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November 27th, 2021

11/27/2021

This Sunday is the First Sunday in Advent. And this is the first Sunday of the third year in the three-year series. This year, when it comes to a primary gospel account, we will be looking at the Gospel according to Luke. And since I have been writing for several years now, this year I will ATTEMPT to look primarily at the epistle texts.

This Sunday’s text is from 1 Thessalonians [3:9-13]. The epistle readings do not always fit with the Gospel and the Old Testament texts, but they are still important.

What would the New Testament be like with the four gospel accounts and without the many epistles? Having just looked at the Gospel according to Mark, we can see the problem with just having the events of Jesus in front of us. We would be very much like the disciples as they followed Jesus around. Those followers saw the events of Jesus, and Jesus was sometimes talking to them, but sometimes they did not understand all of what was going on. And that can be like reading only the gospel texts and never any of the epistle texts.

The disciples were sometimes very confused. And sometimes the people of today are also very confused. When we have those epistles that were sent to a variety of people almost two thousand years ago, that can help us with our significantly different perspectives.

To show this in a down-to-earth manner, it may be helpful to look also at the book of Acts. Throughout this important work in the New Testament, the focus is ultimately not on Peter, Paul, or whoever is the current focus, but the ULTIMATE focus is on JESUS and what he CONTINUES to do (see Acts 1:1).

As we look at the various epistles throughout this year, it may be helpful to see what these original recipients of these epistles have said against Jesus and this ‘Christianity’. It was, in many ways and with many different words, put down. Near the very end of this book of Acts, it is said about Christianity, in a part of Acts 28:22, that ‘everywhere it is spoken against.’ There is a great variety of ways in which Christianity is spoken against today, and there was a great variety of ways in which it was spoken against within the book of Acts.

How was Christianity spoken against in Thessalonica? In Thessalonica, to set the stage, the city is big enough to have a synagogue, and Paul speaking in that synagogue and having some converts to Christianity is what started things. And here is how Christianity is ‘put down’ in Acts 17:5-7 (in a somewhat-literal translation):

And the Jews, becoming zealous, and taking aside of the marketplace-loungers, some evil men, and having made a crowd, they disturbed the city, and coming upon the house of Jason [the man to which Paul was connected], they were seeking them [Paul and his companions], to lead them forward into the mob; but not finding them, they dragged Jason and some brothers to the politarchs, crying that the ones having messed up the inhabited earth, these also have arrived here, whom Jason has received; and these all act contrary to the dogma of Caesar, saying Jesus to be another king.

The description at the end is the heart of the matter, and certainly much could be said about it. The part of the accusation that is especially interesting is one that was translated as ‘messed up’ above. For someone to ‘mess up’ the inhabited earth (a big place!) is a significant accusation.

Here are obviously some other ways in which this word could be translated. The following was taken from The New Testament from 26 Translations, page 547 [Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA: Zondervan Publishing, 1967]:

These that have turned the world upside down [King James Version]

They who have thrown the inhabited world into confusion—Rhm [The Emphasized New Testament: A New Translation (J.B. Rotherham)]

These upsetters of the whole world—Mof [The New Testament: A New Translation (James Moffatt)]

These fellows, who have turned the world topsy-turvy—Wms [The New Testament: A Translation in the Language of the People (Charles B. Williams)]

These world revolutionists—Ber [The Berkeley Version of the New Testament (Gerrit Verkuyl)]

There seems to be a lot of ways to describe how things go badly. That is not too different from describing what the end of the world will be like. And perhaps the reason that this epistle contains some ‘advice’ about the end of the world (see 1 Thessalonians 5) is because of this ‘accusation’ that was connected to Christianity at Thessalonica many years ago. Whatever the reason, it is important for this topic to be taught.

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November 20th, 2021

11/20/2021

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This Sunday is the Last Sunday of the Church Year. On this Sunday, and only on this Sunday within the three-year series, the epistle text is from ‘the Epistle of Jude’, the second-last book of the Bible.

It is not too surprising that there is only one reading from this epistle; it is extremely short and basically has only one chapter—the numbers given for the reading [20-25] only indicate the verses.

That is not to say that there is little to write about with this brief writing. There is certainly much that could be said, even though there are only twenty-five verses.

One of the first things that is often mentioned is that this work has a lot in common with 2 Peter 2. More important than its similarities is the following significant difference (and what follows is a somewhat-literal translation):

2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, as also among you there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in heresies of destruction….

