Philippians 4:1-9

This passage occurs as a New Testament Lesson in the RCL "Pentecost"/"Ordinary"/"Proper" Season, Year A, most recently October 2020.
 
Summary:  As I have stated previously, I view Paul's letter to the Philippians as a small treatise on sanctification.  You can find beautiful fruit in these passages, beloved words that evidence the Spirit's work in Paul to make him a little Christ for all of us.  What struck me this time around though was the profound way in which the community in Christ takes precedence in this passage.  Paul continues to offer many images of working together and community love, even calling his fellow Christian his "desired."  Paul doesn't conclude with his love of Christ, but the love Christ has given him for his fellow believers.  Our sanctification is precisely this:  OUR sanctification as the Holy Spirit moves us closer together in love and hope.

αγαπητοι and επιποθητοι ("beloved" and "desired" 4:1)  αγαπητοι is probably familiar enough to most Christians, especially those who work with Greek.  Paul calls his brothers and sisters in Christ who beloved.  Wow!  Yet, επιποθητοι is more startling.  This word comes from desire.  While we have seen the root verb elsewhere in Philippians (1:8; 2:26), no where else in the Bible do we find this term επιποθητοι!  This sense of desire can be positive, for example, the deer pants for the water like the soul desires God (see Psalm 84:3/Psalm 41:2).  However, Paul here is claiming the other Christians are his desired.  This truly is taking the mind of Christ -- when we love each so deeply that we can talk about a deep love for one another.  What does the mind of Christ and sanctification mean?  It means loving your neighbor, so much, that you desire to be with them like Christ desires to be with them, like their soul desires to be reunited with God.

και σε ("even you", 4:3)  Paul generally speaks in the second person plural throughout the letter.  Perhaps he is writing to someone specific; maybe he wants to drive home that these words are for each person.  Maybe its ambiguous so we all think, well, its my job to help those two women who are fighting.

συζυγε; συνηθλσαν; συνεργων ("yoked", "co-striving" and "co-worker", 4:3; the second is a verb, the other two adjectives)  Paul here presents us with a few images of the Christian life.  The first is from the idea of a yoke and can actually refer even to marriage.  The image of oxen plowing the field.  The next is to athletes in contest with one another.  The last is co-worker, perhaps the least descriptive, but you put the three of them together and Paul profoundly gives us some images of our life together!

γνωσθητω ("let it be"; imperative (command), 4:5 and 4:6).  There first time Paul uses this verb, it is telling us to let our gentleness be known to all people; the second time it is Paul telling us to let our prayers be known to God.  In this context though, I wonder if they are so exclusive.  I wonder if we read this through a western-post-enlightenment idea of worship that would have our prayers of thanks be those in private.  Part of our joy and duty, as Psalm 66 suggests, is not simply praising God in private but offering thanks in front of the congregation.

νοματα (from νοημα, meaning "mind", 4:7)  Paul has continually pointed toward the mind as a place of Christian activity -- to be of the same mind with each other and of Christ.  We often think of the heart as the place of God's work, but for Paul, the mind is also a place where discipleship happens!

Grammatical review:  "αυτο"
The word αυτο and its various conjugated forms (αυτου for example) can be a bit tricky for the reader.  First because another set of words, meaning this and that, looks very similiar but have different accents.  But it is also tricky because the word αυτο can mean three different things, even if it looks the same. 

It can function like a pronoun: αυτου for example, almost always means "him."  In this case, the pronoun is in the genitive, so it fully means "of him." It functions this way 95% of the time.
It can also mean "very."  This is when it stands alone (predicate position).  This is fairly rare.  An example of this is in Philippians 1:6 πεποιθως αυτο τουτο: "I am convinced of this very thing."
It can also mean "same."  It behaves like this when it follows an article.  Hence, in Philippians 4:2 you get:  το αυτο φρονειν: "The same thinking."  Paul actually uses this also in 2:2 and 2:18. 

Again, for 90-95% of translation, the word functions as a pronoun, but it can be helpful to remember these other uses.

Philippians 3:3b-14

This passage occurs as a New Testament Lesson in the RCL "Pentecost"/"Ordinary"/"Proper" Season, Year A, most recently October 2020.

