Reference links:
Old Testament
Ack! I let my Kindle battery go dead, so I am reading this tethered to my desk.
Today’s reading consists of a poetic description of Israel’s sins. The priests and leaders get a large share of the blame, but all the people are implicated. As one would expect after yesterday’s reading, the main cause of the Lord’s displeasure is the adultery Israel has committed by worshiping idols instead of him. Corruption among the priests and leaders was also strongly implied. Because of this sin, God will tear Israel and Judah apart and wait for them to come crying back to him in a time of need.
New Testament
Another new book. This letter is only 13 verses long and is thought to be by the same author as 1 John. It is a warning against those who have broken away from the community. Thus, it seems, this will continue the dilution of Jesus’ command to love one another into a command to love those who agree with you.
After a short greeting, the author reminds the recipients to love one another. The believers are then warned against those who deny that Jesus came in a physical body. Those people, according to the author, have no relationship with God. Because, as we have already established, disagreeing with the Johannine community is the ultimate sin in the eyes of John the Elder.
After that, the short letter is closed.
In the New Living Translation, the authors made an interesting translation choice. Consider these three verses with alternate translations. The main translation is always first and the footnote alternate second.
Verse 1:1,
“I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children” OR “I am writing to the church God has chosen and its members”
Verse 1:5,
“I am writing to remind you, dear friends” OR “I urge you, lady”
Verse 1:13,
“Greetings from the children of your sister” OR “Greetings from the members of your sister church”
Clearly, this can be translated as a personal letter written to a woman or to a church community where the church is being referred to in feminine terms. What I find odd is the choice to choose the address an individual in the first and last verse and the community in the second. I suppose the chosen translation for the second verse works either way, but it does seem like the second is a more consistent choice.
In any case, that was 2 John. Doesn’t really add much to 1 John, in my opinion.
Psalms and Proverbs
This reminds me of those TV courts:
If a wise person takes a fool to court,
there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction.
And this is a good proverb:
Fools vent their anger,
but the wise quietly hold it back.