READING ECCLESIASTICUS/SIRACH

PART XVI

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Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 22:26-23:27

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The flow of the previous section (ending at 22:26) into this section is logical and seamless.  Sometimes the organization of material in wisdom literature is haphazard or seems to be so.  Yet Ecclesiasticus/Sirach, for all its repetition of topics, indicates much attention to arrangement of material.

The unifying theme in this section is self-control or the absence thereof.  This section opens in an oral theme:

O that a guard were set over my mouth, and a seal of prudence upon my lips, that it may keep me from falling, so that my tongue may not destroy me.

–Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 22:27, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)

The oral theme in 22:27 continues a motif which has been running consistently through this book, especially since chapter 20.

23:2 expands the oral theme to include thoughts and mind.  Speech, thoughts, and the mind need discipline and control.  For, as we think, we are.  For, as we think, we speak, write.  If Ben Sira were to teach in 2023, he would include all writing on the Internet–especially in the comments sections of websites, as well as social media posts–to his lecture about speech.

23:9 cautions against taking oaths.  James L. Crenshaw, writing in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 5 (1997), explains:

Oath-taking alone includes the danger of swearing unknowingly to a lie, using the divine name loosely, and placing oneself in danger through excessive obligations that reduce one to poverty.

–750

“Lewd vulgarity” (23:13) is an ancient vice.  It is also a contemporary vice, of course.  One should never accustom one’s mouth to “lewd vulgarity,” we read.  This becomes a bad habit, into which one may lapse in a circumstance in which one may shame oneself.

We who live in a culture in which the sense of shame has greatly diminished do well (a) to rebuild that sense of shame, and (b) to recall that Ben Sira lived in a context in which the sense of shame was strong.  We who read Ecclesiasticus/Sirach also do well to remember that Ben Sira addressed the sons of the elites of Jerusalem.  Yet minding our vocabulary–regardless of who, when, and where we are–is always sound advice.

An occasional curse word (as in, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” may not hurt, depending on the context.  It may provide a powerful accent.  In one of my favorite movies, The Front (1976), about the Hollywood blacklist during the era of McCarthyism, the titular front tells red-baiting Congressmen what they can do to themselves.  The word fits the situation, and the Congressmen in that scene deserve it.  Yet, when profanity becomes verbal wallpaper, something has gone awry.  And those for whom profanity is verbal wallpaper lack the shame they should feel.

Ben Sira describes “lewd vulgarity” as an “utterance which is comparable to death” (23:12).  (His sense of shame was strong. )  And we read advice which one may legitimately apply today, in a variety of contexts:

A man accustomed to using insulting words

will never become disciplined all his days.

–Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 23:15, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)

To that sage counsel I add another quote:

…the only man who could reach perfection would be someone who never said anything wrong–he would be able to control every part of himself.

–James 3:2b, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)

By definition, adultery and fornication indicate a lack of self-control.  The consequences of these actions are far-reaching–for all directly involved and often those who did not commit these deeds.  The potential for damage to relationships, families, and bodies is profound.  Much of that potential becomes reality.

And, as Ben Sira has already taught, God is watching us:

…the eyes of the Lord

are ten thousand times brighter than the sun;

they look upon all the ways of men,

and perceive even the hidden places.

-Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 23:10b, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)

Ben Sira also applies the standard of shame to fornication and idolatry.  That approach works only when the people involved care about what others think of them.

One caveat about social shame as a motivation not to commit an act is that social shame can become a tool of oppression.  I have a healthy sense of rebellion against peer pressure.  I, as a youth, suffered bullying because I was myself; I was different.  “Conform” and “conformity” are the two most profane words in the English language.

Nevertheless, I acknowledge that my culture has gone overboard in losing or minimizing its sense of shame.  People should, for example, feel ashamed after blurting out some colorful words, which are needless anyway.  People should feel shame about posting shameful comments on social media outlets.  And, when “Don’t read the comments” has become sound advice at websites, shamelessness indicates that much has gone terribly wrong.

