OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis 1: 1 - 5 (RCL) Gene 1:1 (NRSV) In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Isaiah 42: v1 - 4, 6 - 7 (Roman Catholic) Isai 42:1 (NRSV) Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. 6 I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 55: 1 - 11 (alt. for Roman Catholic) Isai 55:1 (NRSV) Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. 6 Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. PSALM 29 (RCL) Psalm 29: 1 - 4, 3b, 9b - 10 (Roman Catholic) Psal 29:1 (NRSV) Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor. 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sir'ion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Ka'desh. 9 The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, "Glory!" 10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. 11 May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace! 29 Afferte Domino (ECUSA BCP) 1 Ascribe to the LORD, you gods, * ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his Name; * worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. 3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; * the LORD is upon the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice; * the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedar trees; * the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon; 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, * and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the LORD splits the flames of fire; the voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; * the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 8 The voice of the LORD makes the oak trees writhe * and strips the forests bare. 9 And in the temple of the LORD * all are crying, “Glory!” 10 The LORD sits enthroned above the flood; * the LORD sits enthroned as King for evermore. 11 The LORD shall give strength to his people; * the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace. Isaiah 12: 2 - 3, 4bcd - 6 (alt. for Roman Catholic) Isai 12:2 (NRSV) Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. NEW TESTAMENT: Acts 19: 1 - 7 (RCL) Acts 19:1 (NRSV) While Apol'los was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Eph'esus, where he found some disciples. 2 He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 Then he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." 4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied-- 7 altogether there were about twelve of them. h/t Montreal Anglican Luke, also the author of Acts, has just told us, in 18:24-25, about Apollos, a Jew from Alexandria, “eloquent ... well-versed in the scriptures [the Old Testament] ... instructed in the Way of the Lord” who “spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John” the Baptist. When Priscilla and Aquila (a couple) heard him speak in the synagogue, they explained the Word of God “more accurately” (18:26) to him. He went to Achaia (in southern Greece) where he showed from scripture that Jesus is the Messiah, the saviour (18:28). Apollos was already on the way to becoming a Christian. The “disciples” (19:1) of John whom Paul found at Ephesus did not know the scriptures (19:2), for the Spirit is mentioned in the Old Testament. They had been baptised into the belief that when we admit our fault and promise to amend our ways (“repentance”, 19:4), God will forgive us. Paul tells them that the one of whom John spoke, “who was to come after him” , is already here: he is Jesus; in him they should believe – as a natural consequence of following John. They are baptised into the church, and when Paul lays hands on them, are empowered by the Holy Spirit, with particular spiritual gifts (speaking in tongues and prophecy). Apollos and the twelve both come to accept Christ, one through the scriptures and the witness of a couple, the twelve through hearing the good news from Paul and others. We do not know whether Apollos was baptised; he may have been an effective messenger for Christ, perhaps outside the church. 18:24-28: For Apollos’ activity in Corinth, see 1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:1-9, 21-24. [NOAB] There some Christians admired him as a greater authority than Paul, perhaps because of his abilities as an orator. It seems that he did not encourage this sentiment, for, after he had returned to Ephesus, when Paul invited him to pay another visit to Corinth, he resisted: see 1 Corinthians 16:12. [HBD] Alexandria was known as a seat of learning. 18:24: An Alexandrian “well versed in the scriptures” would probably interpret them allegorically. [NOAB] 19:1-41: These verses describe Paul’s long ministry in Ephesus. He was there more than two years. He wrote 1 and 2 Corinthians from there. [NOAB] 19:1: “Paul passed through the interior regions”: Probably of Asia Minor. 