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Showing 3901 to 3925 of 4977 results

3901. Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This week's Epistle text is quite different in flavor and savor from the rest of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. In fact the whole unit from 4:17-5:20 is often thought to be a post-Pauline insertion into the text. The first three chapters of Ephesians concern themselves with wide-angled lofty theological ...

3902. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... literature. There are several Greek parallels of Paul's words here - in Plato, Tyrtaeus and Macimus, as well as Jewish parallels from wisdom literature (such as 3 Ezra 34-40). The form and content of Paul's version, which we read Christ into, would actually be quite acceptable to any learned Greek or Jewish scholar of Paul's day. Yet we know Paul was addressing a Christian community. He forges a strong link to the concerns of this Corinthian church in verse one by beginning with the gift of tongues. Paul's ...

3903. Luke 6:17-26

Luke 6:17-26

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... not yet. As our divine physician, Jesus can both diagnose the present condition and project the future course of the disease. It is well to keep in mind the possibility that the "great multitude" Jesus is addressing may be both economically and ethnically quite diverse. Coming from cities such as Judea and Jerusalem, there may well have been wealthy merchants along with poor street people. The mention of Tyre and Sidon raises the possibility that there may even have been Gentiles among them. Evidently Jesus ...

3904. John 20:1-18

John 20:1-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... when faced with the evidence. But the Beloved Disciple is convinced by these telltale clues that something extraordinary has occurred. Though the bells go off for this disciple ("he believed"), it is evident that neither the Beloved Disciple nor Simon Peter have quite awakened to the miraculous truth of this situation - "for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead" (v.9). Now John returns the focus of his resurrection rendition to Mary Magdalene. As though the other ...

3905. Acts 14:8-18

Acts 14:8-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... - the rains, the harvest, a full belly and joyful heart. These things, like the miraculous healing they have witnessed, are likewise displays of the living God's acts of graceful goodness in their lives. Yet still the crowd doesn't seem to quite get the point, being only "scarcely restrained" from continuing their sacrificial homage to Paul and Barnabas. That they are in a confused state is further exemplified by the conclusion of this story. The Jews from Antioch and Iconium journey to Lystra and convince ...

3906. Galatians 6:7-18

Galatians 6:7-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... proverb of the first century - yet one highly applicable to this situation. Verse 8's sowing and reaping imagery defines the active role believers take in shaping their own destinies. The Spirit is available to all who seek it. But it is also quite avoidable. Paul states plainly where the ultimate responsibility lies for those whose harvests are stunted and decayed. It is within everyone's own power to determine whether the outcome of their life will be blessing or judgment. Verse 9 relieves this somber ...

3907. Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

All of this quarter's Gospel readings are from Luke - a fact that makes focusing on any of the other weekly texts quite difficult, for Luke is one of history's most masterful storytellers. Thoroughly steeped in Jewish Scripture, Luke's descriptions are so vital, his characters so pungent, his scenes so artfully set, that our whole being is drawn into the flair and fascination of these stories. It is no surprise that ...

3908. Luke 13:22-30

Luke 13:22-30

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the question from "someone" about the salvific scope of the approaching eschaton. We do not know whether this questioner was a devoted disciple or a troublemaker trying to get Jesus into the proverbial tight spot. However, Jesus' response makes it quite clear that the wrong question has been asked, and that he will only address the appropriate issue. Jesus ignores the "how many" question of an apocalyptic sensationalist who hopes to discover some horrifyingly juicy tidbit of information. Instead he chooses ...

3909. 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

From the very outset, Paul straightforwardly asserts what continues as a major theme throughout his first Corinthian correspondence - his plea for unity of "mind" and "purpose" among some quite combative Christians. Paul has heard disturbing reports about the extent to which bickering and backbiting have begun to threaten the stability of the Corinthian community. Scholars posit that "Chloe's people" (v. 11) refers to a group of Ephesian Christians who had kept in close touch with all that was ...

3910. 1 Samuel 16:1-13

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Both Samuel and Jesse appear convinced they know what constitutes a pleasing, upright individual before God. Samuel the priest is sure that the first of Jesse's sons, Eliab, is the one intended for kingly anointing. But Samuel the prophet receives quite a different message from the Lord. Verse 7 records a viewpoint almost unique to Jewish thought in antiquity - that beauty and goodness are not automatically equated. In other ancient cultures, those graced with physical beauty were assumed to hold a special ...

3911. John 11:1-45

John 11:1-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Judea (v.8). Jesus' rather cryptic remarks in verses 9-10 assure the disciples and convey his sense that his time has not yet come and that he is not yet in any danger. But the disciples next play dumb-bunnies in response to Jesus' quite transparent remark about Lazarus being "asleep." Until Jesus blatantly tells them Lazarus is dead, they haven't a clue. In light of their previous behavior, Thomas' outburst in verse 16 appears as pure bluster. In the Lazarus miracle story, the disciples, for the first time ...

3912. Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 2:5-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... is indeed the case, the theology behind this hymn represents not only Paul's own thoughts, but also the Christological convictions of the first generation of believers. As a hymn, that is, as poetic material, this passage presents the scholar with two quite different ways to view its contents. The poetic language means the words are open-ended and theologically imprecise, leaving the door ajar for debate about this hymn's "true" meaning for the past 20 centuries. On the one hand, exegetes argue that this ...

3913. 2 Corinthians 13:11-13

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... with a holy kiss." There are indications that the "holy kiss" or "kiss of concord" was an already established tradition in the synagogues by this time. Since men and women worshipers sat separately from one another, such a greeting would have been quite acceptable. While there is no evidence in the New Testament of the "holy kiss" being part of a worship service, there are some scriptural indications that in the event of a public letter reading, such an exhortation would mean all those listening would ...