Words and actions matter.  They have the power to damage lives, psyches, and careers.  Sometimes they push vulnerable people into committing suicide.  So, yes, words matter.

Another caveat regarding shaming is when it goes too far.  It we–or a substantial portion of us–blacklist someone forever, without the possibility of forgiveness after that person has repented–we go too far.  In my polarized culture, discerning the boundary which separates proper shaming from an unforgiving spirit can prove difficult, given the din of culture warriors shouting at and insulting each other.  I want to leave the alone and find better, calm company.

Once upon a time, I wanted to prove that I was right  I sought to wield the cudgel of logic and use it to beat those who disagreed with me into mental submission.  I was foolish on more than one front.    I had a negative attitude.  I also failed to consider that employing logic and acts to persuade those who are oblivious to them is like bringing a knife to a gunfight.  And I have learned that I will never win such arguments.  All things considered, I have decided not to bother anymore.  I have realized that life is too short to engage in some pursuits–vain ones, especially.  Besides, someone has to deescalate unilaterally.

Despite the gulf separating Ben Sira from us, he speaks wisely to the people of today in these verses.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT DIONYSIUS EXIGUUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND REFORMER OF THE CALENDAR

THE FEAST OF DAVID PENDLETON OAKERHATER, CHEYENNE WARRIOR, CHIEF, AND HOLY MAN, AND EPISCOPAL DEACON AND MISSIONARY IN OKLAHOMA

THE FEAST OF SAINT FIACRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC HERMIT

THE FEAST OF FRANÇOIS MAURIAC, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC NOVELIST, CHRISTIAN HUMANIST, AND SOCIAL CRITIC

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READING ECCLESIASTICUS/SIRACH

PART I

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What to call this book seems like an ideal point to address first.  Traditional names of the book are  the Book of Sirach, the Book of Ecclesiasticus, and the Wisdom of Ben Sira.  “Ecclesiasticus,” or “Church Book,” derives from Liber Ecclesiasticus, a name due to the frequency with which Holy Mother Church has quoted Sirach.  The name of the book depends upon the translation one reads.  The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011) calls the book “The Wisdom of Ben Sira.”  The Revised English Bible (1989) calls this book “Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach.”  The Saint Athanasius Academy Septuagint, in The Orthodox Study Bible (2008), names this book “The Wisdom of Sirach.”  For the sake of clarity, I prefer “Ecclesiasticus/Sirach.”

The author’s name is Yeshua Ben Eleazar Ben Sira (50:27).  That Hebrew name, translated into Greek, is Jesus son of Eleazar son of Sira.  “Sirach,” as a title for this book, derives from the Greek form of “Sira.”

We read an English translation of a Greek translation (after 117 B.C.E.) of a Hebrew text dated circa 175 B.C.E.  The translator, in his prologue, identifies himself as the grandson of the author.  That prologue describes the author–Yeshua Ben Eleazar Ben Sira–as a devout Jewish sage and a resident of Jerusalem.  We read that the grandfather followed the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets.  We also read that the grandson translated the book into Greek in Egypt after the reign of King Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Physcon (r. 170-163; 145-117 B.C.E.).

Persecution frames Ecclesiasticus/Sirach.  An eagle-eyed student of history may recall that, circa 175 B.C.E., the Seleucid Empire was persecuting devout Jews in the Jewish homeland.  One may also remember that Ptolemaic monarchs persecuted Jews, although not constantly.  And, if one puts the pieces together, one understands that militant devotees of Hellenism persecuted those who refused to conform, whether in Egypt or in Palestine.

The Wisdom of Solomon (perhaps from as late as 50 C.E.) combined Judaism and Greek philosophy in an attempt (a) to persuade errant Jews to return to the fold, and (b) reach out to Gentiles.  In contrast, Ecclesiasticus/Sirach (hostile to Greek philosophy) focused narrowly on Jews and did not syncretize.  Both books, despite their differences, belong to the genre of sacred literature which proclaims fidelity to God in the midst of oppression.  Two notable examples of this genre in the New Testament are Hebrews and Revelation.

