1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, most recently November 15, 2020.

Summary:  Hard words about the end times. Some nuggets below, although I doubt most of you will preach on this, although there is some really good material, especially about building up the Kingdom one person at a time.

Key Words/Constructions

ειρηνη και ασφαλεια (meaning 'peace and safety', 5:3)  These words are heard in every political cycle -- it is the basic promise of government, to provide us peace and safety.  Can it ever be delivered?  I wonder also, at whose cost do we accept peace and safety?  

ολεθρος (meaning "destruction", 5.3)  It is fairly rare in the NT (4x; only in Paul). This word only occurs, it seems, in connection with the destruction that God brings in judgment.

ενδυσαμενοι (aorist participle meaning "put on", 5:3).  This verb is not in the imperative.  It should be translated "let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love."  (θωρακα πιστεως και αγαπης)  Calm and collect thinking grows out of faith and love!   More technical grammar note:  The verb is in the aorist tense.  the actions of aorist participles precede the other verbs in the sentence). 

περιποιησις (meaning "preserve", 5:9).  This is really interesting.  This word can mean "obtain" but also "preserve."  In this case, the idea is that God's wrath will come upon all, but we will be protected -- our souls will be preserved.  The image almost seems to me akin to the angel of death in Revelation.

εις τον ενα (meaning one on one, 5:11).  Paul commends people to comfort one another (παρακαλεω) and then build each other up (οικοδομεω) one on one.  This is a week in which I feel a call to change the world.  Paul reminds us that this happens as the community builds each other up, one by one. 

Grammar review

5.3-5.6 have four different types of subjunctive clauses.  In Greek, you cannot simply say, oh, subjunctive means probable.  Each type of subjunctive clause and construction must be mapped into its English tranlation.

a) οταν:  An "hotan" clause = whenever 

b) ου μη:  A "ou mh" clause with the verb εκφευγω (flee), which suggests that they will NEVER flee. 

c) ινα:  A "hena" clause which suggests result or purpose (in order that the day might be a surprise). 

d) -ω-: An "horatory subjunctive" in 5.6 "Let us not sleep." 

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

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

Summary:  I have never preached on this passage before, but I wonder if it should be read at every ordination, for it lays out two fundamental challenges of ministry

First, to minister only for God's approval:  "But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts."  (1 Thessalonians 2:4)

Second, to minister by giving not only our words, but ourselves.  "So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us."  (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

This is such a challenge -- to give our hearts, but not let those to whom we give our hearts be judge of us!

Some Greek that is interesting in both verses:

δεδοκιμασμεθα (passive perfect form of δομιμαζω, here translated as both "approved" but also "tested")  This verb appears twice in verse 4 -- We have been tested (passive) and later God tests (active) us.  The testing it seems, is for a purpose -- God wants to entrust us with the Gospel. It is also interesting that the word test is in the perfect tense, which is Greek means that a new state has arisen as a result of the verb.  The clothes have been put on, the stone has been rolled away, etc.  We have been transformed and changed by the act of God testing and approving us.  But God's approval is not done in an "alien" or "distant" way, but is involved in a process of testing us.

πιστευθηναι (passive from πιστευω, here translated as "entrusted).  First, it is interesting that the word in the active means trust, but is also translated as believe.  It is a reminder that this verb is not about intellectual cognition but trust!  They have been entrusted to pass on the Good News)

αρεσκοντες (form of αρεσκω, here translated as "please")  Liddell Scott offers this definition: " to strive to please; to accommodate oneself to the opinions, desires, interests of others."  This is a great reminder for us during COVID that we cannot minister seeking to please everyone!  We seek to please the Lord.

ονειρομενοι  (form of ονειρομαι, translated here as "long for")  This word is a super rare word, likely a form of another word slightly more common.  Regardless -- it means long for.  Couldn't find sexual connotations, but it is about desire.  This is true in ministry as well -- a deep desire for the community (and their approval)!

ευδοκουμεν (form of ευδοκεω, translated here as "please") and αγαπητοι (beloved).  You may have seen these words together, for God declares of Jesus:  This is my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.  Paul uses this language to talk about his care for the people!

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

 This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, most recently Oct 18, 2020.

Summary:  Paul begins his letter to the Thessalonians with a strong note of Thanksgiving.  It is interesting to note that Paul gives thanks for the people in Thessaloniki and how God is at work among them.  We are used to giving God thanks for nature or perhaps things, but here Paul practices gratitude for other humans!  God is alive, Paul radically claims, and lives through, in, with and under the people.

Key Word

ευχαριστουμεν ("give thanks", 1.2)  Paul begins his letter as he begins and ends so many letters -- in thanksgiving to God!  It is a helpful and humbling reminder that even in times of trial, we are called and inspired to give thanks!

εργο(ν) της πιστεως (work of faith, 1.3)
κοπο(ς) της αγαπης (labor of love, 1.3)
υπομονη της ελπιδος (endurance of hope, 1.3)

A couple of notes.  First, the trifecta of faith, hope and love is also famously part of 1 Corinthians 13.  Second, all of these examples are in the genitive, meaning that the relationship between the two words must be interpreted by the reader.  I would argue for a subjective genitive, where the thing in the genitive is the subject:  faith's work, love's labor, hope's endurance.  Or perhaps more of a source genitive -- work from faith, labor from love, endurance from hope.

εκλογνη ("elect", 1.4)  What is translated as a verb "elect"  is actually a noun. It simply reads, "knowing, under the circumstance that you are loved by God, your election." The election here is not about politics, but about God's choice to love us and work through us.

δυναμει ("power", 1.5)  The word "power" here is "dynamis." This word comes into English as dynamite!  It can mean miracles when used in the plural, but in the singular it means power.  Power for Paul, especially in Corinthians and Philippians relates to the power of the resurrection and faith working in us to endure difficult times. The power is displayed in the basic miracle that we believe! (1 Cor 2:5) 

εξηχηται ("go forth", 1.8)  The word for sound forth is "ex-echeo-mai"  Notice the word echo in the middle! Their faith is echoing all over Europe, both the Northern part (Macedonia) and the Southern part (Achaia)

θε(ος) ζωντι (living God, 1.9)  This is a nice participle in Greek -- living! It is in the dative because it describes the word "God" which in this case is also in the dative.  

But the significant thing is that God is alive.  We do not worship a historical fact, we worship and serve the living Lord!

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."