Archive for the ‘2 Peter 2’ Category
READING THE GENERAL EPISTLES, PART XII
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Jude
2 Peter 2:1-22
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The second chapter of Second Peter expands on the Epistle of Jude. Almost all of the points in Jude exist in 2 Peter 2.
One may recognize the thematic relationship of 2 Peter 1 to Jude and 2 Peter 2. False teachers, evil desires, and spiritually undisciplined lives provide the connective tissue.
We also read another repetition of the Biblical motif that divine judgment and mercy exist in balance. In other words, we will reap what we have sown. Grace is free, not cheap; it mandates a faithful response. Yes, God imposes mandates. Freedom is a gift to use properly, not to abuse and misuse.
References to the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha abound in Jude and 2 Peter 2. I choose to explain the references:
- Jude 5 refers to Numbers 14 and 26:64-65. Apostasy is possible, and carries with it the loss of salvation.
- Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4 refer to Genesis 6:1-4. An elaborate version of the story of the “watchers” exists in 1 Enoch 6-19 (especially chapter 10).
- Jude 7 and 2 Peter 2:6-7 refer to Genesis 19:1-25, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. The “unnatural vice” is rape, whether heterosexual or homosexual, and of a person or an angel. Jude 7 and 2 Peter 2:6-7 present the scenario opposite of Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4, in which angels lusted after human women.
- The combination of the preceding two points indicates the grave consequences of violating God’s intended order for creation.
- Jude 9, drawing on Exodus 2:11-12, indicates familiarity with the Assumption/Testament of Moses, a text from the first century C.E. Between one-third and one-half of that text is missing. The lost portion includes the section depicting St. Michael the Archangel disputing with Satan over the body of Moses and quoting Zechariah 3:2: “May the Lord rebuke you!” Even angels do not rebuke Satan in Zechariah 3:2, Jude 9, and the Assumption/Testament of Moses. The lesson in Jude 9 is that, if we mere mortals revile angels, we sin.
- Jude 11 refers to Cain (Genesis 4:8-16), Balaam (Numbers 16:1-25), and Korah (Numbers 31:16). 2 Peter 2:15-16 refers to Balaam and his talking donkey (Numbers 22:28-33). Rebellion against God leads to punishment and reproof.
- 2 Peter 2:5 refers to Genesis 6:17.
- Jude 14-15 refers to 1 Enoch 1:9.
These false teachers did more than teach falsehoods; they behaved scandalously at agape meals (Jude 12, 2 Peter 2:13-14). These false teachers doomed themselves and disrupted faith community.
I approach Jude and 2 Peter 2 from a particular background. I grew up feeling like the resident heretic. My heresies were asking “too many” questions, being an intellectual, accepting science and history, harboring Roman Catholic tendencies, and not being a Biblical literalist. Some in my family regard me as a Hell-bound heretic. I embrace the label “heretic.” I even own a t-shirt that reads,
HERETIC.
I approach the label “false teacher” cautiously. One ought to make accusations with great caution, and based on evidence. False teachers abound. I am not shy about naming them and their heresies. These include the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormons, Prosperity Theology, and the excesses of Evangelicalism. The list is long. The standards of orthodoxy and orthopraxy are as simple and difficult as the Incarnation, crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus; the Atonement; and the Golden Rule. Proper love–in mutuality–builds up. It does not tear people down. Proper orthodoxy maintains divine standards and is generous, not stingy. It is loving, not hateful. And it leads to humility before God and human beings.
I affirm that I am doctrinally correct about some matters and wrong regarding others. I also affirm that I do not know when I am wrong and when I am right. The life of Christian discipleship is about trust in God, not about certainty. The quest for certainty, when faith–trust–in God is called for is an idolatrous and psychologically comforting effort. Proper Christian confidence–grounded in Christ alone–says:
I may be wrong, but I act as if I am right. I can neither prove nor disprove this article of faith, but I act as if I am right.