Imagine, O reader, that you were a young man studying at the academy of Yeshua Ben Eleazar Ben Sira in Jerusalem.  The contents of this book would have been familiar to you.

We, in 2023, can, in a way, attend that academy.  Some of the attitudes will properly offend our egalitarian sensibilities.  The grandfather’s teachings reflect a fondness for patriarchy and misogyny (7:23-29; 22:3; 25:13-26; 26:12).   Yet this book, like the Song of Songs, delights in feminine beauty (26:17-18).  And not one woman features in 44:1-50:24, a hall of fame of faithful people.  One may identify faithful, named women in the Hebrew Bible, but Ecclesiasticus/Sirach does not.

I, standing within my Christian tradition, feel free to critique it.  Respect for one’s tradition need not devolve into blind traditionalism.  Traditions are living and flexible, not rigid and dead.

Another point of critique of Ecclesiasticus/Sirach is the book’s theology of the afterlife.  Ecclesiasticus/Sirach does not indicate a belief in the afterlife.  The book, therefore, is proto-Saddusaic.

The author of the Epistle of James (probably composed in the 80s or 90s C.E.) knew Ecclesiasticus/Sirach.  I encourage you, O reader, to compare Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 2:1-6; 5:9-14 to James 1:12-15; 3:1-12.

Jeremy Corley, writing in The New Collegeville Bible Commentary:  Old Testament (2015), outlines Ecclesiasticus/Sirach accordingly:

1. Understanding Wisdom (1:1-4:10),
2. Using Wisdom Personally (4:11-6:17),
3. Applying Wisdom Socially (6:18-14:19),
4. Wisdom in Speech and Thought (14:20-23:27),
5. Wisdom in Domestic Life (24:1-32:13),
6. Using Wisdom to Make Good Decisions (32:14-38:23),
7. Demonstrating the Results of Wisdom (38:24-42:14),
8. Wisdom in Creation and History (42:15-50:24), and
9. Postscripts and Appendices (50:25-51:30).

James L. Crenshaw, writing in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 5 (1997), differs slightly.  Crenshaw divides Ecclesiasticus/Sirach into only eight sections.  His schema differs from that of Corley after the fourth section:

1. Part V (24:1-33:33:19),
2. Part VI (33:20-39:11),
3. Part VII (39:12-43:33), and
4. Part VIII (44:1-51:30).

As Dianne Bergant wrote in her introduction to Ecclesiasticus/Sirach in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible (2003), the structure of this book is difficult to determine.

Despite the different attitudes of Ecclesiasticus/Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon regarding Greek philosophy in the context of Hellenism, both books address an overarching issue germane in 2023.  How can the people of God remain faithful to God and their tradition in a hostile society?  Particulars vary according to circumstances.  People live in circumstances, not abstractions.  Yet timeless principles persist.  The greatest challenge to believers may be to pursue a strategy by which our actions in the name of following God do not belie our intention.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

AUGUST 4, 2023 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF JOHN BROWNLIE, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS

THE FEAST OF SAINT FRÉDÉRIC JANSSOONE, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND FRIAR

THE FEAST OF LAMBERT BEAUDUIN, BELGIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND PIONEER OF LITURGICAL RENEWAL

THE FEAST OF SARAH PLATT DOREMUS, FOUNDER OF THE WOMEN’S UNION MISSIONARY SOCIETY

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READING THE BOOK OF PROVERBS

PART VIII

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Proverbs 12:16-23

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True words have the quality of permanence,

Untruths last only for a moment.

–R. B. Y. Scott’s translation

The pericope of Proverbs 12:16-23 sits sandwiched between two collections of contrast sayings regarding various topics.  So, I focus on a few verses in this post before biting off a larger chunk of the Book of Proverbs.

