Reading for April 8th

Read 2 Peter 3.14-18. In 3.14-18: Letter closing. Once more, the true tradition about the coming judgments yeilds pastoral results in the reform of human lives. In verse 14: We are to be without spot or blemish, just as Paul regularly announced to his churches (1 Thess 3.13; Phil 2.15). In verses 15-16: The reference to Paul indicates that some of his letters are known, possibly even collected by this time. Our author admits that Paul's letter are hard to understand; yet he cites them as support for God's patience or delay of judgment (Rom 2.4-5), Christian belief in the final judgment (Rom 14.10), the consequent need for spotlessness (1 Thess 3.11-13), and the coming of Christ like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5.2). In verses 17-18: The letter end with a final exhortation to shun the erroneous doctrine, which leads to lawlessness. The final doxology is addressed to Jesus, not God, which is very unusual. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 7th

Read 2 Peter 3.1-13. In verses 1-7: Another refutation. In verses 1-2: Peter claims that this is his second letter, but 1 Peter can hardly be the earlier one because it shares so little of ths author's vocabulary or themes. Moreover, by referring to what was said by your apostles, the author positions himself as a much later authority. This letter aims to remind the recipients of what their holy prophets and Lord and Savior said about the Day of the Lord which is the crux of the conflict. In verses 3-4: farewell addresses generally predict the future crisis; here scoffers redicule the prophecy of Jesus' return. "Where is the promise of his coming?" Delay serves as their chief argument against Jesus' coming andand God's judgment. In verses 5-7: The author refutes their scoffing by emphasizing the reliability of God's word. God's word created the world out of water and judged it (recall Noah, 2.5), that same word declares that God will judge by fire what is created. it was common to describe God's twobasic powers as creative power atthe world's beginning and executive power at its end. The Christian God is also confessed as having both powers, which the opponents here deny. In verses 8-13: Challenge and riposte. Peter challenges more scoffing statments from his opponents. In verses 8-9: The standard argument against divine judgment is its delay; sinners seem to escape, and faithful people seem not to get rewarded. Peter refutes this in two ways. First, God's time is not our time, as Ps 90.4 indictaes (one day is like a thousand years); morever, God's delay is a gift of time for repentance (Rom 2.4-5) because God doesnot want any to perish. In verse 10:yetthe traditional prophecy of the Lord coming like a their (1 thess 5.2;Rev 3.3) reminds us that the exact time cannot be known. In verses 11-13: Correct theology lead to correct behavior; hence, all who await the world's dissolution and recreation willlive upright lives guided by this truth. The idea of new heavens and a new earth reflects a technical idea in Greek philosophy called "regeneration" (see Mt 19.28). The Stoics, for example, claimed that the world would dissolve in fire but then be recreated. A claim, then, is made that all right-thinking people accept the idea of the world's end. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 6th

Read 2 Peter 2.10b-22. in 2.10b-22: Assorted attacks. In verses 11-14: Peter resorts to name-calling (bold, willful), accusing his opponents of insulting the angels who are predicted to accompany the divine judgment (Mt 24.30-31). More name-calling follows: irrational animals, blots and blemishes, adulterous and greedy. He continually pronounces judgment on them (caught and killed, will be destroyed, suffering the penalty for doing wrong)- a judgment they deny. In verses 15-16: Baalam (Num 22) provides another biblical example of a "false pophet" who was rebuked by his dumb donkey. In verses 17-18: More name-calling, but in terms of things that fail: waterless springs are all promise and no payoff. He accuses his opponents off base motives (first greed and now license) and argues that their doctrine cannot lead to moral integrity. In verses 19-20: In promising freedom, they proclaim freedom from fear of God's judgment and presumably God's law, but this preverse idea only leads to slavery, not freedom, and to corruption, not holiness. In verses 21-22: The opponents are likened to the most unclean animals in that culture, dogs and sows; after baptism and purification, they return to their privious vomit and mud. The opponents' doctrine, then, only leads to a bad end-roof that it is wrong. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 5th

