·
6 William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale, Coverdale
produced the first complete printed translation of the Bible into English.[2] His
theological development is a paradigm of the progress of the English Reformation from 1530 to 1552. By the time of his death, he had
transitioned into an early Puritan, affiliated to Calvin, yet still
advocating the teachings of Augustine.
·
Translators of the Bible, 1536, 1568
7 Henry Melchior
Muhlenberg, Lutheran Pastor in North America, 1787 was a German Lutheran pastor
sent to North America as a missionary,
requested by Pennsylvania colonists.
Integral
to the founding of the first Lutheran church body or denomination in North America, Muhlenberg
is considered the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in
the United States.
·
·
8 William Dwight
Porter Bliss, Priest, 1926, and Richard Theodore Ely,
Economist, 1943
·
9 Wilfred Thomason
Grenfell, Medical Missionary, 1940
·
10 Vida Dutton Scudder,
Educator and Witness for Peace, 1954
·
11 Philip,
Deacon and Evangelist
OLD TESTAMENT:
Lamentations 1: 1 - 6 (RCL)
Lame 1:1 (NRSV)
How lonely sits the city
that once was full
of people!
How like a widow
she has become,
she that was great
among the nations!
She that was a
princess among the provinces
has become a
vassal.
2 She weeps
bitterly in the night,
with tears on her
cheeks;
among all her
lovers
she has no one to
comfort her;
all her friends
have dealt treacherously with her,
they have become
her enemies.
3 Judah has gone
into exile with suffering
and hard servitude;
she lives now
among the nations,
and finds no
resting place;
her pursuers have
all overtaken her
in the midst of
her distress.
4 The roads to
Zion mourn,
for no one comes
to the festivals;
all her gates are
desolate,
her priests groan;
her young girls
grieve,
and her lot is
bitter.
5 Her foes have
become the masters,
her enemies
prosper,
because the LORD
has made her suffer
for the multitude
of her transgressions;
her children have
gone away,
captives before
the foe.
6 From daughter
Zion has departed
all her majesty.
Her princes have
become like stags
that find no
pasture;
they fled without
strength
before the
pursuer.
Habakkuk 1: 1 - 4; 2: 1
- 4 (alt. for RCL)
Habakkuk 1: 2 - 3; 2: 2
- 4 (Roman Catholic)
Haba 1:1 (NRSV)
The oracle that the prophet Habak'kuk saw.
2 O LORD, how long
shall I cry for help,
and you will not
listen?
Or cry to you
"Violence!"
and you will not
save?
3 Why do you make
me see wrongdoing
and look at trouble?
Destruction and
violence are before me;
strife and
contention arise.
4 So the law
becomes slack
and justice never
prevails.
The wicked
surround the righteous--
therefore judgment
comes forth perverted.
2:1 I will stand
at my watchpost,
and station myself
on the rampart;
I will keep watch
to see what he will say to me,
and what he will
answer concerning my complaint.
2 Then the LORD
answered me and said:
Write the vision;
make it plain on
tablets,
so that a runner
may read it.
3 For there is
still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the
end, and does not lie.
If it seems to
tarry, wait for it;
it will surely
come, it will not delay.
4 Look at the
proud!
Their spirit is
not right in them,
but the righteous
live by their faith.
PSALM: Lamentation 3:
19 - 26 (RCL)
Lame 3:19 (NRSV)
The thought of my affliction and my homelessness
is wormwood and
gall!
20 My soul
continually thinks of it
and is bowed down
within me.
21 But this I call
to mind,
and therefore I
have hope:
22 The steadfast
love of the LORD never ceases,
his mercies never
come to an end;
23 they are new
every morning;
great is your
faithfulness.
24 "The LORD
is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I
will hope in him."
25 The LORD is
good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that
seeks him.
26 It is good that
one should wait quietly
for the salvation
of the LORD.
Psalm 37: 1 - 9 (alt. for RCL)
Psal 37:1 (NRSV)
Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious
of wrongdoers,
2 for they will
soon fade like the grass,
and wither like
the green herb.
3 Trust in the
LORD, and do good;
so you will live
in the land, and enjoy security.