12:21a is unduly optimistic when it says that no harm befalls the righteous.  Yet 12:21b is correct to tell us that the wicked will have hands full of trouble.  Unfortunately, so do many righteous people–often for the sake of righteousness and because of the wicked.

Words matter.  Spoken words matter.  Written words matter.  Words have mattered for as long as language has existed.  They may matter more in the age of the Internet,  social media, rapidly-improving artificial intelligence, and extremely short news cycles.

Misinformation and disinformation spread rapidly online.  One may reasonably surmise that creators of disinformation know what they are doing.  They bear false witness.  They violate one of the Ten Commandments in doing so.  And many others, living withing the bubbles of their ideologies and divorced from objective reality, mistake objectively false information for accurate information.  People who live in a parallel reality of sorts cannot discern the truth, so they act based on falsehoods.

My academic training is in history.  I understand that objective reality–or as close to it as the available information can take us–is the ground from which well-reasoned interpretation grows.  I am not entitled to my own facts, contrary to other people’s facts.  I reject postmodernism and the Orwellian political convenience of “alternative facts.”

A man’s thoughtless talk may cut like a sword,

But wise man’s speech is healing.

–Proverbs 12:18, R. B. Y. Scott’s translation

The author of the Epistle of James must have read, learned, and inwardly digested Proverbs 12:16-23.  James 3:1-12 likens the tongue to a fire and to a bridle.

In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions.

–James 3:5, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)

Likewise, the same statement applies to fingers as they wield writing instruments or rest over keyboards or keypads.

Philosophically, truth is an abstraction.  The Bible is not entirely hostile to philosophy, nor should it be.  Greek philosophy pervades the Wisdom of Solomon and parts of the New Testament, for example.  And history of Christian theology reveals that Greek philosophy helped to shape Christian doctrine.  Philosophy has its place in the life of faith.  However, Biblical truth is tangible, not abstract.  Biblical truth is lived truth.  Therefore, it cannot abide falsehood, hypocrisy, and cruelty.

And, as the Book of Proverbs attests, God is watching us.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JULY 20, 2023 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF LEO XIII, BISHOP OF ROME

THE FEAST OF SAINT ANSEGIUS OF FONTANELLE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT

THE FEAST OF SAINTS FLAVIAN II OF ANTIOCH AND ELIAS OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCHS

THE FEAST OF SAMUEL HANSON COX, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND ABOLITIONIST’ HIS SON, ARTHUR CLEVELAND COXE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF WESTERN NEW YORK, HYMN WRITER, AND TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS

THE FEAST OF VICAR EARLE COPES, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, LITURGIST, COMPOSER, AND ORGANIST

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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)

Above:  Christ with the Children, by Carl Heinrich Bloch

Image in the Public Domain

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Jeremiah 11:18-20

Psalm 54:1-4, 6-7a (LBW) or Psalm 119:25-32 (LW)

James 3:16-4:6

Mark 9:30-37

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Lord God, you call us to work in your vineyard

and leave no one standing idle. 

Set us to our tasks in the work of your kingdom,

and help us to order our lives by your wisdom;

through your Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28

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Keep, we pray you, O Lord, your Church with your perpetual mercy;

and because without you we cannot but fall,

keep us ever by your help from all things hurtful

and lead us to all things profitable for our salvation;

for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.  Amen.

—Lutheran Worship (1982), 81-82

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Jealousy, disharmony, and resentment come to us in this week’s readings.

