In 15:26 and 16:7 Jesus says that when he has returned to the Father, he will send the Holy Spirit. In v. 17 he has told Mary Magdalene that he has not yet ascended, so in that he now gives the disciples the Holy Spirit, the ascension has now happened. So in John, Jesus’ resurrection, his ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit all happen in the same day. But to John (and other New Testament authors) chronology is of secondary importance. In common with the authors of the synoptic gospels, John insists on the connection between the resurrection and the animation of the Church by the Holy Spirit. [JBC] Note the connection between the granting of authority and receipt of the Holy Spirit. See 16:7 for the continuation of Jesus’ ministry by the Holy Spirit.
While in 7:39 Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will only be given after Jesus’ glorification and in 16:7 he says that he will send the Holy Spirit after he has returned to the Father, here Jesus appears to grant the Holy Spirit before he has been exalted. Scholars have puzzled over this for centuries. The most likely explanation is that early Christians were less concerned with chronological sequence than we are – they saw Jesus’ resurrection, he appearances, his exaltation, and the gift of the Holy Spirit as one event. Only later did they begin to be described as separate events. As support for this apparent lack of chronological sense, note that while Luke describes the Ascension as occurring at Pentecost in Acts 1:3-10, he describes Jesus’ decisive parting from the world on Easter Day in Luke 24:51: “While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven”.
Verse 23: Through the Holy Spirit, the Church continues the judicial role of Christ (see 3:19; 5:27; 9:39) in the matter of sin (see Matthew 16:19; 18:18; Luke 24:47). (In Matthew 16:19, “bind” and “loose” are technical rabbinic terms: “bind” means forbid; “loose” means permit.) [JBC]
Verse 23: “forgive ... retain”: BlkJn notes that these expressions are not used elsewhere in John and not at all in the Matthean parallels (see Matthew 18:18; 16:19). He notes that Matthew 16:19 (“whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven ...”) recalls Isaiah 22:22, so he suggests that both this verse in John and the parallels in Matthew may be variants of a common original. This original, which might well have been in Aramaic, may have followed Isaiah in speaking of the conferral of authority as opening and shutting. In this case, John and Matthew provide different interpretations of what Jesus said, with the Johannine version arising out of the ambiguity in the Aramaic words, for there the word to shut also means to seize or to hold. Given hold for shut, loose (release, set free) for open follows naturally. In support of this hypothesis, BlkJn notes that the Greek verb translated retain is not used here in any of its normal senses, so it may be a Semitism.
Verse 23: Comments: Conversion and baptism involve forgiveness of sins: See also Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16 for mention of baptism in a similar position.
Saints days
6 Ini Kopuria, Founder of the Melanesian Brotherhood, 1945
7 The Pioneers of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, 1890
8 Roland Allen, Mission Strategist, 1947
9 Columba, Abbot of Iona, 597
10 Ephrem of Edessa, Syria, Deacon, 373
11 Saint Barnabas the Apostle
12 Enmegahbowh, Priest and Missionary, 1902
13 Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Apologist and Writer, 1936
14 Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea, 379
15 Evelyn Underhill, Theologian and Mystic 1941
16 George Berkeley, 1753, and Joseph Butler, 1752, Bishops and Theologians
17
18 Bernard Mizeki, Catechist and Martyr in Rhodesia, 1896
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
FIRST READING: Acts 1: 6 - 14 (RCL)
Acts 1: 12 - 14 (Roman Catholic)
Acts 1:1 (NRSV) In the first book, Theoph'ilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Ol'ivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphae'us, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
h/t montreal Anglican
notes
Acts is addressed to “Theophilus” (v. 1, lover of God) as is Luke. Jesus has risen from death; in Luke 24:42-43, he has eaten “broiled fish” in the presence of the disciples. In Luke 24:44-53, Jesus has told them that
• “you are witnesses to these things”: that he died and rose to life again; and
• he is sending upon them “what my Father promised”.
He has implied that this gift will come to them in Jerusalem (as Acts 1:4 says clearly). He has led them to Bethany (near Jerusalem) and “was carried up into heaven”; then they “returned to Jerusalem”.
Acts backtracks: vv. 3-5 say that Jesus “presented himself alive ... during forty days”; “not many days from now” they will receive the Holy Spirit – at Pentecost, the fiftieth day since Easter. Together in Jerusalem, the disciples ask: what will happen in this new era?: either: when will you restore independence to Israel? or is the end of time at hand? Jesus answers (v. 7):
• only God knows the steps towards the end “times” and the opportune moments (“periods”);
• the gift, the “Holy Spirit” (v. 8) will give you “power” to spread the good news;
• not only in Israel but “to the ends of the earth”.
Vv. 9-10 tell of Jesus’ ascension, a clearly visible event set in a historical context. (Note the five words about seeing.) The “cloud” in Elijah’s ascension and in Jesus’ is a sign of God’s presence. But the event goes beyond the physical; it needs interpretation by “two men ...”, messengers from God: Jesus’ return will be a divine intervention in human affairs. Bethany and the Mount of Olives (“Olivet”, v. 12) are adjacent and close to Jerusalem. The eleven disciples possibly return to the site of the Last Supper, “the room upstairs” (v. 13). The band devoted to Jesus now includes “certain women” (v. 14) and Jesus’ brothers. (“Judas”, v. 13, is not Iscariot.) They meet for liturgical prayer on a regular basis, probably following Temple practices.