May you, O reader, and I trust in the faithfulness of God. May we walk humbly with God and live with our fellow human beings in loving, respectful mutuality. We can do all of the above only via grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT HONORIUS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
THE FEAST OF JOANNA P. MOORE, U.S. BAPTIST MISSIONARY AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF MARY RAMABAI, PROPHETIC WITNESS AND EVANGELIST IN INDIA
THE FEAST OF RICHARD CHALLONER, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOLAR, RELIGIOUS WRITER, TRANSLATOR, CONTROVERSIALIST, PRIEST, AND TITULAR BISHOP OF DOBERUS
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READING THE GENERAL EPISTLES, PART I
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This post opens a new series, one about the General (or Catholic or Universal) Epistles. This category dates to circa 325 C.E., from the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius of Caesarea.
MY GERMANE OPERATIONAL BIASES AND ASSUMPTIONS
Know, O reader, that my academic background is in history. I think historically, regardless of the topic du jour. The past tenses constitute my usual temporal perspective. Some people tell me that I ought not to think this way when considering the Bible or a television series that ceased production years or decades ago. These individuals are wrong. I defy them.
Some people tell me that the historical backgrounds of Biblical books do not matter or are of minimal importance. The messages for today is what matters, they say. The messages for today do matter; I agree with that much. Yet the definition of those messages depend greatly on the historical contexts from which these texts emerged. With regard to the General Epistles, whether one assumes relatively early or relatively late composition affects the interpretation.
I operate from the assumptions that (a) James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude are pseudonymous, and (b) they date to relatively late periods. These two assumptions relate to each other. The first assumption leads to the second. In terms of logic, if x, then y. Simultaneously, internal evidence supports the second assumption, which leads backward, to the first.
CONTEXTS
The General Epistles, composed between 70 and 140 C.E., came from particular societal and political contexts. The Roman Empire was strong. Religious persecutions of Christianity were mostly sporadic and regional. Christianity was a young, marginalized, sect (of Judaism, through 135 C.E.) unable to influence society and the imperial order. Christian doctrine was in an early phase of development. Even the definition of the Christian canon of scripture was in flux.
I, reading, pondering, and writing in late 2021, benefit from centuries of theological development, ecumenical councils, and the definition of the New Testament. I, as an Episcopalian, use scripture, tradition, and reason. I interpret any one of these three factors through the lenses of the other two. I, as a student of the past, acknowledge that scripture emerged from tradition.
The importance of theological orthodoxy was a major concern in the background of the General Epistles. That made sense; ecclesiastical unity, threatened by heresy, was a major concern for the young, small, and growing sect. Yet, as time passed and the Church’s fortunes improved, the definition of orthodoxy changed. Some of the Ante-Nicene Fathers (notably Origen) were orthodox, by the standards of their time. After 325 C.E., however, some of these men (notably Origen) became heretics postmortem and ex post facto.
Orthopraxy was another concern in the General Epistles. Orthopraxy related to orthodoxy. The lack of orthopraxy led to needless schisms and the exploitation of the poor, for example. As time passed and the Church became dominant in parts of the world, the Church fell short on the standard of orthopraxy, as defined by the Golden Rule. As Alfred Loisy (1857-1940), an excommunicated modernist Roman Catholic theologian, lamented:
Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God and what came was the Church.
Lest anyone misunderstand me, I affirm that theological orthodoxy exists. God defines it. We mere mortals and our theologies are all partially heretical. We cannot help that. Salvation is a matter of grace, not passing a canonical examination. Also, the Golden Rule is the finest standard according to which to measure orthopraxy. Orthopraxy is a matter of faithful response, which grace demands. Grace is free, not cheap.
BRIEF INTRODUCTIONS FOR EACH OF THE GENERAL EPISTLES
The Epistle of James dates to 70-110 C.E. The analysis of Father Raymond E. Brown (1928-1998) suggests that composition in the 80s or 90s was probable. The “epistle,” actually a homily, used the genre of diatribe to address Jewish Christians who lived outside of Palestine. James is perhaps the ultimate “shape up and fly right” Christian text. James may also correct misconceptions regarding Pauline theology.
The First Epistle of Peter, composed in Rome between 70 and 90 C.E., is a text originally for churches in northern Asia Minor. The majority scholarly opinion holds that First Peter is a unified text. A minority scholarly opinion holds that 1:3-4:11 and 4:12-5:11 are distinct documents.