1. The lessons from the Hebrew Bible flow from the context of persecution for faithfulness.  In Jeremiah 11:18-20 and Psalm 54, the context is mortal threat.
2. James 3:16-4:6 tells us that peace is a fruit of righteousness–right relationship with God, self, others, and all of creation.  As my father taught me, troubled people cause trouble.  So, peace is not more commonplace than it is, unfortunately.
3. Oblivious disciples, jockeying for position relative to Jesus, received a profoundly counter-cultural lesson in a society that did not value children as people:  Those who welcome a child in the name of Jesus welcome Jesus and God.
4. Those same disciples also learned that they lacked a monopoly on exorcisms, whatever the causation of “possession,” in Hellenistic terms, may be in modern medical and psychiatric diagnoses.  (I, having been in a long-term relationship with a woman who had schizophrenia and manic depression, understand, that in antiquity, she would have been “possessed.”  I also accept that possession is real in many cases.  The Roman Catholic Church, before authorizing an exorcism, wisely checks medical and psychiatric diagnoses first.)  Anyone not opposed to Jesus was on his side.

“Righteousness” is a common word.  But how do we use it?  Given that I have already defined it in this post, I choose not to define it again in this paragraph.  And, to repeat myself for the zillionth time, righteousness and justice are interchangeable in the Bible.  Why not?  That makes sense.  As the Epistle of James–especially–keeps reminding us, how we treat others is a matter of great concern to God.  Therefore, we need to shape up morally, in community.  We–both collectively and individually–ought never to trample the rights of people, especially in the name of God and morality.  Yes, morally gray areas exist in real life.  Life becomes complicated much of the time.  But we can do our best, with the help of God, in these circumstances.  If making the least bad decision is the best possible outcome, so be it.  If an unambiguously good result is possible, wonderful.

The actions to which the ethos of shaping up morally in community lead us will vary according to circumstances.  We mere mortals live in circumstances, not abstractions.  Yet, to focus on one timeless principle, I ask you, O reader:  In whom do you struggle to recognize the image of God?  In which type of person do you not see the image of God, at least not easily?  And how is God calling you to think of such people and to behave toward them differently?

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

APRIL 21, 2023 COMMON ERA

THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF EASTER

THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN ADAME ROSALES, MEXICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1927

THE FEAST OF SAINT CONRAD OF PARZHAM, CAPUCHIN FRIAR

THE FEAST OF DAVID BRAINERD, AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY AND MINISTER

THE FEAST OF GEORGE B. CAIRD, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST THEN UNITED REFORMED MINISTER, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR

THE FEAST OF GEORGIA HARKNESS, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, ETHICIST, AND HYMN WRITER

THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON BARSABAE, BISHOP; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 341

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Adapted from this post

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READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS

PART XLVII

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Psalm 64

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Psalm 64 covers ground familiar in the Book of Psalms:  the psalmist, beset by slanderers, turns to God for deliverance.  This destructive speech is like swords and arrows, poetically.

This metaphor still works.  It may even be more applicable in the age of the Internet and social media.  I also think of the danger of partial information in public records, accessible on the Internet.  For example, the record of the arrest of an innocent person (who may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time or worked in the wrong office) may come up in Internet search records.  Yet the record of a court dismissing charges due to insufficient evidence may not come up on the Internet.  A partial truth may do more to assassinate or damage someone’s character than a lie does.

One metaphor in Psalm 64 reminds me of a vision of Jesus in the Apocalypse of John:

…and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword….

–Revelation 1:16b, The Revised English Bible (1989)

Furthermore, James 3:1-12 emphasizes the power of speech and the tongue, with its potential for great evil and much good.  By extension, the same caution applies to written words.

What a vast amount of timber can be set ablaze by the tiniest spark!  And the tongue is a fire, representing in our body the whole wicked world.  It pollutes our whole being, it sets the whole course of our existence alight, and its flames are fed by hell.

–James 3:5b-6, The Revised English Bible (1989)

In my societal and political context, certain politicians and pundits habitually use violent language when speaking or writing of their opponents–those who disagree with them.  Then these same politicians and pundits are shocked–shocked, I say–when some people act violently against those opponents.  And the pundits and politicians in question refuse any responsibility for the violence.  This does not surprise me, though.  It dismays me yet does not shock me.

