The following are excerpts from:
The Oxford Bible Commentary, ed. John Barton and John
Muddiman (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001)
[Gen] 1:2 refers to the situation
before God’s creative action began. There is no question here of a creatio
ex nihilo, a ‘creation out of nothing’. The earth (hā’āreṣ) already
existed but it was a ‘formless void’ (tôhû wābōhû)—not a kind of
non-existence but something empty and formless, without light and covered by
the water of the deep (tēhôm). (R. N. Whybray, “Genesis,” 42-43—notice how
“ex nihilo” has to be reinterpreted to mean not “from nothing” but “something
empty and formless” which still existed before “creation”)
Even the Bible has to recognize
the existence of other powers; the uniqueness of its demand is that even so
only one of them is worthy of Israel’s worship, the one ‘who brought you . . .
out of the house of slavery’; who is ‘a jealous God’—better, perhaps,
‘passionate’, ‘watchful of my rights’. The issue of one of YHWH’s honour as the
protector and saviour of his people. The harshness of the threat in 5b-6
(see also 34:7) has to be evaluated in the light of a far stronger community
feeling than is normal with us. The worship of a god could not be an individual
matter: the whole extended family shared in the sin—and therefore in the punishment.
But contrast Ezek 18. (Walter Houston, “Exodus,” 81)
Psalm 82
Jewish tradition, seen in the Targum and reflected in Jn 10;34-6, interpreted
this psalm as the condemnation of the human rulers of Israel, similar to Isa
3:13-15, but v. 7 makes no sense on this interpretation and it is almost
universally accepted today that the picture is of YHWH’s heavenly court (cf. 1
Kings 22:19-22; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7), similar to the pantheons of the other
nations with YHWH presiding as Marduk or El did. The gods were apparently
charged with maintaining justice in their client kingdoms, but they have shown
partiality to the wicked and have not defended those who are exposed to
oppression, orphans and the poor. vv.2-4, 6-7 set out YHWH’s judgement. His
sentence is that the gods will die like human beings. V. 5 may refer either to
the wicked or the gods. The verse stands out within the divine judgement, and
some have suggested that the psalm is in chiastic form:
1
2
3-4
5
6
7
8
The psalm ends with a prayer that
YHWH will undertake universal rule and bring in universal righteousness. This
has suggested to some that rather than a prophetic oracle or vision the psalm
is really a lament, but it is possible to regard the verse as an exclamation,
as in Isa 21:5 and Mic 4:13. (C. S. Rodd, “Psalms,” 389)
(56:6-8)
Attention now turns to the status of foreigners. Down to the exile Israel and
Judah had been nation-states among other like states, but in the later period
their descendants were essentially a religious community, bound by the laws of
membership of that community. What was to be the attitude to those from
outside? The literature of Second Temple Judaism offers the whole spectrum of
answers to that question; here is one of the most open and affirmative
responses. It is possible for foreigners to be the ‘servants’ of YHWH, an
important acknowledgement in view of the status of the servant set out in
earlier chapters. They must of course keep the sabbath, but they are thereby
rendered able to maintain the covenant. In these circumstances they can bring
offerings for sacrifice in the same way as native-born Israelites. The passage
reaches a climax wit the promise of the availability of the temple to those
from any nation/ Quotation of this passage is of course attributed to Jesus in
his dispute with the temple authorities of his time (Mk 11:17). The bringing in
of foreigners is pictured as being on a par with the restoration of exiled
Israelites. . . . . (66:18-21) Another prose passage but this time of a
very different temper. If v. 17 stressed what seems to us a negative viewpoint,
here the positive attitude to foreigners found in ch. 56 is taken further.
