·
28 Johann Sebastian Bach, 1750, George Frederick Handel, 1759, and Henry Purcell,
1695, Composers
·
30 William Wilberforce, 1833 and Anthony Ashley Cooper, Lord
Shaftesbury, 1885, Prophetic Witnesses
·
31 Ignatius of Loyola, Priest and Monastic, 1556 who co-founded the religious
order called the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and became its first Superior
General at Paris in 1541.[2] The Jesuit order served the Pope as missionaries, and
they were bound by a vow of special obedience to the sovereign pontiff in
regard to the missions
·
2 Samuel David Ferguson, Missionary Bishop for West
Africa, 1916
·
3 George Freeman Bragg, Jr., Priest, 1940. W. E. B. Du Bois,
sociologist, 1963
·
5 Albrecht Dürer,
1528, Matthias Grünewald, 1529, and Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1553, Artists was a German
Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court
painter to the Electors
of Saxony for most of his career, and is known for his portraits,
both of German princes and those of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation, whose cause he embraced with enthusiasm. He was a close
friend of Martin Luther
OLD TESTAMENT: Hosea 1:
2 - 10 (RCL)
Hose 1:2 (NRSV)
When the LORD first spoke through Hose'a, the LORD said to Hose'a, "Go,
take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the
land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD." 3 So he went and took
Go'mer daughter of Dibla'im, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4 And the LORD
said to him, "Name him Jez'reel; for in a little while I will punish the
house of Je'hu for the blood of Jez'reel, and I will put an end to the kingdom
of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the
valley of Jez'reel."
6 She conceived
again and bore a daughter. Then the LORD said to him, "Name her
Lo-ruha'mah, for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive
them. 7 But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the
LORD their God; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by
horses, or by horsemen."
8 When she had
weaned Lo-ruha'mah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then the LORD said,
"Name him Lo-am'mi, for you are not my people and I am not your God."
10 Yet the number
of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither
measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, "You
are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living
God."
Genesis 18: 20 - 32
(Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL)
Gene 18:20 (NRSV)
Then the LORD said, "How great is the outcry against Sod'om and Gomor'rah
and how very grave their sin! 21 I must go down and see whether they have done
altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will
know."
22 So the men
turned from there, and went toward Sod'om, while Abraham remained standing
before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham came near and said, "Will you indeed
sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous
within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the
fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to
slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked!
Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is
just?" 26 And the LORD said, "If I find at Sod'om fifty righteous in
the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake." 27 Abraham answered,
"Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and
ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the
whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if
I find forty-five there." 29 Again he spoke to him, "Suppose forty
are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do
it." 30 Then he said, "Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak.
Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I
find thirty there." 31 He said, "Let me take it upon myself to speak
to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the
sake of twenty I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "Oh do not
let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found
there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy
it."
PSALM 85 (RCL)
Psal 85:1 (NRSV)
LORD, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the
fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the
iniquity of your people;
you pardoned all
their sin. [Se'lah]
3 You withdrew all
your wrath;
you turned from
your hot anger.
4 Restore us
again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your
indignation toward us.
5 Will you be
angry with us forever?
Will you prolong
your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not
revive us again,
so that your
people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your
steadfast love, O LORD,
and grant us your
salvation.
8 Let me hear what
God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak
peace to his people,
to his faithful,
to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9 Surely his
salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may
dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love
and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and
peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness
will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness
will look down from the sky.
12 The LORD will
give what is good,
and our land will
yield its increase.
13 Righteousness
will go before him,
and will make a
path for his steps.
85 Benedixisti,
Domine (ECUSA BCP)
1 You
have been gracious to your land, O Lord,
*
you
have restored the good fortune of Jacob.
2 You
have forgiven the iniquity of your people *
and
blotted out all their sins.
3 You
have withdrawn all your fury *
and
turned yourself from your wrathful indignation.
4 Restore
us then, O God our Savior; *
let
your anger depart from us.
5 Will
you be displeased with us for ever? *
will
you prolong your anger from age to age?
6 Will
you not give us life again, *
that
your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show
us your mercy, O Lord, *
and
grant us your salvation.
8 I
will listen to what the Lord God
is saying, *
for
he is speaking peace to his faithful people
and
to those who turn their hearts to him.