4 Take delight in
the LORD,
and he will give
you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way
to the LORD;
trust in him, and
he will act.
6 He will make
your vindication shine like the light,
and the justice of
your cause like the noonday.
7 Be still before
the LORD, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over
those who prosper in their way,
over those who
carry out evil devices.
8 Refrain from
anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret-it
leads only to evil.
9 For the wicked
shall be cut off,
but those who wait
for the LORD shall inherit the land.
Note : verse numbering
in your Psalter may be different from the above
37 (ECUSA BCP)
Part I Noli aemulari
1 Do not
fret yourself because of evildoers; *
do
not be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 For
they shall soon wither like the grass, *
and
like the green grass fade away.
3 Put
your trust in the Lord and do good; *
dwell
in the land and feed on its riches.
4 Take
delight in the Lord, *
and
he shall give you your heart's desire.
5 Commit
your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, *
and
he will bring it to pass.
6 He will
make your righteousness as clear as the light *
and
your just dealing as the noonday.
7 Be
still before the Lord *
and
wait patiently for him.
8 Do not
fret yourself over the one who prospers, *
the
one who succeeds in evil schemes.
9 Refrain
from anger, leave rage alone; *
do
not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.
10 For evildoers shall be cut off, *
but
those who wait upon the Lord shall possess the land.
Psalm 137 (alt. for
RCL)
Psal 137:1 (NRSV)
By the rivers of Babylon--
there we sat down
and there we wept
when we remembered
Zion.
2 On the willows
there
we hung up our
harps.
3 For there our
captors
asked us for
songs,
and our tormentors
asked for mirth, saying,
"Sing us one
of the songs of Zion!"
4 How could we
sing the LORD's song
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you,
O Jerusalem,
let my right hand
wither!
6 Let my tongue
cling to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not
remember you,
if I do not set
Jerusalem
above my highest
joy.
7 Remember, O
LORD, against the E'domites
the day of
Jerusalem's fall,
how they said,
"Tear it down! Tear it down!
Down to its
foundations!"
8 O daughter
Babylon, you devastator!
Happy shall they
be who pay you back
what you have done
to us!
9 Happy shall they
be who take your little ones
and dash them
against the rock!
137 Super flumina (ECUSA BCP)
1 By
the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, *
when
we remembered you, O Zion.
2 As
for our harps, we hung them up *
on
the trees in the midst of that land.
3 For
those who led us away captive asked us for a song,
and our oppressors
called for mirth: *
“Sing
us one of the songs of Zion.”
4 How
shall we sing the Lord’s song *
upon
an alien soil?
5 If
I forget you, O Jerusalem, *
let
my right hand forget its skill.
6 Let
my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
if I do not
remember you, *
if I
do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.
7 Remember
the day of Jerusalem, O Lord,
against the people
of Edom, *
who
said, “Down with it! down with it!
even
to the ground!”
8 O
Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, *
happy
the one who pays you back
for
what you have done to us!
9 Happy
shall he be who takes your little ones, *
and
dashes them against the rock!
Psalm 95: 1 - 2, 6 - 9
(Roman Catholic)
Psal 95:1 (NRSV) O
come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us make a
joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into
his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a
joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
6 O come, let us
worship and bow down,
let us kneel
before the LORD, our Maker!
7 For he is our
God,
and we are the
people of his pasture,
and the sheep of
his hand.
O that today you
would listen to his voice!
8 Do not harden
your hearts, as at Mer'ibah,
as on the day at
Mas'sah in the wilderness,
9 when your
ancestors tested me,
and put me to the
proof, though they had seen my work.
NEW TESTAMENT: 2
Timothy 1: 1 - 14 (RCL)
2 Timothy
1: 6 - 8, 13 - 14 (Roman Catholic)
2Tim 1:1 (NRSV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the
promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my
beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and
peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I am grateful to
God--whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did--when I
remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 Recalling your tears, I
long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your
sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lo'is and your
mother Eu'nice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6 For this reason I remind you
to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my
hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of
power and of love and of self-discipline.
