Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost; 29 October 2023; Proper 25A (RCL); Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46.
Remembering that 1 Thessalonians is the first literary evidence we have of the Christian movement, I am struck how carefully Paul distinguishes his teaching from that of other philosophical schools (or at least their parodies). Cynics in particular poked fun at teachers in the other schools as seeking glory, or teaching for tuition, for flattering their students (to get more tuition), and the list of things Paul lays out in these verses.
Continue reading “Summary of the Law”