12 Aelred, Abbot of Rievaulx, 1167 was an English writer, abbot of Rievaulx (from 1147 until his death), and saint 13 Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, 367 was Bishop of Poitiers and is a Doctor of the Church. He was sometimes referred to as the "Hammer of the Arians" (Latin: Malleus Arianorum) and the "Athanasius of the West. 14 15 16 Richard Meux Benson, Religious, 1915, and Charles Gore, Bishop of Worcester, of Birmingham, and of Oxford, 1932 17 Antony, Abbot in Egypt, 356 was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers 18 The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 42: 1 - 9 (RCL) Isaiah 42: 1 - 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. 5 Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: 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. 8 I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. 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. NEW TESTAMENT: Acts 10: 34 - 43 (RCL) Acts 10: 34 - 38 (Roman Catholic) Acts 10:34 (NRSV) Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." h/t Montreal Anglican Peter is visiting Cornelius, an officer of the occupying Roman army and already a believer in God. Peter breaks Jewish law by visiting a Gentile. The Greek here is rough, full of grammatical errors, unlike the rest of Acts, so we may well have Peter's unedited words. He tells the assembled company that God does not favour Jews over others: anyone, whatever his nationality, who reveres God and lives in unison with him “is acceptable to him” (v. 35). In vv. 36-38, Peter summarizes Jesus’ earthly ministry; he applies prophecies found in Isaiah 52:7 and 61:1 to Christ. (Psalm 107:20 says “... he sent out his word ...”) Christ is Kyrios, “Lord of all” (v. 36). In baptism, the Father “anointed” (v. 38) Jesus “with the Holy Spirit” and with the “power” of God (but he was already integral with God’s very being.) The good news (“message”, v. 37) spread throughout Palestine (“Judea”); he “went about” (v. 38) “doing good” and combatting evil, doing deeds so powerful that it is clear that he was God’s agent: he is a model for all to follow. He suffered death as one guilty of a capital offence, per Deuteronomy 21:23: he hung on a “tree” (v. 39) and was cursed. (By Jesus’ time, the “tree”, a pole, had acquired a cross-arm.) But, although cursed, the Father “raised him” (v. 40) and “allowed him to appear” to those chosen by God – to be “witnesses” (v. 41). In Luke 24:41-43, Jesus eats broiled fish with them, so he was clearly humanly alive again, i.e. physically brought back from death, resurrected. Jesus, the Kyrios , is the one appointed by God to set up the Kingdom and to judge both those who are alive, and those who have died, at Judgement Day (v. 42). Then v. 43: he fulfills many Old Testament prophecies: he is the one through whom sins are forgiven. Forgiveness is now available to “everyone who believes”, not just to Jews. Verse 34: “God shows no partiality”: Literally: God is not one showing favours, an allusion to Deuteronomy 10:17, which denies that God favours particular persons or accepts bribes. [ JBC] BlkActs says that the Greek word is found only in Christian writings but is coined from an expression in the Septuagint translation, which translates a Hebrew expression for lift up the face, i.e. favour. It denotes the gracious act of someone who lifts up a person’s face by showing him a favour (see Malachi 1:8). In Romans 2:11, Paul writes “God shows no partiality”. [ JBC] Verse 35: “does what is right”: Literally: practices righteousness . [ JBC] Verses 36-43: This sums up the gospel, beginning with the baptism of John and ending with the statement that Christ is judge: see 3:20-21 (Peter’s second sermon). [ NOAB] Verse 36: “preaching peace”: This traditional eschatological prophecy, based on Isaiah 52:7 and 61:1, was applied to Jesus’ ministry with redoubled emphasis in Luke’s gospel ( 7:22; 4:17-20) and Jesus’ commissioning of his disciples as “peace” harbingers was prominent in his mission instruction (Luke 10:5-6). Verse 36: “he is Lord of all”: To be understood in the light of Romans 10:12: “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.”. [ NJBC] Verse 37: “the baptism that John announced”: See also 1:22 and Luke 3:2-3. [ JBC] Verse 38: “God anointed Jesus”: See also Luke 3:22 (Jesus’ baptism) and 4:14. [ NOAB] An allusion to Isaiah 61:1. Jesus’ investiture with the power of the Holy Spirit. This does not say that Jesus became Messiah at his baptism. Acts 2:36 and 3:12-20 suggest an entirely different understanding of Jesus’ messiahship, as does the Infancy Narrative (see Luke 1:32-33). Jesus is the spirit-filled agent of God’s saving activity. [ JBC] Verse 39: “by hanging him on a tree”: A figurative expression for crucifixion, derived from Deuteronomy 21:23-24: “When someone is convicted of a crime punishable by death and is executed, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse must not remain all night upon the tree; you shall bury him that same day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse ...”