Read 2 Peter 2.1-10a. In verses 1-3: First look at the opponents. Farwell addresses typically predicts the future crises ((Acts 20.29-30), here, the advent of false teachers. In verses 1-3: When they deny the Master, they declare that God does not judge, a common deviant doctrine among the Greek and Judeans. One reason for thinking this is the observation of the slowness of judgment: it is idle or God sleeps (3.8-9). In verses 4-10a: First response. Responding to a denial of divine judgment, peter cites proof from the Bible. Inverses 4-8: God did not spare evil angels; God saved Noah but brought a flood on the ungodly; God recused Lot but turned Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes. In verses 9-10: These examples prove that the Lord knows how to rescue the goodly and to keep the unrighteous until the day say of judgment, the author also defends the belief in survial after death, when God's judgment will reward the good and requite the wicked. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 4th

Read 2 Peter 1.12-21. In verses 12-15: Farewell address. Typical of farewell addresses, Peter announces his death. Such biblical forms generally have (1) announcement of death (1.14); (2) predictions of future crises (2.1-3; 3.1-7); (3) exhoratation to a specific virture (1.4-11; 3.1-2); and (4) legact (2.4-10; 3.8-10). This prediction echoes Jn 21.18-19; even as it confirms the tradition that Peter regularly received special revelations (Mat 16.16-17; 17.25-27). In verses 16-21: Transfiguration. Claiming to have been present at Jesus' transfiguration (Mt 17.1-8), Peter interprets thate vent as a prophecy of Jesus' return in glory. In verses 16-18: As an eywitness, he claims a role that confirms his authority to explain and defend other prophecies about Jesus, such as his return to judge the world. In verses 19-21: He defends the inspiration of both the prophet who receives prophecy and its interpreter. Prophecy is fully confirmed, or established because God is its author (This is my beloved Son) and God's Spirit inspires both prophet and interpreter. The prophecy confirmed is about the final judgment of the world. Christ, the morning star (Rev 22.16) brings light and hope, not fear. Comments and Questions..

Reading for April 3rd

Read 2 Peter 1.1-11. In verses 1-2: Sender and addressees. The sender's name, Simon Peter is a rare semitic variation of "Simon Peter" or simply "Peter." As servant and apostle he claims high status, for great Israelite figures were often called "servants of the Lord" (Moses: Ex 32.13; David: 2 Sam 7.5). No specific place is addressed; instead the recipients are indentified as all those who share a most valuable thing, such as faith in God and Jesus that is, correct faith. In verses 3-10: Thanksgiving. Letters often include "thanksgivings," which introduce themes to be developed. In verses 3-4: Peter singles out two blessings for praise: everything needed for life and goodness and precious and very great promises. In verses 5-8: Correct faith leads to purity, not corruption, and predicts a sharing in the divine nature in the afterlife. In support, Peter cites a chain of virtues that follow from correct faith (see Rom 5.1-5), thus illustrating the principle that "good doctrine leads to good behavior" and vice versa. Besides faith, endurance (hope) and mutual affection,virtues such as knowldege, self-control, and godliness point to topics developed later: correct doctrine, moral retitude, and justice toward God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 2nd

Read Ecclesiastes 12.9-14 In 12.9-14: Epilogue Likely added by an editor, these verses speak in third person and make the book more pious. In verse 13: Fear God, keep commandments: While not the opposite of previous ideas (5.6) this advice ends the book on at raditional note. In verse 14: The body of the book has been less clear about the distinct rewards of good and evil (8.13-14). Comments and Questions.

Reading for April 1st

Read Ecclesiastes 12.1-8. In 12.1-8: A vision of aging and death. God as creator: Job 38, Prov 20. In verses 2-5: A description of aging and the approach of death. One option is to read the images allegorically. Guards of the house are arms; strong men are legs; women who grind are teeth; daughters of song are birds; grasshopper is the image of one walking on crutches. In verses 6-7: Human death compared to items at the end of their usefulness; perhaps images of a well (cord, bowl, cistern). In verse 7: Breath returns: A contridiction or development beyond 3.21. In verse 8: The body of the book ends with the same phrase with which it began (1.2). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 31st

