Nielsen’s Nook

For those who enjoy context, our scripture readings this morning at St. John’s were Acts 1:1-14; Psalm 47; 1 Peter 4:12-19; and John 17:1-11. ]

I walked away from worshiping the Resurrected and Ascended Christ this morning with a profound impression that I want to encapsulate here. The Gospel promises eternal life for all who believe in Jesus Christ. Many of us, for manifold reasons, have come to believe that eternal life is something we hope to participate in after we die. It’s out there somewhere beyond time. In a sense that’s true. Eternal Life is beyond time; however, that’s because eternal life is God himself, who is alone alive by no other cause than himself.

It is this God, revealed to us in Scripture, that has not been content to keep eternal life all to himself, to remain a hermit of divine proportions. Rather, God came down, stooping, as it were, to bind himself to us in the person of His Son, Jesus the Christ. This Christ is our life, our eternal life, for he has trampled down sin, death and hell for us by his own death. Now being raised from the dead, Christians celebrate this life now in their lives. It is not something that we will only one day have, but Christ gives himself fully to us now.

This is celebrated in the liturgy every Sunday. Eternal Life, himself, calls us to worship, speaks to us in His Scriptures, hears our confession, forgives us our sins, and bids us to eat his flesh and drink his blood - to partake of Him, who is alone the life of the world. Such is the bond of love that Christ has made to his people. The cold shackles of sin, death and hell have been burst opened by Life, who has said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:29-30 ESV)

Such is the union we see as Life, himself, prays for his Church. We see his longing for unity with us as we demonstrate that bond in love to each other.

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HT: Fr. David Houk, Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, preached the sermon that spawned this meditation.

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Commentary

[1] Hebrews 1:3 continues the sentence begun in v 1 with the present active participle ὢν. As most other English translations do, I begin a new sentence here for readability; however, in doing so this participle is masked as an present active indicative verb. Consequently, the ongoing or continuous aspect of what is attributed to the Son in vv 4-5 is obscured.

[2] ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης is a phrase found in the Deuterocanonical book, Wisdom of Solomon (7:26), speaking of the nature of wisdom. ἀπαύγασμα γάρ ἐστιν φωτὸς ἀιδίου καὶ ἔσοπτρον ἀκηλίδωτον τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνεργείας καὶ εἰκὼν τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ. For [Wisdom] is the radiance of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God and an image of His goodness (author’s translation). It is worth noting that the Son is the active demonstration of these things, not a mere reflection, but the actively radiant representation of the divine glory.

[3] ὑποστάσεως (ὑπόστασις) is of course the creedal word relating Christ’s undivided dual natured singular person to us.

[4] Byzantine scribes out of concern for clearly communicating the unblemished nature of the Lord Jesus seem to have inserted ἡμῶν to clarify whose sins were purified. Metzger gives a brief discussion to the textual variations concerning τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, καθαρισμὸν. This is also the case, of course, in the Textus Receptus.

[5] The Byzantine text adds the reflexive ἑαυτοῦ (Himself) for clarification here. This is also the case, of course, in the Textus Receptus.

[6] τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος prominence here assumes a hierarchy. The rank of the Incarnate Son is above all created things. While the second person of the Trinity was always the Eternal Son, Creator and Sustainer of the world, He of course as uncreated is superior to all created beings such as angels. However, he became the Incarnate Son. His incarnate nature was created and fallen (i.e. under the curse), yet without sin. Jesus, the Incarnate Son, was raised to a position of prominence relative to all other creation because he alone had been the apex of creation that Humanity had been intended to be. As such, the undivided Son takes his place next to the resplendent Majesty and sits down, standing only when his beloved is persecuted and martyred (Acts 7:56).

Translation

1 The blessed Polycarp was martyred on the second of the month of Xanthicus, [a] seven days before the calends [b] of March, on a great sabbath, during the eighth hour. He was apprehended by Herod during the time while Philipp of Tralles was high priest, while Statius Quadratus was proconsul, [c] and while Jesus Christ reigns for ever. To him be the glory, honor, majesty, the eternal throne from generation to generation. Amen.

[a] μηνὸς Ξανθικοῦ δευτέρᾳ ἱσταμένου, πρὸ ἑπτὰ καλανδῶν Μαρτίων i.e., February 22. See entry for μήν, μηνός, ὁ in BAGD, 518. Michael Holmes indicates that Eusebius’ mention of the year of St. Polycarp’s martyrdom as 167 AD is suspect. “Evidence that has come to light regarding the proconsulship of Statius Quadratus has led many to adopt a date around 156; this comports well with the fact that not long before his arrest Polycarp visited Bishop Anicetus of Rome, who became bishop there no earlier than 154.” (Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers : Greek Texts and English Translations (Updated ed.; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1999), 223).

