Name This book in the Latin Vulgate is titled “The Book of Wisdom.” In the Greek Septuagint, it is titled “The Wisdom of Solomon.” Genre This book is wisdom literature, which gives rules of proper conduct, usually in the form of maxims, pithy insights, and “words to live by.” Wisdom literature attempts to show the READ MORE
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Ezekiel
Ezekiel is a challenging book as it combines prophecy, legal reflections, prose, poetry, extremely detailed historical descriptions, highly imaginative mythological allusions, judgments, wild visions, sermonizing, and vivid drama. In case you got lost in that description, I am talking about a book of the Bible, not the nightly news! Ezekiel’s ministry was consumed with helping READ MORE
2 Corinthians
Author Paul is the undisputed author of this letter. Some scholars hold that 6:14-7:1 is a post-Pauline insertion into the letter. Historical Setting Corinth was a big city crossroads with lots of ethnicities and religions – a melting pot. There was a high population of freed slaves who came to make their fortune and they READ MORE
3rd Sunday of Lent Year B
The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Lent Exodus 20:1-17 Background of the book Today we read the “decalogue” – the ten words/dictums/commandments. These form the initial stipulation of God’s covenant with the nation of Israel. The commandments are arranged in two groups:1. Duties to God. Each commandment in this group contains the phrase “the LORD READ MORE
2nd Sunday of Lent Year B
The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Lent Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 Background of the book This is a hard story to grapple with. It invites us to ask hard questions. What are we to make out of a God who plays with a faithful servant who has done everything asked of him, almost as READ MORE
The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ – Lectionary and Interpretation
This is one of two feasts celebrating particular doctrines (the Most Holy Trinity is the other one). We thank you, our Father, for the life and knowledge which you have made known to us through Jesus your Servant; to you be the glory forever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and READ MORE
Revised Common Lectionary
I write from the primary perspective of the Roman Catholic Lectionary. One of the fruits of the Second Vatican Council was work between Catholics and Protestants to develop a shared set of Sunday readings, which eventually came to be called the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). You can read more about the history of the common READ MORE
The Feast of the Most Holy Trinity – Lectionary and Interpretation
This is one of two feasts celebrating particular doctrines (the Body and Blood is the other one). Bishop Arius died in 336. He denied the divinity of Christ by saying “There was a time when Christ was not.” He said Christ was merely an exalted creature. St. Augustine spent much of his life arguing against READ MORE
The Gospel According to Matthew
Author Most likely an anonymous Jew. Matthew the tax collector may have been the first missionary to the author’s community. It’s hard to say exactly why the book gained his name. Date Most scholars date this gospel between 85 and 95 AD. By then, the gospel of Mark was in wide circulation and this gospel READ MORE
1st Sunday of Lent Year B
The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Lent Genesis 9:8-15 Background of the book Genesis 6-9 tells the story of Noah and the flood, a story that pre-dates the Jewish people. This is the first covenant in the Bible, and it’s important to note that God makes it with all of humanity and every living creature. READ MORE