8 Do not be
ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join
with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9 who saved
us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according
to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before
the ages began, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our
Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel. 11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an
apostle and a teacher, 12 and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not
ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he
is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. 13 Hold to the
standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love
that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the
help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
Paul was made an apostle as part of God’s
plan of salvation (vv. 1, 11) to bring eternal
“life”, found in the Christian community (“in Christ Jesus”), to all. Paul
worships God in continuity with his Jewish “ancestors” (v. 3). V. 4a probably
recalls Paul’s departure from Timothy: may sorrow be replaced by “joy”.
Timothy’s faith has been handed down from generation to generation (v. 5). He was given and
received “the gift of God” (v. 6), through Paul
(“my hands”) but now this gift, “a spirit of power ... love ...
self-discipline” (v. 7, or ethical behaviour)
has become dormant through neglect. God has not withdrawn it, so, Timothy,
“rekindle” (v. 6) the gift! The
teaching of Jesus (or the preaching about him, “testimony ...”, v. 8) and of Paul’s
servitude (“prisoner”) are not shameful; rather Timothy should emulate Paul in
suffering for spreading the good news (“the gospel”). Our godly “calling” (v. 9) is based on God’s
plan and his gift of love (“grace”). Grace, in Jesus’ becoming human, was part
of the plan since “before” God’s creative act. In his “appearing” (v. 10, in taking on
human form) Christ brought eternal life (“abolished death ... immortality”).
The body of faith (Christian doctrine) has been entrusted to Paul until “that
day” (v. 12) when Christ comes
again. So, Timothy, faithfully hand on the valuable teachings you have received
from me, with the help of the “Holy Spirit” (v. 14), which is present
and active in us.
1:1:
“Paul, an apostle”: Paul’s letters often begin with his claim to apostleship:
see Romans 1:1;
1 Corinthians 1:1;
2 Corinthians 1:1;
Galatians 1:1.
See also Ephesians 1:1;
Colossians 1:1;
1 Timothy 1:1.
Some in Paul’s time questioned whether he was an apostle: see 1
Corinthians 9:1ff and
2 Corinthians 13:3.
[ CAB]
1:1:
“by the will of God”: In the Pastoral Epistles, Paul’s role as Christ’s
emissary was part of God’s plan of salvation. See also Romans 1:1;
Galatians 1:15;
1 Timothy 2:7;
2 Timothy 1:11;
Titus 1:3.
[ NJBC] [ CAB]
1:1:
“for the sake of”: Can also be translated in accord with. [ NJBC]
1:1:
“for the sake of the promise of life”: A shorthand summary of Titus 1:2-3:
“in the hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages
began – in due time he revealed his word through the proclamation with which I
have been entrusted by the command of God our Saviour”. [ NJBC]
1:2:
“beloved child”: Can also be translated as legitimate , and hence
Paul’s heir. “Child” is Paul’s usual designation for those he has brought to
the faith: he writes in Galatians 4:19 “My
little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is
formed in you”. See also Philemon 10.
[ CAB]
1:2:
“Grace, mercy and peace”: Only “grace ... and peace” are wished to addressees
in letters generally accepted as Pauline.
Verses 3-5: A typical thanksgiving developed with the help of Romans 1:8-11:
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith
is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by
announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember
you always in my prayers, asking that by God's will I may somehow at last
succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with
you some spiritual gift to strengthen you”. [ NJBC]
1:3:
“clear conscience”: For the importance of a clear conscience, see also 1
Timothy 1:5 (“the
aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good
conscience, and sincere faith”); 1 Timothy 4:2;
Romans 2:15; 9:1;
2 Corinthians 4:2;
1 Peter 3:16;
Acts 24:16.
[ CAB]
1:3:
“as my ancestors did”: A phrase not found in letters which are generally
accepted as Pauline. This phrase accords with the emphasis in 2 Timothy on
Christianity’s continuity with its Old Testament roots. See also vv. 9-10; 2:8, 19; 3:8, 14-17.