Verses 1-5: Introduction: the risen Christ. [NOAB]
Verse 1: Parallel to Luke 1:2-3. “Theophilus” may be a person, or may stand for anyone who loves God. [NOAB]
Verse 2: “the apostles whom he had chosen”: This parallels Luke 6:13, the selection of the Twelve, yet it also looks back to Luke 24:44-49, Jesus’ followers receive the risen Lord’s final instructions. [NJBC]
Verse 3: “many convincing proofs”: Some are in Luke 24:13-53. [NOAB]
Verse 3: “forty days”: The Septuagint translation furnishes precedents for such a rounded period of preparation, e.g. Exodus 24:18; 34:28 (Moses); 1 Kings 19:8 (Elijah); Numbers 13:25; 14:34 (preparation for crossing into the Promised Land) – and closer at hand, Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, an event that precedes his first preaching. So the number represents sufficient time for the witnesses’ preparation, but it may also, with the “not many days from now” (v. 5), add up to fifty, the number of days from Passover to Jewish Pentecost and from Easter to Christian Pentecost. [NJBC]
Verse 3: “speaking about the kingdom of God”: A constant theme of Jesus’ teaching. See, for example, Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:11. It also a theme of the first missionaries, the Seventy, in Luke 10:1-9. [NJBC]
Verse 4: “staying”: NJBC points out that the Greek word can also be translated as eating. He says that this meaning is more probable, given Luke 24:43 and Acts 10:41.
Verse 4: “not to leave Jerusalem”: Jesus also commands this in Luke 24:49. Jerusalem is the spiritual symbol of continuity between the times of Jesus and that of the Church. [NJBC]
Verse 4: “the promise of the Father”: This fills out, and varies, the reprise of Luke 24:49. The promise will be announced in 2:33; it is mentioned as fulfilled in Galatians 3:14 and Ephesians 1:13. [NJBC]
Verse 5: John the Baptist predicted that the Messiah would baptise people with the Holy Spirit: see Mark 1:8; Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16; John 1:33. The notion is also found in the Qumran literature. The conjunction of water baptism and outpouring of the Spirit (see Ezekiel 36:25-26 and John 7:37-39) will recur in 2:38; 8:14-16; 10:47-48; 19:5-6. [NJBC]
Verses 6-11: The Ascension. These verses follow Luke 24:50-51. [NOAB]
Verse 6: “they”: Probably more than the Eleven are in view.
Verse 6: “restore the kingdom”: Note the link to Luke 1:32. See also Jeremiah 33:7; Psalms 14:7; 85:1; Hosea 6:11; Sirach 48:10. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 7: “times or periods”: See also 1 Thessalonians 5:1 (“the times and the seasons”). Acts 3:20-21 expands these words: “so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets”. [NJBC]
Verse 8: “you will be my witnesses”: Of the restoration of the Kingdom. For the apostles as witnesses, see also Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:22; 2:32. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 8: “in Jerusalem, ... to the ends of the earth”:This is the movement of Acts – to Rome, so Rome is at the end in a religious sense. [BlkActs]
Verse 8: “to the ends of the earth”: Isaiah 49:6, a verse in the second Servant Song, says “... I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth”. See also Acts 13:47. [NJBC]
Verses 9-11: The Ascension. For direct verbal echoes, see 2 Kings 2:9-13 (Elijah’s ascension) and Sirach 48:9, 12. While only Luke tells us the story of the Ascension, there are other possible traces of the tradition of the Ascension in Ephesians 4:8-10; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 20:17; Epistle of Barnabas 15:9. [NJBC]
Verse 9: “a cloud”: See also Exodus 33:7-11 and Mark 9:7 (the Transfiguration).
Verse 10: “two men in white”: See also Luke 9:30, 34 (the Transfiguration, “Moses and Elijah”); 24:4-9 (the empty tomb). Such figures are semi-divine and are especially associated with the Last Days: see also Mark 9:3 and 1 Enoch 62:15ff. [NJBC]
Verse 11: “will come in the same way”: This suggests that the Ascension and the second coming bound the present era. Jesus says in Luke 21:27: “‘Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory’”. [NJBC]
Verses 12-26: These verses continue Luke 24:52-53. [NJBC]
Verse 12: “the mount called Olivet”: In Judaic eschatology, at the Last Day, God will stand on the Mount of Olives and a valley will appear in the mountain, “the Lord’s mountain” (see Zechariah 14:5). By this route the people will flee; God “shall become King over all the earth” (see Zechariah 14:9), and all shall know him intimately. [NJBC] [BlkActs]
Verse 12: “a sabbath day’s journey”: A negligible distance, perhaps a kilometre (half a mile). [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verses 13-14: A minor summary portraying the harmonious and prayerful community life. See also Luke 24:53. For the wider group, see also Luke 23:49; 24:9-10, 33. Their prayer effectively illustrates Luke 11:13. [NJBC]
Verse 13: The list of apostles is the same as in Luke 6:14-16 less, of course, Judas Iscariot, but the sequence is different: those mentioned in Acts are listed first. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “the room upstairs”: Possibly the home of Mark’s mother: 12:12 says: “... he [Peter] went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark”. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “John”: John is mentioned in 3:1-11; 4:13, 19; 8:14; 12:2. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “James”: 12:2 tells us that “King Herod ... had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword”. [BlkActs]
SECOND READING: 1 Peter 4: 12 - 14, 5: 6 - 11 (RCL)
1 Peter 4: 13 - 16 (Roman Catholic)
1Pet 4:12 (NRSV) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. 16 Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.