Read Ecclesiastes 11.1-10. In verses 1-2: Likely refers to a trade venture. See Isa 18.2 In verses 3-6: Adapt to events that are beyond your control (v. 3) and work while you can (v. 6). In verses 8-10: Enjoy life when possible, always remaining aware that death awaits. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 30th

Read Ecclesiastes 10.12-20. In verses 12-15: The Teacher's own observation (v. 14) incorporated with traitional views on the fool. In verses 16-18: A country suffers if leaders are foolish and do not know the proper times for feasting. In verse 20: Practical advice about not speaking ill of powerful people. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 29th

Read Ecclesiastes 10.1-11. In 10.1-11: Traditional sayings, with the Teacher's own observations. In verse 2: Ancient Israel considered the right the "proper"side (Ex 15.6) and the left inferior. In verse 4: Advice for dealing with a king (Prov 19.12). In verses 5-7: The unexpected fates of the foolish and the rich, the latter equated with the wise. In verses 8-11: Inherent risks. Digs a pit: See Prov 26.27; 28.10. Snake: See Am 5.19. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 28th

Read Eccesiastes 9.13-18. In 9.13-18: The goodness and limits of wisdom. The parable-like story, followed by traditional sayings, makes the Teachers point: While wisdom is better than folly, it does not guarantee fame or respect. In verse 16: While the poor man apparently saved the city, people did not listen to his advice. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 27th

Read Ecclesiates 9.1-12. In 9.1-12: In God's hands. In verse 2; Clean and unclean, sacrifice and not sacrifice: References to ritual practices, verifying that the Teacher is not opposed to traditional religion. Those who who swear are evil. Those who shun the oath are good, avoiding unnecessary words (5.2). In verse 3: Less a concept of complete sinfulness that a cry of despair in face of human fraility and mortality. In verse 4: Dog: a despised animal in ancient Israel (Prov 26.11). The valuing of life over death is either a contridiction or a development beyond the contrary statements in 6. 3-6. In verse 8: White: a color for festivals, contrast 7.3-4. In verse 9: Wife: Literally, "woman." In verse 10: Sheol: See comment on 3.20. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 26th

Read Ecclesiastes 8.10-17. In 8.10-17: No justice. The public praise given the wicked at there death and the lack of swift, clear punishment encourages people in their evil. In verse 12: In light of earlier comments this confidence in God's justice is surprising. In verses 13-14: One cannot distinguish between the righteous and the wicked by their rewards. In verses 15-17: A summary of the book's theme: No one, not even the wise, can understand what happens in life. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 25th

Read Ecclesiates 8.1-9. In 8.1-9: Wisdom's value and limits. In verses 2-5: Practical advice on dealing with a king: recognize his power and do not challenge him openly. Sacred oath: a pledge of loyalty to the king, made in God's name. In verses 6-8: The repetition of time and way from v. 5 allows the Teacher to reiterate the inability of humans to understand the furure or to control their fates any more than they can control the wind. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 24th

Read Ecclesiastes 7,15-29. In 7.15-29: Practical advice. In verse 18: One ... other: Not being too wise and not being too foolish (compare vv. 16-17). In verse 20: No one ... sinning: See 1 Kings 8.46. In verse 26: The woman: Decries the gossipy, frivous woman (Prov 7). Few men, but even fewer women, are righteous. Does the book reflect an aniti-female bias? In verse 29: Human beings: In Hebrew the word is singular ("adham"); the same word is translated man in v. 28. Humans; (or just males?) were created good (Gen 1) but nonetheless sin. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 23rd

Read Ecclesiastes 7.1-14. In 7.1-14: Mixture of the Teacher's ideas and traditional wisdom. Forms of Hebrew "tob" (good, and in comparative mode, better) occur ten times in this section. In verses 1-4: Death is instructive for the living, revealing the true end of all things and hence life's proper priorities. In verse 3: Made glad: Literally "made good", "improved." In verse 6: Crackling ... vanity: The words of a fool are loud but bring no long-term benefit. In verse 7: While the Teacher contrasts widom with folly, he also recognizes that they are not permanent conditions; in adversity, wisdomamy fail. Inverses 11-12: Wisdom, while not stable, is good. In verse 13: Crooked: See 1.15. Since people do not receive their just rewards, one should avoid being overly pious or overly wicked. Comments or Questions...