9 Truly,
his salvation is very near to those who fear him, *
that
his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy
and truth have met together; *
righteousness
and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth
shall spring up from the earth, *
and
righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 The
Lord will indeed grant prosperity,
*
and
our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness
shall go before him, *
and
peace shall be a pathway for his feet.
Psalm 138 (alt. for RCL)
Psalm 138: 1 - 3, 6 -
8 (Roman Catholic)
Psal 138:1 (NRSV)
I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
before the gods I
sing your praise;
2 I bow down
toward your holy temple
and give thanks to
your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
for you have
exalted your name and your word
above everything.
3 On the day I
called, you answered me,
you increased my
strength of soul.
4 All the kings of
the earth shall praise you, O LORD,
for they have
heard the words of your mouth.
5 They shall sing
of the ways of the LORD,
for great is the
glory of the LORD.
6 For though the
LORD is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he
perceives from far away.
7 Though I walk in
the midst of trouble,
you preserve me
against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out
your hand,
and your right
hand delivers me.
8 The LORD will
fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast
love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the
work of your hands.
138 Confitebor
tibi (ECUSA BCP)
1 I will
give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; *
before
the gods I will sing your praise.
2 I will
bow down toward your holy temple
and praise your
Name, *
because
of your love and faithfulness;
3 For you
have glorified your Name *
and
your word above all things.
4 When I
called, you answered me; *
you
increased my strength within me.
5 All the
kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord, *
when
they have heard the words of your mouth.
6 They
will sing of the ways of the Lord, *
that
great is the glory of the Lord.
7 Though
the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly; *
he
perceives the haughty from afar.
8 Though
I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; *
you
stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;
your
right hand shall save me.
9 The
Lord will make good his purpose for me; *
O
Lord, your love endures for ever;
do
not abandon the works of your hands.
NEW TESTAMENT:
Colossians 2: 6 - 15 (16 - 19) (RCL)
Colossians
2: 12 - 14 (Roman Catholic)
Colo 2:6 (NRSV) As
you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives
in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you
were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that
no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to
human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not
according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10
and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and
authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision,
by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 when you
were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in
the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in
trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together
with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that
stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the
cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of
them, triumphing over them in it.
16 Therefore do
not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing
festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17 These are only a shadow of what is to
come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you,
insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed
up without cause by a human way of thinking, 19 and not holding fast to the
head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments
and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.
From this letter, we
know that Christians at Colossae, an industrial city, were subject to
influences from other religions: some tried to synthesize Christianity with
them. Our reading gives us an idea of notions they tended to adopt. Vv. 6-7 advise
them to remain true to the gospel as they received it – in continuity with
tradition. Vv. 8-13 warn
against false teachings: “be on your guard” (Revised English Bible) that you
not be made “captive” (and carried off) by any of these errant beliefs
(“philosophy ...”) which are of “human” (not divine) origin: they see
“elemental spirits” (spirits thought to infuse the four basic elements of the
world) and cosmic (angelic) powers (“ruler and authority”, v. 10)
as controlling the universe for God. The whole of God is found in Christ,
without such intermediaries! (v. 9).
(“Bodily” may mean:
·
corporately: in the Church;
·
incarnate: in bodily form; or
·
actually: not only in appearance.
) Christians have full
access to God’s power; he is superior to (and over) these spirits and angels.
Vv. 11-12 speak
of “baptism” as “spiritual circumcision”. (The “body of the flesh” is probably
human weakness.) Baptism introduces us to sharing in Christ’s suffering and
death (“buried with him”, v. 12);
through it, we are already exalted with Christ (although our appearance with
him in glory will come later). Before baptism, the Colossian Christians were
alienated from God (“dead”, v. 13),
mired in sin; now they are “alive”: for God (in love) forgave their sins. In
effect, he cancelled the legal note of debt (v. 14a);
Christ took this note on himself. V. 15 continues
the military image begun with “captive” in v. 8:
Christ leads the triumphal parade, followed by the subjugated angels who are on
public display (perhaps in chains). Vv. 16-19 refute
specific errant beliefs. Neither adopt Jewish dietary laws nor observe their
holy days. The real “festivals” are Christ’s, not theirs (v. 17).
