Reading for December 21st

 Read Ecclesiastes 2.18- 26. In 2.18-26: Experiment 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 attributed a common fate to all humans, here he distinguishes the work of the sinner as futile. Sinner is synonymous with fool; it does not refer to the person's moral standards. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 20th

 Read Ecclesiastes 2.12- 17. In 2.12-17: 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 experiment 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 doesn't keep you from dying. As throughout the book, the inevitability of death and its power to erase the memory of the person precipitate the Teacher's despair: How can the wise die just like the fools? In verse 17: He repeats his three-fold verdict (2.11). Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 19th

 Read Ecclesiastes 2.1-11. In 2.1-11: Experiment one: pleasure. The preliminary verdict in vv. 1-2 is followed by the empirical data. In verses 4-10: The literary fiction of Solomonic 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 experiment, not sheer indulgence. In verse 11: Despite the initial pleasure, all the work involved is seeking pleasure was unsatisfying. The three-fold verdict on the experiment is devastating: It is vanity, chasing after the wind, and yet another wearisome matter under the sun. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 18th

Read Ecclesiastes 1.12-18. In 1.12-18: The Teachers' experiment. Though any king of the southern kingdom would fit this description, 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 with 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 8 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 original to the Teacher. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 17th

 Read Ecclesiastes 1.1-11. In verse 1: Superscription. Like many Psalms, the book begins with an editorial 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 in 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 repeat throughout 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 existence. The sun, wind, and streams repeat their predictable, " no sum" circuits, just as human are never satisfied with what they see or hear. In verses 10-11: Throughout the book, the Teacher grieves that even the righteous ones are not remembered after death. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 16th

 Read 2 Corinthians 13.1-13. In verses 1-4: Final warnings. In verse 1: Third time: 12.14; the quotation is from Deut 19.15. In verse 2: Paul resumes the tone of a stern father (1 Cor 4.18-21). In verse 3: Again, the tone is sarcastic. They could have asked: How do we know your apostolic call is legitimate? In verse 4: Like 4.7-12, Paul's lifestyle bears the stamp of Christ's death and resurrection. Defining the resurrection power as the power to discipline is a new wrinkle.  In verses 5-10: Parting advice. In verse 5: Such advice, taken seriously, makes them less vulnerable to the pressures of outside teachers. The presence of Christ within them should give them confidence to chart their own course (Rom 8.10). In verses 6-10: These are the words of an anxious father-self-doubts, fear that his children will never grow up, willingness to be weak as long as the children are strong. In verse 10: He closes with a father's threat (10.8; 12.19. In verses 11-13: Farewell and benediction. In verse11: Such advice brings harmony. In verse 12: The holy kiss was a form of liturgical greeting that may have originated in early Christian circles (Rom 16.16; 1 Cor 16.20). In verse 13: The trinitarian form of the benediction is distinctive. Comments or Questions..

Reading for December 15th

Read 2 Corinthians 12.14-21. In 12.14-21: Fatherly love and anxiety. In verse 14: Third time: The founding visit (Acts 18) was followed by the painful visit (12.1), which prompted this severe letter. Writing from Macedonia, he now ready to come a third time (13.1). What is yours; He did not wait for their money. The parent-child image extends through both letters (11.2; 1 Cor 4.14-15). In verse 16: Crafty explains his denials in 2.17 and 4.2. In verses 17-18: The sending of Titus and the brother described in 8.16-24 appears to be in view. Taking advantage could be applying pressure to participate in the collection. In verse 19: His self-defense has occurred under oath. Building up defines the purpose and limits of Paul's use of authority ( 10.8). In verse 20: Some of these vices of social disorder have been present for a long time (1 Cor 1-4). In verse 21: Sexual sins have not figured prominently in 2 Corinthians, although they are included in the warnings of 6.14-7.1. These fears may go back to the first letter (1 Cor 5.7). Comments or Questions..