Jude 3-4a Dearly loved, making all haste to write to you concerning the things in common for our salvation, I had necessity to write to you, exhorting you to contend for the once delivered faith to the saints. For certain ungodly men crept in….

There is a significant difference between saying that some false teachers WILL creep in and that they ALREADY crept in. If one takes that into account, then Jude may have been written after 2 Peter.

More important than WHEN this work was written is WHAT this work has to say. Important words are always helpful. But important and serious words are especially needed after something bad happens. And that happens when false teachers creep in with their false teachings. And we see some serious and important words within this writing.

The introduction gives a hint of this. Again, what follows is a somewhat-literal translation of the first words of this work:

Jude, of Jesus Christ, a slave, and a brother of James, to the ones in God, the Father, having been dearly loved, and of Jesus Christ, having been kept, called.

The two verb forms that stand out are ‘having been dearly loved’ and ‘having been kept’. There is an emphasis on the continuing truth of these two things. And I do not think it is a coincidence that these two verbs continue to show up within this writing.

The word ‘dearly loved’ (from the Greek word, agape [ah-GAH-pay], that is familiar to some) is a title that shows up three times, in verses 3, 17, and 20 [see above for the first occurrence]. Note the emphasis is more frequent as the writer approaches the end of his work.

The word ‘kept’ is even more frequent. And this word is connected to this love. The writer also has a definite progression with his use of the verb ‘to keep’. What follows are his uses of that verb within their contexts (again, with a somewhat-literal translation), after the first mention of the word given above (and the last occurrence will have a larger context, since there are more of these important words within that section, AND it is at the very end of the writing):

Verse 6: …and the angels, not having kept their beginning, but on the contrary, having deserted their own domain for judgment of the great day, he has kept in eternal bonds under gloom.

Verse 13: [These men are like] wild waves of the sea, foaming up shames of themselves, wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness into the age has been kept.

Verse 20-25: But you, dearly loved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the dear love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into life eternal. And some, on the one hand, pity with discernment; seizing, save from fire; some, on the other hand, pity with fear, hating also the garment polluted from the flesh. And to the One being able to guard you without stumbling and to set you before the glory of him, unblemished with exaltation, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, the Lord of us, be glory, greatness, might, and authority, before all the age and now and into all the ages. Amen.

Things are ‘kept’ in a negative way in the first two verses. Then, in a positive way, Christians are kept in the dear love of God. And at the end of that last quote, there is a heightening of the idea when the writer states that God, our only Savior, is able to GUARD and not just keep a Christian.

That is an excellent way to end a letter … and the church year … and this writing.

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November 13th, 2021

11/13/2021

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On this Sunday, after a two-week hiatus, we are back into looking at the Epistle to the Hebrews [10:11-25]. But because now is near the end of the church year, this will be the last Sunday with that epistle. Next year, essentially during the month of August, we will look at the rest of this epistle and focus on its interesting end.

This week’s text is quite close to that unusual phrase which was pointed out previously and is quite rare, when a conclusion indicated as ‘therefore’ is connected to a second-person prohibition. A second-person command [‘Do this!’] is clearer and stronger than a third-person command [‘Let him do this.’]. At 10:35, the first half of the verse goes like this: ‘Therefore, do not throw away your confidence.’

It may be that this combination of conclusion and command/prohibition [‘Therefore, do not….’] was understood to be a significant part of the structure of a ‘word of exhortation’, something which was spoken at the Jewish synagogues. The Epistle of the Hebrews is called by its writer to be this ‘word of exhortation’ at 13:22, and this command at 10:35 is a command that approaches the final (and significant) third of the epistle.

A very similar phrase appears in the ‘word of exhortation’ that is in Acts 13, when St. Paul is in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, and he is asked to give one of these at the end of a service. Although the words ‘therefore’ and ‘not’ appear next to each other in this word of exhortation, the phrase is significantly different.

After St. Paul brings up the fact that Jesus’ body did not undergo corruption, he approaches the end of his message. Then St. Paul makes this final statement—using the word ‘therefore’ twice within these words (and the translation is somewhat literal):

Therefore, let it be known, men—brothers, that through this one [Jesus] to you, forgiveness of sins is announced, and from all things from which you could not in law of Moses be justified, in this one, everyone believing is justified. Look, therefore, lest come on you that having been spoken in the prophets: See, the despisers, and marvel and vanish, because I work a work in the days of you, a work which not at all you believe, if anyone declares to you (Acts 13:38-41).