Don’t be led astray from Christ’s way by those who insist on extreme asceticism
(“self-abasement”, v. 18),
by worship of powers other than Christ (“angels”), by devaluing earthly things
in favour of spiritual fancies (“visions”), or by false pride. Take care not to
separate yourself from Christ (“the head”, v. 19),
the source of nourishment, unity and spiritual growth.
Augustine argues that the angels' nature depends on God just as
much as humanity's does. For the author, the cosmic Christ is
more than just the world-soul (which was another teaching of Platonism), but God himself
through, by, and in whom God created everything. It's very complex. The author
keeps warning his readers away from “philosophy” (v. 8),
but you really have to know some philosophy to understand him here!
I think the problem the author may have perceived (as Augustine
did several centuries later) is that Platonism was so close in many ways to
Christianity, and in many ways so attractive, that it was all too easy to let
Platonist assumptions creep unexamined into Christian faith. The author has to
walk the thin line between the influences of Judaism and Platonism, obviously
not easy for his readers! References to the bodily image of God that Jesus is
may also be inserted as a way of pulling the Colossians back from Platonic
notions that the body was inherently evil. The incarnate Christ leads the
disembodied elemental spirits captive. [Abbott Conway]
Verse 6:
“received”: The Greek word, paralambano, is used of teaching in
Galatians 1:9;
Philippians 4:9;
1 Corinthians 11:23.
It is a technical term for receiving a tradition. [ NJBC]
Verse 7:
“thanksgiving”: The Greek word is eucharistos . It is repeated
throughout the epistle: see also 1:12; 3:15, 17; 4:2.
[ JBC]
Verse 8:
“takes you captive”: The rare Greek verb sylagogeo has the
added sense of carry you off as booty. [ NJBC]
Verse 8:
“philosophy”: Some scholars render this as vain speculation, but
this translation reads certain assumptions into the word. The Greek word philosophia itself
implies simply love of wisdom. [ NOAB]
Verse 8:
“empty deceit”: The Greek word, apate also occurs in
Ephesians 4:22 (NRSV:
“deluded”); 2 Thessalonians 2:10;
Hebrews 3:13;
2 Peter 2:13 (NRSV:
“dissipation”). [ CAB]
Verse 8:
“human tradition”: In Matthew 15:2-3, 6,
when some Pharisees ask Jesus “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the
elders?”, namely washing their hands before eating, he answers “for the sake of
your tradition, you make void the word of God”. See also Mark 7:3, 5, 8-9, 13;
Galatians 1:14;
1 Peter 1:18.
[ CAB]
Verse 8:
“elemental spirits”: The elements of which the world was thought to be composed
are earth, fire, air and water. Spirits were thought to infuse these elements.
(Many centuries later, scientists discovered chemical elements, e.g. hydrogen.)
There were also spirits of the upper air.
Verse 9:
“in him”: Christ crucified, resurrected and exalted. [ CAB]
Verse 10: “the head of every ruler and authority”: Ephesians 1:21-22 says
that Christ is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” and is
“the head over all things for the church”. [ NOAB]
Verses 11-12: These verses reflect Romans 6:3-11,
but here baptism is named as Christian circumcision. Circumcision is used
figuratively in the Old Testament (see Deuteronomy 10:16;
Jeremiah 4:4;
Ezekiel 44:7),
in the Qumran
literature (see 1QS (Rule of the Community) 5:5) and elsewhere in the
New Testament (see Romans 2:28-29 and
Philippians 3:3).
[ NJBC]
Verse 11: “putting off ...”: Greek apekdysis. This noun is
used only here in the New Testament. The verb apekdyomaiis found
in 2:15; 3:9.
There may be an allusion to mystery cults here: in some of them, initiates laid
aside their garments during the rite. In the early Church the first act of the
baptismal rite was the taking off of one's vesture. [NJBC]
Verse 12: “you were also raised”: In Romans 6:5,
the resurrection of Christians is in the future, but here it has already
happened. See also Ephesians 5:14.
[ NJBC]
Verse 12: “power”: Greek: energeia. This is a favourite word
in Colossians and Ephesians: see also 1:29;
Ephesians 1:19; 3:7; 4:16.
