UNIFORM LESSON FOR March 25, 2018 Scripture passage and lesson focus: 2 Chronicles 7:12-22 In some parts of the United States an acrimonious debate rages about the significance and value of statues that memorialize Civil War heroes. In a similar way, controversy exists regarding the proper respect that should be shown to such cultural monuments as the U.S. flag and the national anthem. For many people, these symbols belong to a heritage from a culture that no longer exists or they stand for a political ideal (“the land of the free and the home of the brave”) that is questioned by some. What happens when cultures go through identity-changing developments? That is the underlying issue the Chronicler deals with in our passage for today. The Israelites, returnees from exile in Persia, were now living in a small client state of the Persian Empire. No longer an independent nation and struggling to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem, they were faced with the challenge of redefining … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR March 18, 2018 Scripture passage and lesson focus: 2 Chronicles 7:1-9 Rewriting the history of Israel approximately 300 years after the original historical accounts found in the books of Samuel and Kings had been compiled was the difficult task the Chronicler undertook during the fourth century B.C. Using a variety of sources, the Chronicler’s purpose was to create a common identity for Jews who had returned from exile and others who had remained in Judea. The task of writing history is never objective. It always reflects the perspective and assumptions of the history writer. As we noted last week, the Chronicler selectively rewrote the history of Israel. Beginning with creation and continuing with the reigns of David and Solomon, the story of Israel is a tale of the highs and lows of the covenant people. The persistent theme is that God is the shaper and director of history. The Chronicler links Israel’s history with the faithfulness of the king. Faithful … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR March 11, 2018 Scripture passage and lesson focus: 2 Chronicles 6:12-21 Rewriting history is what historians do all the time. In a culture like ours where many people consider history to be dead in the past and others intentionally revise history in favor of so-called alternative facts, we are losing meaningful ways of knowing who we are, what is true and where we are going. The primary role of Scripture is to reveal the One who created, redeemed and sustains us. By doing so, Scripture brings us into a relationship with the Lord of history. The mystery of revelation as inspired and inspiring communication (the word of God) includes historical truth from the past — but it is much more than that; it is personal and existential truth that shapes the faith and life of all people. The anonymous author(s) of 1 and 2 Chronicles had a lot of history to revise. Probably written in the fourth century B.C., the author commonly known as the Chronicler rewrites the … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR March 4, 2018 Scripture passage and lesson focus:Genesis 22:1-14 One of the most well-known and frequently discussed stories in all of Scripture is the story about Abraham and his son Isaac in Genesis 22. Jewish interpreters refer to it as the binding (Akedah) of Isaac. Christian interpreters looking for parallels with the death of Jesus Christ usually identify this story as the sacrifice of Isaac. A masterfully told story with relentless dramatic tension, this is an account of the terrible and fearsome test to which God put the patriarch Abraham. The narrative tension comes to a surprising and miraculous conclusion that spares the life of Isaac and ensures the future of the covenant promise. The renowned German biblical scholar Gerhard von Rad rejected the notion that this story reveals a single universal religious truth. It is not intended to condemn child sacrifice or to demonstrate that God wants life rather than death. Instead, von Rad puts this story … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR February 25, 2018 Scripture passage and lesson focus: 1 Timothy 6:11-21 Most biblical scholars agree that the author of 1 Timothy was not the apostle Paul. The vocabulary used, the ecclesiastical situation assumed and the theological content of this epistle all differ markedly from the authentic letters of Paul and point to an early second century date. The pseudonymous author sought to honor Paul and to solidify Paul’s legacy in the emerging Christian tradition. As if he were Paul himself, the author instructs a young church leader identified as Timothy, whom Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 4:17 as “my beloved and faithful child in the Lord.” It is clear from this epistle that Christianity is not only a faith to be confessed and put into practice, it is also something that must also be fought for and defended against distortions. 1 Timothy 1:3-7 and 4:1-3 provide a glimpse of developments that our author considers to be departures from the Christian faith. … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR February 18, 2018 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Acts 9:31-43 The Acts of the Apostles records the miraculous growth of Christianity as it spread westward and northward from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria to urban centers along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (to places like Caesarea and Antioch). While much of this growth occurred initially through the leadership of James, Phillip and Peter, many other unnamed evangelists and faithful disciples carried the gospel to towns and villages throughout the region. In Acts 9:31, Luke summarizes this time of rapid growth with these words: “Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” Acts 9:32-35  — Jesus heals Aeneas The healing of a man who had been an invalid for eight years came about as Peter was visiting faithful believers living in and around the town of Lydda, … [Read more...]