5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. {Or [be vigilant]} Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
Notes
In the final verses of the letter, the author exhorts his readers (who are being persecuted at least to the extent of being made to feel inferior) to accept their “ordeal” as something to be expected and as testing their mettle. Christ is not just an example of suffering-for-doing-good; they are to rejoice that in suffering they actually share in his sufferings. This is preparation for union with him when he comes again (“when his glory is revealed”, 4:13). They are indeed fortunate (“blessed”, 4:14) that the Spirit, the source of oneness with God (“glory”) is with them. For a Christian, to suffer for doing good is not a “disgrace” (4:16). Their suffering is in fact the start of end-time judgement. How much worse off will be those who do not “obey” (4:17) Christ’s message! So entrust yourselves to God.
In the conclusion, the author addresses fellow “elders” (5:1) as one who shares in the certain hope of Christ’s return. He exhorts the leaders to:
• care for the faithful,
• oversee them in doctrine and discipline,
• treat them as equals, and
• be examples to them.
All the faithful must make effort to “humble yourselves” (5:6) before God, who is always the great deliverer and to whom you owe obedience (“mighty hand”), so that in God’s time (“due time”) you will be brought into full union with him. Trust in God (5:7). Remain “alert” (5:8) for evil is always trying to divert you from God’s ways! Others also suffer as you do (5:9b). Your suffering will be brief; then God who has called you to eternal life will give you strength and the status due to you (“establish”, 5:10).
4:12: “fiery ordeal”: As in 1:6-7. This may be meant literally, but it is more likely to be an allusion to the book of Daniel. [NOAB] [NJBC]
4:13: See also Acts 5:41; Romans 8:17 (“... we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”); 2 Timothy 2:12; James 1:2. [NOAB]
4:13: “you are sharing Christ’s sufferings”: In 2:21, they are urged to follow Christ’s example. See also 2 Corinthians 1:5; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:24. [NJBC] [CAB]
4:14: See also 2:20; 3:14; Isaiah 11:2 (in the Septuagint translation, but with a variant). [NOAB] [NJBC]
4:14: “the Spirit of God”: See also Numbers 11:25; Mark 13:11 (“... do not worry beforehand about what you are to say ...”); Matthew 10:20; Luke 12:11-12.
4:15: “mischief maker”: One who meddles in another’s business. See also Acts 16:20-21. [NJBC]
4:16: Paul says in Philippians 1:20: “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death”.
4:16: “suffers as a Christian”: The same situation as in 2:15; 3:16; 4:4. [NJBC]
4:16: “Christian”: Acts 11:26 says: “... it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’” The Latin word means partisan of Christ. Perhaps it was originally a term of reproach. [NOAB] [NJBC]
4:17: In Malachi 3:1-5, God’s judgement will definitely begin with the Israelites (who have failed to follow his ways). It is also possible to interpret Jeremiah 25:29, Ezekiel 9:6, Isaiah 10:12 and Zechariah 13:7-9 in this way; however other interpretations are possible. Mark 13:8-13 says that the persecution of Christians will be the beginning of the process leading to the end-times. 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 says that both Christians and others will be judged, but that the effect of the judgement of Christians will be to discipline them, while that of others will be condemnation. [NJBC]
Whether the godly are judged is a matter of interpretation. Ancient interpreters were divided on the question. For some, judgment is universal, with the godly being vindicated and the wicked damned. For others, only the wicked needed judgement, as the godly are already vindicated
4:17: “what will be the end ...”: See also 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10. [NJBC]
4:18: The quotation is Proverbs 11:31 in the Septuagint translation. [NJBC]
4:19: See also 2:20. This is the only place in the New Testament where the word “Creator” occurs. [NOAB]
5:1: “elder”: In 1:1, the author refers to himself as “an apostle”. [NJBC]
5:1: “witness”: The Greek word does not imply that the author was an eye-witness. [NJBC]
5:2-4: A picture of the ideal pastor. See also John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11. [NJBC]
5:2: “not for sordid gain”: Paul was paid for his services at times; other pastors probably were too. See also Acts 20:33-34; 1 Corinthians 9:7-14; 2 Corinthians 12:13-18; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; Matthew 10:9-10. Other warnings against greed are found in Titus 1:7; 2:5. [NJBC]
5:4: “the chief shepherd ...”: See also 2:25. This verse echoes the language of Isaiah 53:1-12 (part of the fourth Servant Song). [NOAB] [NJBC]
5:4: “the crown of glory”: See also Jeremiah 13:18; 1QS (Qumran Rule of the Community) 4:7; 1QH (Qumran Hymns) 17:25 (Vermes: 9:25).
5:5: “clothe yourselves”: Literally tie about you, as a slave tied on an apron for menial work. So it takes effort! [NJBC]
5:5: The quotation is Proverbs 3:34 (in the Septuagint translation). It is also quoted in James 4:6-10.
