Tuesday, June 4, 2013

The Bible Challenge: Day 155

The scriptures read are 2 Chronicles 13-16, Psalm 125 and Romans 16.

2 Chronicles 13. OK, a major addition to the story of the Davidic rulers. In 1 Kings Abijah rates 2 paragraphs and most of what is said about him is bad. This is a lot more and his speech about God seems at odds with the pronouncement in Kings that he was a bad king. Unless the speech was mostly psy-ops against Israel.

2 Chronicles 14-16. Again an expansion of what 1 Kings says about Asa. He was a good king who seems to have gone bad towards the end.

Psalm 125. "Jerusalem, hills enfold it and the Lord enfolds his people..." "Do good, O Lord, to the good, to the upright in heart..."

Romans 16. Paul sends greetings to a lot of believers in Rome. At least 10 have slave names, 11 are women, 3 are Jews. He calls a woman Junias an apostle, which according to 1 Corinthians 9 means she also saw the risen Christ. He greets Priscilla and Aquila, a husband and wife ministry team who worked together. Notice that he mentions Priscilla first. The idea that Paul was a misogynist can't be proved from this letter.

Paul's secretary sends greetings. Also Paul says hello to Rufus. Is this the same Rufus who was the son of Simon of Cyrene, forced to carry Christ's cross?

The public official Erastus may be the same guy who is mentioned in an ancient inscription found by archeologists in Corinth. Which would make him the first Christian mentioned by name outside the New Testament.

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