[ CAB] See also Acts 24:14-15 (Paul
before Felix) and Acts 26:6 (Paul
before Agrippa). [ NJBC]
1:4:
“Recalling your tears”: Acts 20:37-38 tells
of the weeping upon Paul’s departure from Ephesus. [ NJBC]
1:5:
“that lived first ...”: This implies that both Timothy’s mother and grandmother
were Christians. Acts 16:1 says
that his mother was a Christian of Jewish extraction, but his grandmother is
not mentioned there. [ CAB]
Perhaps his father is omitted because he was a pagan: see Acts 16:1, 3.
[ NJBC]
1:6:
“the laying on of hands”: 1 Timothy 4:14 advises:
“Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through
prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders”. This designates
the donation and reception of a gift. Other examples are: Jesus blesses
children (see Mark 10:16);
Jesus heals with a touch (see Mark 6:5);
the Holy Spirit is given to the baptised (see Acts 8:17; 19:6);
believers are set aside for special tasks in the Church (see Acts 6:6; 13:3).
Laying on of hands is rare in the Old Testament, but see Deuteronomy 34:9 (“Joshua
son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands
on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses”) and
Numbers 27:18-23.
We do not know whether the reference in our reading to Timothy’s baptism or to
his ordination. NJBC sees
this verse as an effort to make clear that Paul alone authenticated Timothy’s
mission.
1:7:
The structure of this sentence is very like Romans 8:15:
“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you
have received a spirit of adoption ...”. [ NJBC]
Throughout the letter, Timothy is exhorted to courage and endurance, which are
possibilities not because of native human qualities but through the gift of the
Holy Spirit. See also Ephesians 1:17.
1:7:
“but ...”: The REB offers
“but one to inspire power, love and self-discipline”.
1:8:
“Do not be ashamed”: Timothy was apparently overawed by his surroundings and
did not make his witness boldly. [ NOAB]
The language is close to that of Paul in Romans 1:16:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone
who has faith, ...”. “Not ashamed” also occurs in v. 12.
[ NJBC]
1:8:
“the testimony about our Lord”: In the Pastoral Epistles, the
function of ministry is to safeguard the traditions handed down about Jesus and
the apostles: see also vv. 13-14; 2:2, 14-15, 24-25; 3:14; 4:2;
1 Timothy 6:20.
The “testimony” may mean the actual teachings of Jesus (as in 1 Timothy 6:3)
or the preaching about him (as in 1 Timothy 4:13).
[ CAB] To NJBC, it is Paul – not Christ – who is
proposed as the prime model for imitation.
1:8:
“of me his prisoner”: This is ironic: being Christ’s, he is actually free. In 1
Corinthians 7:22,
Paul writes “For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person
belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave of
Christ”. [ NJBC]
Verses 9-11: Much of the language of this schema of revelation is
found in the Pauline letters. For this pattern, see also Titus 1:1-3;
Ephesians 3:5-7, 9-11;
Romans 16:25-26.
[ NJBC]
1:9:
“who saved us”: See also 1 Timothy 1:15; 2:3-4; 4:10;
Titus 2:10; 3:4-5.
[ CAB] For Paul, salvation is
usually a future event; however Romans 8:24-25 says
“... in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes
for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with
patience”. [ NJBC]
1:9:
“not according to our works ...”: In the gospels, God invites humans to become
his own not as a reward for works but because he is gracious. In
Galatians 2:16,
Paul says: “... we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ ...”. See also Romans 9:10-11;
Ephesians 2:8-9;
Titus 3:5.
[ NOAB] [ NJBC]
1:9:
“before the ages began”: Titus 1:2 says
“in the hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages
began”. [ CAB]
1:10:
“the appearing of ... Jesus”: i.e. the Incarnation. [ NOAB] See also Titus 2:11-13 says
that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all ... while we
wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God
and Saviour, Jesus Christ”. See also Titus 3:4 and
1 Timothy 6:14.
[ CAB] The Pastoral Epistles use
the title “Saviour” both of God and of Christ. [ NJBC]
1:10:
“who abolished death”: In 1 Corinthians 15:26,
this is a future event: “The last enemy to be destroyed is death”. [ NJBC] See also Romans 6:9; 8:2;
Hebrews 2:14-15.