5:6: “the mighty hand of God”: For use of this phrase with reference to God’s great acts of deliverance, see Exodus 3:19; 6:1l; Deuteronomy 9:26. For it referring to the obedience he expects, see Job 30:21; Psalm 32:4; Ezekiel 20:34-35. [NJBC]
5:7: This verse is Psalm 55:22 (in the Septuagint translation) with an echo of Wisdom of Solomon 12:13. See also Matthew 6:25-34 (“‘do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink ... ‘”). [NJBC]
5:8: “keep alert”: See also 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Matthew 24:42; Luke 21:34-36; Romans 13:11-12. [NJBC]
5:8: “a roaring lion”: Psalm 22:12-13 says “Many bulls encircle me, ... they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion”. [NJBC]
5:8: “your adversary the devil”: This adversary is as in a lawsuit, so this points to the Day of Judgement. For Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness, see Matthew 4:1-11.
5:8: “the devil”: In the Septuagint, the Greek word diabolos, devil, is used to translate the Hebrew word satan, literally accuser – as it is translated in Job 1-2. The word was later applied to the leader of the fallen angels. [NJBC]
5:9: “him”: i.e. the devil. See also Ephesians 6:11-18. [NOAB]
5:10: “... suffered ... grace ... called ... glory”: This verse sums up some of the chief elements of the letter. [NJBC]
5:10: “God of all grace”: This is the “God of all consolation” of 2 Corinthians 1:3. According to 4:10, “grace” is in part the ability to serve one another in the Church. [NJBC]
5:10: “who has called you”: See also 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 5:24.
5:11: A doxology to the Father.
GOSPEL: John 17: 1 - 11 (all)
John 17:1 (NRSV) After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
6 "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
Notes
Jesus has just ended his instructions to his disciples; he has concluded with “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” Now he prays to the Father. He summarizes the significance of his life. The time appointed by God for his departure (crucifixion, resurrection and ascension) has come. Glory can be defined as divine heavenly splendour where heaven is the state of ultimate good and love existing outside of time. In v. 1, the Father giving this splendour to the Son adds to the Father’s splendour because of the “authority” (v. 2) given to the Son over humans, especially “to give eternal life” to us. V. 3 explains that “eternal life” is knowing the Father and the Son intimately. Vv. 4-5 state how the Son adds to the splendour of the Father (by completing his assigned task) and how the Father adds to the Son’s splendour: by restoring him to the Father’s “presence”, to heaven – a state he enjoyed before God’s creative act. V. 6 expands on “the work” (v. 4) the Son has done: to make the Father’s character and person (“name”, v. 6) known to those chosen by the Father. These elect are the mutual possession of Father and Son; these have been faithful to God’s “word”, his command. Vv. 7-8 expand on keeping the Father’s word: the disciples know that:
• the Father is the source of all that the Son has been given;
• Jesus is from (out of) the Father; and
• the Father sent him into the world.
Looking forward to the time after his departure, Jesus asks the Father to “protect” (v. 11) the disciples from evil influences in the alien “world”, that they may have a unity modelled on that of the Father and the Son.
This prayer of Jesus for his followers and those who will believe in him through them is a fitting culmination to Jesus’ ministry, and leads on to the cross.
Verses 1-26: This is Jesus’ high priestly prayer. It falls naturally into three parts:
• Vv. 1-5: Jesus’ prayer for himself
• Vv. 6-19: His prayer for his disciples, left in the world after his ascension, and
• Vv. 20-26: His prayer for the Church universal. [NOAB]
There are parallels to the Lord's Prayer. [NJBC]
Verse 1: “looked up to heaven”: Presumably standing – the conventional Jewish attitude of prayer. See also 11:41; Luke 9:16; 18:13; Mark 6:41; 7:34; Matthew 14:19; 1 Enoch 13:5.
Verse 2: “you have given him authority”: To judge, lay down and take up his life. See also 5:27; 10:18; 19:10-11 (Jesus before Pilate); 3:27, 35.
Verse 4: “by finishing the work”: See also 4:34; 5:36; 19:28, 30.
Verse 4: “that you gave me to do”: See also 10:25.
Verse 5: “before the world existed”: See also 1:1ff; 8:58; 17:24.
Verse 6: “I have made your name known”: The Greek verb ephanerosa is used of the manifestation of Jesus, or of his glory, or of God’s works, in 1:31; 2:11; 9:3; 21:1, 14. Here it is to those given to Jesus by the Father that Jesus, by his words and deeds, makes known God’s “name”, i.e. his character and person. [BlkJn]
Verse 7: “‘everything you have given me’”: i.e. the entire ministry of Jesus with all that this involves. [BlkJn]
Verse 8: “‘for the words ...’”: Jesus’ words are the Father’s words: 3:34 says “He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure”. See also 7:16; 12:49-50; 14:10, 24. [BlkJn]
Verse 8: “they ... know in truth that I came from you”: See also 16:27. In context, Jesus does not merely mean that he is Messiah, far less that he is a superman, one of the divine heroes of the ancient world, but that his claims to pre-existence (see v. 5) are justified. [BlkJn]
Verse 9: “‘I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me’”: Others are not capable, unless they come to faith in Jesus (see v. 20), of sharing in what the Father gives. [BlkJn]
Verses 11-12: 13:1 tells us that Jesus’ departure is imminent: “Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father ...”. On the disciples being left exposed to the hostility of the world, in 15:18 Jesus says “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you”. See also 17:14 and 16:1-5a (for an alternative presentation of the ideas). [BlkJn]
Verse 11: The unity of believers is modelled on the shared purpose and character of the Father and the Son, who are in complete unity. [BlkJn]
Verse 12: “‘the scripture’”: That “scripture” is in the singular implies that John has a particular passage in mind. It may be Psalm 41:9 (“Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.”), which Jesus quotes in 13:18. [BlkJn]
Verse 12: “the one destined to be lost”: This phrase is also found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3; there it refers to the Antichrist. [BlkJn]
Verse 14: “‘word’”: See also 1:1-19: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...”.
