Saturday 03 January 2009

Background

In 1 John2:28, the writer of the letter employs an opening address,"little children", which is used in this letter to begin newpieces. The three-piece part, 2:28 - 3:1, readsliterally:

"And now little children remain in him, that if he is revealed wemay have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29If you know that righteous he is, you know also that everyonepractising righteousness, of him has been born. 1 See what mannerof love the Father has given us, that we should be called childrenof God and we are, therefore the world does not know us, because itdid not know him."

But is this three-piece part an opening, middle, or concludingpart? It functions, in fact, as the concluding part, part B'of 2:24 -3:1, where part A is 2:24-25 and part B is 2:26-27.

(The notes to yesterday's passage give a full explanationof how best to read 1 John).

For my final focus, at the end of a week of daily notes, I make myplea for a (Sunday or daily) lectionary that takes account of thewriters' styles and structures. I make my plea for readings thatbegin and end where the writers intended. Without this, we willnever really understand what the writers are saying. We celebrate'Love Incarnate' this Christmas season. For this, we owe our NewTestament writers a very great debt indeed. It seems to me,therefore, that we should show them due respect.

In the 1980s in Cardiff I regularly saw a Triumph Spitfire with theregistration plate ANY14T. The number could be read in a variety ofways, but with only one way will the owner have beensatisfied.

At times we may refresh ourselves with reading the Bibleworshipfully and prayerfully, even 'in the Spirit'. At other timeswe may read it with all scholarship and an enquiring mind. We mayread it for a few moments, or we may pour over it for hours at astretch. We may read as we like, but we should also read each bookin the way that each writer requires, shouldn't we?

To Ponder

Having read the last paragraph, how do you readthe Bible?

How does the Bible feed your faith anddiscipleship?