Zephaniah 3:14-20

A Song of Joy

¹⁴ Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;

shout, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart,

O daughter Jerusalem!

¹⁵ The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,

he has turned away your enemies.

The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;

you shall fear disaster no more.

¹⁶ On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Do not fear, O Zion;

do not let your hands grow weak.

¹⁷ The LORD, your God, is in your midst,

a warrior who gives victory;

he will rejoice over you with gladness,

he will renew you in his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing

¹⁸ as on a day of festival.

I will remove disaster from you,

so that you will not bear reproach for it.

¹⁹ I will deal with all your oppressors

at that time.

And I will save the lame

and gather the outcast,

and I will change their shame into praise

and renown in all the earth.

²⁰ At that time I will bring you home,

at the time when I gather you;

for I will make you renowned and praised

among all the peoples of the earth,

when I restore your fortunes

before your eyes, says the LORD. (Zephaniah 3:;14-20, NRSV)

Zephaniah, whose oracles are placed “in the days of King Josiah” (Zeph. 1:1), begins with judgment on Judah (1:4). Gregory Mobley suggests that he condemns “practices prohibited by Deuteronomy . . . [which] suggests that he prophesied before Josiah’s reforms of 621 BCE (2 Kings 2:3)” (Gregory Mobley, NOAB, 3^rd ed., Introduction to Zephaniah). He turns to oracles against the nations (2:4-15), but returns to judgment on Judah (3:1-8) before balancing all of this judgment with the oracles of joy and salvation (3:9-20) which conclude the book

The joy of song rings out in today’s reading. “Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;/shout, O Israel!/Rejoice and exult with all your heart,/O daughter Jerusalem!” (Zeph. 3:14). Why? “The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,/he has turned away your enemies” (v. 15a). “The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,/you shall fear disaster no more” (v. 15b, cf. Isa. 12:6). If this rejoicing can be linked to Josiah’s reforms–I’m speculating now–there is no tension between theocracy (God is king) and monarchy (Josiah is king), such as is evident in 1 Samuel 8. But it But the last two verses, at least (Zeph. 3:19-20), seem to anticipate the Babylonian captivity. “At that time I will bring you home,/at the time when I gather you;/for I will make you renowned and praised/among all the peoples of the earth,/when I restore your fortunes/before your eyes, says the LORD” (v. 20). (Mobley suggests that vv. 19-20 are “perhaps a late addition to the words of Zechariah,” Mobley, on vv. 19-20.)

Titus 1:1-16

Salutation

1:1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that is in accordance with godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages began-- 3 in due time he revealed his word through the proclamation with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior,

4 To Titus, my loyal child in the faith we share:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. (Titus 1:1-4, NRSV)

The standard elements of the salutation are expanded and adapted to express Christian themes and theology, in a manner similar to that of Romans 1:1-7. The emphasis falls on Paul’s status as “a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that is in accordance with godliness” (Tit. 1:1) and “the hope of eternal life” promised by God (v. 2) and now revealed in Paul’s proclamation (v. 3). Titus is Paul’s “loyal child in the faith” (v. 4).

Instructions for Titus’ Ministry in Crete

5 I left you behind in Crete for this reason, so that you should put in order what remained to be done, and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you: 6 someone who is blameless, married only once, whose children are believers, not accused of debauchery and not rebellious. 7 For a bishop, as God's steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or addicted to wine or violent or greedy for gain; 8 but he must be hospitable, a lover of goodness, prudent, upright, devout, and self-controlled. 9 He must have a firm grasp of the word that is trustworthy in accordance with the teaching, so that he may be able both to preach with sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it.

10 There are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision; 11 they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for sordid gain what it is not right to teach. 12 It was one of them, their very own prophet, who said,

"Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy gluttons."

13 That testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply, so that they may become sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths or to commandments of those who reject the truth. 15 To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure. Their very minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their actions. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. (Titus 1:1-16, NRSV)

Titus is directed to “appoint elders in every town” on the Island of Crete (Tit. 1:5). The qualifications listed, “someone who is blameless, married only once, whose children are believers, not accused of debauchery and not rebellious” (v. 6), when combined with the qualifications for a bishop (vv. 7-9), are comparable to the qualifications for a bishop given in 1 Timothy (1 Tim. 3:2-7). Apparently, the terms “elder” (presbyteros, Tit. 1:5) and “bishop” (episcopos, v. 7), sometimes translated “overseer” (cf. NRSV text note d), are used here of the same office. Compare the reference to elders “who labor in preaching and teaching” in 1 Timothy (1 Tim. 5:17). Church order has not developed to the point represented by the letters of Ignatius of Antioch (early 2^nd century), when, at least from his perspective, the presbytery should be subordinated to the bishop for the sake of unity and harmony.

Wherefore it is fitting that ye also should run together in accordance with the will of the bishop who by God’s appointment rules over you. Which thing ye indeed of yourselves do, being instructed by the Spirit. For your justly-renowned presbytery, being worthy of God, is fitted as exactly to the bishop as the strings are to the harp. Thus, being joined together in concord and harmonious love, of which Jesus Christ is the Captain and Guardian, do ye, man by man, become but one choir; so that, agreeing together in concord, and obtaining a perfect unity with God, ye may indeed be one in harmonious feeling with God the Father, and His beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, Chapter IV, from The AnteNicene Christian Fathers, I, now in the Christian Classics Ethereal Library at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.v.ii.iv.html, consulted December 18, 2005. I added the emphasis with bold type.)

Titus is instructed to rebuke “many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision [i.e. Jews]” (Tit. 1:10). Paul refers to sophists of the worst kind who “are upsetting whole families by teaching for sordid gain what it is not right to teach” (v. 11). His criticism is “supported by a hexameter from the Cretan poet Epimenides (ca. 600 BCE)” (Margaret M. Mitchell, NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Tit. 1:12). Paul warns against “Jewish myths” (v. 14; cf. 1 Tim. 1:4), which reminds us of later Gnostic speculations which elaborate the stories of Genesis, altering them to suit their theology. Titus, and we as well, should help people “become sound in the faith” (v. 13).

Luke 1:1-25

1:1 Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

8 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10 Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 18 Zechariah said to the angel, "How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years." 19 The angel replied, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur."

21 Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25 "This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people." Luke 1:1-25, NRSV)

Luke begins his Gospel with a dedication to Theophilus, a prologue that explains his purpose, “so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed” (Lk. 1:4), and his method: “I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus” (v. 3). Luke then continues with the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, a part of the righteous remnant of Israel, “righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord” (v. 6). They were to become the parents of John the Baptist, according to the promise made to Zechariah by the angel Gabriel while Zechariah was fulfilling his duties as a priest in the temple. “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John” (v. 13). John, it is predicted, “will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God” (v. 16). Like Elijah, “he will go before him [i.e. the Lord] . . . to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (v. 17). When Zechariah expresses some doubt (v. 18), Gabriel says that he “will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur” (v. 20). The people waiting for him to emerge from the sanctuary realize, when he does come out, “that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary” (v. 22). Elizabeth welcomes the news, and the pregnancy, as the Lord’s blessing that took away her disgrace (v. 25).

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

rworden@houston.rr.com