Isaiah 9:18-10:4 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

18 For wickedness burned like a fire,

consuming briers and thorns;

it kindled the thickets of the forest,

and they swirled upward in a column of smoke.

19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts

the land was burned,

and the people became like fuel for the fire;

no one spared another.

20 They gorged on the right, but still were hungry,

and they devoured on the left, but were not satisfied;

they devoured the flesh of their own kindred;

21 Manasseh devoured Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,

and together they were against Judah.

For all this his anger has not turned away;

his hand is stretched out still.

10:1 Ah, you who make iniquitous decrees,

who write oppressive statutes,

2 to turn aside the needy from justice

and to rob the poor of my people of their right,

that widows may be your spoil,

and that you may make the orphans your prey!

3 What will you do on the day of punishment,

in the calamity that will come from far away?

To whom will you flee for help,

and where will you leave your wealth,

4 so as not to crouch among the prisoners

or fall among the slain?

For all this his anger has not turned away;

his hand is stretched out still. (Isaiah 9:18-10:4, NRSV)

The following comments are extensively revised from December 21, 2006 (Thursday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One), when comments were repeated from December 16, 2004 (Thursday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One):

This reading represents the third and fourth stanzas in a series of four that denounce sins of the northern Israelite kingdom (Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, Isa. 9:9; including Manasseh, 9:21). Each stanza concludes with the refrain, which is also used in 5:25:

            For all this his anger (OPx1, ’appô) has not turned away;

               his hand (Ody!, yādô) is stretched out still. (Isa. 9:12c,d, 17e,f, 21c,d; 10:4c,d; cf. 5:25f,g NRSV)

The series is introduced as a “word” (rb!D!, dāvar) of the Lord (yn!dox3, ’ ^adōnāy) (Isa. 9:8 NRSV = Heb. 9:7), but throughout these four stanzas, with the possible exception of “my people” (ym09f1, ‘ammî, 10:2), the prophet, speaking for the LORD, refers him in the third person (9:8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19 NRSV); including especially the pronoun “his” (O-, -ô) that occurs twice in each of the refrains. As noted yesterday, it is possible to read “word” (Isa. 9:8 NRSV = Heb. 9:7) as “plague” (rb@D@, dever), based on “death” (qavnatoV, thanatos) in the Septuagint, and the similarity of the two Hebrew words in question.

In any event, in today’s reading the denunciation of Israel continues, comparing Israel’s wickedness to a devastating fire. “For wickedness burned like a fire, / consuming briers and thorns; / it kindled the thickets of the forest, / and they swirled upward in a column of smoke” (9:18 NRSV = Heb. v. 17). But the fire represents God’s judgment, “Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts / the land was burned” (v. 19a, b NRSV = Heb. v. 18a, b). “Moral decay consumes like a forest fire (Hos. 7:6)” (Victor R. Gold and William L. Holladay, NOAB, 2^nd ed., on Isa. 9:18-21). The fire, it turns out, is a picture of civil strife, even civil war, for “the people became like fuel for the fire; / no one spared another” (v. 19c, d NRSV = Heb. v. 18c, d). The conflagration spreads and becomes a national debacle. “They gorged on the right, but still were hungry, / and they devoured on the left, but were not satisfied; / they devoured the flesh of their own kindred; / Manasseh devoured Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, / and together they were against Judah” (vv. 20, 21a, b NRSV = Heb. vv. 19, 20a, b). Joseph Blenkinsopp calls this “a situation of social chaos reflecting the language of the treaty curses, e.g., the threat of cannibalism (cf. Lev. 26:28; Deut. 28:53-57), and referring to internecine strife within Israel and between Israel and Judah at that time” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Isa. 9:20-21). In his Anchor Bible commentary, Blenkinsopp is more graphic:

Stanza III moves towards a climax with the image of a brush fire or forest fire burning up a land already devastated, the devastation expressed by the already familiar motif of thorns and weeds (cf. 5:6; 7:23-25). From this burning landscape the author moves abruptly to a condition of turmoil and anomie, a society in extremis, for the description of which the metaphor of cannibalism was deemed the most appropriate. In reading these lines the remark of Albany in King Lear, that ‘man will become a universal appetite and so eat up himself,’ comes to mind. (Isaiah 1-39, Anchor Bible, vol. 19, 2000, p. 219, on Isa. 9:7-20 [8-21] + 5:25, using the Heb. verse numbers with the English verse numbers in square brackets)