Reading for March 22nd

Read Ecclesiastes 6.1-12. In 6.1-12: Frustration. In light of his previous advice, the Teacher considers the greatest evil the inability to enjoy what one has. In verse 3: In the ancient world, many children (Deut 11.21) and long life (Ps 91.16) were greatly valued. No burial: while the importance of proper burialis clear inthe Old Testament (2 Kings 9.30-37), its inclusion is a bit surprising. Stillborn child: The one who has never expereinced life's pain (seen the sun) is the most fortunate (4.1-3; Job 3.16). In verse 6: If one does not enjoy life, it is futile. In verse 9: Better is sight ... than the wandering of desire: It is better to be content with what one has than constantly to desire more. In verse 10: See ch. 1. In verse 12: A summary, Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 21st

Read Ecclesiastes 5.10-20. In 5.10-20: Insatibability of greed. One who seeks wealth for it own sake, rather than for what it can provide, cannot be satisfied. In verse 11: What can one do with possessions other than admire them? In verse 12: A romantic view of the honest laborer who sleeps after great exertion compared to the rich person who lies awake worried about acquisitions. In verse 14: While the Teacher has decried riches, he now considers the unfairness of losing wealth, especially as a parent. In verse 15; Humans are born naked and take nothing withthem when they die (Job 1.12). In verse 17: Eat in darkness: Either one is too miserly to use oil, or (metaphorically) one eats without enjoyment. In verse 18-20: In light of the forgoing investigation the teacher advises: Accept the realities of life and find joy whenever possible. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 20th

Raed Ecclesiastes 5.1-9. In 5.1-9: Guard yourself. These sayings parallel traditional biblical wisodom: Attendtiveness is better than sacrific (1 Sam 15.22); speech is dangerous and should be minimal (Prov 13.3); and vows require fulfillment (Deut 23.21). While the Teacher advises caution in all things, he does not reject the Temple (house of God). In verse 6; Messenger: Likely a servant of the Temple, collecting the payment of a vow. In verse 7: Fear of God: a common motif in wisdom literature, affirming God's control over all matters. In verses 8-9: Injustice should surprise no one, since it is part ofthe structure of society. King for a plowed field: meaning unclear, perhaps "a king is worth his upkeep" or "the benefits of an ordered society are worth the cost of social oppression," a point of view likely at the upper end of the social hierarchy. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 19th

Read Ecclesiastes 4.1-16. In verses 1-12: Observationon oppression, work and riches. These obeservations and three conclusions. In verses 1-3: Based onhis observation of oppression, the Teacher concludes that those who have never experienced the tragedy of life are best. Better than: A common phrase in the book (4.6;4.9; 4.13; 5.1; 5.5) and in traditional wisdom (Prov 15.16-17). In verses 4-6: Based on his observation of competitive envy and the fate of the lazy, he concludes that more possessions are not worth more strife. In verses 7-9: Based on his observation of a single person working hard for riches and no one with whom to share, he concludes that companionship is preferable to wealth. In verse 12: Threefold cord: Since the topic has been two, the mention of three is curious; it perhaps refers generically to "streght in numbers." In verses 13-16: Reversals. Better than: See comment on 4.3. The king and youth may allude to specific people (Saul and David); Pharoah and Joseph), or the Teacher may be telling a story to make a point (see 8.10-11; 9.14-15). The tale demonstrates the power of wisdom, even to overcome social expectations, yet the hero of one age is not remembered in the next. Comment or Questions..