Words matter.  May we always speak and write carefully, based on that truth.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JANUARY 21, 2023 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINTS MIROCLES OF MILAN AND EPIPHANIUS OF PAVIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS

THE FEAST OF SAINTS ALBAN ROE AND THOMAS REYNOLDS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS, 1642

THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN YI YON-ON, ROMAN CATHOLIC CATECHIST AND MARTYR IN KOREA, 1867

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READING THE GENERAL EPISTLES, PART V

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James 4:1-17

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The Epistle of James, logically, is building argument.  The first chapter establishes the foundation.  Then each subsequent chapter builds on all that preceded it.  4:1 flows directly from 3:18, sensibly.  Peace is absent in 4:1.

The ideal of faith community in the Epistle of James is mutuality under God.  After all, the Church, then a small minority, had to stick together.  Obviously, the ideal was not the reality often enough that the author had to write what he did.  The “you” was plural; James was an epistle addressed to congregations, not a person.

Life is short.  Each of us is as a mist that is here today and gone tomorrow (4:14).  One may know that this intellectually yet not viscerally.  Death teaches one visceral truth.  I know this from experience.

Making long-term plans is a good idea; one may have a long term.  Or one may not.  Either way, one may our love for God and our brother and sister human beings define us as groups and individuals.  Society is people.  Members of a society influence it, just as it shapes them.  May that shape be love.  May that influence be love.  May we–as individuals and groups–care more about being loving than being right.  The quest for vindication is the trail of much destructive activity.

I cannot be at peace with God or anyone else unless I am at peace with myself.  I cannot love God or anyone else unless I love myself.  I can give only what I have.  Likewise, a faith community can give only what it has.  A faith community has only what it receives.

The words of James 4 hit home in another way.  Many nation-states lack internal unity in 2021.  Mutual recriminations abound.  Confronting that which one should confront is necessary and wise; not to do so is to violate 4:17.  Then there is sniping, much of it contrary to objective reality.  When ego defense enters the picture, prying an admission of error from the mistaken party may be impossible.  So, even in the face of evidence, people double down on their false assertions.  Peace is absent.

As much as I loved my grandmother (who died in August 2019) and my girlfriend (who died in October 2019), I am glad they did not live to see the COVID-19 pandemic.  It may have been too much for them to endure.  It feels like too much for me to endure some days.  I mourn the dead.  I mourn those who have fallen ill needlessly yet survived.  I mourn those who have died needlessly.  I mourn those who have lost their livelihoods and homes.  I mourn the loss of the sense of being able to trust the members of my community.

The Reverend Will Campbell (1924-2013) said:

We’re all bastards, but God loves us anyway.

I mourn that I find focusing on the first part of that statement easier than focusing on the second part thereof.

I have much company.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCISCO DE PAULA VICTOR, BRAZILIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST

THE FEAST OF CHURCHILL JULIUS, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF CHRISTCHURCH, AND PRIMATE AND ARCHBISHOP OF NEW ZEALAND

THE FEAST OF SAINT EMILIE TAVERNIER GARNELIN, FOUNDER OF THE SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE

THE FEAST OF SAINT JOZEF STANEK, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1944

THE FEAST OF JUDITH LOMAX, EPISCOPAL MYSTIC AND POET

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This is post #2600 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.

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READING THE GENERAL EPISTLES, PART IV

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James 3:1-18

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Harlan Ellison, my favorite curmudgeon, argues against the proposition that each person is entitled to his or her opinion.  He said:

No, you are entitled to your informed opinion.

Opinions not rooted in objective reality are unworthy of respect.

The first part of James 3 exists in the context of the second part of James 3.  Therefore, the section about controlling the tongue is really about jealousy and infighting, originally.  Internal struggles in the Church are as as old as the Church, sadly.

According to mythology, YHWH spoke creation into being.  Therefore, whenever one speaks, writes,  leaves a message on a social media outlet, or repeats or shares what someone else has said or written,  one creates something.  I am conscious of the power of my weblogs, which do not attract mass audiences.  Nevertheless, I know that some people are reading.  I attempt to make a positive contribution.  I see that some of my posts have influenced prayers at commencement ceremonies.  This makes me feel good.

