Tuesday, February 21, 2006
More on the Chair of Peter
I was not able ot get the JBC table in this morning and I have found I can't add it to my initial entry. For those of you who like the analysis - her ya go - for the Feast of the Chair of Peter
Scripture from 1 Pt 5:1-4
Jerome Biblical Commentary
1
1 So I exhort the presbyters 2 among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
2 [1] Presbyters: the officially appointed leaders and teachers of the Christian community (cf 1 Tim 5:17-18; Titus 1:5-8; James 5:14).
(B) Let the Elders Be Seen as True Shepherds of the Flock (5:1-5). 1. elders: The presbyteroi were entrusted with an official function (administrative, ITm 5:17; and cultic, Jas 5:14) in the Christian community. Such men were set up by traveling apostles (Acts 14:23). Note that Peter writes as sympresbyteros, "fellow elder,"
2
Tend the flock of God in your midst, (overseeing) not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
3
Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock.
2. be shepherds of God's flock: The pastoral care of the Church is entrusted to such "elders," as it is in Acts 20:17,28. They are to "oversee" and "tend" the flock in doctrine and in discipline. Some mss. add episkopountes (overseeing); for the collocation of the two notions, see comment on 2 :25. not for shameful profit: Such a motive is to be ever far from the minds of those who are "elders" in God's Church (see Ti 1:7; I Tm 3 :8)
4
And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 3
3 [4] See the note on 1 Peter 2:25.
4. chief Shepherd: Christ in his parousia is depicted in the role of shepherd (see 2:25). This image brings out the pastoral aspect of Christ's activity in salvation and his relation to the others in his Church who are also "pastors.' crown of glory: Cf Jer 13 :18 and the Qumran equivalent in 1QS 4:7; 1QH 9:25 (see comment on I Thes 2:19).
Scripture on Mt 16:13-19
Jerome Biblical Commentary
13
8 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi 9 he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
14
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, 10 others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16
11 Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
17
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood 12 has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
18
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, 13 and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
19
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 14 Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
9 [13] Caesarea Philippi: situated about twenty miles north of the Sea of Galilee in the territory ruled by Philip, a son of Herod the Great, tetrarch from 4 B.C. until his death in A.D. 34 (see the note on Matthew 14:1). He rebuilt the town of Paneas, naming it Caesarea in honor of the emperor, and Philippi ("of Philip") to distinguish it from the seaport in Samaria that was also called Caesarea. Who do people say that the Son of Man is?: although the question differs from the Marcan parallel (Mark 8:27: "Who . . . that I am?"), the meaning is the same, for Jesus here refers to himself as the Son of Man (cf Matthew 16:15).
10 [14] John the Baptist: see Matthew 14:2. Elijah: cf Malachi 3:23-24; Sirach 48:10; and see the note on Matthew 3:4. Jeremiah: an addition of Matthew to the Marcan source.
11 [16] The Son of the living God: see Matthew 2:15; 3:17. The addition of this exalted title to the Marcan confession eliminates whatever ambiguity was attached to the title Messiah. This, among other things, supports the view proposed by many scholars that Matthew has here combined his source's confession with a post-resurrectional confession of faith in Jesus as Son of the living God that belonged to the appearance of the risen Jesus to Peter; cf 1 Cor 15:5; Luke 24:34.
12 [17] Flesh and blood: a Semitic expression for human beings, especially in their weakness. Has not revealed this . . . but my heavenly Father: that Peter's faith is spoken of as coming not through human means but through a revelation from God is similar to Paul's description of his recognition of who Jesus was; see Gal 1:15-16, ". . . when he [God] . . . was pleased to reveal his Son to me. . . ."
13 [18] You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: the Aramaic word kepa - meaning rock and transliterated into Greek as Kephas is the name by which Peter is called in the Pauline letters (1 Cor 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:4; Gal 1:18; 2:9, 11, 14) except in Gal 2:7-8 ("Peter"). It is translated as Petros ("Peter") in John 1:42. The presumed original Aramaic of Jesus' statement would have been, in English, "You are the Rock (Kepa) and upon this rock (kepa) I will build my church." The Greek text probably means the same, for the difference in gender between the masculine noun petros, the disciple's new name, and the feminine noun petra (rock) may be due simply to the unsuitability of using a feminine noun as the proper name of a male. Although the two words were generally used with slightly different nuances, they were also used interchangeably with the same meaning, "rock." Church: this word (Greek ekklesia) occurs in the gospels only here and in Matthew 18:17 (twice). There are several possibilities for an Aramaic original. Jesus' church means the community that he will gather and that, like a building, will have Peter as its solid foundation. That function of Peter consists in his being witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it: the netherworld (Greek Hades, the abode of the dead) is conceived of as a walled city whose gates will not close in upon the church of Jesus, i.e., it will not be overcome by the power of death.