[b] καλάνδαι “the first day of the month in the Roman calendar” (BAGD, 398).

[c] ἀνθυπατεύοντος to be proconsul (BAGD, 69). Acts 18:12 in the Byzantine Text form we read Γαλλίωνος δὲ ἀνθυπατεύοντος  τῆς Ἀχαΐας… When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia (author’s translation).

Translation

1 Accordingly, you [a] requested that the things that happened be clarified for you more fully. [b] However, we have presently [c] reported through our brother Marcion,[d] as it were, with summary headings. [e] Therefore, after you have appropriated [f] these things, send the letter on to brothers beyond you so that they also might glorify the Lord, who makes chosen instruments [g] from among his own servants.

[a] ὑμει̂ς is a second person plural, i.e., the church of Philomelium. See §Preface.

[b] διὰ πλειόνων is a comparative phrase in which τὸ may have elided or been omitted. 2 Maccabees 12:24 (LXX Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft) reads, … διὰ τὸ πλειόνων μὲν γονεῖς …. because he held the parents of most of them (NRSV).

[c] κατὰ τὸ παρὸν lit. according to the present.

[d] Lake notes, “Not of course to be identified with the famous heretic. If Marcianus be the right text, it is noteworthy that Irenaeus sent his treatise on the ‘The Apostolic Preaching’ to a certain Marcianus. But this was probably forty years later than Polycarp’s death.” (Apostolic Fathers, vol 2, p 339).

[e] ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ lit. as in brief, in summary. The root κεφαλή (head) has metaphorical uses in the Greek speaking world similar to our own, such that “summary headings” seems, in our estimation, to better connect the translation at this point to the original in both word and concept.

[f] μαθόντες (μανθάνω) to learn (BAGD, 490).

[g] ἐκλογὰς appears to emphasize the outcome of what the Lord makes (i.e., things chosen), rather than describe adverbially what he makes (i.e., that he chooses). Conceptually, the Lord has made St. Polycarp a chosen instrument; hence, the word is supplied in italics. Acts 9:15 (NA27) reads, εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος· πορεύου, ὅτι σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς ἐστίν μοι … But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is my chosen instrument…” (author’s translation).

Translation

1 But the One who is jealous, envious and evil, the adversary of the people of righteousness, [a] when he saw not only the greatness of his martyrdom [b] and the blamelessness [c] of his Christian life [d] from the beginning, but also the crown [e] of immortality he had been honored with and the incontestable prize he had carried off, [f] took pains that his body was not taken with us; although, many desired to do this and to receive [g] part of his holy body.

[a] See note on §14.1 for γένος τῶν δικαίων.

[b] τό … μέγεθος αὐτοῦ τῆς μαρτυρίας see μέγεθος in BAGD, 498.

[c] ἀνεπίληπτον a compound word from the root ἐπίληπτος (ἐπίλαμπτος Ionic), meaning caught or detected in anything. Prefixed with ἀν it takes on the idea of “not open to attack,” “not censured,” i.e., blameless (Liddell Scott, Abridged, pp 68, 296).

[d] πολιτείαν lit., citizenship; here a technical term meaning Christian life. See note in §13.2.

[e] There is a certain poetic value of the historic circumstance that στέφανον rendered crown or wreath is also the name of the first Christian martyr, Stephen (Στέφανος) in Acts 7.

[f] βραβεῖον ἀναντίρρητον ἀπενηνεγμένον having carried off the incontestable prize (BAGD, ἀναντίρρητος, 58).

[g] κοινωνῆσαι (κοινωνέω) a familiar word even to many Christians not familiar with Greek, koinōnéō generally means to share in or have fellowship with; here, however, it has special application with regard to a martyr’s body. Apparently, it was customary for Christians to receive a part of the martyr’s sarcophagus as a holy relic (BAGD, 438).

Translation

1 Then things happened with such swiftness (more swiftly [a] than the words being said). Immediately, the crowds gathered wood and kindling [b] from the workshops and bath houses. As was their custom, the Jews were assisting with particular eagerness. [c]

[a] θᾶττον is a comparative form of ταχέως (BAGD, 806; cf. 352).

[b] φρύγανα (φρύγανον) “in the plural thin, dry wood, brushwood, especially for making fires” (BAGD, 867). Conceptually, this is kindling to start a fire (c.f., Acts 28:3).

[c] §13.1 is a single sentence which has been broken down into three English sentences for readability.