Reading for March 18th

Read Ecclesiastes 3.9-22. In verses 9-15: And yet. The punch line robs the reader of whatever comfort the poem has offered: While indeed all things may have their appointed times, human beings are unable to discern those times, much less use the information to their advantage. In verse 11: Sense of the past and future: Other possible translations are "sense of eternity, " "sense of the world." While humans have intimations of the cosmic dimensions of existence, their knowledge is limited. In verses 12-15: While this list of what the Teacher knows does not answer his problem, it counterbalnaces his sense of life's injustice. In verses 16-22: Injustice. If God determines the times for allthings, then God must set a time for judgment. Clearly, however, the righteous and the wicked have not yet received what they deserve (v. 17). In verse 19: Animals and humans are equal in that they die, they share the breath breathed into the human at creation (Gen 2). In verse 20 One place: Sheol, the realm of the dead (1 sam 2.6;Jon 2.2)). Early Israel had no concpt of the afterlife (either immortality or resurection), though these such ideas grew in popularity during the persian and Hellenistic periods, so that by the turn of the era the resurrection of the body was an article of belief for the Pharisees. In verse 21: Who knows? The question implies a negative answer: "No one knows." The possibility the the human spirit might survive cannot be verified empiricaly, so the Teacher returns to his conclusion: enjoy your work while you are alive (v. 22). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 17th

Read Ecclesiastes 3.1-8. In 3.1-8: Poem on times. Contrasting extremes demonstrate that there is proper time for all dimensions of human endeavor. In verse 5: Throw away stones ... gather stones. Interpreted by some early Jewish commentators as a time for sexual relations and a time for abstinence. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 16th

Read Ecclesiastes 2.18-26. In 2.18-26: Experiement three: work. If humans are destined to die and have no control over who will enjoy the fruits of their labor, why work? The prospect is not only vanity, but indeed a great evil (v. 21). In verse 23: A grim account of the exhaustion of daily work. In verse 24: The Teacher's resulting advice: Enjoy the work itself, and don't make contentment dependent on the outcome of your labor. This ability to enjoy the task itself is seen by the Teacher as a gift from the hand of God. In verses 25-26: Though in previous verses the Teacher has attributted a common fate to all humans, here he distingusihes to work of the sinner is futile. Sinner is synonymous with fool; it does not refer to the person's moral standards. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 15th

Read Ecclesiastes 2.12-17. In 2.12-1: Experiment two: being wise. In verse 12: After the king. How could the successor of the great King Solomon match his wisdom and wealth? The verse may suggest that others need not repeat the experiement since Solomon has done it all. In verses 13-14: The Teacher sincerely recognizes the superiority of wisdom over folly, repeating a traditional saying. In verses 15-16: And yet, being wise doesnt keep you from dying. As throughout the book, the inevitablity of death and its power to erase the memory of a person precipitate the Teacher's despair: How can the wise die just like fools? In verse 17: He repeasts his three-fold verdict (2.11). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 14th

Read Ecclesiastes 2.1-11. In 2.1-11: Experiement one: pleasure. The preliminary verdict in vv. 1-2 is followed by the empirical data. In verses 4-10: The literary fiction of Solomon's authorship would lend credibility to these extravagances. Solomon's building projects (1 Kings 7-10), large number of women (1 Kings 7), and wealth were legendary. In verse 9: My wisdom remained: An experiement, not sheer indulgence. In verse 11: despite the initial pleasure, all the work involved in seeking pleasure was unsatisfying. The three-fold verdict on the experiment is devastating: it is vanity, chasinga after wind, and yet another wearisome matter under the sun. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 13th

Read Ecclesiastes 1.12-18. In verses 12-18:. The Teacher's experiment. Though any king of the southern kingdom would fit this descritption, Solomon is likely implied. In verse 13: Mind: In Hebrew, "heart," the seat of thinking. Wisdom refers to practical as well as speculative, knowledge. The Teacher begins an empirical investigation into what is useful in life. In verse 14: Chasing after wind: Literally, "shepherding the wind," a futile exertion of energy. This phrase will be repeated eight more times in Ecclesiastes. In verse 15: Given the proverbial ring of the statement, some suggest that the Teacher is quoting a well-known saying. In verse 17: Wisdom, madness, folly: the list of items from one extreme to the other suggests the complete range of experience. In verse 18: A second proverbial statement, likely orginal to the Teacher. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 12th