18:23 tells us “After spending some time there [at Antioch] he [Paul] departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples”. [NOAB] 19:1: “Ephesus”: Capital of the Roman province of Asia. [NOAB] 19:1: “disciples”: While disciples elsewhere in Acts means Christians, here it probably means disciples of John the Baptist. [NOAB] There are still some followers of John the Baptist in Iraq. Verse 4: Faith in Jesus is demanded out of very obedience to John. [NJBC] 19:5-6: Here, as is usual in Acts, believers receive the Holy Spirit at baptism (see also 2:38, on the Day of Pentecost) or before baptism (10:44, Cornelius’ household), but in 8:14-17 the Samaritans receive it after baptism, and only when the apostles visit. [NOAB] GOSPEL: Mark 1: 4 - 11 (RCL) Mark 1: 7 - 11 (alt. for Roman Catholic) Mark 1:4 (NRSV) John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." This gospel begins with the messenger whom God sends ahead of Christ, to prepare the way. John is the forerunner of Jesus. Tradition says that John baptised near Jericho, in an arid region. People came to him in large numbers, repenting (changing their mind sets), “confessing their sins” (v. 5), resolving to sin no more, and (probably) dipping themselves in the River. John dressed like a hermit or prophet (v. 6). In Palestine, some species of “locusts” were eaten. Mark does not tell us why Jesus was baptised by John, but what follows is important. The opening of the heavens symbolizes the start of a new mode of communication between God and humankind. Perhaps “like a dove” (v. 10) is an allusion to the spirit hovering in Genesis 1:2. To Mark, the “voice ... from heaven” (v. 11) confirms the already existing relationship between God and Jesus. (The Greek word translated “Beloved” indicates God’s choice more than his feelings.) Part of Jesus’ message in Galilee (v. 15) is “repent, and believe in the good news.” The parallels are: • to vv. 1-8: Matthew 3:1-12 and Luke 3:1-20. (See also John 1:6. 15, 19-28). • to vv. 9-11: Matthew 3:13-17 and Luke 3:21-22. (See also John 1:29-34). [NOAB] Verse 1: “beginning”: John the Baptist marks the transition from the epoch of the old covenant to that of the new, which Jesus brings. [CAB] Verse 1: “good news”: This term, or gospel, functions as the title of this book, and later (probably about 150 AD – in the writings of Justin Martyr) became the name for this genre of literature. The term is common in Paul’s letters where it means the message itself. [CAB] [BlkMt] [NJBC] Verse 1: “Son of God”: See also v. 11 and 3:11; 5:7; 14:61; 15:39. [CAB] In the Old Testament this term is used to describe angels or divine beings: (see Genesis 6:2 and Job 37:7), the Israelite nation (see Hosea 11:1) and an anointed king (see Psalm 2:7). There it usually has moral force: God loves Israel, so Israel should in turn love and obey her Father: see Deuteronomy 32:6. Two of the late apocalyptic books seem to use it of the Messiah (see 1 Enoch 105:2; 2 Esdras 7:28-29; 13:32, 27, 52), as does Mark in 14:61. The Greco-Roman world knew of gods and heroes, usually saviours and healers, who were called sons of god. So it is understandable that the centurion at the foot of the cross remarks: “Truly this man was God's Son” (in 15:39). [BlkMk] Verse 2: “the prophet Isaiah”: A reading found in some manuscripts is the prophets. This is easily explained: the quotation is actually not from Isaiah. Mark may have used a collection of Old Testament quotations and so attributed it to Isaiah. The quotation is a combination of Exodus 23:20 (in the Septuagint translation) and Malachi 3:1 (the Masoretic Text). Malachi used phrases from Exodus 23:20; there (per the Septuagint) God promises to send his messenger before Israel and guide it to the Promised Land. See also Matthew 11:10 and Luke 7:27. [NOAB] [NJBC] BlkMk considers that it is likely that this quotation was added by a later editor. It is not found in the parallel passages. An alternative view, presented by BlkMk, is that the quotation is Malachi 3:1 with my changed to your. In Greek, this change is only one letter: from mou to sou. In antiquity, unlike today, making such changes was fully acceptable. In Isaiah, “the Lord” is Yahweh; here it is Jesus. Verse 3: The quotation is Isaiah 40:3 in the Septuagint translation except that near the end he replaces our God’s with his. [NOAB] [CAB] [NJBC] Verse 4: See also Acts 13:24 (Paul speaks in the synagogue at Antioch in Persidia). [NOAB] Verse 4: “John the baptizer”: He is later called John the Baptist. He was imprisoned (see v. 14) and executed (see 6:17-29) by Herod Antipas. For the story of his birth, see Luke 3:10-18; for his preaching, see Luke 3:10-18. John is in Israel’s prophetic tradition. [CAB] Verse 5: “people from ...”: The historian Josephus, in his Antiquities of the Jews, also describes John as a preacher of repentance who used baptism and attracted large crowds. [NJBC] Verse 5: “baptized”: Baptism was a Jewish practice, but only for non-Jews who adopted Judaism. Verse 6: John’s clothing recalls that of Elijah: see 2 Kings 1:8. In Matthew 11:14, Elijah is identified with John. [CAB] Whether John was making the point that he stood in the line of Israel’s prophets or was presenting himself as the new Elijah (or both) is unclear. See Malachi 3:1; 4:5. [NJBC] Verse 7: “The one who is more powerful than I”: John may well have been speaking of God’s arrival in power at the end of time but in this book it undoubtedly refers to Jesus. [NJBC] Verse 8: See also Acts 2:17-21 (Peter speaks to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost) and Joel 2:28-29 (“Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions”). [NOAB] The Greek means Holy Spirit not “the Holy Spirit”. Mark elsewhere always uses the definite article. Matthew and Luke append with fire. Verse 9: “Nazareth”: A small village near Sepphoris, the capital of the province of Galilee. [CAB] Verse 11: Here the voice is addressed to Jesus but in Matthew and Luke the voice addresses those present. However NJBC suggests that Mark may not have intended this as a private vision. Verse 11: “Beloved”: The meaning of the Greek word is similar to our word chosen: Isaiah 42:1 says “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations”. See also Psalm 2:7; Luke 9:35; 2 Peter 1:17. [NOAB]