. See also 2:23; 5:30; Galatians 3:13. [ JBC] Verse 40: “on the third day”: See also 1 Corinthians 15:4 and Hosea 6:2 (“After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him”). [ JBC] Verse 40: “allowed him to appear”: NJBC offers gave him to be manifested. Verse 41: “witnesses”: See Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8, 22. [ NOAB] Verse 42: “commanded”: JBC offers commissioned. Verse 42: “judge of the living and the dead”: 17:31 says that God “has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead”. See also 1 Peter 4:5 and 2 Timothy 4:1. [ NOAB] Verse 43: This verse is a complete reprise of Luke 24:44-48. [ NJBC] Verse 43: “All the prophets testify about him”: See Isaiah 2:2; 40:5; Joel 2:32. However, a scholar wonders to which prophets Peter is referring. Verses 44-48: In Acts, believers usually receive the Holy Spirit at baptism (see 2:38 and 19:5-6), or before baptism (as here), but in 8:15-16 they receive it after baptism, and only when the apostles visit. GOSPEL: Matthew 3: 13 - 17 (all) Matt 3:13 (NRSV) Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." John the Baptist has appeared, calling people to repentance, to turning back to God’s ways, to the way of life to which Israel committed herself at Sinai. He tells of the nearness of God’s kingdom, the time of complete fulfilment of God’s promises to humans. A new era, in which God rules, is almost here! John seeks to dissuade Jesus from seeking baptism but (in words that we do not fully understand) Jesus insists: for the present, being baptised by you is to perfectly fulfill the Father’s will. In being baptised, Jesus joins the community now walking in God’s ways. His baptism shows his continuity with God’s will seen in the Old Testament: the coming of the “Spirit of God” (v. 16), an Old Testament term, shows he is the Messiah; the words spoken by the heavenly “voice” (v. 17) are much like Isaiah 42:1: Jesus is the agent of God who will suffer for others – not the kind of Messiah people expected. “Beloved” is not sentiment; rather it indicates God’s will. The “voice” (v. 17) says three things: Jesus really is God’s “Son”; he is chosen for ministry to God’s people, and God approves his coming for baptism and his joining with his people in preparing for the coming crisis. The parallels are Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:31-34. Verse 14: “would have prevented him”: BlkMt offers tried to forbid him, and says that the verb is in the imperfect, a tense in Greek which here indicates an action attempted but then given up. Verse 14: John assumes that the greater one should not be baptised by the lesser one. [ BlkMt] Verse 15: “now”: Perhaps until Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection or until John the Baptist’s death. BlkMt says that “now” indicates that this reversal of positions is temporary. Jesus’ superior rank does not release him from the obligation “to fulfill all righteousness”; he is one with his people and must join with them in the acts which express response to God’s spokesman and dedication to God’s will. That Jesus comes for baptism shows that he recognizes John as being correct: divine judgement is imminent; Israel must repent and be baptised and, by obedience, prepare for the coming Kingdom. Verses 16-17: A description of the surge of certainty and self-understanding that came to Jesus at his baptism. The language, akin to Old Testament speech, portrays a spiritual experience which words cannot adequately describe. Verse 16: At his baptism, Jesus stood in the Jordan River and probably submerged himself at John’s consent and direction. [ BlkMt] Verse 16: “the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him”: Has not Jesus possessed the Spirit before? The Spirit here is not thought of as a passive presence, but as an active power which comes to rouse him to action and give him power and guidance for his work. He is now equipped for his task; he is made to know that he must at once begin his ministry, and he is given the power and direction to do it. [ BlkMt] Jesus is confronted by God as agent of renewal of his people by the coming of the “Spirit” which will provide him with God’s wisdom, knowledge and power (see Isaiah 11:1-2) and by the voice from God, acclaiming him as “Son” and agent of God’s rule (see Psalm 2:7) in whom he is “well-pleased” (see Isaiah 42:1). In the days of Noah (see Genesis 8:1-18), the return of a dove with a “freshly plucked olive leaf” symbolizes a new pact between God and humans. Verse 17: “a voice from heaven”: This is the voice of God, just as the “kingdom of heaven” (v. 2, 4:17; 5:3; etc.) is the Kingdom of God. The words of the heavenly voice reflect the identification of Jesus with the messianic king of Psalm 2 and with the Servant of Isaiah 42. Whether Jesus already foresaw the suffering of that Servant as his inescapable role is not stated; perhaps he did. It is clear that Jesus worshipped, thought and lived in the atmosphere of Old Testament expectations. He inevitably understood his mission in the light of them. [ BlkMt] Verse 17: “Son”: In Deutero-Isaiah, the Hebrew reads servant, not son; the word is ‘ebed. In the Septuagint translation, this word is translated as pais – which also means boy or child. “Son” is a small step from there. But the change may be deliberate – for the realization of Jesus’ sonship is his servanthood. As Jerome noted, this is the first New Testament revelation of the Trinity. Jesus’ baptism is a model for Christian baptism. Verse 17: “Beloved”: The Greek word has a meaning similar to that translated chosen: see Isaiah 42:1, but with some reference to Psalm 2:7 and Genesis 22:2. It refers to an act of God’s will (not feeling): see also 2 Peter 1:17. In Luke 9:35 (the Transfiguration) the word is chosen. The word “Beloved” expresses not merely favoured position with the Father, but also God’s choice of him for a ministry to God’s people. [ BlkMt] Verse 17: “well pleased”: BlkMt sees this as approval of Jesus’ submission to baptism but notes that other scholars see this as timeless approval of the submission to baptism which has just occurred, as in am always well pleased.