Read the Bible with Me!

Welcome to the Pauline Family's "Year of the Bible"! We've been reading the Bible clear through this year. We are finishing the New Testament, so read along with me. But first, let us pray: 

Father,

When the fullness of time had come, you sent your Word in the One who said, “Whoever sees me, sees the Father.” No revelation can surpass this until Jesus comes again. By your gift, the Church continues to receive unfathomable riches from the inheritance handed on from the Apostles and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit.

Let the Spirit who inspired the writing of today's pages "guide me in the truth and teach me" to follow Jesus ever more closely, until he calls me to follow him to the Kingdom where he lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Today's chapters are 1 John 5, 2 John, and 3 John.

Three chapters from three books: Today's an interesting day! At least all three of the books are Johannine, so we are staying within the same style and theology! 

The closing exhortation of the First Letter of John has much in common with the Last Supper discourse of Jesus, especially with Christ's encouraging words: "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world" (Jn 16:33), even though we seem to see "the whole world...under the power of the evil one" (1 Jn 5:19).

The Second Letter of John begins almost like a coded message to the "chosen lady and her children." Ah, who is this "chosen lady"??? If you translate "chosen" as "elect" and think in baptismal terms, you might catch the code: the Elect Lady is a Church community, and her children are the members! The "Presbyter" (almost universally identified as the Apostle John, writing from Ephesus) is a well-known, established "elder" writing a short letter of encouragement. Our familiarity with John's concerns clues us in right away that the Lady's children will be encouraged to remain steadfast in their faith in the Incarnation, and to love one another by showing practical signs of love.

The Third Letter of John is a brief and pointed letter of recommendation on behalf a Christian traveler named Demetrius who is seeking hospitality. (You might remember Paul reproaching the Corinthians for almost expecting him to present "letters of recommendation" to them after he had founded their Church; see 2 Cor 3:1.) The writer, the same "elder" who wrote the Second Letter, also has some observations to make about the behavior of the local Christian leader, a man named Diotrephes who even rejected a letter the Presbyter wrote to the Church! If Gaius, the recipient, was smart enough (or docile enough to the Holy Spirit) to keep the letter, he surely also provided Demetrius with a warm bed and a good meal!

Finish 1 John here,  read 2 John here, and read 3 John here.