14 [19] The keys to the kingdom of heaven: the image of the keys is probably drawn from Isaiah 22:15-25 where Eliakim, who succeeds Shebnah as master of the palace, is given "the key of the house of David," which he authoritatively "opens" and "shuts" (Isaiah 22:22). Whatever you bind . . . loosed in heaven: there are many instances in rabbinic literature of the binding-loosing imagery. Of the several meanings given there to the metaphor, two are of special importance here: the giving of authoritative teaching, and the lifting or imposing of the ban of excommunication. It is disputed whether the image of the keys and that of binding and loosing are different metaphors meaning the same thing. In any case, the promise of the keys is given to Peter alone. In Matthew 18:18 all the disciples are given the power of binding and loosing, but the context of that verse suggests that there the power of excommunication alone is intended. That the keys are those to the kingdom of heaven and that Peter's exercise of authority in the church on earth will be confirmed in heaven show an intimate connection between, but not an identification of, the church and the kingdom of heaven.
THE CONFESSION OF PETER (16:13-23).
The scene of this conversation is the neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi, the modern Baniyas, a little over 20 mi. N of the Sea of Galilee near the sources of the Jordan. The city was founded by Philip the tetrarch, brother of Herod Antipas; it was an entirely Gentile community. The variations of Mt from Mk here are some of the most interesting in the entire Gospel. The question of Jesus concerns the Son of Man where Mk has "me"; Son of Man is usually understood to be a Messianic title, but suggestive rather than explicit. To the answers John the Baptist (see 14:2) and Elijah, or another of the prophets, Mt adds Jeremiah. The belief in the return of Elijah was derived from Mal 3:23-24; see Sir 48:10; Mt 17:3,10-13. The addition of Jeremiah may not be unrelated to the belief expressed in 2 Mc 15:13-16. The question is turned directly to the disciples; and the construction of the passage leaves no doubt that it is a challenge. "Simon Peter" answers for all with a profession that Jesus is the Messiah; Mt alone adds "the son of the living God." This additional title, which goes beyond the confession of messiahship, very probably reflects the more developed faith of the primitive Christian community; Mk has preserved the original saying. By speaking of the more developed faith of the community we do not imply that the community had a full understanding of the sonship of Jesus; but they professed their belief in the entirely unique relationship of Jesus with the Father (see 11:27; T. de Kruijf, Der Sohn des lebendigen Gottes [AnalBib 16; Rome, 1962]).
More on the Chair of Peter
I was not able ot get the JBC table in this morning and I have found I can't add it to my initial entry. For those of you who like the analysis - her ya go - for the Feast of the Chair of Peter
Scripture from 1 Pt 5:1-4
Jerome Biblical Commentary
1
1 So I exhort the presbyters 2 among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
2 [1] Presbyters: the officially appointed leaders and teachers of the Christian community (cf 1 Tim 5:17-18; Titus 1:5-8; James 5:14).
(B) Let the Elders Be Seen as True Shepherds of the Flock (5:1-5). 1. elders: The presbyteroi were entrusted with an official function (administrative, ITm 5:17; and cultic, Jas 5:14) in the Christian community. Such men were set up by traveling apostles (Acts 14:23). Note that Peter writes as sympresbyteros, "fellow elder,"
2
Tend the flock of God in your midst, (overseeing) not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
3
Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock.
2. be shepherds of God's flock: The pastoral care of the Church is entrusted to such "elders," as it is in Acts 20:17,28. They are to "oversee" and "tend" the flock in doctrine and in discipline. Some mss. add episkopountes (overseeing); for the collocation of the two notions, see comment on 2 :25. not for shameful profit: Such a motive is to be ever far from the minds of those who are "elders" in God's Church (see Ti 1:7; I Tm 3 :8)
4
And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 3
3 [4] See the note on 1 Peter 2:25.
4. chief Shepherd: Christ in his parousia is depicted in the role of shepherd (see 2:25). This image brings out the pastoral aspect of Christ's activity in salvation and his relation to the others in his Church who are also "pastors.' crown of glory: Cf Jer 13 :18 and the Qumran equivalent in 1QS 4:7; 1QH 9:25 (see comment on I Thes 2:19).
Scripture on Mt 16:13-19
Jerome Biblical Commentary
13
8 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi 9 he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
14
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, 10 others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16
11 Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
17
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood 12 has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
18
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, 13 and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
19
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 14 Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
9 [13] Caesarea Philippi: situated about twenty miles north of the Sea of Galilee in the territory ruled by Philip, a son of Herod the Great, tetrarch from 4 B.C. until his death in A.D. 34 (see the note on Matthew 14:1). He rebuilt the town of Paneas, naming it Caesarea in honor of the emperor, and Philippi ("of Philip") to distinguish it from the seaport in Samaria that was also called Caesarea. Who do people say that the Son of Man is?: although the question differs from the Marcan parallel (Mark 8:27: "Who . . . that I am?"), the meaning is the same, for Jesus here refers to himself as the Son of Man (cf Matthew 16:15).