Summary:  In certain theological circles I often find that justification is the aim; yet for Paul in this passage justification has a purpose.  As the Greek indicates, it has a purpose, namely that we would know Christ, his resurrection and his suffering.  Rather than claim this is something other than good Lutheran doctrine, Luther and countless other Lutherans have seen justification has the key to the kingdom, but not the kingdom itself, which is Christ.

Key Words
σαρξ ("flesh" 3:4 and elsewhere)  Normally we think that Paul sees the flesh as an entirely evil entity.  In this case Paul talks about his righteousness in the law (and therefore the flesh).  He never says that his Jewish upbringing was evil.  In fact, Paul's whole take on flesh and law provides more a productive evangelical tact than the normal torpedo attack on human sinfulness.  Simply acknowledge that people have seen and accomplished great things, yet they still often sense a worthlessness about themselves and are haunted by a sense that something greater exists.  To reiterate, Paul is not claiming the flesh is evil, but he is clearly affirming its limits.

ζημια ("loss" or "damage"; found as noun and verb 3:7 and 3:8)  Interestingly, Paul calls his accomplishments a loss.  The Greek here is a bit stronger in that it can also mean "damage" or "penalty."  Paul here lays the groundwork for a later group of Lutheran orthodox thinkers who argued that good works are damaging to salvation.  While I don't like admitting this, I can see both Paul's and the orthodox thinker's point here that human achievement can cloud our vision from seeing Christ's blessings.
side note:  Paul here echoes back to 2:5 and 2:6 in the Christ hymn; Christ did not regard (ηγεομαι) equality with God as something to be exploited. Here Paul is saying he regards all of his benefits as loss through Christ.

συμμορφιζομενος ("together-shaped", 3:10; noun form in 3:21).  I believe this is a crucial word to understanding Paul's letter to the Philippians.  Paul writes that Jesus was in the shape (μορφη) as God, but chooses a different shape, one of a slave, for our sake.  However, for Paul this does not mean the Christian can avoid death  No, Paul believes that we to will be transformed by Christ, in that we will receive the same shape as him -- a crucified slave, so that ultimately, we might receive a resurrected body like his.  This is also found in Romans 3:17 - co-inheritors, co-sufferers, co-will be glorified-ers.  I would argue that chapter 3 of Paul's letter to the Philippians is applying the Christ him of suffering and glory to the Christian.  

διωκω ("pursue"; 3.6, 3.12 and 3.14):   Paul's bragging here has a double rhetorical effect -- he will return to the words "pursue" (διωκω) and "righteousness" (δικαιοσυνη) later in this section (3.9, 12 and 14).

σκυβαλα ("crap"; 3:8)  Rubbish is about as nice as you can translate this.  Paul wants a rhetorical effect here. 

καταλαμβανω ("receive, obtain, overcome"; 3:12,13)  This verb presents a problem in most cases for the translator because it has a broad array of meanings.  In this case, the challenge is in the tenses.  In verse 12 Paul claims that he has been obtained (aorist passive) by Christ; yet he also says in the aorist subjunctive that might obtain it; finally, in the perfect active he says he has not obtained it.  Here is Paul at his grammatical worst and perhaps theological best: The event of Christ's death and resurrection obtained Paul for Christ, but this process is not finished!

επιλανθανομαι ("forget"; in participle form in 3:13).  Most important is not the participle form, but the present tense.  Both verbs in the second half (forgetting and looking ahead) in the present tense, suggesting this is an on-going process of doing this. We cannot simply forget once, but must continually forget.

Grammar review & theological commentary on verses 3:9-10
Infinitive purpose clauses  In Greek, the infinitive can be used to express purpose, especially when it is an "articular infinitive."  (ie, article + infinitive)  In verse 9 Paul discusses justification by faith.  He begins verse 10 (which the Greek scribes connect with a comma to the previous verse, not a period) with the "articular infinitive":  του γνωναι (the knowing).  Paul's use of an infinitive here suggests that justification's purpose is to know God, the power of the resurrection and the fellowship of suffering. In other words, 9 and 10 are linguistically linked by Paul and a strong possible reading is purpose...vs 9 (justification) is for the purpose of vs 10 (resurrection).  To build on last's weeks passage about μορφη (shape), justification leads to transformation as our "morph" becomes like Christ.

