That is true. Yet what are we readers supposed to do with Romans 7:1-6?
I found the Commentary on Romans (Swedish, 1944; English, 1949) by Swedish Lutheran Bishop Anders Nygren helpful in considering that question. Nygren’s Commentary has proven to be influential and durable, for other published exegetes have quoted and/or referred to it. So why not cut out the middle man and go directly to Nygren?
Nygren argued that, according to St. Paul the Apostle, the Law (Torah) never dies. It has not expired or run its course, and Christ has neither superceded, negated, nor repealed it:
The law does not die. There is only one way to liberation. Only in the fact that the Christian has died with Christ is he really and truly set free beyond the realm of the law. Paul’s emphasis lies on this genuine liberation.
–Page 272
On page 268 Nygren presents in two columns the parallels between Romans 6 and 7:1-6. In Chapter 6 Christians die to sin so that they might walk in newness of life, in freedom from sin. When we turn to Chapter 7, we read of dying to the law for the purpose of serving in the new life of the Spirit, in freedom from the law.
This liberation has come through the death of Christ, and through the fact that by baptism we have become sharers in His death.
–Page 269
As a note in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible (2003) stated well,
The point Paul desires to make is that death ends obligations; the law has lost its claim over Christians, who have transferred their allegiance to Christ.
–Page 2019
The theme of liberation via God to live righteously in the joy of God applies also to Isaiah 61:1-7. The speaker in that text is most likely the author of the last few chapters of the Book of Isaiah. The notes in The Jewish Study Bible–Second Edition (2014) identify him as Deutero-Isaiah. I think that Trito-Isaiah is the accurate label, but that is a minor issue. The prophet speaks of his mandate from God
To bind up the wounded of heart,
To proclaim release to the captives,
Liberation to the imprisoned;
To proclaim a year of the LORD’s favor
And a day of vindication by our God;
To comfort all who mourn….
–Isaiah 61:1b-2, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
The historical context of this pericope is the return of the Hebrew exiles to their ancestral homeland. Decades of captivity had understandably caused much despondency and prompted much derision, hence the necessity of the prophet’s mission.
In a broader sense, is not the prophet’s mission that of all who have known the love of God? Grace is free yet definitely not cheap; it requires a positive, faithful response. The wounded of heart and those who mourn are always around us. Captives and prisoners (both literal and metaphorical) are numerous also. The mission of Trito-Isaiah is mine as well as yours, O reader. Jesus claimed it as part of his mission in Luke 4:16-19. If he claimed it for himself, should not we who follow him?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 3, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE EVE OF THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI: PROPER FOR THE GOODNESS OF CREATION
THE FEAST OF THEODOR FLIEDNER, PIONEER OF THE DEACONESS MOVEMENT IN THE LUTHERAN CHURCH
THE FEAST OF GEORGE KENNEDY ALLEN BELL, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF CHICHESTER
THE FEAST OF JOHN RALEIGH MOTT, ECUMENICAL PIONEER
Almighty God, by grace alone you call us and accept us in your service.
Strengthen us by your Spirit, and make us worthy of your call,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 23
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The Assigned Readings:
Proverbs 8:1-21
Psalm 46
Mark 3:13-19a
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The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
–Psalm 46:7, Common Worship (2000)
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One understanding of divine wisdom in the Bible is that it became part and parcel of Jesus, the incarnated Logos of God, per John 1. That thought fills my mind as I read from Proverbs 8. The cry to all humankind filled the preaching of Christ’s Apostles. It echoes down the corridors of time.
I wonder how many of those men would have followed Jesus had they known what awaited them. One became disappointed in Jesus, whom he betrayed before committing suicide. Ten became martyrs. The twelfth lived to a ripe old age and died in exile. Will we also follow Jesus? Will we become disappointed in him then betray him somehow also? Might we face danger and perhaps die for the faith we profess? If we knew what awaited us from the beginning of our walk with Christ, would we have accepted the invitation?
Sometimes wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible promises prosperity as a reward for faithfulness to God. Such passages lead to Prosperity Theology, a heresy. Often, actually, fidelity to God leads to hardship. As Proverbs 8, verse 19 states that the fruits of wisdom are superior to fine gold and verse 21 says that any financial reward for faithfulness will be honest wealth. There is an offset to Prosperity Theology in that pericope.
