Commentary on the Daily Lectionary of the Orthodox Church
Author: Fr. Basil
Now retired, the Very Rev. Archpriest Basil Ross Aden has served as a parish priest, parish pastor, diocesan mission director, writer, and college teacher of New Testament and Religious Studies. He has a Master of Theology and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the University of Chicago and has published daily devotional and stewardship materials as well as a college textbook on Religious Studies. He also has published papers and/or lectured on the Orthodox perspective on Luther and the Reformation. religious freedom, current issues of religion and society, and St. John Chrysostom. He is married to Sandra and has two sons and three grandchildren. He is still active as a priest as well as a writer of articles and materials on Orthodoxy and topics of faith and life today.
Hidden Now But to Be Revealed When Christ Returns (Sun. Dec. 12) The word of the day is “appear.” In today’s reading of Colossians 3:4-11, St. Paul promises that when Christ returns, He will bring the faithful with Him to share His glory. The Apostle proclaims, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory”  (vs. 4). The root of the Greek original term for “appear” is “to make apparent.”  Therefore, Christ’s appearance means more than that He “shows up.” Rather, the term refers to the revelation of what is hidden. More than that, it is the manifestation of the fundamental character of what is now unseen (Strong’s #5319, 1-20). Our Hidden Life At present, the wickedness…
The word of the day is “faith.”  In our reading of Galatians 3:8-12, St. Paul maintains that those whom God counts as righteous do not live by doing works of the Mosaic Law. But, the apostle declares, “The just will live by faith” (vs. 12). Paul’s argument for the priority of faith over the works is two-fold.  First, the apostle notes that before God gave the Law to Moses, the Almighty gave a universal promise to Abraham.  The Almighty pledged that He would bless all the peoples of the world “in Abraham” (vs. 8).  Thus, the apostle taught that already before Moses, David, or the prophets, inspired scripture foresaw that the Gentiles would receive the fulfillment of the divine promise to Abraham. That…
The word of the day is “training.”  In our reading of 1 Timothy 4:4-8, 16, St. Paul motivates Timothy to train vigorously in piety and holiness.  He states, “For bodily exercise profits a little but godliness is profitable for all things…” (vs. 8). In our reading, Paul recommends exercise to combat the depravity that his opponents are fostering through their “old wife’s fables” (vs. 7).  The Greek term for “exercise” refers to vigorous training for the Greek games (Strong’s #1128, 62). But the workouts that Paul promotes are spiritual, not physical.  As professional athletes develop their body, so Paul’s understudy should develop his mind and spirit so that he can rebuff the misleading myths and fables of his challengers. Godliness: An Inner…
The word of the day is “rule.”  In our reading of 1 Timothy 3:1-13, St. Paul continues his directives for good order in the church. Today’s passage was written before the clarification of St. Ignatius (died c. 110 AD) on the distinction three-fold office of bishop, priest, and deacon. But in our reading, we find the elements of the bishop (episcopos) (vs. 1-7), the priest or elder (presbyter) (vs. 5:17), and the deacon (diakonos) (vs. 8-10, 12)  and his wife (vs. 11)  and their qualifications for office. When we review the qualifications for each type of ministry, we find they have one thing in common.  Those who fill these essential roles in the church are to “rule” their households well (vs.…
Paul’s Imperatives for Worship (Wed. Dec. 7) The word of the day is “order.” In our reading of 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 2:8-15, St. Paul begins his directives about establishing good order in the church.  He starts with the subject of public worship. The apostle writes that men should lift up holy hands without “wrath and doubting” (8).   And women should dress in a way that becomes “godliness and good works” (10). The selection of this reading gives the impression that its focus is on women’s behavior in worship.  However, in this epistle, the apostle speaks of kings and civil authorities, men, bishops, deacons, elders (presbyters), older men, older women, widows, elders, bondservants, and the wealthy. The duties, qualifications, and care of these…
The word of the day is “law.” In our reading of 1 Timothy 1:8-14, Paul corrects the false teachings of those who have an erroneous understanding of the law of God.  The Apostle writes, “But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully” (vs. 8). Paul composes his letter to warn about deceitful teachers who are misleading the faithful.  To counteract this threat, Paul writes to clarify his teaching of the law.  Some seem to have the impression that Paul is against the law and/or that it is no longer valid for believers in Christ.  But here Paul says that the law, that is, the Mosaic Law, is still beneficial. Thus, The Orthodox Study Bible says, “The law is good, but it cannot be kept.  It…
The word of the day is “love.”  In our reading of 1 Timothy 1:1-7, Paul instructs Timothy, the young Bishop of Ephesus, on the pastoral leadership and care of his flock (OSB “Introduction to 1 Timothy”).  He states the purpose that he wants his teaching to accomplish (Strong’s #5056).  Thus he writes, “Now the purpose of the commandment [my instruction] is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (OSB vs. 5).  Though directed at church leadership, we can apply this same counsel to our calling of ministry in our own relationships. The Purpose of the Directives Paul begins with the “purpose” of the directives of his letter (vs. 5). Note his concern. He doesn’t mention the worldly aspects of…
The word of the Day is “unity.” In our reading of Ephesians 4:1-6, St. Paul urges the congregation in Ephesus to live in a way that preserves the oneness of the Church. The Apostle pleads with them to “walk worthy of [their] calling… endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (vs. 3). Unity is a gift of Christ. Paul states, “For He Himself [Christ] is our peace who has made both [Jew and Greek] one and has broken down the middle wall of separation.  He, therefore, is the “one Lord” who reconciles us to God and one another. Unity Is “Of the Spirit” But unity is also “of the Spirit.”  The early community of…
The word of the day is “deliver.” In our reading of Galatians 1:3-10, St. Paul recounts the mercy of Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself for our sins (vs. 4). The Apostle writes that Christ “gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father” (vs. 4). The idea of deliverance governs this whole cryptic sentence. Our English translations obscure the relationship between the two forms of deliverance that  Paul describes in this passage. Reduced to its basic structure, however, Paul teaches that Christ delivered Himself that we might be delivered. “To Deliver” Meaning “To Hand On” The Orthodox Study Bible reads that Christ “gave Himself for our sins” (vs.4).  However, the usage of…
]The word of the day is “well-doing.”  In our reading of 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18, St. Paul warns against idleness and encourages all members of the congregation in Thessalonica to work for their living.  The Apostle commands the loafers in the congregation to “work in quietness and eat their own bread” (vs. 12). Conversely, he directs the workers in the church “not to grow weary in well-doing” (vs. 11). In this passage, Paul contrasts an undisciplined with a productive life.  When he charges some church members with “walking in a disorderly manner,” “walking” is a metaphor for one’s conduct of life (Strong’s #4043, 199). The “disorderly” way of life concerns Paul because in Greek, “disorderly” is a military term for being “insubordinate” (Strong’s #813,…