The thing ‘having been spoken in the prophets’, the thing to which St. Paul is referring, is from the prophet Habakkuk. And this is an unusual quote.

It is typical that someone quotes the Old Testament nearer to the BEGINNING of the message; this quote is at the very end of it. And, in this case, the verse quoted is at the BEGINNING of that prophet’s writing (1:5), and it is being used at the very end. In the book of Habakkuk, much more is said after that verse to explain what the prophet is saying.

The way in which this unusual quotation is quoted may have helped to make the result of a VERY interested crowd. The people wanted to hear them again. The text says it in this way:

And, as they [Paul and Barnabas] were going out, they [the people in the synagogue] exhorted, in the intervening Sabbath [week], to be spoken to them these words. And the synagogue being broken, many of the Jews and of the worshipping proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to remain in the grace of God.

It is interesting that, in a way, St. Paul gave a word of exhortation that focused more on the gospel. And the hearers of that word gave Paul and Barnabas a word of exhortation, a request to give them more of these gracious words in the coming days. Some people are truly interested in hearing some truly good news.

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November 6th, 2021

11/6/2021

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This Sunday is the second of two ‘breaks’ from the Epistle to the Hebrews. This Sunday, because of the observance of All Saints’ Day, we are again looking at the Revelation of John [7:(2-8)9-17], and this time we are looking at those ‘coming out of the great tribulation (verse 14)’.

The structure of what was said about these people is noteworthy. Sometimes in the literary structure, the negative words come up at the beginning. I have mentioned this before, and one of the places that this is easily seen is Psalm 1 (and what follows is basically a literal translation of those first three verses):

Blessedness of the man who not he walks in counsel of wicked ones, and in the way of sinners not he stands, and in the seat of ones mocking not he sits; specifically, rather, in the word of Yahweh his delight, and on his word, he meditates day and night; and he is as a tree being planted by streams of waters, which its fruit gives in its season….

In this case, the turning point, from negative to positive, comes when the word of Yahweh is brought up, and it is even brought up twice, to make sure you see it. To have such an important word brought up twice, so close to each other, that is very rare.

I have also mentioned before that the Lord’s Prayer is a good example of the negative words being AFTER the middle and not before. In this case, what is interesting is that the middle word here is the word usually translated as ‘daily’, but this meaning comes from the context of the words around it, and its actual meaning is unknown. What follows is a somewhat-literal translation of the prayer in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel according to Matthew (6:9-13), but since the middle word is unique, it is translated using a unique word as well. And this is a word that basically appears in some Latin translations of the text. You should be able to pick it out quite easily.

Father of us, the one in the heavens, let it be hallowed the name of you; let it come the kingdom of you; let it happen the will of you, as in heaven also on earth. The bread of us, the supersubstantial, give to us today; and forgive us the debts of us, as also we forgive the debtors of us, and do not bring us into temptation, but rescue us from the evil.

Do the negative things normally come at the beginning or at the end? Usually they come at the beginning. The Lord usually turns something bad around, after he gets involved in the situation. And it usually is the case that law comes first, and then comes the gospel. In the Lord’s Prayer, we are calling on the one who is in the heavens, and so the positive comes first, and our heavenly Father comes down and gets involved in our situation, in our sin, and in all the negative things that are going on in this world. But that is certainly not the end of the story.

In the description of those who went through the great tribulation, the negative words are in the middle and the positive sections surround it. It is as if the Lord surrounded the bad and did away with it. And the turning points seem to be connected to the throne of God, and that is certainly a significant place. What God says from his throne, that certainly turns things around.

The length of the negative statements do not match at all the length of the positive statements. There are five times the negative is brought up, and, in total, there are ten statements. But the number of words in the original language for the negative part is only sixteen, whereas the positive parts are more than triple that, fifty-two words. In this case, the positive certainly has outnumbers the negative. And this happens frequently.

Here is a somewhat-literal translation of that beautiful section of Revelation (7:15-17; and I cannot think of a better ending for this writing):

They are before the throne of the God, and they serve him day and night in the temple of him, and the one sitting on the throne will ‘tent’ over them. They will not hunger longer nor will they thirst longer, neither not fall on them, the sun, nor every heat; because the lamb, the one in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and he will lead them upon fountains of waters of life, and the God will wipe out every tear out of the eyes of them.

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A Sabbath Day's Journey

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