May we follow God in Christ wherever the path leads. If we become disappointed, may we realize that the fault resides within us, not God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 23, 2014 COMMON ERA
PROPER 29–CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY–THE LAST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF JOHN KENNETH PFOHL, SR., U.S. MORAVIAN BISHOP; HIS WIFE, HARRIET ELIZABETH “BESSIE” WHITTINGTON PFOHL, U.S. MORAVIAN MUSICIAN; AND THEIR SON, JAMES CHRISTIAN PFOHL, SR., U.S. MORAVIAN MUSICIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLEMENT I OF ROME, BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT COLUMBAN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF MIGUEL AUGUSTIN PRO, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
The readings for these three days tell of faithfulness to God, of faithlessness, and of vindication. Along the way we read of two different Sauls.
Hannah was childless. For this her husband’s other wife mocked her. But Elkanah loved Hannah, his wife. And God answered Hannah’s prayer for a child, giving her the great prophet Samuel. He, following divine instructions, anointed two kings of Israel–Saul and David, both of whom went their own sinful ways. Yet Saul, no less troublesome a figure than David, faced divine rejection. Saul’s attempts at vindication–some of them violent–backfired on him.
Saul of Tarsus, who became St. Paul the Apostle, had to overcome his past as a persecutor of the nascent Christian movement as well as strong opposition to his embrace of the new faith and to his mission to Gentiles. Fortunately, he succeeded, changing the course of events.
And Jesus, who dined with notorious sinners, brought many of them to repentance. He, unlike others, who shunned them, recognized the great potential within these marginalized figures. For this generosity of spirit our Lord and Savior had to provide a defense to certain respectable religious authorities.
Sometimes our quests for vindication are self-serving, bringing benefit only to ourselves. Yet, on other occasions, we have legitimate grounds for vindication. When we are in the right those who cause the perceived need for vindication–for whatever reason they do so–ought to apologize instead.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 6, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALLAN CRITE, ARTIST
THE FEAST OF CHARLES ELLIOTT FOX, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY
Liturgical time matters, for it sacramentalizes days, hours, and minutes, adding up to seasons on the church calendar. Among the frequently overlooked seasons is the Season after Epiphany, the first part of Ordinary Time. The Feast of the Epiphany always falls on January 6 in my tradition. And Ash Wednesday always falls forty days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday. The Season after Epiphany falls between The Feast of the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. In 2013 the season will span January 7-February 12.
This season ought to be a holy time, one in which to be especially mindful of the imperative to take the good news of Jesus of Nazareth to others by a variety of means, including words when necessary. Words are meaningless when our actions belie them, after all. Among the themes of this season is that the Gospel is for all people, not just those we define as insiders. No, the message is also for our “Gentiles,” those whom we define as outsiders. So, with that thought in mind, I encourage you, O reader, to exclude nobody. Do not define yourself as an insider to the detriment of others. If you follow this advice, you will have a proper Epiphany spirit.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 9, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MARTIN CHEMNITZ, GERMAN LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF BARTON STONE, COFOUNDER OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
Never try to get revenge: leave that, my dear friends, to the Retribution. As scripture says: Vengeance is mine–I will pay them back, the Lord promises. And more: If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if thirsty, something to drink. By this, you will be heaping red-hot coals on his head. Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good.
Versification of parts of the Hebrew Bible differs depending upon whether one reads from a Protestant translation or a Jewish, Roman Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox one. Such is the case in Joel, where 2:1-32 in Protestant versions equals 2:1-3:5 in Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox translations. And Joel 4 in Jewish, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox versions equals Joel 3 in Protestant translations.
Vengeance is a primal emotions. It jumps off the pages of the Book of Psalms. Consider, O reader, these cringe-worthy lines:
Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem ‘s fall;
how they cried, “Strip her, strip her
to her very foundations.”
Fair Babylon, you predator,
a blessing on him who repays you in kind
what you have inflicted on us;
a blessing on him who seizes your babies
and dashes them against the rocks.