The Epistle of Jude, composed between 90 and 100 C.E., may have have come from Palestine. Jude was also a source for Second Peter, mainly the second chapter thereof.
The Second Epistle of Peter is the last book of the New Testament composed. Second Peter, probably composed between 120 and 140 C.E., addresses a general audience in eastern Asia Minor. The second chapter expands on Jude.
The First Epistle of John is not an epistle. No, it is a homily or a tract. First John, composed circa 100 C.E., belongs to the Johannine tradition. Anyone who has belonged to a congregation that has suffered a schism may relate to the context of First John.
The author of the Second and Third Epistles of John (both from circa 100 C.E.) may have written First John. Or not. “The Elder” (the author of Second and Third John) speaks down the corridors of time in the contexts of ecclesiastical schisms and personality conflicts. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I invite you, O reader, to remain with me as I embark on a journey through the Epistle of James first.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 19, 2021 COMMON ERA
PROPER 20: THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF GERARD MOULTRIE, ANGLICAN PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLARENCE ALPHONSUS WALWORTH, U.S. ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, POET, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND HYMN WRITER; CO-FOUNDER OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE (THE PAULIST FATHERS)
THE FEAST OF SAINT EMILY DE RODAT, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF VILLEFRANCHE
THE FEAST OF WALTER CHALMERS SMITH, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM DALRYMPLE MACLAGAN, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, AND HYMN WRITER
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Above: Tobias and the Angel, by Wenceslas Hollar
Image in the Public Domain
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READING TOBIT
PART VI
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Tobit 5:1-6:17/18 (depending on versification)
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The Book of Tobit is a novella with faulty history and geography. Regarding geography, making the journey from Nineveh to Ectabana (about 450 miles) in a mere two days thousands of years ago would have been miraculous. I realize that Azariah/Azarias means “God has helped,” but the geography in the story remains erroneous.
The dog is an odd detail, starting in Tobit 6:2 and again in 11:4.
- Dogs were unclean animals and not pets. Biblical texts mentioned them in negative terms. (Exodus 11:7; Judith 11:9; Luke 16:21; Proverbs 26:17; 2 Peter 2:22; Exodus 22:31; I Kings 14:11; 1 Kings 16:4, 21; 1 Kings 19:23-24; 1 Kings 22:38; 2 Kings 9:10, 36; Psalm 68:23-24; Jeremiah 15:3).
- “Dog” was a term of contempt for a human being. (1 Samuel 17:43; 2 Kings 8:13; Matthew 15:26; Mark 7:27)
- Sometimes “dog” referred to the wicked. (Isaiah 56:10-11; Philippians 3:2; Revelation 22:15)
- Sometimes “dog” also referred to a male temple prostitute. (Deuteronomy 23:18-19)
- Mentioning a dog in positive terms in Tobit 6:2 and 11:4 was, therefore, odd. Perhaps it was a remnant of an older folk tale. In the context of the Book of Tobit, the dog was a second angel in disguise.
The reference to the fish (Tobit 6:3) that tried to swallow Tobias’s “foot” is one aspect of the story one can explain easily. We are in the realm of euphemism. As elsewhere “feet” are really genitals. (Exodus 4:25; Ruth 3:7; Isaiah 6:2)
The fish-related cure for blindness and method of repelling demons are fascinating aspects of this folklore. What a fish!
In these two chapters we read of God indirectly setting the healing of Tobit and Sarah into motion. We also read of Raphael preparing Tobias to marry Sarah. God has a hidden hand in the Book of Tobit. God works subtly in this story. Many of us can cite examples of God’s subtle, hidden hand in our lives and in the lives of others.
The Book of Tobit is partially about wellness. In this reading, Tobit, Anna, and Sarah are not well. Tobit is blind, Anna is overwhelmed, and Sarah is at the end of her rope. By the end of the book, all of them are well.
But what is true wellness? The best answer I can find comes from Irene Nowell, O.S.B., writing in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume III (1999):
True wellness is a consequence of humility, the recognition that life and health are gifts from God.
