The Jewish Annotated New Testament (276 page)

9
:
Plan of the mystery
, 1.9–10; 3.3–5.

10
:
Church
, the community of believers; cf. Rom. 16.4–5,16; Philem 2.
Wisdom of God
, here probably not meant as the personified Wisdom of Prov 8 and Wis 7.22–8.1, but rather the plan that God has for all people.
Rulers and authorities
, see 1.3,20–21; 2.2.

12
:
Access to God
, through Christ as mediator.

13
:
My sufferings
, see Rom 5.3; 8.35–36; 2 Cor 11.23–28.
Your glory
, brought about by
my sufferings
on your behalf.

14
–15
:
Bow my knees
, opening of a prayer; cf. Phil 2.10. Prayers were recited in this position; see e.g., 1 Kings 8.54; Heb “bless” (“b-r-k”) is related to the word knee (“berek[h]”).
Family
, Gk “patria,” from the same root as “father”; on the fatherhood of God see 1.2n.; 5.21–6.9.

16
:
Glory
, see 1.12n.
Inner being
, cf. Rom 7.22, as opposed to the body.

18
–19
:
Saints
, see 1.1n.
Surpasses knowledge
, perhaps both “is greater than (human) intellect” and an assertion that one’s personal relationship to Christ is more important than the factual knowledge one might have about who Christ is.

21
:
Church
, see 1.22–23n.

4.1
–16: Unity of believers in Christ.
This section expands on 1.22–23; 2.14–16,18.

1
:
Prisoner
, see 3.1n.
Worthy
, see Col 1.10; 1 Thess 2.12.
Calling
, from God; nevertheless, despite the divine act of grace, the believer is responsible to
lead a life worthy
of that grace.

2
–3
: 1 Cor 13.4–13 (cf. Col 3.12–13) offers a similar delineation of virtues, framed around
love
.

4
–6
:
One body … one Spirit … one baptism
, seven forms of unity culminate in the omnipresence of God. In order to promote the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the Christian community, the text reframes Deut 6.4 (“the Lord … is one” KJV), which in this period became an important prayer (the Shema).
Body
, the church congregation; see 1.22–23n.;
baptism
, immersion in water as a rite of initiation, here regarded as one of the bases of unity for the congregation.
Father
, see 1.2n.

7
:
Grace
, see 1.6n.
The measure of Christ’s gift
, as explained in vv. 11–12, varying gifts are meant to build up the community.

8
–10
: Ps 68.18. The passage originally referred to God’s triumph in battle; Ps 68.20 includes salvation and escape from death.
Descended
, perhaps referring to descent into the underworld (the “harrowing of hell”); cf. Mt 12.40; Rom 10:6–8; 1 Pet 3.19. Rabbinic midrash understands the chariots in Ps 68.18 in reference to Ezek 1.15–28, framing the giving of the Torah in terms of God’s descent in a chariot, or “merkavah” (
Midr. Tanh. Yitro
[Buber]; cf.
Pesiq. Rav Kah
. 12.22) or the ascent of Moses through the heavenly spheres (
Pesiq. Rab
. 20).

11
–12
:
gifts
(cf. Rom 12.6–8; 1 Cor 12.28–30) refer to leadership and teaching; charismatic abilities such as speaking in tongues and healing go unmentioned.
Saints
, 1.1n.
Body of Christ
, 1.22–23n.

13
–14
:
Maturity
, as opposed to remaining
children
; cf. 1 Cor 3.1–3; 13.11; 14.20; Phil 3.15; Col 1.28.
Children
, in rabbinic tradition (
m. Nidd
. 5.6) girls of twelve years and a day and boys of thirteen years and a day are adults in the sense of being fully responsible to fulfill the mitzvot.

15
–16
:
Head
, see 1.22–23. Each organ has distinct responsibilities; cf. 1 Cor 12.14–18.
In love … in love
, see 1.4; 3.18–19. Metaphors of body, household, and cosmos point to new social order.

4.17
–5.20: Community standards. 17
:
As the Gentiles live
; cf. Rom 1.20–25.

18
:
Ignorance
, not only of God’s commandments and covenant but also of their misperceptions (idolatry is viewed as a kind of ignorance in Isa 44.9–17).
Hardness of heart
, see Ex 7.13–14.

19
:
Greedy to practice … impurity
, sexual sin, seen here in terms of uncleanness (Lev 17–26).

22
–24
:
Former way of life
, reflects the absolute demarcation separating each community member’s past and present existence.