Verse 17: “your word is truth”: God’s “word” (Greek: logos) is the means of sanctification. The Father’s “word” is characterized as the revelation of ultimate reality. 1:14 says that the incarnate “Word”, Jesus, is “full of grace and truth”. The “truth” sets free those who persevere in Jesus’ word: see 8:31-36. [BlkJn]
Verse 18: In 20:21, in his appearance to the disciples, Jesus tells them: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. [BlkJn]
Verse 19: “‘sanctify myself’”: In the Septuagint translation, the Greek verb agiadzo (“sanctify”) is used both for the setting apart for God (in Exodus 3:2 and Deuteronomy 15:19) and for the consecration of people to God’s service (in Jeremiah 1:5, of a prophet, and in Exodus 28:41, of priests). Christ’s perfect self-offering is the means by which the disciples whom he is sending into the world are dedicated in obedience to God. [BlkJn]
Acts 1: 12 - 14 (Roman Catholic)
Acts 1:1 (NRSV) In the first book, Theoph'ilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Ol'ivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphae'us, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
h/t montreal Anglican
notes
Acts is addressed to “Theophilus” (v. 1, lover of God) as is Luke. Jesus has risen from death; in Luke 24:42-43, he has eaten “broiled fish” in the presence of the disciples. In Luke 24:44-53, Jesus has told them that
• “you are witnesses to these things”: that he died and rose to life again; and
• he is sending upon them “what my Father promised”.
He has implied that this gift will come to them in Jerusalem (as Acts 1:4 says clearly). He has led them to Bethany (near Jerusalem) and “was carried up into heaven”; then they “returned to Jerusalem”.
Acts backtracks: vv. 3-5 say that Jesus “presented himself alive ... during forty days”; “not many days from now” they will receive the Holy Spirit – at Pentecost, the fiftieth day since Easter. Together in Jerusalem, the disciples ask: what will happen in this new era?: either: when will you restore independence to Israel? or is the end of time at hand? Jesus answers (v. 7):
• only God knows the steps towards the end “times” and the opportune moments (“periods”);
• the gift, the “Holy Spirit” (v. 8) will give you “power” to spread the good news;
• not only in Israel but “to the ends of the earth”.
Vv. 9-10 tell of Jesus’ ascension, a clearly visible event set in a historical context. (Note the five words about seeing.) The “cloud” in Elijah’s ascension and in Jesus’ is a sign of God’s presence. But the event goes beyond the physical; it needs interpretation by “two men ...”, messengers from God: Jesus’ return will be a divine intervention in human affairs. Bethany and the Mount of Olives (“Olivet”, v. 12) are adjacent and close to Jerusalem. The eleven disciples possibly return to the site of the Last Supper, “the room upstairs” (v. 13). The band devoted to Jesus now includes “certain women” (v. 14) and Jesus’ brothers. (“Judas”, v. 13, is not Iscariot.) They meet for liturgical prayer on a regular basis, probably following Temple practices.
Verses 1-5: Introduction: the risen Christ. [NOAB]
Verse 1: Parallel to Luke 1:2-3. “Theophilus” may be a person, or may stand for anyone who loves God. [NOAB]
Verse 2: “the apostles whom he had chosen”: This parallels Luke 6:13, the selection of the Twelve, yet it also looks back to Luke 24:44-49, Jesus’ followers receive the risen Lord’s final instructions. [NJBC]
Verse 3: “many convincing proofs”: Some are in Luke 24:13-53. [NOAB]
Verse 3: “forty days”: The Septuagint translation furnishes precedents for such a rounded period of preparation, e.g. Exodus 24:18; 34:28 (Moses); 1 Kings 19:8 (Elijah); Numbers 13:25; 14:34 (preparation for crossing into the Promised Land) – and closer at hand, Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, an event that precedes his first preaching. So the number represents sufficient time for the witnesses’ preparation, but it may also, with the “not many days from now” (v. 5), add up to fifty, the number of days from Passover to Jewish Pentecost and from Easter to Christian Pentecost. [NJBC]
Verse 3: “speaking about the kingdom of God”: A constant theme of Jesus’ teaching. See, for example, Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:11. It also a theme of the first missionaries, the Seventy, in Luke 10:1-9. [NJBC]
Verse 4: “staying”: NJBC points out that the Greek word can also be translated as eating. He says that this meaning is more probable, given Luke 24:43 and Acts 10:41.