–Psalm 137:7-9, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
And how often have relatives of murdered people stated in public their desire for the death penalty for the guilty and cited revenge as it is a good thing? Revenge poisons a person’s soul and does not undo the damage the perpetrator has inflicted. There will be retribution for some from God, in whom there is also mercy. I know the desire for revenge well, and I have had to rid myself of it.
As Paul advised,
As much as possible,and to the utmost of your ability, be a peace with everyone.
–Romans 12:18, The New Jerusalem Bible
Such matters involve more than one party, of course. And, if not all parties consent to mutual peace, there will be no reconciliation. I suppose that simply pursuing revenge–rather, leaving judgment to God–is the best possible outcome in such a case. Getting on with one’s life is better for oneself than obsessing over a real or imagined injury.
Life is short, certainly in geological terms. May we not mar our brief time on earth with the quest for revenge more than we have done so already.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 2, 2012 COMMON ERA
MONDAY IN HOLY WEEK
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN PAYNE AND CUTHBERT MAYNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS
Above: Commander William Adama, from the Second Season of Battlestar Galactica
(A screen capture I took via PowerDVD)
Showing Mercy
JANUARY 24, 2020
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Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.
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1 Samuel 24:2-20 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said to him,
Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, “Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem to you.”
Then David arose and stealthily cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe. And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. He said to his men,
The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing that he is the LORD’s anointed.
So David persuaded his men with these words, and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave, and went upon his way.
Afterward David also arose, and went out of the cave, and called after Saul,
My lord the king!
And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obesiance. And David said to Saul,
Why do you listen to the words of men who say, “Behold, David seeks your hurt”? Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave and some bade me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, “I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is the LORD’s anointed. See, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for by the fact that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me upon you; but my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! May the LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see to it, and plead my cause, and deliver me from your hand.
When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said,
Is this your voice, my son David?
And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He said to David,
You are more righteous than I; for you have repaid me good, where as I have repaid you evil. And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the LORD put me into your hands. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. And now, behold, I know you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand….
Psalm 57 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,
for I have taken refuge in you;
in the shadow of your wings will I take refuge
until this time of trouble has gone by.
2 I will call upon the Most High God,
the God who maintains my cause.
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
he will confound those who trample upon me;
God will send forth his love and his faithfulness.
4 I lie in the midst of lions that devour the people;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongue is a sharp sword.
5 They have laid a net for my feet,
and I am bowed low;
they have dug a pit before me,
but they have fallen into it themselves.
6 Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.
7 My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;
I will sing and make melody.
8 Wake up, my spirit;
awake, lute and harp;
I myself will waken the dawn.
9 I will confess you among the peoples, O LORD;
I will sing praise to you among the nations.
10 For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
11 Exalt yourselves above the heavens, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.
Mark 3:13-19 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons: Simon whom he surnamed Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
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The Collect:
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The lesson to forgive one’s enemies and leave judgment to God is consistent with the Bible. However, like other Biblical lessons, it has insincere echoes on tee-shirts and bumper stickers. So, in the same vein as “DO UNTO OTHERS BEFORE THEY DO UNTO YOU,” one might read, “FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES–NOTHING ANNOYS THEM MORE.” I prefer the Biblical version.
Saul had tried to kill David more than once. When 1 Samuel 24 began, David found Saul in a rather vulnerable position in a cave and chose not to kill him or even to harm him. David did, however, inform Saul of what he would have done, had he been inclined to do so. This did not end the conflict between the two men, but it did have at least a momentary affect on the troubled monarch.
It can be difficult to choose not to wield the sword or another weapon; some might even call it being “soft,” as in “soft on defense.” There are subcultures where being “hard,” as in the opposite of “soft,” is considered a virtue. (Prisons and jails come to mind immediately.) But consider this: David, in 1 Samuel 24, was not being passive. Nevertheless, he did choose not to assassinate his king and father-in-law, who had tried to murder him more than once. David acted properly and informed Saul, thereby appealing to the conscience of the king.
As Commander William Adama said in Resurrection Ship, Part II, an episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, “It’s not enough to survive; one must be worthy of surviving.” How much suffering would not have occurred in human history had someone, in a certain time and place, shown restraint and therefore broken the cycle of violence? How much suffering might one prevent in contemporary times by demonstrating similar restraint? I wonder.
