Isaiah 8:16-9:1 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

Disciples of Isaiah

16 Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 See, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 Now if people say to you, “Consult the ghosts and the familiar spirits that chirp and mutter; should not a people consult their gods, the dead on behalf of the living, 20 for teaching and for instruction?” surely, those who speak like this will have no dawn! 21 They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry; when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king and their gods. They will turn their faces upward, 22 or they will look to the earth, but will see only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be thrust into thick darkness.

The Righteous Reign of the Coming King (Isa 11.1-9)

9:1 But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. (Isaiah 8:16-9:1, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here with revision and supplement from December 13, 2004, two years ago (Monday of the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One):

Because the signs (Isa. 8:18) which Isaiah has presented to Ahaz (7:3, 14; 8:1) have been rejected, he gives instruction to a circle of followers: “Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples” (8:16). He is prepared to “wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob” and to “hope in him” (v. 17). Because his counsel has been rejected, Isaiah expects the people to seek spiritual counsel from “the ghosts and the familiar spirits” (v. 19) with disastrous results: They “will have no dawn” (v. 20), “will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry,” and “will curse their king and their gods” (v. 21a). Whether they look up or down, they “will see only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish”; for “they will be thrust into darkness” (v. 22). However, the final verse (9:1) provides a transition to a promise of better times. “In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.” The promise begins with the promise that “there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish” (9:1a), but though “in the former times he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, . . . in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (9:1b). According to Benjamin D. Sommer, “The Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser seized lands belonging to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, along with parts of Galilee and Transjordan, from the Israelite king Pekah son of Remaliah in the aftermath of the Syro-Ephramite crisis” (The Jewish Study Bible, p. 801, on Isa. 8:23 (Heb. & NJPS = 9:1 NRSV). The promise continues: “The people who walked in darkness / have seen a great light; / those who lived in a land of deep darkness–on them light has shined. (Isa. 9:2). “The people who sat in darkness” are “those who suffered most from the Assyrian invasions” (Elwyn E. Tilden and Bruce M. Metzger, NOAB, 2^nd ed., on Mt. 4:15-16, which quotes Isa. 9:1-2). A comparison of maps for the tribal distribution of land in Israel and for the time of Jesus will show that his Galilee includes land of Zebulun, Naphtali and Issachar. Matthew makes the connection and sees the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee “in Capernaum by the sea” (Mt. 4:13) as fulfillment (v. 14) of Isaiah 9:1-2), which, as noted, he quotes (Mt. 4:15-16). The brighter picture continues in Tuesday’s (Episcopal and Lutheran) Old Testament reading, Isaiah 9:1/2-7).

Isaiah 11:1-9 (Presbyterian)

The Peaceful Kingdom (Isa 9.1-7)

11:1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,

the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might,

the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

3 His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide by what his ears hear;

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,

the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

and a little child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze,.

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,

and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.

9 They will not hurt or destroy

on all my holy mountain;

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:1-9, NRSV)

The following comments are combined with revision and supplement here from December 20, 2004, two years ago (Monday of the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One), and from May 15, 2005 (Pentecost Sunday, Year One):

Today’s Presbyterian reading from Isaiah 11:1-9 (listed in the Book of Common Prayer for Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One, but displaced this year by Christmas Day), describes a “shoot [that] shall come out from the stump of Jesse, / and a branch [that] shall grow out of his roots” (Isa. 11:1) The image of the “stump of Jesse” (v. 1) would imply that the Davidic dynasty has been cut off, as at the time of the Babylonian exile, so a new “branch” from those “roots” would imply the restoration of the Davidic line (Isa. 11:1). The prophet foresees a time when a new Davidic king will bring righteous justice and equity for “the poor” and “the meek of the earth, but “he shall kill the wicked” (v. 4). He is qualified because “The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, / the spirit of wisdom and understanding, / the spirit of counsel and might, / the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. (v. 2). The Septuagint reading here is

the spirit of knowledge and piety: the spirit of the fear of God shall fill (empimplēmi) him. (Isa. 11:2d, 3a LXX, my translation)