Blenkinsopp elaborates in the Anchor Bible commentary on the “internecine strife” to which he refers in the annotations in the NOAB. He says

the poet sees the Northern Kingdom’s descent into chaos as the outcome of a broken religious bond. The description corresponds to the period from the extinction of the Jehu dynasty with the assassination of Zechariah (746/745) to some time during the reign of the last ruler of Samaria, Hoshea (732-722), and is reflected at several points in contemporaneous discourses of that ruler’s namesake, Hosea (Hos. 4:2; 6:8-10; 7:1-3; 8:4; 13:10). During those two decades four out of six rulers were assassinated, and the last was either executed or deported by the Assyrians. . . . The chronological line stops short of the fall of Samaria, to return, in the final stanza (5:225), to the great earthquake with which the panorama opened. (ibid.)

The fourth stanza continues in chapter 10, beginning with the language of lament, or prophetic threat, yOh (Hoy, Alas! Woe!), translated here as “Ah”: “Ah, you who make iniquitous decrees, / who write oppressive statutes” (Isa. 10:1; cf. William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1971, 10^th corrected impression 1988, s.v. yOh Hoy). These “iniquitous decrees” and “oppressive statutes” are written “to turn aside the needy from justice / and to rob the poor of my people of their right, / that widows may be your spoil, / and that you may make the orphans your prey!” (v. 2). Benjamin D. Sommer says, “As he [i.e., Isaiah] comes to the climax of his indictment against the Northern Kingdom, the prophet returns to the theme of the rich who mistreat the poor and pervert justice for their own gain; cf. 1:17; 3:8-15; 5:8-10; 32:7). As the prophet announces judgment for these oppressions, he asks rhetorical questions for which there is essentially no good answer. He essentially interrogates the leaders, blaming them for perversion of justice for the poor and needy. “What will you do on the day of punishment, / in the calamity that will come from far away? / To whom will you flee for help, / and where will you leave your wealth, / so as not to crouch among the prisoners / or fall among the slain?” (vv. 3, 4a). The prophet as much as says there is no escaping God’s judgment upon them. “Judgment, in the form of military defeat and captivity,” says Blenkinsopp, “is pronounced on those who oppress the poor and disadvantaged, including widows and orphans, by manipulating the judicial system” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Isa. 10:1-4).

This stanza, too, closes with the familiar refrain: “For all this his anger has not turned away; / his hand is stretched out still” (v. 4c, d).

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)

On May 27, 2007 (Pentecost Sunday, Year One), comments were combined with revision and supplement from May 15, 2005 (Pentecost Sunday, Year One), and from December 20, 2004 (Monday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One); they are repeated here:

The image of the “stump of Jesse” implies 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 new “David” would exercise gifts of “the spirit of the LORD” which “shall rest on him”: “wisdom and understanding,” “counsel and might,” “knowledge and the fear of the LORD” (v. 2). To these six “gifts of the Spirit,” the Septuagint adds another: “the spirit of knowledge and piety: the spirit of the fear of God shall fill ( ejmplhvsei, emplēsei, future of ejmpivplhmi, empiplēmi) him” (Isa. 11:2d, 3a LXX, my translation; cf. Victor R. Gold and William L. Holladay, NOAB, 2^nd ed., 1994, on Isa. 11:2). The qualities represented by these “gifts of the spirit will characterize the new “David” and provide for the just reign described, when “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” (v. 4). 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, 2001, p. 448, on Isa. 11:1-9)

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 five: “Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, / and faithfulness (hn!Umx$, ’ ^emûnāh, cf. ajlhqeiva/, alētheia(i) ‘with truth,’ LXX) the belt around his loins. (Isa. 11:5). The word hn!Umx$ (’ ^emûnāh) sometimes means “steadiness” (Ex. 17:12), “reliability” (Dt. 32:4) or “honesty” (Jer. 5:1, 3), and is related to the adjective NUmx2 (ʼēmûn), “true, reliable” (William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1971, 10^th corrected impression 1988, s.v. NUmx2, ʼēmûn, and hn!Umx$, ’ ^emûnāh). 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).

When all of these qualities are 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), we will see the "peaceable kingdom" in which "the wolf shall live with the lamb" (v. 6). Isaiah puts it this way: “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 (Isa. 11:9). And so beyond the reestablishment of the Davidic kingdom, follows 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. Another link to a similar picture includes http://www.worcesterart.org/Collection/American/1934.65.html (Worcester Art Museum). These were accessed again December 17, 2008. For another, see now the picture at http://www.albrightknox.org/ArtStart/Hicks_t.html (Albright-Knox Art Gallery), accessed December 17, 2008.