Though the reference to the coastlands is characteristic (cf. 11:11), the
actual list of foreign places in v. 19 is unexpected, owing more to Ezek 27
than to anything in Isaiah . . . Still more astonishing is the thought,
underlined as being a divine oracle, that some of these
foreigners might be enrolled as priests and Levites . . . (R. Coggins,
“Isaiah,” 479, 484)
Cf.:
[re. Rom 15:14-33] Several aspects
of Paul’s self-description merit attention. The use of sacerdotal imagery to
describe his ministry (‘priestly service . . . the offering of the Gentiles’)
is telling. Paul’s language appears to echo Isa 66:18-23, a prophetic
description of the eschatological incorporation of Gentiles into Israel (see
also Isa 2:1-4; 42:1-9; 49; 55:4-5; 60:1-7). (Craig C. Hill, “Romans,” 1106)
(9:11-12) National Restoration
Judgement now unequivocally yields to salvation. When 'on that day' last
occurred (8:14; cf. 2:16; 8:3), the sinful young people had 'fallen', never to
'rise'. Here, YHWH himself 'raises' the 'fallen', reversing 5:2; 8:14. Hence,
the mysterious 'booth of David' matches 'maiden Israel'; both represent the
nation, Perhaps restoration of the united kingdom is suggested (2 Sam 8; cf.
Hos 1:11; 3:5). 'Booth' may continue the harvest motif, referring to
temporary shelters at harvest-time (Isa 1:8; cf. Jon 4:5); but a military
context is also possible (2 Sam 11:11; 1 Kings 20:12). 'Breaches' (cf. 4:3),
'ruins' and 'rebuild' suggest reconstruction of a city. 'Rebuild' is the same
as 'build' in 9:6; YHWH constructs places for himself on earth as in heaven.
(Jennifer M. Dines, “Amos,” 589)
[11:17-20] The pre-existence of
matter is probably allowed in 17 . . . for divine power is being asserted, yet
words like ‘did not make them out of things that existed’ (2 Macc 7:28) are not
used; these words too could be reconciled with pre-existence for in Greek
thought non-existence tended to signify lack of definite character rather than
utter nullity . . . (William Horbury, “The Wisdom of Solomon,” 662)
[2 Macc 7:28] Later Christian
writers, such as Origen (On First Principles, 2.1.5) and the Latin
translator of 2 Maccabees, interpreted the phrase at v. 28 to mean that God
created out of nothing, but the text states that God did not make them from
what already existed as properly formed, vv. 30-8 . . . (R. Doran, “2
Maccabees,” 742)
That the gates of Hades will not
prevail against the church is not an allusion to Jesus’ death and resurrection,
nor to the general resurrection, nor to Christ’s descent into hell (a thing
otherwise unattested in this gospel). The most plausible interpretation is that
the gates of Hades are the ungodly powers of the underworld who will assail the
church in the latter days: the church will emerge triumphant from the
eschatological assaults of evil. In the background is the end-time scenario of
powers which, unleashed from below, rage against the saints (cf. 1 Enoch 56:8;
Rev 11:7; 17:8). One may
compare Rev 9:1-11, where the demonic hosts under their king, Abaddon, come up
from the bottomless pit to torment humanity. They prevail against all except
those with the seal of God.