24
:
Clothe yourselves
, cf. Gal 3.27; Col 3.10. A
new self
,
created according to the likeness of God
; recapitulation of Gen 1.26–27; see esp. Col 3.10.

25
:
Speak the truth
, Zech 8.16.
Neighbors
, fellow believers; see Lev 19.13–18 and “The Concept of Neighbor” p.
540
.
Members of one another
, part of the same body; see 1.22–23n.

26
:
Be angry but do not sin
, cf. Lev 19.18a; Ps 4.4 LXX.
Let the sun go down
…, a commonplace (Plutarch states the same of the Pythagoreans [
On Brotherly Love
488B]).

27
:
Devil
, a cosmic force of wickedness (cf., e.g., Mt 4.1–11; Lk 4.1–13; Jude 9). In the Septuagint this term translates the Heb “satan,” as “adversary” who is in dialogue with God (Job 1.6); works as a bad influence among humans (1 Chr 21.1), or serves as an accuser of the people (Zech 3.1); cf. 6.11.

28
:
Give up stealing
, past misbehaviors do not preclude church membership.

29
:
Evil talk
, cf. Ex 20.7,16; Prov 6.16–19; 10.8. The Talmud regularly warns against a “wicked tongue” (“lashon ha-ra”), malicious gossip (
b. Arak
. 15b;
b. Sanh
. 31a). The Community Rule (1QS 7.2–9) forbids speaking in anger against the community leaders, lying, insulting one’s companions, or speaking foolishly.

30
:
Holy Spirit … marked
, cf. 1.13.
Day of redemption
, cf. 1.14; day of the general resurrection.

32
:
Forgiving one another
, cf. Mt 6.12; Lk 11.4.

5.1
:
Imitators of God
, following Lev 19.2, though less common in the NT than “imitators of Christ” (see Mt 5.44–45,48).
B. Shabb
. 133b states that humans should be merciful in imitation of God’s mercy. Paul urges his audience to imitate him in faithfulness (e.g., 1 Cor 4.16; 11.1; Phil 3.17).

2
:
Fragrant offering and sacrifice
, as in Ex 29.18; Lev 1.9, and elsewhere; the crucifixion is a sacrifice, and believers are to be similarly self-sacrificial, cf. Rom 12.1; Phil 4.18.

3
:
Saints
, cf. 1.1n.,15; 3.8.

4
–5
: Lists of vices; cf. Rom 1.29–31; 1 Cor 6.9–10; Gal 5.19–21, and other places. Such lists of vices and virtues were common.
Vulgar talk
, cf. 4.29.

5
:
Fornicator … greedy
, cf. 4.19. Prophetic literature links idolatry to adultery; cf. Isa 57; Hos 1.2.
Inheritance
, see 1.5–6n.; 1.11n.

6
:
Wrath of God
, cf. Rom 1.18; Col 3.6; Rev 19.15.

7
:
Do not be associated
, cf. 2 Cor 6.14; see also 1 Cor 5.9–14; 7.12–16.

8
–14
: Extended metaphor of darkness and light, cf. 1.18; 2.1–2; 4.18.

8
:
Children of light
, cf. Mt 5.16; Lk 16.8; Jn 12.36; 1 Thess 5.5; 1QM, and 1QS 3.13–4.14.

10
:
Pleasing to the Lord
, cf. 5.17.

14
: Possibly from a Christian hymn. Imagery of death as sleep, and the dead awakening, appears in Isa 26.19 and continues in later Jewish texts. This passage echoes Isa 60.1, with
Christ
in the position of “the glory of the Lord.”

16
:
Days are evil
, cf. 2.1–2; cf. Acts 2.40; Gal 1.4.

17
:
Will of the Lord
, see Deut 10.12–13; Mic 6.8.

18
–20
:
Drunk with wine
, see Isa 28.7–8; Hos 4.11; Prov 20.1; 23.19–21,29–35.
Melody to the Lord
, for psalms and hymns see esp. Ps 145–150. Philo’s description of the Therapeutae (
Cont. Life
40,64–90) emphasizes both their sobriety and their joyful songs that praise God.

5.21
–6.9: The household code.
The threefold hierarchy of husband/wife, parent/child, and master/slave is conventional (e.g., Aristotle,
Pol
. 1259A; Seneca,
Ep
. 94–1–3; Pseudo-Phocylides,
Sent
. 195–227; Josephus,
Ag. Ap
. 2.189–214).