Words matter.  They have power.  They can build up or tear down.  For good reasons, not all speech has constitutional protection in the United States of America.  Unprotected speech includes libel, slander, and incitement to violence.  When I read about bullying, I recall James 3.  We are all responsible to and for each other as we stand before God.  May we take care of each other.

Timeless principles are…timeless, for lack of a better word.  We mere mortals always apply them within circumstances; we always have circumstances.  Circumstances change and technology develops, but timeless principles remain.  In the age of COVID-19, spreading misinformation and damn lies about the virus, vaccines, masks, and horse deworming medicine is deadly.  When the definition of objective reality is a controversial matter, public health becomes politicized immediately.  And people die needlessly as the pandemic continues longer than necessary and damages economies.  Peace is difficult to find.

A grandson of a parishioner at my much died recently.  The grandson died of COVID-19, which he contracted from his father, who had refused to get vaccinated.

Misinformation, obliviousness, and damn lies claim lives sometimes.  Make your speech count for the good, O reader.  And take care of your relatives, friends, and neighbors.  By doing so, you will take care of yourself.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF PHILANDER CHASE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF OHIO, AND OF ILLINOIS; AND PRESIDING BISHOP

THE FEAST OF C. H. DODD, WELSH CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR

THE FEAST OF CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT, JULIA ANNE ELLIOTT, AND EMILY ELLIOTT, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITERS

THE FEAST OF JUSTUS FALCKNER, LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER

THE FEAST OF STEPHEN G. CARY, U.S. QUAKER HUMANITARIAN AND ANTIWAR ACTIVIST

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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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READING HAGGAI-FIRST ZECHARIAH, PART X

Above:  Icon of Zechariah

Image in the Public Domain

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Zechariah 5:1-4

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The contents of Zechariah 1:7-6:15 date to early February 519 B.C.E. (1:7).

The sixth vision (5:1-4) was of a flying scroll about 30 feet long and about 15 feet wide.  The scroll was about the size of the portico of the Great Hall of the First Temple (1 Kings 6:3).  The purpose of the curse on this remarkable scroll was to remove all crime–namely, theft and perjury–from the land.  There was no room such transgressions in the ideal society to come–in either Judah or the world, depending on the translation of 5:3.

Zechariah 5:1-4 get us, O reader, into the realm of curses.  I, as a modern person grounded in science, give them barely a thought, except to dismiss them as superstitions.  I do not think, therefore, as the authors of Zechariah 5:1-4; Judges 17:2; Numbers 5; and Deuteronomy 29:19 did.  The importance of a curse, Biblically, relates to that of an oath.  (See Leviticus 5:20-24; Proverbs 29:24; Exodus 22:9-11/22:8-10; Judges 11:29-40; Matthew 5:33-37; et cetera.)  The importance of curses also relates to that of blessings, as in Numbers 27:1-45; Numbers 22-24; et cetera.

The emphasis on maintaining the integrity of the community of Zechariah 5:1-4 is a timeless principle, though.  May more people act according to mutuality, one of the pillars of the Law of Moses.

The importance of blessings, curses, and oaths in the Bible points to another timeless principle:  words matter.  Notice the mention of perjury in Zechariah 5:1-4, O reader.  One may recall Daniel 13, the story of Susanna, in which perjury almost cost an innocent woman her life.  The penalty for perjury in the Law of Moses is:

If the witness is a false witness, and has falsely accused the other, you shall do to the false witness just as that false witness planned to do to the other.  Thus you shall purge evil from your midst.