According to Victor R Gold and William L. Holladay, “To these six ‘Gifts of the Spirit’ the Septuagint adds ‘piety’” (NOAB, 2^nd. ed., on Isa. 11:2). “The fear of the LORD” (v. 3) may have been understood as “piety.” Paul’s first two pieces of armor, “fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14), remind us of Isaiah’s words in verse seven: “Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, / and faithfulness (ʼemunah) the belt around his loins (Isa. 11:7). The word ʼemunah sometimes means “steadiness” (Ex. 17:12), “reliability” (Dt. 32:4) or “honesty” (Jer. 5:1, 3), and is related to the adjective ʼēmūn, “true, reliable” (William L. Holladay, Lexicon). So Paul may well have had Isaiah 11:7 in mind when he spoke of “the belt of truth around your waist” (Eph. 6:14). The qualities represented by these “gifts of the spirit will characterize the new “David” and provide for the just reign described in verses 4-5. R Coggins sees six “gifts of the Spirit” here, with no reference to the Septuagint text, but says:

The Christian tradition has spoken of ‘sevenfold gifts of the Spirit’ and used vv. 2-3a as a basis, but only six gifts are in fact mentioned here. They are the characteristic charismatic qualities of the king, and of all those pictured as being especially close to YHWH (e.g. Moses and the elders, Num. 11:25-30; Elijah and Elisha, 2 Kings 22:15). There are also close links with the wisdom tradition, shown not only by the use of the word ‘wisdom’ itself but also by ‘understanding’, ‘counsel’, and ‘fear of the LORD’–all terms particularly associated with, for example, Proverbs. But here they are God’s direct gift, not dependent on the skills of human counsellors. (The Oxford Bible Commentary, p. 448, on Isa. 11:1-9)

In the glorious future to come, “The wolf shall live with the lamb, / the leopard shall lie down with the kid, / the calf and the lion and the fatling together, / and a little child shall lead them. / The cow and the bear shall graze,. / their young shall lie down together; / and the lion shall eat straw like the ox” (vv. 6-7). The peaceful future is further described: “The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, / and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. / They will not hurt or destroy / on all my holy mountain” (vv. 8, 9a, b). The cause of this universal peace is explained: “for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD / as the waters cover the sea” (v. 9c, d). The qualities indicated by the above “gifts of the Spirit” will be present, not only in the Messianic King but in his people, when the LORD “will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer. 31:33; cf. Heb. 8:10). It’s a glorious future in which “paradise lost” becomes “paradise regained” (to borrow phrases from John Milton), or, as Edward Hicks, the early Quaker painter called it, “the Peaceable Kingdom.” See the picture and the article, “Hicks’s Peaceable Kingdom,” by John Braostoski, in the Friends Journal (February 2000), http://www2.gol.com/users/quakers/Hicks_Peaceable_Kingdom.htm. Copies may also be found at http://www.albrightknox.org/ArtStart/Hicks.html (Albright-Knox Art Gallery) and http://www.worcesterart.org/Collection/American/1934.65.html (Worcester Art Museum). These sites were accessed again December 17, 2006.

2 Peter 1:1-11 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

1:1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

The Christian’s Call and Election

3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. 5 For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. 8 For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For anyone who lacks these things is nearsighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. 11 For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you. (2 Peter 1:1-11, NRSV)

The following comments are combined with revision and adaptation here from December 13, 2004, two years ago (Monday of the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One), and from November 28, 2005 (Monday in the week of the First Sunday of Advent, Year Two). Some material is repeated with adaptation and supplement from an E-mail sent November 28, 2003, for November 29-December 1, 2003.

The customary salutation in Second Peter (2 Pet. 1:1-2) refers to the author as “Simeon Peter, a servant [or slave, cf. NRSV, note b] and apostle of Jesus Christ,” which adds “servant” to the salutation in First Peter, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:1). Thus Second Peter uses the terms sometimes found together in Paul’s salutations (Rom. 1:1), and sometimes used alone, e.g. “servant” (Phil. 1:1), “apostle” (1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1, with special emphasis, “an apostle–sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead”). Paul exercised the freedom to vary his self-designation, depending on the circumstances of his relationship to the readers. (He has very little criticism for the church at Philippi, but a strong bond to them, including appreciation for their continued financial support of his ministry.) Some, who see in the salutation of Second Peter an attempt to clearly identify the message (though perhaps not its wording) as for the whole church from Peter himself, regard the phrase “Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ” as emphatic. The presentation of Peter as “an eyewitness of the voice from heaven, which confirms the apostolic testimony about Christ’s power and coming” (Patrick A. Tiller, NOAB, 3^rd ed., on 2 Pet. 1:16-18), which appears in tomorrow’s reading (Episcopal and Lutheran), is considered by them as an appeal to Peter’s authority. They would not see this as deception or fraud, but as a transparent attempt to maintain the testimony of Peter and his message for later generations of the early church. He does remind the believers that delay in the Lord’s coming does not disprove the predictions (2 Pet. 3:8-9). Be that as it may, we regard the message as inspired scripture and true to the preaching of Peter himself.