[ NOAB]
1:10:
“life and immortality”: i.e. immortal life. Paul writes in Romans 8:11:
“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who
raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through
his Spirit that dwells in you”. [ NOAB]
1:11:
Of Paul’s essential role in working out the plan of salvation, Titus 1:3 says:
“in due time he revealed his word through the proclamation with which I have
been entrusted by the command of God our Saviour”. See also 1 Timothy 2:7.
[ CAB] [ NJBC]
1:12:
“until that day”: See also v. 18 wishes
“may the Lord grant that he [Onesiphorus] will find mercy from the Lord on that
day!”. See also 2 Thessalonians 1:10.
[ NOAB]
1:13-18:
V. 15 illustrates
negatively, and vv. 16-18 positively,
the principle enunciated in vv. 13-14.
Paul and his teaching remain the exemplar for the Christian community. [ NJBC]
1:14:
“the good treasure entrusted to you”: The Greek word, paratheke,
can refer to a deposit of money which is to be returned
exactly as received, hence a trust. Scholars sometimes call the
body of doctrine which is to be safeguarded the deposit of faith. [ NJBC]
1:15-17:
Things may be bad in Asia but on the other hand “the household of Onesiphorus”
is a blessing.
1:15:
We do not know what the precise controversy referred to here was, but note that
2 Corinthians 1:8 mentions
“the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably
crushed that we despaired of life itself”. 2 Timothy 4:16 says:
“At my first defence no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not
be counted against them!”. [ CAB]
1:15:
“Asia”: i.e. the Roman province of that name in western Asia Minor. [ NOAB] Ephesus was the chief city.
[ JBC]
1:15:
“Hermogenes”: Only mentioned here in the New Testament. With Demas, he appears
in Acts of Paul and Thecla as an apostate follower of Paul. [ NJBC]
1:17:
“Onesiphorus”: Both this and the reference in 4:19 are
to his household, so one possibility is that Onesiphorus has died. [ CAB] Other than these two
references, he is known only in Acts of Paul and Thecla, where he
is also depicted as a faithful friend of Paul. [ NJBC]
1:17:
“Rome”: This suggests that Paul’s imprisonment was in Rome. Acts 28:30-31 says
that Paul “lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who
came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus
Christ with all boldness and without hindrance”.[CAB]
1:18:
“Lord ... Lord”: In the Greek, the two words are the same, so we can only
conjecture that the first “Lord” refers to Christ and the second to the Father.
[ NJBC]
GOSPEL: Luke 17: 5 -
10 (all)
Luke 17:5 (NRSV)
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 The Lord
replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to
this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would
obey you.
7 "Who among
you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep
in the field, "Come here at once and take your place at the table'? 8
Would you not rather say to him, "Prepare supper for me, put on your apron
and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? 9 Do you
thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have
done all that you were ordered to do, say, "We are worthless slaves; we
have done only what we ought to have done!'"
Jesus has told his
followers that
·
there will be times when you lose your faith, but if you cause another
to do so, your fate will be worse than death! (vv. 1-2)
and
·
if a fellow Christian sins, rebuke him; if he repents, forgive him –
however often he sins and repents (vv. 3-4).
The twelve (“the
apostles”, v. 5)
now speak to him, asking him to give them enough faith to remain faithful. (The
“mustard seed”, v. 6,
is very small. The “mulberry tree” is large with an extensive root system,
making it hard to uproot. It would not normally take root in the sea.) Jesus
tells them that with genuine faith, however small, anything is possible. Quality of
faith matters more than quantity.
Jesus now tells a
parable (vv. 7-10).
Slaves were expected to do their duties, and no master would absolve a slave of
them, so the disciples would answer of course not! to the
question in v. 7:
should a slave eat before his master? The master stands for God and the slave
for his people. The Greek word translated “worthless” (v. 10)
means those to whom nothing is owed, to whom no favour is due, so
God’s people should never presume that their obedience to God’s commands has
earned them his favour. (The Revised English Bible translates v. 10b as We
are servants and deserve no credit; we have only done our duty .)
However, as 12:35-38 says,
God will reward those who are prepared when Christ comes again.
Verse 11: “On the way to Jerusalem”: Luke’s description of Jesus’
journey towards returning to the Father begins at 9:51:
“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to
Jerusalem.”. Later, in 19:28,
Luke writes: “After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem”.