10 [14] John the Baptist: see Matthew 14:2. Elijah: cf Malachi 3:23-24; Sirach 48:10; and see the note on Matthew 3:4. Jeremiah: an addition of Matthew to the Marcan source.
11 [16] The Son of the living God: see Matthew 2:15; 3:17. The addition of this exalted title to the Marcan confession eliminates whatever ambiguity was attached to the title Messiah. This, among other things, supports the view proposed by many scholars that Matthew has here combined his source's confession with a post-resurrectional confession of faith in Jesus as Son of the living God that belonged to the appearance of the risen Jesus to Peter; cf 1 Cor 15:5; Luke 24:34.
12 [17] Flesh and blood: a Semitic expression for human beings, especially in their weakness. Has not revealed this . . . but my heavenly Father: that Peter's faith is spoken of as coming not through human means but through a revelation from God is similar to Paul's description of his recognition of who Jesus was; see Gal 1:15-16, ". . . when he [God] . . . was pleased to reveal his Son to me. . . ."
13 [18] You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: the Aramaic word kepa - meaning rock and transliterated into Greek as Kephas is the name by which Peter is called in the Pauline letters (1 Cor 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:4; Gal 1:18; 2:9, 11, 14) except in Gal 2:7-8 ("Peter"). It is translated as Petros ("Peter") in John 1:42. The presumed original Aramaic of Jesus' statement would have been, in English, "You are the Rock (Kepa) and upon this rock (kepa) I will build my church." The Greek text probably means the same, for the difference in gender between the masculine noun petros, the disciple's new name, and the feminine noun petra (rock) may be due simply to the unsuitability of using a feminine noun as the proper name of a male. Although the two words were generally used with slightly different nuances, they were also used interchangeably with the same meaning, "rock." Church: this word (Greek ekklesia) occurs in the gospels only here and in Matthew 18:17 (twice). There are several possibilities for an Aramaic original. Jesus' church means the community that he will gather and that, like a building, will have Peter as its solid foundation. That function of Peter consists in his being witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it: the netherworld (Greek Hades, the abode of the dead) is conceived of as a walled city whose gates will not close in upon the church of Jesus, i.e., it will not be overcome by the power of death.
14 [19] The keys to the kingdom of heaven: the image of the keys is probably drawn from Isaiah 22:15-25 where Eliakim, who succeeds Shebnah as master of the palace, is given "the key of the house of David," which he authoritatively "opens" and "shuts" (Isaiah 22:22). Whatever you bind . . . loosed in heaven: there are many instances in rabbinic literature of the binding-loosing imagery. Of the several meanings given there to the metaphor, two are of special importance here: the giving of authoritative teaching, and the lifting or imposing of the ban of excommunication. It is disputed whether the image of the keys and that of binding and loosing are different metaphors meaning the same thing. In any case, the promise of the keys is given to Peter alone. In Matthew 18:18 all the disciples are given the power of binding and loosing, but the context of that verse suggests that there the power of excommunication alone is intended. That the keys are those to the kingdom of heaven and that Peter's exercise of authority in the church on earth will be confirmed in heaven show an intimate connection between, but not an identification of, the church and the kingdom of heaven.
THE CONFESSION OF PETER (16:13-23).
The scene of this conversation is the neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi, the modern Baniyas, a little over 20 mi. N of the Sea of Galilee near the sources of the Jordan. The city was founded by Philip the tetrarch, brother of Herod Antipas; it was an entirely Gentile community. The variations of Mt from Mk here are some of the most interesting in the entire Gospel. The question of Jesus concerns the Son of Man where Mk has "me"; Son of Man is usually understood to be a Messianic title, but suggestive rather than explicit. To the answers John the Baptist (see 14:2) and Elijah, or another of the prophets, Mt adds Jeremiah. The belief in the return of Elijah was derived from Mal 3:23-24; see Sir 48:10; Mt 17:3,10-13. The addition of Jeremiah may not be unrelated to the belief expressed in 2 Mc 15:13-16. The question is turned directly to the disciples; and the construction of the passage leaves no doubt that it is a challenge. "Simon Peter" answers for all with a profession that Jesus is the Messiah; Mt alone adds "the son of the living God." This additional title, which goes beyond the confession of messiahship, very probably reflects the more developed faith of the primitive Christian community; Mk has preserved the original saying. By speaking of the more developed faith of the community we do not imply that the community had a full understanding of the sonship of Jesus; but they professed their belief in the entirely unique relationship of Jesus with the Father (see 11:27; T. de Kruijf, Der Sohn des lebendigen Gottes [AnalBib 16; Rome, 1962]).
posted by Deacon Jim | 3:30 AM
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