Romans 13:8-14

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, most recently September 6, 2020.

Summary:  These words brought about the conversion of St. Augustine.  May they also bring about the constant renewal of us and our flocks as well!  I think Romans 12 is more exquisite poetry than Romans 13, but this passage still packs some punch, especially the later verses!  Ultimately, I think this needs to be read in context of Romans 12-14 and Paul's real world ethics, lest it become interpreted as anti-life-on-earth.

Some words and phrases I've pondered:

νόμον πεπλήρωκεν (fulfilled the law, 13:8)   Here Paul uses the word fulfilled (πληρόω) and the law (νόμος)...Paul also uses the words together in 8:4 in conjunction with the Spirit's work in us. In fact, Paul uses these words together in Galatians 5:14; the translations there say the law is "summed up" in this one command. 

One more note -- the word fulfilled here is in the perfect tense, which means that there is nothing more that has to be done, that is completely finished and remains finished. 

ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται ("summed up", 13:9)  Big word!! Literally again-headed or recapitulate. It means bring or sum together. It is the word that Paul uses in Ephesians to talk about how things were summed up and brought together in Christ. Here is Romans Paul does not say all things are summed together in Christ. Instead he uses indicates that all the commandments are summed up in this Word (λόγος; it is not commandment).  Paul is elevating this commandment to a transcendent level -- it is not a Jewish custom we can avoid, but it is our life's aim to fulfill.

εὐσχημόνως (euschem-onoos, meaning "proper", 13:13)  Interestingly, the word here for "live honorably," contains the root word "scheme."  That root word -- scheme -- is the word we heard in Romans 12:2, not to be conformed to the scheme of this world.  Now we hear about how to be properly conformed, namely, to put on Christ!

ὅπλα τοῦ φωτός (armor of light, 13:12)  While Paul will refer to the idea of armor elsewhere, what is really powerful here is that Paul connected the armor of light with Jesus Christ.  In verse 12 we are told to put on the armor...we discover what this armor is as we are told to put on Jesus Christ!

κώμοις (κῶμος, "revelry", 13:13) This word originally meant the festal procession in honor of Dionysus and then become a meal or banquet (BDAG) but with connotation of excessive drinking, feasting and perhaps sex. (Louw and Nida).  The other word for drunkenness is more straight forward :-)  (μέθαις)

κοίταις (κοίτη, "bed" or sex", 13:13)  This is a strange word in that it literally means "bedding"; is Paul simply referring to all sexual activity?  Paul puts these words in three sets of pairs:  Not A nor B; Not C nor D; Not E nor F.  In this way, this word needs to be translated by looking at "ἀσελγείαις" which BDAG translates as "lack of self-constraint which involves one in conduct that violates all bounds of what is socially acceptable." This is not simply marital sex, but sex that is licentious, etc.  To what extent is Paul suggesting limits on sex within marriage?   Tough question!

ἔριδι (ἔρις, "quarreling", 13:13)  Paul here employs a word that means excessive quarreling; he pairs this with jealousy "ζήλῳ"   Makes one wonder about the connection between these two words; it is also fitting to hear this in the year of a Presidential election...  But how does one take up Christ, disagree wit someone and yet avoid excessive quarreling?

σάρξ ("flesh", 13:14)  It is worth reflecting.  Is Paul saying that pleasure is itself a bad thing?  Paul seems to lean heavily into a piety that is anti-flesh in 13:13.  Yet Paul calls us to love our neighbor in earthly ways, both in terms of how we relate to our fellow citizens (Romans 13) and our fellow Christians (Romans 12 and 14).  While Paul may push uncomfortably against the body for our modern ears, this does not grow out of an anti-earth or anti-human construct, but an anti-self-satisfaction mentality.

Romans 12:1-8

This passage appears as the New Testament Reading in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, Pentecost/Ordinary Season.  Most recently, August 23, 2020.

Summary:  This passage is about living.  About a living God at work in our lives...so that we may live, live for Christ and in communion with others.

Key Words:

παρακαλεω (meaning "encourage", 12:1)  This word means a range of things from exhort to encourage to comfort. The noun of it is the word for the Holy Spirit in John's Gospel, the "Paraclete."