2 Peter 2:10b-16 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

Bold and willful, they are not afraid to slander the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring against them a slanderous judgment from the Lord. 12 These people, however, are like irrational animals, mere creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed. They slander what they do not understand, and when those creatures are destroyed, they also will be destroyed, 13 suffering the penalty for doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their dissipation while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 They have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of doing wrong, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. (2 Peter 2:10b-16, NRSV)

On December 21, 2006 (Thursday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One), comments were repeated from December 16, 2004, (Thursday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One); they are repeated again here with editing and supplement:

It appears that Peter and Jude had similar experiences with false teachers: “especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust, and who despise authority. Bold and willful, they are not afraid to slander the glorious ones (dovxaV, doxas, accusative plural of dovxa, doxa, which can mean “brightness, splendor, radiance,” but here and in Jude 8, refers to “a transcendent being deserving of honor, majestic being” (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich [BDAG], A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3^rd ed., 2000, s.v. dovxa, doxa, meanings no. (1) and (4) ). Bo Reicke sees this as a reference to “the magistrates of the society to whom several New Testament writers urge obedience and respect” (The Epistles of James, Peter, and Jude, Anchor Bible, vol. 37, 1964, on 2 Pet. 2:10), but J. D. N. Kelly sees them as “celestial beings . . . probably the fallen angels mentioned in ii. 4” (A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and of Jude, Black’s New Testament Commentaries, 1969, on 2 Pet. 2:10). After citing the view of another that such reviling of “the glorious ones” might reflect gnostic views, Kelly adds, “What remains clear is that their attitude . . . betokens a blasphemous rebellion against the divinely established order of existence.” In contrast to the disrespect of the false teachers for the “glorious ones,” says Peter, “angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring against them a slanderous judgment from the Lord” (v. 11; cf. Jude 9). According to Patrick A. Tiller, Jude 9 reflects “nonbiblical Jewish tradition [that] when the archangel Michael was about to bury the body of Moses, Satan accused Moses of being a murderer, not worthy of an honorable burial. Michael sent Satan off with the words, ‘May the Lord rebuke you’ (Zech. 3:2)” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Jude 9-10). Tiller also comments on 2 Peter. “The glorious ones are probably angelic dignitaries. Jude’s example of Michael’s dispute with the devil . . . is transformed into an example from contemporary angels, who refrain from bring a slanderous judgment from (or before) the Lord ” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on 2 Pet. 2:10b-11).

In any event, Peter and Jude criticize the false teachers most severely. “These people, however, are like irrational animals, mere creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed. They slander what they do not understand, and when those creatures are destroyed, they also will be destroyed, suffering the penalty for doing wrong” (2 Pet. 2:12, 13a). “But these people slander whatever they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that, like irrational animals, they know by instinct” (Jude 10). “They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their dissipation while they feast with you” (2 Pet. 2:13b). Peter piles up accusations. “They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed Children!” (v. 14). Compare this from Jude, reflecting different actions but a similar self-centered attitude: “These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage” (Jude 16).

According to 2 Peter, the false teachers “have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of doing wrong” (2 Pet. 2:15). Jude includes “the way of Cain” in his woe pronounced against the false teachers. “Woe to them! For they go the way of Cain [cf. Gen. 4:3-8; 1 Jn. 3:12], and abandon themselves to Balaam’s error [cf. Num. 22:7; 31:16] for the sake of gain, and perish in Korah’s rebellion [Num. 16:19-35]” (Jude 11). Peter emphasizes their greed, while Jude piles up examples of wrongdoing from the Hebrew Bible. Peter doesn’t pronounce a “Woe!” on the false teachers, as does Jude, but he reminds us that Balaam “was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness” (2 Pet. 2:16; cf. Num. 22:28).

Ephesians 6:10-20 (Presbyterian)

Armor for Spiritual Battle

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)

On May 10, 2008 (Saturday in the week of the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year One), comments were based on–essentially repeated, though with some supplement–from January 22, 2005 (Saturday in the week of the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Year One), from June 3, 2006 (Saturday in the week of the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year Two), from January 20, 2007 (Saturday in the week of the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Year One), and from January 5, 2008 (Saturday in the week of the First Sunday after Christmas, References for January 5, Year Two). Relevant comments are repeated here:

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 recent armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, concerns were being 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, NRSV)

To this we may compare the messianic king’s “belts” of “righteousness” and “faith,” Isa. 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 moves toward the conclusion of 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).