Read Ecclesiastes 1.1-11. In verse 1: Superscription. Like many Psalms, the book begins with an editiorial comment; it alludes to Solomon. Teacher: Hebrew Qoheleth; a form of "qhl" ("assembly"), its meaning is not clear. In verse 2: The book's theme. Vanity: In Hebrew "hevel," meaning "vapor, wind," things transient and impermanent. vanity of vanities is Hebrew superlative: "the most insubstantial thing." In verse 3: The dominant question. Is there any benefit from life? The reader is introduced to vocabulary that will be repeated throughtout the book: Under the sun refers to wearisome earthly existence, and toil bears a negative connotation. In verses 4-11: Nothing ever changes. The Teacher laments the inability of human activity to alter the flow of the existence. The sun, wind, and streams repeat their predicatable, "no sum" circuts, just as humans are never satisfied with what they see or hear. In verses 10-11 Throughout the book, the Teacher grieves that even righteous ones are not remembered after death. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 11th

Read 1 Peter 5.1-14. In verses 1-5:: Household duties: elder. The last set of household duties addresses local leaders. In verses 1-3: Peter's authority to speak as elder rests on his witness of Christ's sufferings (Mt 26.40, 69-75) and vindication (1.1). Courageous, voluntary leadership which is not self-serving is needed (Mt 20.25-28). In verse 4: Elders, who are local shepherds, will be honored when the chief shepherd comes. In verse 5: Codes and duties, which address reciprocal pairs(wives and husbands, 3.1-7) link elders (5.1-4) with younger men. Charateristic of the subordinate member of the pairs, young men must have respect for the authority of the elders. In verses 6-11: Final exhortations. In verses 6-7: Peter applies Ps 55.22 to the church, echoing Jesus' words (Mt 23.12;Lk 14.11). In verses 8-9: The flock of the chief shepherd is attacked by roaring lion, the devil (Ps 22.13; Lk 22.31). Fidelity comes from solidarity with comparable suffering of brothers and sisters elswhere. In verses 10-11: As God vindictaed Christ (1.11), so God of all grace will surely retore or glorify those whom he has called. A doxology follows 94.111). In verses 12-14: Letter closing. In verse 12: Silvanus writes as Peter's secretary (see 1 Cor 16.20). In verse 13: Greetings typically end letters. Greetings are sent from Babyion, a symbolic name that refers to the city-state Babylon which destroyed Jerualem and carried its population into exile 9Mt 1.11); Chrisrians also used it to hide the name of their oppressor, the city-state of Rome (rev 16.19; 17.5; 18.2, 10). It is, then, a symbolic place name. Still, it echoes the earlier mention of "exile in the Dispersion" (1.1) and "aliens and exiles" (2.11). Eusebius records that Mark was Peter's associate in Rome and the author of the second gospel (E.H. 2.15.1-2; 3.39.15). In verse 14: The kiss of love remiinds the church of its identity as a family or household (see exhortations to love in 1.22; 2.17; 4.8). Comments or Questions.

Reading for March 10th

Read 1 Peter 4.12-19. In 4.12-19: Suffering and the coming judgment. In verses 12-14: Christians' suffering nears sharing Christ's sufferings; as Jesus was vindicated, they will be blessed, honored, and glorified (Mt 5.11-12). In verses 15-16: Suffering should never be punishment for immorality (2.19-20). But dishonor for the name of Christian (Acts 11.26) means glory to God. In verses 17-19: God's household is held to a higher standard than unbelievers, as shown by Prov 11.31. The proper duty of clients who suffer is to honor their faithful patron with loyal trust (1 Cor1.9; 1 Thess 5.24). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 9th

Read 1 Peter 4.1-11. In verses 1-6: The final judgment. The hymn about Jesus leads naturally to the Day of Judgment. In verses 1-4: Baptismal transformation means the end of life in the flesh but the beginning of life according to the will of God. Conversion means a clear break with the ways of one's nieghbors, who ridicule converts for their distinctive behavior (2.18-3.17). In verses 5-6: Judgment confront all, good and bad, living and dead, so that all may be sved. In verses 7-11: Final judgment: Ideal response. The judgment mentioned above controls how we read vv.7-11. In verses 7-9: Unlike their indulgent neigbors, Christians demonstrate disciplined lives whose purity validates their prayers. Avoiding indulgence, they maintain constant love and practice hospitality, thus putting other before themselves. In verses 10-11: God's gifts are a patron's benefaction to his clients. Conversely, clients offer glory or honor to their patron in the doxolgy. Comments or Questions..