True wellness is heavily spiritual.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 30, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE SECOND DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW THE APOSTLE, MARTYR
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Above: St. Philip the Deacon and the Ethiopian Eunuch
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:22-31
2 Peter 2:12-22
Mark 12:18-27
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Ignorance is a lack of knowledge. Ignorance of scripture is a matter in Acts 8:26-40, in which St. Philip the Deacon (not the Apostle) evangelized a man on the path to finding faith in Christ. That pericope fits well with the assigned portion of Psalm 22, with its global emphasis. Ignorance of scripture is also a matter in Mark 12:18-27, in which Jesus fielded another in a series of trick questions–this time, about the resurrection of the dead, of which the Sadducees rejected. Apostasy–rejection after acceptance–not ignorance–is a matter in 2 Peter 2:12-22.
The readings from 2 Peter and Mark point to deliberate obliviousness. We human beings are deliberately oblivious to much. This is not always negative, for we have finite time, and we need to choose where to focus. I am deliberately oblivious to almost all television, the majority of movies, and bad (that is to say, nearly all) music. I am also a Western classicist, and I enjoy many old movies. The three and a half hours required to watch Lawrence of Arabia (1962) are always time spent well.
When we are oblivious to God, however, we occupy the realm of the negative. When we seek a proper path, we need reliable guides. May we walk in faith and, when God calls upon as to do so, may we function as reliable guides, so that all the nations of the earth will serve God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CORNELIUS HILL, ONEIDA CHIEF AND EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF HUGH THOMSON KERR, SR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND LITURGIST; AND HIS SON, HUGH THOMSON KERR, JR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF JAMES MOFFATT, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND BIBLE TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN THE GEORGIAN, ABBOT; AND SAINTS EUTHYMIUS OF ATHOS AND GEORGE OF THE BLACK MOUNTAIN, ABBOTS AND TRANSLATORS
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2019/06/27/devotion-for-the-fifth-sunday-of-easter-year-b-humes/
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Above: The Tribute Money, by Peter Paul Rubens
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Acts 8:1-2, 9-25
Psalm 23
2 Peter 2:1-11
Mark 12:13-17
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The context for the reading from Mark 12 is Holy Week. As one reads the chapter, one should notice the tension building up to the crucifixion in Chapter 15.
Jesus had the ability to spring traps on people who tried to ensnare him. The Roman coin bore the idolatrous image of Emperor Tiberius, allegedly the “Son of God, ” the heir of Augustus, supposedly the “Savior of the World.” The hypocrisy of Christ’s would-be ensnarers was evident physically by the possession of such a coin.
St. Augustine of Hippo, writing in On the Psalms 58, provided sage advice:
Caesar seeks his image; render it. God seeks his image; render it. Do not withhold from Caesar his coin. Do not keep from God his coin.
In Tractates on John 40, St. Augustine wrote,
We are God’s money.
Empires, kingdoms, and nation-states rise and fall, but God lasts forever. The latter deserves more love than the former. Divine love, depending on the translation of Psalm 23, either pursues or accompanies us. This grace, which is free, imposes demands and obligations on us in public and private morality. We have an obligation to be God’s coins.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CORNELIUS HILL, ONEIDA CHIEF AND EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF HUGH THOMSON KERR, SR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND LITURGIST; AND HIS SON, HUGH THOMSON KERR, JR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF JAMES MOFFATT, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND BIBLE TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN THE GEORGIAN, ABBOT; AND SAINTS EUTHYMIUS OF ATHOS AND GEORGE OF THE BLACK MOUNTAIN, ABBOTS AND TRANSLATORS
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2019/06/27/devotion-for-the-fourth-sunday-of-easter-year-b-humes/
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This is post #2050 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.
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Above: The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, by John Martin
Image in the Public Domain
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Genesis 19:1-8, 15-26, 30-38
Psalm 11
2 Peter 2:4-10a
Matthew 11:20-24
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David Ackerman continues his grand tour of difficult passages of scripture. The theme this time is judgment and mercy.