After the usual salutation and greeting, Peter reviews the “faith” his readers have received (2 Pet. 1:1). 2 Peter begins with “a summary of Peter’s teaching...stressing both God’s grace and the need for moral effort if Christians are to attain final salvation” (1:3-11, R .J. Bauckham, HarperCollins Study Bible). He starts with a blessing, “May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (v. 2). We have received “everything needed for life and godliness , through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (v. 3). In addition to “everything needed,” he has given us “his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature” (v. 4). We are instructed to “support your faith with goodness” (v. 5) and a list of virtues follows, including knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection and love (vv. 5-7). We are to make every effort to support our faith with these, “for this very reason,” he says (v. 5), that is, that we may escape from the corruption and become participants of the divine nature. Such action on the part of the believers will “keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 8). So we are “to confirm [our] call and election” (v. 10). “For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you” (v. 11).

Ephesians 6:10-20 (Presbyterian)

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. (Ephesians 6:10-20, NRSV)

The comments on Ephesians 6:10-24 from January 22, 2005 (Saturday in the week of the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Year One) have been repeated on February 20, 2005, and June 3, 2006. They are repeated again here, combined with revision and adaptation with comments from December 19, 2004, two years ago (the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One):

As the section of Ephesians with instructions (“rules”) for living draws to a close, Paul urges us to “be strong in the Lord” (Eph. 6:10) and “Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (v. 11). With reference to the typical armor of a Roman soldier, he reminds us that we need “the belt of truth” and “the breastplate of righteousness” (v. 14), “shoes [to] make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace” (v. 15), “the shield of faith” (v. 16), “the helmet of salvation” and “the sword of the Spirit”–the only offensive weapon in the list–“which is the word of God” (v. 17). With all of that, we are to “stand firm” (v. 13) and “pray” (vv. 18-20). During the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, concerns were expressed in the U.S.A. Congress and news media about the need for armor for vehicles and soldiers, both in Afghanistan and Iraq. If armor is so important in those situations–as it certainly must be!–is it not equally important for us as we face spiritual battles in our lives and ministries?

Isaiah describes the armor that God wears when he brings victory to Israel:

            He saw that there was no one,/and was appalled that there was no one to intervene;

            so his own arm brought him victory,/and his righteousness upheld him.

            He put on righteousness like a breastplate,/and a helmet of salvation on his head;

he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,/and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle. (Isa. 59:16-17; cf. the messianic king’s “belts” of “righteousness” and “faith,” 11:5)

Paul uses the concept to describe “the whole armor of God” which the Christian should “put on” (Eph. 6:11) for our “struggle” against “spiritual forces (v. 12). Then he concludes the Epistle with exhortations to “pray in the Spirit at all times” (v. 18), for “all the saints” (v. 18) and for “me” [i.e. Paul] (v. 19). Tychicus is probably the one who carried the letter to Ephesus (vv. 21-22), and perhaps read it as Paul’s representative (cf. Col. 4:7). He may be the same person as the Tychicus mentioned in Acts 20:4-5 (cf. 2 Tim. 4:12; Titus 3:12). The concluding benediction emphasizes peace and “love with faith” and grace for “all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ” (vv. 23-24).

