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.
The word of the day is “repented.”  Today’s reading from 2 Corinthians 12:20-13:2 concerns the treatment of open and unrepentant sinners in the Body of Christ. The Lord said, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance (OSB Luke 15:7). But what about sinners who do not repent and yet remain in the church? On the one hand, the Lord taught, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (OSB Matthew 7:1). On the other hand, Paul wrote: “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard,…
The word for today is “false.” In today’s reading of 2 Corinthians 11:5-21, we note how seriously St. Paul takes the false teachers who are misleading the congregation at Corinth. The Apostle is so concerned—and incensed—that he is willing to defend himself on the low level of his adversaries. St. Paul begins his diatribe against those who are pretending to be apostles, “For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles” (vs. 5). Then he writes that he is going to “boast a little” (vs. 16). His boasting will not be “according to the Lord” (vs. 17). In this case, the Apostle admits that he will not follow the Lord’s direction, but he will…
The word of the day is “boast.” Our society sees achievement as a sufficient reason to be proud of ourselves. It sees nothing wrong with football players who do a dance of exaltation when they score or sack the quarterback. But today in our reading of 2 Corinthians 10:7-18, Paul joins the Lord who criticized the Pharisee who congratulated himself in the “Parable of the Pharisee and Publican” (Luke 18:11). It’s Easy to Boast When One Measures Oneself Like the Pharisee, Paul’s opponents in Corinth are boasting of their superior powers and gifts. Moreover, they are criticizing Paul’s supposed weakness and lack of talent. But Paul answers with the observation that it is easy to boast when one measures oneself by one’s own standards. The…
The word of the day is “weapons.” If you have ever tried with your own this-worldly strength to defeat the assaults of the devil, then the reading of  2 Corinthians 9:12-10:7 is for you. In this passage, Paul speaks of the spiritual warfare in which he is engaged. He relates that he is contending against his opponents who have taken over the congregation at Corinth. We might think that this is a human struggle over leadership, a rivalry that can only be won by exercising authority, control, and power. But the apostle maintains that it is a spiritual struggle, a battle to win the hearts, minds, and souls of the church members. Paul Does not Wield the Weapons of the…
The word of the day is “collection.” Generally, we are interested in the message of the scriptures and their application to our lives. But to fully understand that message, we must know its historical context. This contextual knowledge requires patient study because the situations are complex and different from our own. In today’s reading of 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5, we learn some historical details behind Paul’s often-quoted teaching of financial stewardship. Here we see how careful the apostle was handling his collection for the poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. The Apostle to the Gentiles had spent ten years raising funds to relieve the “Mother Church” in the Holy City. Now Paul planned to take Titus with him when he delivered the…
The word of the day is “walk.” Today St. Paul teaches that there is a difference between having life in the Spirit and living in the Spirit. Thus, in our reading of Galatians 5:22-6:22, St. Paul writes, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (vs. 25). The Holy Mystery of Baptism grants the baptized the “seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit” and  confers the power, illumination, and inspiration of the Spirit (Orthodox Church in America, “Baptism Service,” 2012). From then on, those who are washed and renewed in the baptismal font, indeed, “live in the Spirit” (vs. 25).  Having died to the “old life” of sin and death, they now wear the white baptismal…
The word of the day is “delivered.” Where did Paul get the teachings that he so ardently preached? Paul demonstrated what could distinguish between the Word of God and his own opinion. For example, in Corinthians he commands, “Not I, but the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:10). And soon after he offers his opinion saying, “But to the rest I, not the Lord, say” (1 Corinthians 7: 11). However, in our reading of 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Paul refers to doctrines that have the highest divine authority, He declares “…I delivered to you…that which I also received…” (vs. 3). Twice in his letters to the congregation, he emphasizes that what he shared with the church came from Holy Tradition. The first time the apostle speaks…
The word of the day is “shame.”  If we hope to sit at the table of the Kingdom to come, can we also seek to sit in the seats of wisdom, power, and honor in the kingdoms of this world? Today in our reading of 1 Cor 1:26-29, Paul writes, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (OSB vs. 27). Today, we consider the contrast between two kinds of honor and shame, and we find that we must decide which we will reject and which we will seek. In our reading, Paul defends his proclamation of the…
The word of the day is “confidence.” Love creates relationships. But the loving bond between us grows in the fertile soil of trust. Paul affirms this insight in today’s reading of 2 Corinthians 7:10-16. Paul has changed his feelings toward his congregation in Corinth. He writes, “Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything” (vs. 16). The Greek word for “confidence” is a form of the word meaning “to show boldness” (Strong’s #2292). That is, the apostle is now encouraged, heartened, and emboldened in his relationship with the Corinthians. These feelings of secure affection toward another depend on mutual trust. In a relationship of fidelity, no one needs to be hesitant, uncertain, and guarded–that is, distrustful. But those who are confident of each…
The word of the day is “sorrow.” There are two kinds of regret for the wrong we have done. In our reading of  2 Corinthians 7:1-10, Paul teaches the  distinction between these two kinds of remorse:  “worldly sorrow “and “godly sorrow.”  The first is feeling sorry for us.  We regret that we have been found to be imperfect and liable to the consequences of our fault. The second is the grief of knowing that we have offended our God. We will learn from our reading that “worldly sorrow” has no remedy, but “godly sorrow” leads to repentance and divine forgiveness. The background of our reading is that Paul had sent his co-worker Titus to check on the situation at Corinth.…