Verse 4: “not to leave Jerusalem”: Jesus also commands this in Luke 24:49. Jerusalem is the spiritual symbol of continuity between the times of Jesus and that of the Church. [NJBC]
Verse 4: “the promise of the Father”: This fills out, and varies, the reprise of Luke 24:49. The promise will be announced in 2:33; it is mentioned as fulfilled in Galatians 3:14 and Ephesians 1:13. [NJBC]
Verse 5: John the Baptist predicted that the Messiah would baptise people with the Holy Spirit: see Mark 1:8; Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16; John 1:33. The notion is also found in the Qumran literature. The conjunction of water baptism and outpouring of the Spirit (see Ezekiel 36:25-26 and John 7:37-39) will recur in 2:38; 8:14-16; 10:47-48; 19:5-6. [NJBC]
Verses 6-11: The Ascension. These verses follow Luke 24:50-51. [NOAB]
Verse 6: “they”: Probably more than the Eleven are in view.
Verse 6: “restore the kingdom”: Note the link to Luke 1:32. See also Jeremiah 33:7; Psalms 14:7; 85:1; Hosea 6:11; Sirach 48:10. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 7: “times or periods”: See also 1 Thessalonians 5:1 (“the times and the seasons”). Acts 3:20-21 expands these words: “so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets”. [NJBC]
Verse 8: “you will be my witnesses”: Of the restoration of the Kingdom. For the apostles as witnesses, see also Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:22; 2:32. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 8: “in Jerusalem, ... to the ends of the earth”:This is the movement of Acts – to Rome, so Rome is at the end in a religious sense. [BlkActs]
Verse 8: “to the ends of the earth”: Isaiah 49:6, a verse in the second Servant Song, says “... I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth”. See also Acts 13:47. [NJBC]
Verses 9-11: The Ascension. For direct verbal echoes, see 2 Kings 2:9-13 (Elijah’s ascension) and Sirach 48:9, 12. While only Luke tells us the story of the Ascension, there are other possible traces of the tradition of the Ascension in Ephesians 4:8-10; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 20:17; Epistle of Barnabas 15:9. [NJBC]
Verse 9: “a cloud”: See also Exodus 33:7-11 and Mark 9:7 (the Transfiguration).
Verse 10: “two men in white”: See also Luke 9:30, 34 (the Transfiguration, “Moses and Elijah”); 24:4-9 (the empty tomb). Such figures are semi-divine and are especially associated with the Last Days: see also Mark 9:3 and 1 Enoch 62:15ff. [NJBC]
Verse 11: “will come in the same way”: This suggests that the Ascension and the second coming bound the present era. Jesus says in Luke 21:27: “‘Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory’”. [NJBC]
Verses 12-26: These verses continue Luke 24:52-53. [NJBC]
Verse 12: “the mount called Olivet”: In Judaic eschatology, at the Last Day, God will stand on the Mount of Olives and a valley will appear in the mountain, “the Lord’s mountain” (see Zechariah 14:5). By this route the people will flee; God “shall become King over all the earth” (see Zechariah 14:9), and all shall know him intimately. [NJBC] [BlkActs]
Verse 12: “a sabbath day’s journey”: A negligible distance, perhaps a kilometre (half a mile). [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verses 13-14: A minor summary portraying the harmonious and prayerful community life. See also Luke 24:53. For the wider group, see also Luke 23:49; 24:9-10, 33. Their prayer effectively illustrates Luke 11:13. [NJBC]
Verse 13: The list of apostles is the same as in Luke 6:14-16 less, of course, Judas Iscariot, but the sequence is different: those mentioned in Acts are listed first. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “the room upstairs”: Possibly the home of Mark’s mother: 12:12 says: “... he [Peter] went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark”. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “John”: John is mentioned in 3:1-11; 4:13, 19; 8:14; 12:2. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “James”: 12:2 tells us that “King Herod ... had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword”. [BlkActs]
SECOND READING: 1 Peter 4: 12 - 14, 5: 6 - 11 (RCL)
1 Peter 4: 13 - 16 (Roman Catholic)
1Pet 4:12 (NRSV) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. 16 Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.
5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. {Or [be vigilant]} Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
Notes
In the final verses of the letter, the author exhorts his readers (who are being persecuted at least to the extent of being made to feel inferior) to accept their “ordeal” as something to be expected and as testing their mettle. Christ is not just an example of suffering-for-doing-good; they are to rejoice that in suffering they actually share in his sufferings. This is preparation for union with him when he comes again (“when his glory is revealed”, 4:13). They are indeed fortunate (“blessed”, 4:14) that the Spirit, the source of oneness with God (“glory”) is with them. For a Christian, to suffer for doing good is not a “disgrace” (4:16). Their suffering is in fact the start of end-time judgement. How much worse off will be those who do not “obey” (4:17) Christ’s message! So entrust yourselves to God.
In the conclusion, the author addresses fellow “elders” (5:1) as one who shares in the certain hope of Christ’s return. He exhorts the leaders to:
• care for the faithful,
• oversee them in doctrine and discipline,
• treat them as equals, and
• be examples to them.
All the faithful must make effort to “humble yourselves” (5:6) before God, who is always the great deliverer and to whom you owe obedience (“mighty hand”), so that in God’s time (“due time”) you will be brought into full union with him. Trust in God (5:7). Remain “alert” (5:8) for evil is always trying to divert you from God’s ways! Others also suffer as you do (5:9b). Your suffering will be brief; then God who has called you to eternal life will give you strength and the status due to you (“establish”, 5:10).