οικτριμων (-ος, meaning "mercies", 12:1)  The word for mercies here found in the plural. As BDAG points out, is used to suggest the activities/signs/deeds of God's mercy rather than the general characteristic. I.e., we can always praise God in general for his mercy, but this day we praise God for his mercies, namely, the things God has done for us. 

ευαρεστος (meaning "pleasing", 12:1) This word can be translated acceptable, but it could also mean "pleasing."  For example, this word is used to describe the fruit in the garden of Eden.  This word can mean both flattering or truly pleasing, but in the God-direction it always has a positive connotation. Paul will also use word in Romans 14:18 to say that "the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God."  We may not be able to justify ourselves before God, but our work in Christ is pleasing to God!

ζωσαν (from ζαω, meaning "live", 12:1)  The word for "alive" here is a present participle, not an adjective; living is more appropriate.  Interestingly, this is the same word in Peter's confession:  You are the Christ, the son of the living God.  (It doesn't look exactly light because of how the participle is conjugated).  

While I realize as Christian teachers we tend to spent a great deal of time on the importance of Jesus as both Lord and Savior, the fact that God is a living God may be just as important as anything.  We live in age of moralistic-therapeutic-deism.  What is the counter to this?  A living God who transforms us!!

λογικην (-ος, meaning "rational" or "spiritual", 12:1) The word here for spiritual is "logikos" is literally logical. Enlightenment distinctions make this one difficult to translate because the Western tradition, since then, has tended to view "logical" and "reasonable" as something opposed to "spiritual."  No easy translation, but it is not fair to Paul to make this simply a cognitive activity, but it definitely is cognitive!

μη συσχηματιζεσθε (from συσχηματιζομαι, meaning "conform", 12:2).  The form of the verb:  negative, present, imperative suggests that the people actually have been conforming to the world.  It is time to no longer do the previous action!  

The verb has a cognate in English "schema"  No longer be in the mold of the world's schemes!  Don't let yourself be built according to the world's schematics!

It is also interesting that this word is in the passive, suggestion we do not actually control how we are molded to the world -- it happens to us.

μεταμορφουσθε (from μεταμορφοομαι, meaning "transform", 12:2)  This (like conform) is also in the passive, suggesting we are not the agent of change.  This is the word that Paul uses in 2 Cor 3:18 to talk about being transformed from one glory into another; it is also the word that Matthew and Mark use to talk about the transfiguration in their Gospel's.  

Most basic point:  The world is at work seeking to make us conform to its design; the living God is at work changing us, conforming us to the cross.

ανακαινωσει (-ις, meaning "renewal", 12:2).  Renewal is the literal translation, which fits; interesting note -- the word is not found outside of Christian literature!  Renewal is in the dative here, which means that the renewal is the means by which something else is accomplished, namely, the transforming.  The renewal is the means, not the end. 

In fact the εις + infinitive construction means "for the purpose of X", in this case "testing."  The renewing is for a purpose, discerning the will of God.  This is fascinating that the process of transformation is that which allows us -- pay attention here -- not to get into heaven, but to have the mind of God in us that we might live!!  Live here on earth and live as part of something bigger than ourselves -- the community of faith!

Some other notes I may flesh out someday:

  12:2 The word for "testing" is in an "eis+infinitive" clause suggesting purpose. That is, the testing is the result or purpose of the renewal. 12:2 Paul's word for "perfect" here is teleios, just like in Matthew 5:48, that we are to be perfect as our heavenly father. 12:3 The word for think highly is "hyper-phroneoo," rahter Paul encourages us to think "sus-phroneoo," which means to have a sound or sane manner. (More intense grammer note: 12:3 A bunch of the participles in the verse are adjectival or substantive, a good verse to review how these work) 12:4/5 In verse one, Paul told the people to present their bodies; now he tells them that one body has many members...which is a helpful reminder that all of the verb tenses in this passage have been you plural. This does not mean Paul did not intend these exhortations for individuals (technically: distributive plural), but this entire passage is aimed at the community. 12:6 Paul uses the same grammatical construction (adjectival participle) to talk about "the grace given..." as he did in verse 3. 12:6 The word here for different is "diaphoros," which can also mean excellent. 12:7 The word here for ministry is "diakonia" 12:8 BDAG suggests that the word here the NRSV translates as "generously" which is "aplotehs" means more "with simplicity" or "without guile." 12:8 The word here for "diligence" is "spoudaeh," which can mean haste or speed. However, BDAG points out that this means, "oft. in Gr-Rom. lit. and inscriptions of extraordinary commitment to civic and religious responsibilities, which were freq. intertwined, and also of concern for personal moral excellence or optimum devotion to the interests of others."