Jesus has entered a new stage in his career; he is on the last leg of his
journey to God. [ CAB] [ NJBC]
Verse 11: “through the region between Samaria and Galilee”: The word
translated “region” is meson (meaning middle).
This verse illustrates Luke’s ignorance of the geography of Palestine. In 9:52,
Jesus left Galilee and entered Samaria, so being on the way to Jerusalem, he
cannot now be in Galilee. [ BlkLk]
Perhaps he means an area where Jews came into contact with Samaritans.
Verse 12: In the Bible, leprosy is a skin disorder of uncertain
nature. Several diseases were referred to by this name: see Leviticus 13:1-59;
Numbers 5:1-4.
Matthew 8:2 tells
of a single leper coming to Jesus and saying: “‘Lord, if you choose, you can
make me clean’”. [ NOAB]
Verse 13: “Master”: Peter calls Jesus “Master” in 5:5; 8:45; 9:33.
In v. 6,
Jesus has told his disciples: if you had the slightest faith (faith the size of
a mustard seed), you could work miracles.
Verse 14: “‘Go and show yourselves to the priests”: Leviticus 13:2-3 commands:
“When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot,
and it turns into a leprous disease on the skin of his body, he shall be
brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. The priest shall
examine the disease on the skin of his body, and if the hair in the diseased
area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his
body, it is a leprous disease; after the priest has examined him he shall
pronounce him ceremonially unclean”. See also Leviticus 13:49 and 14:2-32.
Verse 15: “saw”: i.e. understood what had happened. Not only does
he see that he is healed; he sees too that he
has found God and his salvation. He is converted. [ NJBC]
Verse 15: “praising God”: Luke’s favourite response to manifestation
of divine power and mercy. See also 2:20 (the
shepherds); 5:25 (a
paralytic), 26 (the
crowd); 7:16 (at
the raising of the widow’s son); 13:13 (a
woman who had been crippled); 18:43 (a
blind beggar); 23:47 (the
centurion at the Cross); Acts 4:21; 21:20.
The Samaritan praises God for what Jesus, God’s agent, has done. [ NJBC]
Verse 16: “thanked him”: The word used for thank has
connotations of proclaiming God’s forgiveness. While the word in the Greek
is eucharistein, it appears that it has not yet acquired an
exclusively liturgical connotation.
It also occurs in a non-*eucharistic sense in John 11:41,
and frequently in the Pauline epistles. [ BlkLk]
Verse 16: “Samaritan”: On the role of Samaritans in Luke/Acts, see
also Luke 9:51-55 (the
people of a Samaritan village “did not receive” Jesus); 10:33 (the
Good Samaritan); Acts 8:4-25 (Philip
proclaims the good news in Samaria). To Jews, Samaritans were considered
unclean and were despised, both because of their ancestry (they had mixed
blood, being the descendants of Jews left behind during the Exile and of
Gentiles whom the Assyrians resettled in Israel) and because they had their own
temple and a variant version of the Scriptures. [ NJBC]
Verse 17: “the other nine”: Presumably they were Jews. [ NOAB]
Verse 18: In 7:2-10,
we read of the centurion whose slave is gravely ill. He says to Jesus: “only
speak the word, and let my servant be healed”. Jesus then says to the crowd
following him: “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith”.
Verse 18: “foreigner”: i.e. not a member of the Jewish community. [ CAB]
Verse 19: “your faith has made you well”: The same Greek word
for made well is used in Matthew 9:21-22;
Mark 5:23, 28, 34; 10:52;
Luke 8:36, 48, 50; 18:42.
See also Mark 11:23-24.
[ NOAB]
For other miracles in Luke’s travel
narrative, see 11:14 (curing
the dumb man) and 13:10-17 (curing
the long-crippled woman). See also 14:1-6 (curing
a man with edema).
What was promised in 2 Kings 5:8-19a (the
healing of Naaman, the Syrian commander) and repeated in 4:27 and 7:22 has
come to fulfilment in Jesus: God’s salvation is for all peoples. [ NJBC]
© 1996-2019
Chris Haslam
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