Luke 22:39-53 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives (Mt 26.36-46; Mk 14.32-42; Jn 18.1)

39 He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40 When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” 41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” [[ 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44 In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.]] 45 When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus (Mt 26.47-56; Mk 14.43-52; Jn 18.1-11)

47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” 49 When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” 50 Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!” (Luke 22:39-52, NRSV)

The following comments are combined with revision and adaptation here from December 13, 2004, two years ago (Monday of the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One), and from June 25, 2005 (Saturday of the week of the Sunday closest to June 22, Year One):

In this reading, as Jesus approaches the Garden of Gethsemane, he urges the disciples to “pray that you may not come into the time of trial” (Lk. 22:40), whereas in Mark he says, “Sit here while I pray” (Mk. 14:32; cf. Mt. 26:36). Luke’s account of Jesus’ prayer before his arrest (Lk. 22:40-46) is shorter than those of Matthew (26:36-46) and Mark (14:32-42), and has distinctive features. All identify the general area as “the Mount of Olives” (Mt. 26:30; Mk. 14:26; Lk. 22:39), but Luke does not mention “a place called Gethsemane” (Mt. 26:36; cf. Mk. 14:32). He omits some of the details of Jesus’ agony (Mk. 14:33-34; Mt. 26:37-38), but see below, and he omits Jesus’ remonstrance with the disciples whose “flesh is weak” (Mk. 14:28; Mt. 26:41). Although the contrast between his concern for them (Lk.) and his concern for the disciples (Mk., Mt.) is of some interest, his own prayer stands out as a model of piety. “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done” (v. 42).

In the Revised Standard version Luke 22:43-44 was taken out of the text and put in a footnote because these verses were missing from several ancient manuscripts. “Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.” In the New Revised Standard Version, these words have been put back in the text between double square brackets–to indicate the uncertainty caused by the differences in the manuscripts. Verses 43 and 44 are not present in most of the oldest and best manuscripts of the New Testament, but, as Christopher R. Matthews says, “they were known to Christian writers of the second century and reflect tradition concerning the suffering of Jesus. Whether they were a part of the original text is debatable” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on vv. 43-44). The “second century” writers to whom he refers would include Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Kurt Aland et al., ed., Novum Testamentum Graece [Nestle-Aland], 27^th ed., 1993, ad loc.). In these verses Jesus’ own anguish certainly stands out. (Bart Ehrman, in Misquoting Jesus, has recently contrasted Jesus agony in the accounts of Matthew and Mark with his calm and reassured acceptance in Luke–according to the shorter version, lacking vv. 43, 44–as though there were a substantial contradiction here; but that’s reading too much into the situation.) Some suggest that the words were omitted from some manuscripts, “perhaps omitted by Marcion for docetic reasons, and by Alexandrians as doctrinally difficult” (G. W. H. Lampe, Peake’s Commentary). Others lean the other way: “Although it is probable that these verses were not part of the original Gospel of Luke (since important early manuscripts lack them), they were know to Christian writers of the second century and reflect tradition from the first century concerning the suffering of Jesus” (Elwyn E. Tilden and Bruce M. Metzger, NOAB, 2^nd ed., on Lk. 22:43-44). Whether these words come from Luke himself or a very early scribe, they remind us that the agony of Jesus’ passion begins immediately with the arrest (vv. 47-54). Even so, Jesus heals the ear which one of his supporters cut off from the high priest’s slave (vv. 50-51).

When Jesus returns to the disciples, he awakens them and repeats the earlier admonition, “Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial” (v. 46, cf. v. 40). Suddenly, the crowd led by Judas arrived, and Judas bestowed his kiss of betrayal. Jesus’ question rebukes Judas (v. 47), and the disciples are ready to draw swords (v. 49), but Jesus’ response when a sword is actually used–“No more of this!” (v. 51)–puts an end to any armed resistance. Compare Matthew’s version, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mt. 26:52), followed by the reminder that Jesus’ Father, if asked, “will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Mt. 26:53). But in that case, “the scriptures” would not “be fulfilled” (Mt. 26:54). Then, according to Luke, Jesus heals the slave’s ear (Lk. 22:51), and taunts “the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders”–the arresting party, in other words. “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!” (vv. 52b, 53). Whereas Matthew interpreted the arrest as part of God’s plan and the fulfillment of prophecy, Luke’s version sees it as an expression of the power of darkness–views not necessarily incompatible.

As for what this all means, I believe the writer to the Hebrews got it right: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help; in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16).

