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From: tgobrien <tgobrien@comcast.net><br>
To: Tom O'Brien <tgobrien@comcast.net><br>
Sent: Thu, Nov 10, 2016 10:57 am<br>
Subject: Scriptuire in Context 11.20.16<br>
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<div>Dear Friends, </div>
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<div>Scripture in Context for November 20, 2016. I hope you
and others find it helpful. </div>
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<div>The Scripture in Context offerings since July are at <a>www.scriptureincontext.org</a>.
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<div>Blessings, </div>
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<div>Tom </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>NOVEMBER 20, 2016<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Jeremiah 23:1-6<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p> </o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">After the righteous King Josiah was killed in battle in 609
BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened
Judea’s existence, and Judea had hapless kings from 609 until 586 BCE when the
Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the Judean leaders to Babylon. Jeremiah’s
prophesy (<i>i.e</i>. speaking for Yahweh)
began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The Book of Jeremiah underwent substantial revisions between
the time of Jeremiah and the First Century.
Many sections in “poetry style” are attributed to the prophet, and parts
in “prose style” were added later. Indeed,
parts of Jeremiah are word-for-word the same as 2 Kings, a book written by the
Deuteronomists (authors of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings). The
consistent Deuteronomic themes in the prose style parts are that Yahweh
controls Judea’s fate and if Judeans and their kings do not worship Yahweh
faithfully, they will be scattered. Yahweh’s power is such, however, that a
“remnant” will return from Babylon to Judea. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Today’s reading is in prose style and attacks the kings and
priests (the “shepherds”). It holds up the promise that Yahweh will raise up
for “David” (Judea) a righteous king who will enable Israel to live in safety
and righteousness. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Colossians 1:11-20<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Colossae was a town in what is now western Turkey. A Jesus Follower community was founded there
by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The
letter is short (four chapters) and expresses concern about practices that are
inconsistent with Paul’s understanding of being a Jesus Follower. Scholars
debate whether it was written by Paul or by his disciples in the decade after
Paul’s death in 64 CE. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">In today’s reading, the
author adopts an apocalyptic theme in contrasting light and darkness (vv.
12-13). He expresses the theme that believers are redeemed and receive
forgiveness of sin in the Christ (v. 14).
“Redemption” conveys the sense of being bought back, the way something
already owned is redeemed from a pawn shop. He describes Jesus of Nazareth as
the “image” (or symbol or manifestation) of the invisible God (v.15) and
describes the Cosmic Christ as the unifying force for all created things, the
one who brings life to us even though we encounter our own deaths, and the
force that reconciles all things in </span></div>
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