–Deuteronomy 19:18b-19, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)

For more commentary about the importance and power of words, read James 3:1-12.  That which the author of that epistle wrote goes double or triple in the age of social media.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JULY 14, 2021 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT JUSTIN DE JACOBIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY BISHOP IN ETHIOPIA; AND SAINT MICHAEL GHEBRE, ETHIOPIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR

THE FEAST OF SAINT CAMILLUS DE LELLIS, ITALIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND FOUNDER OF THE MINISTERS OF THE SICK

THE FEAST OF LEON MCKINLEY ADKINS, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, POET, AND HYMN WRITER

THE FEAST OF MATTHEW BRIDGES, HYMN WRITER

THE FEAST OF SAMSON OCCUM, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY TO NATIVE AMERICANS

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To the writer of Ruth, family can consist of an older woman and her beloved immigrant daughter-in-law, women can easily raise children on their own, and men can be seduced if it serves the interests of women.

Above:  The Last Judgment, by Fra Angelico

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 19:1-26 or Ruth 3

Psalm 142

Revelation 20:11-15

John 14:15-31

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NSFW Alert:  “Feet” in Ruth 3 are not feet.  No, they are genitals.  The Hebrew Bible contains euphemisms.  In the case of Ruth 3, we have a scene that is unfit for inclusion in a book of Bible stories for children.

The Reverend Jennifer Wright Knust offers this analysis of the Book of Ruth:

—Unprotected Texts:  The Bible’s Surprising Contractions About Sex and Desire (2011), 33

Speaking or writing of interpretations you may have read or heard, O reader, I turn to Genesis 19.  Open an unabridged concordance of the Bible and look for “Sodom.”  Then read every verse listed.  You will find that the dominant criticism of the people of Sodom was that they were arrogant and inhospitable.  The willingness to commit gang rape against angels, men, and women seems inhospitable to me.

The author of Psalm 142 described the current human reality.  That author descried Christ’s reality in John 14:15-31.  Christ was about to die terribly.  Yet that same Christ was victorious in Revelation 20.

The standard of judgment in Revelation 20:14 may scandalize many Protestants allergic to any hint of works-based righteousness:

…and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived.

—The Jerusalem Bible (1966)

This is not a new standard in the Bible.  It exists in the Hebrew Bible.  Matthew 25:31-46 its people over the head, so to speak, with this standard.  The Letter of James keeps hitting people over the head with it for five chapters.  Deeds reveal creeds.  The standard of divine judgment in Revelation 20:14 makes sense to me.

So, what do I believe?  What are my creeds?  What are your creeds, really?  I refer not to theological abstractions, but to lived faith.  Theological abstractions matter, too.  (I am not a Pietist.)  Yet lived faith matters more.  Do we live according to the love of God?  God seems to approve of doing that.  Do we hate?  God seems to disapprove of doing that.

As St. Paul the Apostle insisted, faith and works are a package deal.  The definition of faith in the Letter of James differs from the Pauline definition.  Faith in James is intellectual.  Therefore, joining faith with works is essential, for faith without works is dead.  In Pauline theology, however, faith includes works.  If one understands all this, one scotches any allegation that the Letter of James contradicts Pauline epistles.

Deeds reveal creeds.  If we value one another, we will act accordingly.  If we recognize immigrants as people who bear the image of God, we will resist the temptation of xenophobia, et cetera.  Knowing how to act properly on our creeds may prove challenging sometimes.  Practical consideration may complicate matters.  Political actions may or may not be the most effective methods to pursue.

By grace, may we–collectively and individually–act properly, so that our deeds may reveal our creeds, to the glory of God and for the benefit of our fellow human beings.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JANUARY 28, 2021 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT AND HIS PUPIL, SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIANS

THE FEAST OF DANIEL J. SIMUNDSON, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR

THE FEAST OF HENRY AUGUSTINE COLLINS, ANGLICAN THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER

THE FEAST OF JOSEPH BARNBY, ANGLICAN CHURCH MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER

THE FEAST OF SOMERSET CORRY LOWRY, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER

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Adapted from this post:

https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2021/01/28/devotion-for-proper-24-year-d-humes/

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