Interestingly enough, in Greek philosophy energeia doesn't
really mean power – that concept is rendered by the term dynamis.
The Latin equivalent of dynamis is potentia, which
is power (potency), but also potential, that which a thing is in itself before
being manifested. The equivalent of energeia is operatio,
that which is brought about to reflect the innate being of the thing. So energeia is
really a bringing about, an actualizing, of something. I suspect that for the
author, it is an important word because it signifies God actually having done
the thing, not merely postulating it in some theoretical dimension. [Abbott
Conway]
Verse 12: Comments: our appearance with Christ in
glory will come later: 3:3-4 says: “... you have died, and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you
also will be revealed with him in glory”.
Verse 13: See also Ephesians 2:1, 5 and
Romans 6:11.
Acts 2:38 also
connects baptism with the forgiveness of sins. See also Matthew 6:9-15 and
Luke 11:1-4 (the
Lord’s Prayer).
Verse 13: “made you alive”: The word syzopoieo is only
used in the New Testament here and in Ephesians 2:5.
[ JBC]
Verse 14: “erasing the record”: An accounting term. Ephesians 2:15 says:
“He [Christ] has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that
he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two ...”. See also
1 Peter 2:24.
[ NOAB]
Verse 14: “legal”: i.e. in Mosaic law. Death was the penalty for
disobeying the Law: see Genesis 2:17 and
Deuteronomy 30:19.
[ JBC] Jews believed that the
Law was given to Moses by angels: In Galatians 3:19,
Paul writes that “it was ordained through angels by a mediator” (Moses).
Verse 15: “made a public example of them”: As captives, stripped of their
armour, were displayed as proof of victory.
Verse 16: “festivals, new moons, or sabbaths”: In Galatians 4:10,
Paul notes that some Christians in Galatia are “observing special days, and
months, and seasons, and years”. This phrase (or variants of it) occur in 1
Chronicles 23:31;
2 Chronicles 31:3;
Ezekiel 45:17;
Hosea 2:11.
[ CAB]
Verse 17: “shadow ... substance”: NJBC sees this as reflecting the
Greek shadow/reality notion. “Substance” here is soma,
literally body. An earthy thing was seen as a pale imperfect shadow
of the heavenly perfect reality. Hebrews 8:5says
of the Jewish high priests that “They offer worship in a sanctuary that is a
sketch and shadow of the heavenly one”. See also Hebrews 10:1;
1 Corinthians 13:10.
Verses 18-19: “Do not let anyone ... dwelling on visions, ... head”: Another
interpretation is that those who have given themselves to fanciful visions have
also lost touch with their own heads.
Verse 19: “the head”: See also Ephesians 1:22 (quoted
above). Christ is also mentioned as head of the church in Ephesians 4:15.
[ NOAB]
Verses 20-23: These verses contrast the constraints of philosophy and
the liberty of believers. [ NJBC]
GOSPEL: Luke 11: 1 -
13 (all)
Luke 11:1 (NRSV)
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his
disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his
disciples." 2 He said to them, "When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed
be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day
our daily bread.
4 And forgive us
our sins,
for we ourselves
forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring
us to the time of trial."
5 And he said to
them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and
say to him, "Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine
has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7 And he answers from
within, "Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my
children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell
you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his
friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him
whatever he needs.
9 "So I say
to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and
the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and
everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be
opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will
give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a
scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those
who ask him!"
© 1996-2019
Chris Haslam
Verse 1: “He was praying”: For prayer as a part of
recorded momentous events in Jesus’ life, see, e.g., Mark 1:35;
Luke 3:21 (Jesus’
baptism); 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28 (the
Transfiguration); 22:41-46 (on
the Mount of Olives). [ CAB]
Verse 1: “‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his
disciples’”: BlkLk says
that, in the days of Jesus’ ministry, Judaism considered a great part of
the Eighteen
Benedictions as obligatory. Here we have a request for a special
prayer to express the particular outlook and concerns of a group of disciples
of Jesus.