John 3:16-21 (Presbyterian)

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” (John 3:16-21, NRSV)

The following comments are combined with revision and adaptation here from December 19, 2004, two years ago (the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One), and from comments repeated from February 17, 2005:(Thursday in the week of the First Sunday of Lent, Year One) on December 18, 2005 (the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year Two), on January 17, 2006 (Tuesday in the week of the Second Sunday after the the Epiphany, Year Two), and again on August 14, 2006 (Monday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 10, Year Two).

The Gospel reading for today begins with the verse that has been called the Gospel in a nutshell. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16). This verse has a paragraph of its own in the New Revised Standard Version. Raymond E. Brown, sees connections backward–“the theme of Jesus’ death” (vv. 14-15)--and forward: “If 16 assures us that the purpose of the Father’s giving the Son in Incarnation and death was eternal life for the believer, 17 paraphrases this in terms of salvation for the world” (The Gospel according to John I-XII, Anchor Bible 29, 147). Brown also notes similarities in “the dualistic vocabulary of vss. 19-21 (light/darkness; practicing wickedness/doing truth)” to the dualism of Qumran texts (i.e. Dead Sea Scrolls): “According as man’s inheritance is in truth and righteousness, so he hates evil; but insofar as his heritage is in the portion of perversity, so he abominates truth” (1QS iv 24, cited by Brown, p. 148).

If there is a twofold reaction to Jesus in John, we must emphasize that the reaction is very much dependent on man’s own choice, a choice that is influenced by his way of life, by whether his deeds are wicked or are done in God (vss. 20-21). There is a consistency in the two sides of the dualism: evildoers are disbelievers, while good works and faith go together. Thus, there is no determinism in John as there seems to be in some passages of the Qumran scrolls. . . . the idea is that Jesus brings out what a man really is and the real nature of his life. Jesus is a penetrating light that provokes judgment by making it apparent what a man is. The one who turns away is not an occasional sinner but one who “practices wickedness”; it is not that he cannot see the light, but that he hates the light. (Brown, pp. 148-149)

The continuation in John emphasizes the fact that Jesus did not come “to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (Jn. 3:17). The following verses draw a distinction between those who believe in him and are not condemned, but come to the light, and those who are condemned because they do not believe; they “loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (v. 19). In reading this chapter, I have sometimes wondered where the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus ends, and the “commentary” of John the Evangelist begins. Ancient writers did not use quotation marks as we know them.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, quotation marks, the apostrophe, the dash, and the exclamation point were added to the basic set of punctuation marks in consistent use. (Allan Haley, “Punctuation,” at http://www.fonts.com/AboutFonts/Articles/Letterseries/Punctuation.htm, accessed Dec. 16, 2006)

The King James Version of John, chapter three, has no quotation marks (nor does it have them elsewhere, e.g. in the account of the Wedding at Cana, Jn. 2:1-22, which is full of dialogue). Jesus refers to himself in the first person “I” in John 3:3, 5, 7, 11 and 12. The editors of the Revised Standard Version, New Testament Section, second edition (1971), print John 3:1-15 as a single paragraph, and enclose verses 10-15 in quotation marks as Jesus last response to Nicodemus. In the New Revised Standard Version (1989), there are paragraph breaks between verses ten and eleven, verses fifteen and sixteen, and between verses sixteen and seventeen. The quotation marks indicate that verses sixteen to twenty were spoken by Jesus, though he refers to the “Son” rather than “I” or “me.” Where to put quotation marks in a modern edition of the Bible is, of course, a decision of the modern editors. The sense is usually clear, and the placement is usually obvious, but sometimes, as here, editors must use their best judgment. Whether the words, “For God so loved the world that he gave . . .” were spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus (as in the NRSV) or they represent the Apostle John’s presentation of the significance of Jesus’ coming into the world, they are God’s inspired word of promise and invitation to us. But it is often helpful to observe such indicators as paragraphs and punctuation marks, including quotation marks, when reading the Bible. Even the King James Version, which indents the beginning of every verse, uses paragraph markers (¶).

If the reading today promises eternal life for those who believe in Jesus Christ, it also warns about the consequences of rejection and disbelief, for “those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (vv. 18b, 19). They “do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed” (v. 20), We need not find ourselves in that last group. “But these [signs/this book] are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (Jn. 20:31).

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

rworden@houston.rr.com