4:12: “fiery ordeal”: As in 1:6-7. This may be meant literally, but it is more likely to be an allusion to the book of Daniel. [NOAB] [NJBC]
4:13: See also Acts 5:41; Romans 8:17 (“... we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”); 2 Timothy 2:12; James 1:2. [NOAB]
4:13: “you are sharing Christ’s sufferings”: In 2:21, they are urged to follow Christ’s example. See also 2 Corinthians 1:5; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:24. [NJBC] [CAB]
4:14: See also 2:20; 3:14; Isaiah 11:2 (in the Septuagint translation, but with a variant). [NOAB] [NJBC]
4:14: “the Spirit of God”: See also Numbers 11:25; Mark 13:11 (“... do not worry beforehand about what you are to say ...”); Matthew 10:20; Luke 12:11-12.
4:15: “mischief maker”: One who meddles in another’s business. See also Acts 16:20-21. [NJBC]
4:16: Paul says in Philippians 1:20: “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death”.
4:16: “suffers as a Christian”: The same situation as in 2:15; 3:16; 4:4. [NJBC]
4:16: “Christian”: Acts 11:26 says: “... it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’” The Latin word means partisan of Christ. Perhaps it was originally a term of reproach. [NOAB] [NJBC]
4:17: In Malachi 3:1-5, God’s judgement will definitely begin with the Israelites (who have failed to follow his ways). It is also possible to interpret Jeremiah 25:29, Ezekiel 9:6, Isaiah 10:12 and Zechariah 13:7-9 in this way; however other interpretations are possible. Mark 13:8-13 says that the persecution of Christians will be the beginning of the process leading to the end-times. 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 says that both Christians and others will be judged, but that the effect of the judgement of Christians will be to discipline them, while that of others will be condemnation. [NJBC]
Whether the godly are judged is a matter of interpretation. Ancient interpreters were divided on the question. For some, judgment is universal, with the godly being vindicated and the wicked damned. For others, only the wicked needed judgement, as the godly are already vindicated
4:17: “what will be the end ...”: See also 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10. [NJBC]
4:18: The quotation is Proverbs 11:31 in the Septuagint translation. [NJBC]
4:19: See also 2:20. This is the only place in the New Testament where the word “Creator” occurs. [NOAB]
5:1: “elder”: In 1:1, the author refers to himself as “an apostle”. [NJBC]
5:1: “witness”: The Greek word does not imply that the author was an eye-witness. [NJBC]
5:2-4: A picture of the ideal pastor. See also John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11. [NJBC]
5:2: “not for sordid gain”: Paul was paid for his services at times; other pastors probably were too. See also Acts 20:33-34; 1 Corinthians 9:7-14; 2 Corinthians 12:13-18; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; Matthew 10:9-10. Other warnings against greed are found in Titus 1:7; 2:5. [NJBC]
5:4: “the chief shepherd ...”: See also 2:25. This verse echoes the language of Isaiah 53:1-12 (part of the fourth Servant Song). [NOAB] [NJBC]
5:4: “the crown of glory”: See also Jeremiah 13:18; 1QS (Qumran Rule of the Community) 4:7; 1QH (Qumran Hymns) 17:25 (Vermes: 9:25).
5:5: “clothe yourselves”: Literally tie about you, as a slave tied on an apron for menial work. So it takes effort! [NJBC]
5:5: The quotation is Proverbs 3:34 (in the Septuagint translation). It is also quoted in James 4:6-10.
5:6: “the mighty hand of God”: For use of this phrase with reference to God’s great acts of deliverance, see Exodus 3:19; 6:1l; Deuteronomy 9:26. For it referring to the obedience he expects, see Job 30:21; Psalm 32:4; Ezekiel 20:34-35. [NJBC]
5:7: This verse is Psalm 55:22 (in the Septuagint translation) with an echo of Wisdom of Solomon 12:13. See also Matthew 6:25-34 (“‘do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink ... ‘”). [NJBC]
5:8: “keep alert”: See also 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Matthew 24:42; Luke 21:34-36; Romans 13:11-12. [NJBC]
5:8: “a roaring lion”: Psalm 22:12-13 says “Many bulls encircle me, ... they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion”. [NJBC]
5:8: “your adversary the devil”: This adversary is as in a lawsuit, so this points to the Day of Judgement. For Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness, see Matthew 4:1-11.
5:8: “the devil”: In the Septuagint, the Greek word diabolos, devil, is used to translate the Hebrew word satan, literally accuser – as it is translated in Job 1-2. The word was later applied to the leader of the fallen angels. [NJBC]
5:9: “him”: i.e. the devil. See also Ephesians 6:11-18. [NOAB]
5:10: “... suffered ... grace ... called ... glory”: This verse sums up some of the chief elements of the letter. [NJBC]
5:10: “God of all grace”: This is the “God of all consolation” of 2 Corinthians 1:3. According to 4:10, “grace” is in part the ability to serve one another in the Church. [NJBC]
5:10: “who has called you”: See also 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 5:24.
5:11: A doxology to the Father.