3914. Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28

Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... faith finally convert Jesus away from his traditional view of his mission. The lesson that tradition must be subject to what is right, and that what is "unclean" on the outside is not damaging to the inner person, is played out in the Canaanite woman pericope quite clearly. For Jesus, though called for Israel's sake, to refuse to help this woman in the face of her faithfulness would be wrong. It was an obvious right to extend the grace of God's healing power to this woman and her daughter. The rigid ...

3915. Matthew 16:21-28

Matthew 16:21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... "began to show" them his inevitable path toward Jerusalem. Both "show" and "must" are terms frequently emphasized in apocalyptic writings. A sequence of events are about to unfold whose outcome is part of the divine plan not Jesus' own choice. This first passion prediction is quite detailed as is the third and final one (20:17-19) itemizing just who has a hand in Jesus' death and revealing that "on the third day" he will be raised. In the face of all these particulars, the words of Peter's response seem ...

3916. Philippians 4:1-9

Philippians 4:1-9

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 's text would seem to fit perfectly behind the exhortation to "rejoice" given in 3:1. The interceding text, 3:2-21, with its diatribe against the "dogs" who would tempt the faithful with bad theology, interrupts the flow of Paul's "rejoicing" message quite awkwardly. All of today's text appears to focus on the relationships and attitudes of those who are active in the main body of the Philippian church, with no apparent references to outside agitators. The personal ties between Paul and these people are ...

3917. Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 25:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... that certain knowledge is already held by his listeners and that the images presented build upon that prior knowledge. To a casual reader, using the tale of the 10 virgins as an example of what "the kingdom of heaven is like" may seem quite disagreeable. The "foolish" and the "wise" virgins wait together with the same apparent faithfulness for the bridegroom's arrival. But after dozing off during the lengthy wait, the foolish virgins find their oil supply exhausted and turn for help to the farsighted "wise ...

3918. Judges 4:1-7

Judges 4:1-7

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... poetic style in chapter 5's "The Song of Deborah." Scholars suggest that this poetic version is probably the oldest integral text contained in the Old Testament. While portions of chapter 4's prose rendition of these events are also quite early, there is structural evidence (grammatical, historical and especially geographic) that points to the fact that considerable redaction work took place within these texts at much later dates. Thus, there are discrepancies in such particulars as the number of tribes ...

3919. Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31-46

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... was this audience? There is immense scholarly debate on this issue. The term in verse 32, translated as "nations" in the NRSV, suggests that this judgment text has universal focus. However, it is not clear whether Matthew intended this term to be quite so inclusive. Ethne was not commonly used to designate "everyone," but had come to have a more specific meaning among Greek-speaking Jews. Among that population, ethne was most traditionally used to translate the Hebrew goyim ("Gentile"). If Matthew's usage ...

3920. 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Lord." Just as the spiritual gifts of a community are not fully realized until the eschaton, so, too, they do not enjoy "blameless" status until that age. This leaves the apostle plenty of time to focus his own counsel and at times quite pointed guidance toward the factions and frictions that are causing so much strife within the Corinthian church as he writes. Paul concludes his introductory remarks by proclaiming "God is faithful" (v. 9). The roots of Paul's pharisaic background and the enduring tenets ...

3921. Mark 1:1-8

Mark 1:1-8

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... "Good News" for everyone. The opening verse of Mark's gospel appears to have been even shorter than most modern translations prefer to present it. In the earliest versions, the defining phrase "Son of God" is absent. Although the addition of this title appears quite early (it is present in manuscripts dated about 100 A.D.), there is other evidence that this phrase was missing from even earlier scrolls. It is impossible to tell whether the omission was due to a scribal oversight, or the addition due to some ...

3922. Luke 2:41-52

Luke 2:41-52

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... sinking feeling" that Mary and Joseph felt the horror of realizing that your child is one place when in your mind he or she is somewhere altogether different? The scene Luke draws suggests that Joseph and Mary had made their pilgrimage with quite a substantial crowd of friends, neighbors and relatives. As the caravan turned towards Nazareth, it undoubtedly took on its traditional form men traveling together at the head, animals and possessions in the center, women bringing up the rear. The children would ...

3923. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Paul about the spiritual pedigree of those who curse Jesus' name. But Paul's first comment in verse 2 starkly reminds contemporary readers just how diverse and deeply pagan was the environment in which the early Christians lived and learned. Until quite recently, the Corinthians had been participants in this pagan culture, worshiping human-made idols. Perhaps it is in part a reaction against these worthless idols, constructed by human hands and out of human ideals, that some group has arisen that "curses ...

3924. Luke 5:1-11

Luke 5:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" (v.8), reveals that he had experienced an epiphany _ a personal manifestation of the power and glory that was Jesus _ through this miracle. The term Luke uses here for "sinful" (harmartolos) has a quite general meaning and may, in fact, have been understood as a class reference, singling out those who fell below the Pharisaic level of law observances. With his personal confession, Simon Peter may be admitting that his own level of observance of the law falls far ...

3925. Psalm 1

Psalm 1

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... e., "from his law he recites day and night." The lush images of fruit-bearing trees standing beside life-giving streams of water portray paradise for desert-dwelling people. The psalmist's image recalls both that of Jeremiah 17:8 and Genesis 2. Indeed, it is quite likely that this writer intends to depict a kind of rebirth of the streams of Eden into the life of each of those who are righteous. The idyllic, Edenic imagery in this verse, coupled with its possible hints about the eternity of the faithful (the ...

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