 

  

Genesis 1:1-2:4a

The Narrative Lectionary begins the Year 4 cycle with this lesson.  The Revised Common Lectionary includes it for Holy Trinity Sunday (Year A); it is also part of the Easter Vigil
 
Summary:  In Genesis 1 order is not a bad thing.  The enemy seems to be a lack of structure, authority and clarity.  To be brought into God's creative task, namely, to be reestablished in his image, is to be brought into the task of organizing creation.  This is likely surprising because much of the creative task of today's world seems to be the breaking free of authority.  

Fragmented or autonomous living is not the intention of God's creation.  I do not argue, nor do I think Genesis 1 justifies, huge systems that simply promote uniformity if not excessive consumption of resources.  Yet, Genesis 1 does speak against an understanding, particularly 21st century American, that autonomy is the goal of the human, if not even the spiritual human.

2020 note:  It is strange to read my previous comments about authority and order given the complex context of this summer, when we've had three months of battles over authority vs individual rights regarding COVID and race.

Key Words/Concepts:

ברה (b-r-h, "create", Genesis 1:1, 1:27, 2:3)  The Bible uses many words to describe God's creative activity in Genesis 1.  Surprisingly, many of the words are common verbs that Adam, other humans and the rest of creation do:  speak, name, divide and bring forth.  This is not the case with "barah."  Only God can create, not just in Genesis, but throughout Scripture. The use of verbs throughout chapter 1 suggests there is something co-creative about creation, but yet God's creative capacity as the creator stands beyond any other entity in creation.

As a side note, in Psalm 51, when David prays for a new heart, the verb is "barah", suggesting that a new heart is only possible from God.

רףה (r-ph-h, "bear fruit", Gen. 1:22, 28).  I like this verb because it reminds me of Jesus' injunction to "bear fruit."  But in this particular story, I find it helpful to remember that just as God tells humans to be fruitful, he also commands the birds and fish the same way.  Creation is not simply our domain!  

 

צלמ (ts-l-m, "image", Gen 1:26,27).  What does it mean, after all, that we are in the image of God?!  Tomes have been written about this.  A few comments

• There is no simply linguistic analysis that will solve this debate, as in, this is what this word originally met.  You can't undo 3,000 year of reflection on this with one look in a Hebrew dictionary!
• Genesis 1:26 isn't the only data on what it means to be in the image of God.  Even if one does not look at all of Scripture, certainly one needs to consider all of Genesis 1, seeing  who God is and then reflecting on what being in that image might mean.
  
• My suggestion is that the image of God is less about an individual capacity but rather a collective capacity -- let us make humankind in our image -- does not read like a statement about one human.
• When used elsewhere in the Old Testament, it often refers to idols of gods.  It is helpful to consider that idols were believed in themselves to have power -- to be portals to the gods and even their eyes in the world.
• What might this mean then for us to be THE God's idols, the God's portals and sentinels in the world?  The NET captures discussions about this topic very well, crouching its discussion within the confines of the book of Genesis:  The "image of God" would be the God-given mental and spiritual capacities that enable people to relate to God and to serve him by ruling over the created order as his earthly vice-regents.

משל (m-sh-l, "rule", Gen 1:18 as verb; 1:16 as noun).  There are a whole series of words relating to power and authority in these verses.  Many of these words are poured over and often critiqued in a post-colonialism world. 

First, it is helpful to consider the string of actions here -- the purpose of the power of the sun and moon:

to give light upon the earth

to rule over the day and over the night

and to separate the light from the darkness

This rule is not harsh, but is intended to provide order and life.

I appreciate how TWOT (Bible works) gives a helpful insight on this verb: "There is no specific theology to be drawn from the meaning of the word. Yet the passages cited and the seventy or so others not cited demonstrate the importance of the principle of authority, the absolute moral necessity of respect for proper authority, the value of it for orderly society and happy living and the origin of all authority in God, himself. Authority is of many degrees and kinds. It has various theoretical bases. It originates in God. Man has no authority at all as man but simply as God's vice regent."