Matthew 3:1-12 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

3:1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight.’ “

4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:1-12, NRSV)

On April 7 and 8, 2008 (Monday and Tuesday in the week of the Third Sunday of Easter, Year Two), comments on Matthew 3:1-6 and vv. 7-12, respectively, were repeated with some editing from earlier, as noted then. The present comments on Matthew 3:1-12 are based on those comments. Parallel passages from Matthew, Mark and Luke are presented in the separate file, John the Baptist.

Mark’s Gospel begins with a title, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mk. 1:1) and introduces John the Baptist with quotation of scripture, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,/who will prepare your way” (v. 2; cf. Mal. 3:1); “the voice of one crying in the wilderness:/’Prepare the way of the Lord;/make his paths straight’” (v. 3, cf. Isa. 40:3). Richard A. Horsley says, “That this is not all a quotation from Isaiah [Mark’s reference, v. 2] suggests that it is rooted in a popular (non-scribal) oral conflation of ‘prophecies’” (NOAB, 3rd ed., 2001, on Mk. 1:2-3). Matthew apparently “corrects” the quotation by eliminating the part from Malachi (Mt. 3:3). Luke does the same, but extends the quotation from Isaiah (Lk. 3:4-6; cf. Isa. 40:3-5).

Where Mark summarizes John’s preaching, “John the baptizer appeared . . . proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mk. 1:4), Matthew uses a direct quotation, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Mt. 3:2). Matthew later quotes the same as a summary of Jesus’ ministry, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Mt. 4:17), where Mark also quotes Jesus, with a different wording, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news” (Mk. 1:15). In the first instance Luke follows Mark with a summary of John’s preaching, “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Lk. 3:3). In the second instance, Mark’s summary quotation of Jesus’ preaching is not repeated by Luke, who reports Jesus return to Galilee (Lk. 4:14) where “he began to teach in their synagogues” (v. 15), and presents Jesus’ appearance in the synagogue of Nazareth as the opening of his public ministry (Lk. 4:16-30).

Both Matthew and Luke provide extended quotations of John’s preaching (Mt. 3:7-12; Lk. 3:7-17). But first, they offer brief reference to John’s clothing and food (Mt. 3:4; cf Mk. 1:6; 2 Kgs. 1:8; Zech. 13:4) and to the crowds who came out to John for baptism (Mt. 3:5-6; cf. Mk. 1:5; cf. Lk. 3:7). The differences in the accounts reflect the interests and emphases of each evangelist, but they share a message about preaching of repentance by John, and later by Jesus, and the auspicious beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

Matthew follows Mark fairly closely in his description of John the Baptist’s appearance (Mk. 1:2-6; Mt. 3:1-6). (Mark’s Gospel was apparently one of Matthew’s sources.) Mark’s summary of Jesus’ preaching message, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news” (Mk. 1:15), compare “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Mt. 4:17), is used by Matthew as a summary of John’s preaching as well: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Mt. 3:2), parallel to a generalized reference in Mark about John’s “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mk. 1:4).

A more extended account of John’s preaching is found only in Matthew and Luke (Mt. 3:7-10; Lk. 3:7-9), supplemented in Luke by a series of questions from the crowd answered by John (Lk. 3:10-14). The criticism of the “Pharisees and Sadducees” (Mt. 3:7), or the “crowds” (Lk. 3:7), apart from these introductory statements, is an example of parallel passages in Matthew and Luke that are essentially verbatim (word-for-word the same). They are criticized as a “brood of vipers” that rely unduly on their descent from Abraham as the basis for their relationship to God. John calls on them to “bear good fruit” (Mt. 3:10; Lk. 3:9), and so to avoid the “ax” of God’s judgment.

To the promise of the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Mk. 1:8; cf. Jn. 1:33), Matthew and Luke add “and fire” (Mt. 3:11; Lk. 3:16), which implies judgment. This in turn is elaborated with the harvest metaphor of the winnowing fork, the threshing floor, the gathering of the wheat, but the burning of the chaff (Mt. 3:12; Lk. 3:17).. To say the least, such a process would help us recognize what is truly important as opposed to what has only instrumental value for us if that. The losses suffered in recent natural disasters, for example, tornadoes and hurricanes, are horrendous, and the people who suffered in and after those storms certainly deserve all the help--material as well as spiritual-- they can be given, and probably they deserve much more. It occurs to me that such an experience forces us to rethink our values, perhaps in terms of Jesus' harvest metaphor. What is "wheat" and what is "chaff"?