One should be careful to examine a passage of scripture closely. In Genesis 19, for example, we read of (A) an equal-opportunity rape gang and (B) the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The gang members do not care if their conquests are male, female, or angelic. Furthermore, Lot, while being hospitable to his house guests, offers his two daughters to the gang instead. Fortunately for the daughters, the gang had become fixated on “fresh fish.” One might reasonably surmise, however, that Lot knew the character of his neighbors. One might also question the character of the daughters, who went on to get their father drunk, seduce him, and have children with him. Lot and his family are a disturbing group of people in Genesis.
Elsewhere in the assigned lessons we read of divine judgment on false teachers and those who follow them. This judgment falls on the unrepentant, whether Jewish or Gentile. Yet there is also mercy for the repentant, whether Jewish or Gentile.
These readings contain much material to make one squirm. I refer to what is there, not what we merely think is present. Genesis 19 is partially an origin story of the Amorites and the Moabites, whose founders were the products of subterfuge, drunkenness, and incest. It is also partially a cautionary tale about the lack of hospitality. What could be more inhospitable than seeking to seeking to rape someone?
Divine judgment and mercy are real, as are human misinterpretation of Bible stories. May we turn of the autopilot mode that prevents us from studying passages seriously and transform us into false teachers.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 15, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN ELLERTON, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF CARL HEINRICH VON BOGATSKY, HUNGARIAN-GERMAN LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LANDELINUS OF VAUX, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AUBERT OF CAMBRAI, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; URSMAR OF LOBBES, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND MISSIONARY BISHOP; AND DOMITIAN, HADELIN, AND DODO OF LOBBES, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONKS
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/devotion-for-proper-4-ackerman/
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Above: An Olive Tree
Image in the Public Domain
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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1 Samuel 28:7-8, 11-25
Psalm 6
2 Peter 2:1-3, 17-22
Matthew 7:13-17
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Psalm 6, with its references to death, fits well with the reading from 1 Samuel 28, in which King Saul, in violation of Jewish law, consults a necromancer. She is actually a somewhat sympathetic character, for she cares about the monarch’s well-being. Meanwhile, one gets the impression that Saul has neglected his duties. I do not agree, however, that committing genocide is a king’s duty.
With great power comes great responsibility, as an old saying tells us. This is true in both secular and sacred settings. In 2 Peter 2, for example, we read condemnations of certain early Christian leaders who, out of embarrassment, sought to reconcile Christianity with pagan permissiveness. As we read in Matthew 7, good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit.
And committing genocide is definitely bad fruit.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 3, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIE-LEONIE PARADIS, FOUNDER OF THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM WHITING, HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2017/05/03/devotion-for-the-seventh-sunday-after-the-epiphany-ackerman/
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Above: The Destruction of Sodom
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 19:1-29
Psalm 59
Matthew 24:33-35 (36-44) or Luke 17:20-37
1 John 2:3-29 or 2 John 1-13 or 2 Peter 2:1-22
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False teaching becomes apparent in bad behavior. Simply put, one will know a tree by its fruits, or deeds reveal creeds. If I affirm that I have a moral obligation to think of the best interests of others, I will act accordingly more often than not.
Living according to love is the best way to spend one’s time on Earth. By doing so one will not, for example, seek to rape anyone–such as daughters or angels–as in Genesis 19. By living according to love (as in 2 John 5b-6) one will not seek anyone’s blood or life. By living according to love one will not mislead anyone spiritually or theologically. By living according to love one will think of the best interests of others and recognize them as being one’s own best interests, and therefore seek the common good, not selfish gain.
God has called us to love one another and to glorify Himself, not to become legalistic people who imagine ourselves to be spiritual elites.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment , are gummed up in the sentence “You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
–Romans 13:8-10, Revised Standard Version–Second Edition (1971)
Furthermore,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.
–Galatians 5:22-23, RSV II (1971)
And such things do not provoke divine, apocalyptic wrath.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 17, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, ABOLITIONIST AND FEMINIST; AND MARIA STEWART, ABOLITIONIST, FEMINIST, AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF EGLANTYNE JEBB AND DOROTHY BUXTON, FOUNDERS OF SAVE THE CHILDREN
THE FEAST OF FRANK MASON NORTH, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER
THE FEAST OF MARY CORNELIA BISHOP GATES, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/devotion-for-proper-13-year-d/
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Above: The Parable of the Sower
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 6:(8) 9-13 or Ezekiel 17:22-24 or Daniel 4:1-37
Psalm 7
Matthew 14:10-17 (18-33) 34-35 or Mark 4:1-25 or Luke 8:4-25; 13:18-21
Ephesians 4:17-24 (26-32; 5:1-2) 3-7 or 2 Peter 2:1-22
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Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth.