Verses 2-4: The versions of the Lord’s Prayer are compared
in the following table:
|
Matthew 6
|
Luke 11
|
|
9. ... Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
|
2. Father, hallowed be your name.
|
|
10. Your kingdom come.
|
Your kingdom come.
|
|
Your will be done, on earth as it
is in heaven.
|
|
|
11. Give us this day our daily
bread.
|
3. Give us each day our daily
bread.
|
|
12. And forgive us our debts, as
we also have forgiven our debtors.
|
4. And forgive us our sins, for we
ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
|
|
13. And do not bring us to the
time of trial,
|
And do not bring us to the time of
trial.
|
|
but rescue us from the evil one.
|
Each of the clauses
found in Matthew but not in the commonly accepted Lucan text is found in some
manuscripts of Luke.
Matthew’s form is closer
to Jewish prayers, and Luke’s to other Christian prayers. The Lord’s Prayer is
probably based on Jewish prayers. [ JBC]
The doxology For
the kingdom, ... (For thine is the kingdom... ) was added
in the early Church. It is based on David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:11-13:
“Yours, O Lord, are the
greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is
in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above
all. Riches and honour come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are
power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to
all. And now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your glorious name.”.
It is found in some early manuscripts of Luke.
Verse 2: “Father”: God as a caring, provident, gracious
and loving parent. In 10:21,
we read “... Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father
...’”. In 22:42,
on the Mount of Olives, Jesus prays: “Father, if you are willing, remove this
cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done”. Jesus also addresses God as
“Father” in 23:34, 46.
[ NJBC]
Verse 2: “hallowed”: The verb, in the aorist passive tense, gives
a once-for-all aspect to the petition; hence it is an eschatological motif. [ JBC]
Verse 3: “Give us each day our daily bread”: Throughout
the gospels, the giving of bread has a eucharistic meaning. See
also 9:17 (the
Feeding of the Five Thousand). This is a petition for daily physical and moral
renewal. [ JBC]
Verse 4: “forgive”: In Mark 11:25,
Jesus instructs his disciples: “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you
have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive
you your trespasses”. See also Matthew 18:35(the
fate of those who do not forgive, in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant). [ CAB]
Verse 4: “And do not bring us ...”: 2
Thessalonians 3:3 says:
“... the Lord will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one”. See also
James 1:13.
Verse 4: “trial”: Temptation is
another translation. In Luke, it is always bad; it never has the effect of
strengthening. [NJBC]
Verse 7: “the door has already been locked”: A door was
barricaded with a large wooden or iron bar, which would be tiresome and noisy
to remove. [ JBC]
Verse 7: “my children are with me in bed”: In a
one-room Palestinian house, the whole family slept on a mat in the raised part
of the room. [ JBC]
Verse 7: “I cannot get up”: i.e. I won’t! [ JBC]
Verse 8: “persistence”: JBC puts a different spin on the
Greek word: shamelessness.
Verse 9: The Greek implies an introduction: I
personally tell you ... [ JBC]
Verse 9: In Matthew 18:19,
Jesus tells his disciples: “... truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven”. See
also Matthew 21:22;
Mark 11:24;
James 1:5-8;
1 John 5:14-15;
John 14:13; 15:7; 17:23-24.
[ NOAB]
Verses 11-12: See also Psalm 91:12-16:
“... Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I
will rescue them and honour them ...”. [JBC]
Verse 12: “scorpion”: A scorpion is black, so it could
not possibly be mistaken for an “egg”. [ JBC]
Verse 13: “you ... who are evil”: “You” here is surely
people in general. Opposed to God’s ways as shown by Jesus, they are even so
made in the image of God, so reflect some of his ways.
Verse 13: “Holy Spirit”: The Holy Spirit enables our
sharing in Jesus’ sonship: see also Romans 8:23;
2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 5:5;
Ephesians 1:13-14.
It is Luke who tells us of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (see
Acts 2).
Some manuscripts have Your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us rather
than “Your kingdom come” (v. 2).
Both Marcion (died ca
160 AD) and Gregory of
Nyssa (ca 330 - ca 395) knew the prayer with these words. BlkLk says that it is likely
that Your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us is a liturgical adaptation of the
original form of the Lord’s prayer used perhaps when celebrating the rite of
baptism or of the laying-on of hands.
© 1996-2019
Chris Haslam
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