GOSPEL: John 17: 1 - 11 (all)
John 17:1 (NRSV) After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
6 "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
Notes
Jesus has just ended his instructions to his disciples; he has concluded with “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” Now he prays to the Father. He summarizes the significance of his life. The time appointed by God for his departure (crucifixion, resurrection and ascension) has come. Glory can be defined as divine heavenly splendour where heaven is the state of ultimate good and love existing outside of time. In v. 1, the Father giving this splendour to the Son adds to the Father’s splendour because of the “authority” (v. 2) given to the Son over humans, especially “to give eternal life” to us. V. 3 explains that “eternal life” is knowing the Father and the Son intimately. Vv. 4-5 state how the Son adds to the splendour of the Father (by completing his assigned task) and how the Father adds to the Son’s splendour: by restoring him to the Father’s “presence”, to heaven – a state he enjoyed before God’s creative act. V. 6 expands on “the work” (v. 4) the Son has done: to make the Father’s character and person (“name”, v. 6) known to those chosen by the Father. These elect are the mutual possession of Father and Son; these have been faithful to God’s “word”, his command. Vv. 7-8 expand on keeping the Father’s word: the disciples know that:
• the Father is the source of all that the Son has been given;
• Jesus is from (out of) the Father; and
• the Father sent him into the world.
Looking forward to the time after his departure, Jesus asks the Father to “protect” (v. 11) the disciples from evil influences in the alien “world”, that they may have a unity modelled on that of the Father and the Son.
This prayer of Jesus for his followers and those who will believe in him through them is a fitting culmination to Jesus’ ministry, and leads on to the cross.
Verses 1-26: This is Jesus’ high priestly prayer. It falls naturally into three parts:
• Vv. 1-5: Jesus’ prayer for himself
• Vv. 6-19: His prayer for his disciples, left in the world after his ascension, and
• Vv. 20-26: His prayer for the Church universal. [NOAB]
There are parallels to the Lord's Prayer. [NJBC]
Verse 1: “looked up to heaven”: Presumably standing – the conventional Jewish attitude of prayer. See also 11:41; Luke 9:16; 18:13; Mark 6:41; 7:34; Matthew 14:19; 1 Enoch 13:5.
Verse 2: “you have given him authority”: To judge, lay down and take up his life. See also 5:27; 10:18; 19:10-11 (Jesus before Pilate); 3:27, 35.
Verse 4: “by finishing the work”: See also 4:34; 5:36; 19:28, 30.
Verse 4: “that you gave me to do”: See also 10:25.
Verse 5: “before the world existed”: See also 1:1ff; 8:58; 17:24.
Verse 6: “I have made your name known”: The Greek verb ephanerosa is used of the manifestation of Jesus, or of his glory, or of God’s works, in 1:31; 2:11; 9:3; 21:1, 14. Here it is to those given to Jesus by the Father that Jesus, by his words and deeds, makes known God’s “name”, i.e. his character and person. [BlkJn]
Verse 7: “‘everything you have given me’”: i.e. the entire ministry of Jesus with all that this involves. [BlkJn]
Verse 8: “‘for the words ...’”: Jesus’ words are the Father’s words: 3:34 says “He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure”. See also 7:16; 12:49-50; 14:10, 24. [BlkJn]
Verse 8: “they ... know in truth that I came from you”: See also 16:27. In context, Jesus does not merely mean that he is Messiah, far less that he is a superman, one of the divine heroes of the ancient world, but that his claims to pre-existence (see v. 5) are justified. [BlkJn]
Verse 9: “‘I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me’”: Others are not capable, unless they come to faith in Jesus (see v. 20), of sharing in what the Father gives. [BlkJn]
Verses 11-12: 13:1 tells us that Jesus’ departure is imminent: “Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father ...”. On the disciples being left exposed to the hostility of the world, in 15:18 Jesus says “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you”. See also 17:14 and 16:1-5a (for an alternative presentation of the ideas). [BlkJn]
Verse 11: The unity of believers is modelled on the shared purpose and character of the Father and the Son, who are in complete unity. [BlkJn]
Verse 12: “‘the scripture’”: That “scripture” is in the singular implies that John has a particular passage in mind. It may be Psalm 41:9 (“Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.”), which Jesus quotes in 13:18. [BlkJn]
Verse 12: “the one destined to be lost”: This phrase is also found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3; there it refers to the Antichrist. [BlkJn]
Verse 14: “‘word’”: See also 1:1-19: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...”.
Verse 17: “your word is truth”: God’s “word” (Greek: logos) is the means of sanctification. The Father’s “word” is characterized as the revelation of ultimate reality. 1:14 says that the incarnate “Word”, Jesus, is “full of grace and truth”. The “truth” sets free those who persevere in Jesus’ word: see 8:31-36. [BlkJn]
Verse 18: In 20:21, in his appearance to the disciples, Jesus tells them: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. [BlkJn]
Verse 19: “‘sanctify myself’”: In the Septuagint translation, the Greek verb agiadzo (“sanctify”) is used both for the setting apart for God (in Exodus 3:2 and Deuteronomy 15:19) and for the consecration of people to God’s service (in Jeremiah 1:5, of a prophet, and in Exodus 28:41, of priests). Christ’s perfect self-offering is the means by which the disciples whom he is sending into the world are dedicated in obedience to God. [BlkJn]
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