While our society today may be very afraid of power in the hands of super governments and super corporations, there is an instinct in the OT, certainly in Genesis, that anarchy is not a good thing.  Indeed, creation is a story of God providing order over chaos.  Of course ancient humans needed to subdue creation.  "It was a jungle out there."  But of course too, the total destruction of habitat for countless animals was also not desired either.

"Us" - Let us create mankind in our image.  There are a number of ways to think about this verse.  One possibility is that the "us" reflects the Trinity; another is that the "us" is the "royal we"; another is that the "us" reflects angels, ie, the heavenly court.  I don't think we will ever solve this linguistic and theological conundrum.  However, I offer another idea and that is that God is saying to the rest of creation, let's create out of you something in my image.  Elsewhere in Genesis 1, God invites creation into participation in the act of creation.  Given that humanity comes from genetically and is dependent biologically on the rest of creation and that creation has already been involved in creation itself, I think this makes sense.

כבש (c-v-sh, "enslave", Gen 1:28)  In every other Biblical instance this word means some kind of conquering, subduing, enslaving or possibly even raping.  This is difficult for us as modern readers because we do not want to understand our relationship to the earth as one of enslaving it.  While the word rule (רדה, Gen 1:26-1:28) is slightly less problematic, we cannot escape כבש!   My thoughts are

• Farming before technology was difficult work.  Clearing and plowing fields would have felt like an act of battle in many ways against the forces - the ground, the weather, the insects, the other animals.  In this context, that kind of combat verb might have made sense.
• Second, everything that God tells the humans is governed by them being in God's image.  The kind of rule and even dominion that we are to offer is to reflect God's intended rule.
• Third, there is a parallel structure in Genesis 1, with days 1 and 4; 2 and 5 and 3 and 6 corresponding to each other.  This means that our ruling is previously modeled by the moon and sun, providing organization and order.

רדה (r-d-h, "rule", Gen 1:28)  This word means to rule.  It can refer to royal rule (Psalm 72:8, 110:2) or even oversight at a construction site (1 Kings 5:30).  It can be both helpful but also cruel (see Leviticus 25:43 or Ezekiel 34.4).  It is in itself not problematic as "c-v-sh."  Again, see comments above on image and enslave.

 

נתנ (n-t-n, "give", Gen 1:17, 1:29) The final statement of God about creation is that it is a gift!

1 Peter 2:19-25

This passage occurs in the RCL year A during the Easter season, most recently May 3.  
 
Summary: Because this is paired with the Good Shepherd and Psalm 23 passage, I cannot see many people preaching on this.  It is also problematic in that the pericope is really part of instructions for slaves to obey their masters (and citizens their king).  While this makes a fascinating side point -- Christianity has thrived in a wide variety of economic and political arrangements -- it probably gives the preacher pause before commending these words for everyone. 

All of those warnings aside, here is a draft post on this passage:

Key words
χαρις ("grace", 2:19 and 20)  This word typically means grace.  Most translators struggle with this.  The literal translation would be "This is grace, if you suffer..."  Does Peter mean grace is the suffering itself or means to endure the suffering?  It is very hard to say that grace is receiving a beating from your master (vs 20).  I understand why the translators do not want to call this grace!  The NET Bible offers the following comment:
“For this [is] favor/grace with God,” used as a metonymy as in vs. 19 of that which pleases him, which he looks on with favor (cf. BDAG 1079 s.v. χάρις 2)."  (A metonymy means a word substituting for another set of words.)

I struggle with this, not simply because of the slave-master connotation, but because of the idea that our suffering pleases God.  I call to mind Psalm 56:8
"You have kept count of my tossings;  put my tears in your bottle.  Are they not in your record?"

So I strongly disagree with the idea that God is pleased with unjust suffering, but we read on!
 
υποφερει (2:19) vs αναφερει (2:24)  We are to bear suffering (carry-down, literally); Jesus bears out sins (carry-up).  It is interesting to think about the two images here, of carrying down vs carrying up.
Note: In vs 24 this αναφερει appears in its aorist form ανηνεγκεν, which makes it difficult to see!)