–Ephesians 4:23-24, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
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Much of the content of the assigned readings, with their options, functions as commentary on that summary statement. To borrow a line from Rabbi Hillel, we ought to go and learn it.
The commission of (First) Isaiah might seem odd. Does the text indicate that God is commanding Isaiah to preach to the population but not to help them avoid the wrath of God? Or, as many rabbis have argued for a long time, should one read imperative verbs as future tense verbs and the troublesome passage therefore as a prediction? I prefer the second interpretation. Does not God prefer repentance among sinners? The pairing of this reading with the Parable of the Sower and its interpretation seems to reinforce this point. I recall some bad sermons on this parable, which is not about the sower. The sower did a bad job, I remember hearing certain homilists say. To fixate on the sower and his methodology is to miss the point. The name of the story should be the Parable of the Four Soils, a title I have read in commentaries. One should ask oneself,
What kind of soil am I?
Am I the rocky soil of King Zedekiah (in Ezekiel 17:11-21) or the fertile soil of the betrayed man in Psalm 7? A mustard seed might give rise to a large plant that shelters many varieties of wildlife, and therefore be like the Davidic dynastic tree in Ezekiel 17:22-24 and Nebuchadnezzar II in Daniel 4, but even a mustard seed needs good soil in which to begin the process of sprouting into that plant.
One might be bad soil for any one of a number of reasons. One might not care. One might be oblivious. One might be hostile. One might be distracted and too busy. Nevertheless, one is bad soil at one’s own peril.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 16, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTIETH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF GUSTAF AULEN, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT FILIP SIPHONG ONPHITHAKT, ROMAN CATHOLIC CATECHIST AND MARTYR IN THAILAND
THE FEAST OF MAUDE DOMINICA PETRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MODERNIST THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF RALPH ADAMS CRAM AND RICHARD UPJOHN, ARCHITECTS; AND JOHN LAFARGE, SR., PAINTER AND STAINED GLASS MAKER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/12/16/devotion-for-proper-6-year-d/
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Above: The Wrath of Elihu, by William Blake
Image in the Public Domain
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Job 35:1-16
Psalm 119:(1-16) 17-32
Matthew 7:13-20
2 Peter 2:1-22
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Elihu is simultaneously correct and incorrect. Indeed, whenever we sin, we harm others, not just ourselves, and whenever we act righteously, we benefit others, not just ourselves. Furthermore, nothing escapes divine notice. One might think of the false teachers in Matthew 7 and 2 Peter 2 and find examples of these principles. One might also imagine Elihu agreeing wholeheartedly with the ideas in Psalm 119:1-16 and be correct. The problem with Elihu’s speech in Job 35 is that he employs truthful statements to support a mostly false conclusion:
Hence when Job opens his mouth,
it is for idle talk:
his spate or words comes out of ignorance.
–Job 35:16, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
In the Book of Job all people who speak do so out of ignorance, but the main character is accurate in his assertion of innocence (Consult Job 1, 2 and most of 42, Chapters 38-41, and the first few verses of Chapter 42 not withstanding). That Job, as an innocent person, is suffering, is the main idea to which Elihu objects. Elihu speaks out of ignorance yet does not know it.
Each of us speaks out of ignorance, partial or total, daily; that is part of the reality of the human condition. Knowing this about ourselves is a fine beginning of the process of addressing the problem via grace. May we be sufficiently humble to recognize the fact that we do not know as much as we might imagine about many topics, especially the nature of God. And may we, even in our ignorance, glorify and draw people to the throne of grace, not blame victims and incur divine anger.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 10, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT SALVIUS OF ALBI, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF MORDECAI JOHNSON, EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT NEMESIAN OF SIGUM AND HIS COMPANIONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS AND MARTYRS
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2016/09/10/devotion-for-the-seventh-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-d/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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