In
v. 19 Peter is given the keys of the kingdom, which is explicated t mean that
he has the authority to bind and loose (cf. 18:18). This is not a statement
about exorcism or the forgiveness of sins (cf. Jn 20;23). Rathe, Peter as a
sort of supreme rabbi of the kingdom, is given teaching authority. His
decisions stand. (Dale C. Allison, Jr., “Matthew,” 865)
‘God is spirit’ has nothing to do
wit the Enlightenment description of the nature of God, but underlines that God
will give his Spirit through his Messiah. The new cult revealed by Jesus will
supplant Jewish and Samaritan worship, as much as it replaces Jewish
purification rites (1:33; 2:6-11; 3:25-30) and the temple cult in Jerusalem
(2:13-22). (René Kieffer, “John,” 968)
[Acts 2:38] Baptism is now ‘in the
name of Jesus Christ’, and will be followed (or accompanied) by the gift of the
Holy Spirit. This is the ‘promise’ that has dominated Peter’s speech. It is not
restricted to an apostolic élite: it is as universal as the need for repentance
(v. 39). (Loveday Alexander, “Acts,” 1032)
The next section of the chapter
(vv. 29-34) contains miscellaneous arguments which indicate the significance of
belief in life beyond death. The reference to baptism ‘on behalf of the dead’
(v. 29) has been the subject of multiple interpretations (some of which
construe the Greek quite differently). It probably refers to a rite in which a
few Corinthian believers underwent a vicarious baptism in the place of those
(believers?) who had died either unbaptized or ‘improperly’ baptized. 1:12-17
suggests that some Corinthians regarded baptism by certain figures as of great
significance, and they may have wished to make up for a ‘lack’ in the case of
those who were baptized by different leaders or in a different way. Paul does
not condemn such a practice, and he is willing to use it to show that the
Corinthians themselves entertain hopes for an existence beyond death. (John
Barclay, “1 Corinthians,” 1131)
In [3:]26 and in the grand finale
to this section in v. 29 Paul brings discussion of who are true ‘children of
Abraham’ back onto the agenda (cf. 3:16-19). In v. 26 those who are ‘in Christ
Jesus’ are God’s children, while in v. 29 those who ‘belong to Christ’ are
Abraham’s offspring: the expressions are synonymous. By now the listener will
be well aware that one’s standing before God is not grounded on law observance,
but on faith. vv. 27-28 interrupts the argument of vv. 26 and 29 with a
reference to baptism. Some of the phrases in these verses are found elsewhere
in early Christian writings (see especially 1 Cor 12;13; Col 3:11): only the
first pairing in v. 28, ‘Jew or Greek’, is relevant to the immediate context.
Hence several scholars conclude that Paul is here citing an early baptismal
liturgy. The person who is about to be baptized removes clothing, symbolising
the old order, and in baptism is ‘clothed with Christ’ (v. 27). In baptism all
the social distinctions that lay at the heart of the society of the day are
abolished. ‘Religious, social, and sexual pairs of opposites are not replaced
by equality but rather a newly created unity in Christ Jesus. (G. N. Stanton,
“Galatians,” 1160)
The decisive moment for
individuals was baptism, here described as the water of rebirth and renewal;
the moment when ‘he saved us’. Justification by grace, a truly Pauline idea, is
not explained, but like ‘saved’ in v. 5, the emphasis is on a past event,
enabling believers to become ‘heirs according to the hope of eternal life’. The
process of salvation is not yet complete, but believers can feel certain of
their part in it. Paul’s understanding of justification is complex, but
contrasts faith as the central element of salvation with works of the law. The
Pastoral Epistles’ emphasis, on the other hand, is on the close relationship
between belief in sound doctrine and the good works which follow. The two ideas
are not opposed to one another, but are distinctly different. (Clare Drury,
“The Pastoral Epistles,” 1233)
(22:18-19) Warning to Preserve the
Book’s Integrity Ancient books were often subject to revision, abbreviation, and
expansion by scribes and editors, and the textual history of non-canonical
Jewish and Christian apocalypses shows that such works were especially liable
to be modified in such ways. But these verses also allude to Deut 4:1-2; 12:32,
where the danger is of false prophets who maintain that idolatry is acceptable,
thus both adding to God’s law a permission it does not give and at the same
time effectively removing the law’s prohibitions of idolatry. It is clear from
the seven messages to the churches both that compromise with idolatry is one of
the dangers John’s prophecy aims to counter, and that there are false prophets
and their followers in the churches with whom John’s prophecy would be highly
unpopular for this reason. It is at this level of seriousness that we can
understand the severe warnings against tampering with the integrity of the book
(22;6). In their use of ‘add’ and ‘take away’ for both crime and punishment,
they are examples of eschatological lex talionis . . . (Richard Bauckham, “Revelation,” 1306)