πασχων (participle form of πασχω, meaning "suffer", 2:19, 20, 21 and 23)  The word here for suffer is the same that we use to describe the suffering of Christ (passion!).  Peter here links, correlates, if not equates our suffering with that of Christ.

υπογραμμον (from υπογραμμος, meaning "example", 2:21)  This word originally meant a list of all the letters in a language so you could start to learn it.  This is fascinating then, that suffering is the alphabet of Christian faith.

παραδιδου (παραδιδωμι, meaning "hand over," 2:23)  Typically we think of Jesus being handed over to the chief priests, etc.  Peter suggests that Jesus handed himself over to the true judge!


απογενομενοι (participle form of "die", 2:24) What I want to point out here is that this participle is in the nominative case, which means it refers to the subject of the sentence, which is us.  We still die.  Christ's death is for us, but it ultimately we must also die to sin. Also there is nothing subjective about this verb.  "In order that dying to sin, we began to live."  The word for live here (ζησωμεν) is in the subjunctive voice, which might leave the English reader thinking there is uncertainty.  No!  The subjunctive voice is used automatically in Greek within the ινα clause.  There is an if-then; the if is Jesus death (which happened), not our compliance!

επισκοπος ("overseers", 2:25) The word here for overseer comes into English as "Episcopal"  Can you imagine reading that in church: "Jesus is the Episcopal of your soul!"  "Epi" means over; "scope" means see.

ψυχων (from ψυχη, meaning "soul", 2:25)  Just a friendly reminder that in the Jewish mind (of which Peter or any of his students would come from), soul is not the wispy part of your body that lives on after you die.  Here are the verses that talk about a soul in 1 Peter:

• 1 Peter 1:8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
• 1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.
• 1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul.
• 1 Peter 2:25 For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
• 1 Peter 3:20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.
• 1 Peter 4:19 Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.

On the one hand, the soul can refer to the whole person (3:20); it can also refer to the 'part' of the person opposed to the sinful flesh (2:11).  Worth some more reflection!!  Overall, it refers to the moral core of a person.  This soul is not like the body in that it transcends pain and pleasure, but I would not describe it as having transcended the physical reality of the body.  More to consider...on this passage I doubt any of us will ever preach on!!

Ezekiel 37 and a Chaism

This passage occurs in the Narrative Lectionary Year 4 Advent Cycle.  It also occurs during the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, Lent, most recently March 22, 2020.

Chiastic structure of Ezekiel 37. 
This week I'd like to show how the language Ezekiel points toward a chiasm.  A chiasm is a structure, used very often in Hebrew, along the lines of this
Point A
  Point B
     MAIN Point C
  Counterpoint/echo B
Counterpoint/echo A

Repetition of words and themes points toward the middle, which reveals the author's main point.  This is a valuable tool for teaching, but I would also argue, for remembering stories as well.  It works very well in Hebrew, a language with a fairly small vocabulary.  English authors cover up these structures by translating the same word in various ways.  In Ezekiel 37, this happens most meaningfully with  (דוח) , which means Spirit, wind or breath. 

Once you start laying out the words, a strong argument for a chaism emerges, with the key verse in the middle: "You shall live and know that I am the Lord"

Point A:  The Spirit (דוח) leads Ezekiel to the valley of dry bones (עצם)
   Point B:  Even prophet (literally, son of Adam) is uncertain about fate of bones (עצם); only God knows (ידע)
     Point C:   Command to prophesy (נבא), to speak the Word of the LORD (דבד) with the promise of the Spirit  (דוח)
                       1)  Bones (עצם) will take on flesh
                       2)  Flesh will come alive (חיה) through Spirit (דוח)
        Point D:  MAIN POINT:  People will be alive (חיה) and know (ידע) that the LORD is God!
     Point C':  Ezekiel Prophesies (נבא)
                        1)  Bones (עצם) take on flesh
                        2)  Flesh comes alive  (חיה) as Spirit  (דוח) comes at Word of God. 
In fact, a whole multitude has been resurrected
   Point B':  People said they did not know their fate, their bones (עצם) had dried up; command to prophesy (נבא) the promise of God's Spirit to the people
Point A:  Spirit (דוח) will be with everyone (not just Ezekiel); they will be in Israel, not in valley; people will be alive (חיה) and know (ידע) that the LORD is God!