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 on John 3:16-21 are selected from comments on John 3:1-21 from August 11, 2008 (Monday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 10, Year Two), when they were based on comments of January 21 and 22, 2008 (Monday and Tuesday in the week of the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Year Two), and on earlier comments as noted there.

The Gospel reading for today begins with the favorite biblical verse of many, what 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). It is worth taking note here of the emphasized statement of the source of God’s action. The word translated “so” (Ou{twV, Houtōs) in the phrase, “God so loved the world,” comes first in Greek for emphasis: Ou”twV ga;r hjgavphsen oJ qeo;V to;n kovsmon (houtōs gar ēgapēsin ho theos ton kosmon, “For God so loved the world”). The word for “world” (kovsmoV, kosmos) has a variety of meanings, including “that which serves to beautify through decoration, adornment, adorning,” a “condition of orderliness, orderly arrangement, order,” “the sum total of everything here and now, the world, the (orderly) universe, in philosophical usage.” But more particularly, in the present context (Jn. 3:16), while it can mean “humanity in general, the world” (e.g. Mt. 18:7), the term here is used “of all humanity, but especially of all believers, as the object of God’s love” (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich [BDAG], A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3^rd ed., 2000, s.v. kovsmoV, kosmos; my emphasis with bold print). The result of such love that God has for all humanity is stated in the next clause: “God so loved (Ou”twV, Houtōs) . . . that (w{ste, hōste) he gave his only son.” The conjunction w{ste (hōste “so that”) introduces “dependent clauses,” as here, “of the actual result” (BDAG, s.v. w{ste, hōste). Raymond E. Brown comments on the word “loved” (hjgavphsen, ēgapēsin). “The aorist [verb tense] implies a supreme act of love. Cf. 1 John iv 9: ‘In this way was God’s love revealed in our midst: God has sent His only Son into the world that we may have life through him.’ Notice that in 1 John the love is oriented toward Christians (‘we’) while in John iii 16 God loves the world” (The Gospel according to John I-XII, Anchor Bible 29, 1966, on Jn. 3:16).

The description here of God’s Son, whom he was moved by love to give, calls for comment. The words (to;n uiJo;n to;n monogenh: (ton huion ton monogenē, (Jn. 3:16; cf. monogenh;V qeovV, monogenēs theos, variant reading, monogenh;V uiJovV, monogenēs huios 1:18) have been variously translated: “his only Son” (NRSV), “his one and only Son” (TNIV), “his only begotten Son” (AV/KJV), and so forth. The word monogenhvV (monogenēs) describes the “only son” of the widow at Nain (Lk. 7:12) whom Jesus raised from death (vv. 11-17), as an example of how the word pertains “to being the only one of its kind within a specific relationship, one and only, only.” But more particularly, as in John’s usage here, it pertains “to being the only one of its kind or class, unique (in kind) of something that is the only example of its category” (BDAG, s.v. monogenhvV, monogenēs). There is none other like Jesus.

The next clause is a statement of purpose, the purpose of God’s giving. He “gave his only son so that [or ‘in order that’ ( i{na, hina) everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. The expression, “everyone who believes in him” combines the verb pisteuvw (pisteuō), “believe,” and the preposition, “in” or “into,” one expression with this verb that means “to entrust oneself to an entity in complete confidence, believe (in), trust, with implication of total commitment to the one who is trusted” (BDAG, s.v. pisteuvw, pisteuō). The Lexicon adds that in our literature “God and Christ are objects of this type of faith that relies on their power and nearness to help, in addition to being convinced that their revelations or disclosures are true.” The verb for “perish” (BDAG, s.v. ajpovllumi, apollymi), as used here (middle voice), can be a cry of anguish by sailors in a storm-tossed vessel, but especially, as here in John, of eternal death. But the alternative, for those who believe, is eternal life (a common theme in the Gospel of John, e.g. 3:36; 4:14; 5:24, and so forth).

John 3:16, the “Gospel in a nutshell,” 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” (op. cit., on Jn. 3:16).

The following verses spell out the contrast between the results for those who believe in God’s Son (v. 16), and those who do not. “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. 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” (vv. 17-18). God’s purpose was to provide for those who believe in his Son, not to condemn the rest. But the consequence for those who do not believe is spelled out; they are “condemned already.” The contrast here is explained in terms of light and darkness. “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” (v. 19). Not only do some “love darkness,” but “all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed” (v. 20). On the other hand, “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” (v. 21)

Brown notes similarities in this “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, on Jn. 3:19-21).

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, on Jn. 3:1-21)

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

deanworden@comcast.net