Religion and Theology

St. Paul s teaching to the Galatians concerning Faith and Works

In his epistle to the Galatians, St. Paul reminded the Galatians that they will receive the Holy Spirit through faith and not by following the law (Cf. Galatians 3 1 3, The New Jerusalem Bible).

The Jews considered the Gentiles as sinners for never following the Laws of Moses. However, St. Paul taught the Galatians that the Jews cannot be considered upright by simply following the law. The Apostle to the Gentiles said, as firmly rebuking the wrong belief by the Jews, Would you say, then, that he who so lavishly sends the Spirit to you, and causes the miracles among you, is doing this through your practice of the Law or because you believed the message you heard Abraham, you remember, put his faith in God, and this was reckoned to him as uprightness... So it is people of faith who receive the same blessing as Abraham, the man of faith (Galatians 3 5 6, 9, The New Jerusalem Bible).

The Galatians first received the Holy Spirit by believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They had not seen him, yet they believed in him and because of that faith, they have received the promise of God as written in the book of the Prophet Joel.

Abraham is considered as the father of faith. This is because he had put all his faith in God and he was blessed with a child named Isaac even at an old age. He was regarded as upright because of his strong faith in God. His faith in God made God to bless him and the entire nation. For this reason, it is through faith, that the gentiles received blessings which were promised to Abraham. St .Paul further taught them that those who depend on the law but do not follow it are accursed people but those who believe in Christ are absolved from this curse. Christ was crucified so that all those who follow the law may be absolved from the curse, once they put their faith in Christ. The law existed to act as a guide towards Jesus Christ but after Christ came and died for all the sinners, all those who had faith in Christ became the children of God.

Baptism makes all the believers, through faith, to become one body of Christ. Once a person receives baptism and has faith in Christ, he becomes communioned with the body of Christ which is the church. Thus, the believers are equal in Christ and are all the heirs of the blessings promised to Abraham.

St. Paul compared the lives of the Galatians to that of an heir. Though the heir may have a lot of property to inherit from his father, he is kept under the control of the father until he reaches a certain age.

Likewise, the Galatians were kept under the confines of the law until a time reached when Jesus was sent by God to redeem the sinners who were subjects of the law. After the Galatians received the Spirit through faith, they were released from the slavery and became God s sons and heirs. The laws that were followed by the Galatians before knowing God were enslaving and not in accordance with the will of God.

The Galatians, after having believed in Christ and received the Holy Spirit, started to turn back to the same laws that they abandoned. In particular, they observed the special seasons and periods as required by the law. Paul was very upset when the Galatians turned back to their old ways and thought that his efforts to preach before the Galatians had been wasted.

Paul remembered how he met the Galatians and preached to them. He had an eye illness but the Galatians received him well as though he was the Christ himself. However, his relationship with the Galatians seemed to worsen. In Galatians 416, he wonders Then have I turned into your enemy simply by being truthful with you
The people who had no faith in Christ want the Galatians to cut their devotion in St. Paul. Paul was not happy with this. He used figurative language to explain to them the pain that he was going through to bring the Galatians back to the body of Christ. He furhter compared his pain to that of a woman who is giving birth.
Since the Galatians decided to be subjects of the law rather than have faith in Christ and become free people, he wondered whether they were really aware of what the law was saying. The allegory of Hagar, who was Sarah s Egyptian maiden, showed how the children of those born in slavery continue to live in slavery. The son of Hagar, who was called Ishmael, was born by way of nature while Sarah s son, who was called Isaac, was born through a promise made to Abraham by God.

Sarah had lived for many years without a child but Hagar gave birth to a son whose father was Abraham. St. Paul quoted the words in Isaiah 541 which encouraged the barren woman (Sarah) to shout in joy because her sons of the abandoned woman outnumbered those of the married one. Abraham was promised by God that his children will be very many and he will become the father of a great nation. Hagar represented the covenant that was given in Mount Sinai while Sarah represented Jerusalem which is a free state. The Galatians are like Isaac, the son of Sarah who was a free woman. The sons of the slaves, as the scripture says, should be driven away, never to inherit anything alongside the son of Sarah. Likewise, the Galatians are the children of a free woman.

It is indeed that through faith, man receives the holy spirit and becomes a child of God. The teachings of St. Paul are perfect evidence that it is not by the law that man receives the grace of God. It is through faith that man receives salvation and enters the Kingdom of the Lord.

Christianity

Christianity since its invention has had eminent controversies revolving around its belief, principles and values. The major focus has been towards reaching a valid position of being able to define what are the basic fundamental Christian world views What is the origin and nature of human beings What is the purpose and meaning of human life How do Christians perceive and view the extends and limits of human knowledge Do Christians have any basis for justifying these assumptions How then do they justify the concept of being moral and immorally upright The divergent opinions held by Christians about Christianity are naturally controversial yet yielding a lot of debates and controversies among different believers. Since time in memorial Christianity has faced enough conflicts and differences among its adherents.

The issue of denominations and doctrines about the best approach to approach the gospel of Jesus Christ has been the major contending issue which has yet yielded a lot of conflicts, separation and divisions among believers. Intensive schism and conflicts among already established denominations have lasted since time in memorial during and after the reformation of the protestant church. Slavery, racial segregation and interracial marriages were among the most contending issues emerging from the contemporary church as early during the 19th century, mid 20th century up to the recent 1950s and 60s.

Today major concerns have risen based on major moral topics such as freedom and rights of Christians and consequently human sexuality. Cases such as abortion and access to it have struck heated debates among the liberal Christians and dominated the headlines of major denominations in the 20th century. Consequently, the idea of female ordination and inclusion in church leadership has also been a critical point of conflicts among the Christians of the day. Various religious indoctrinations hold different opinions about the place of women in the society and more so in the church. In the past few decades women were not allowed to take leadership positions not only in church but also in the society. The home yard was their place of being. However, in regard to the recent transformations spreading around the world, women have sort their positions in the church as leaders and even out side the church. Majority of the Christian denominations have grown to accommodate these changes in trends while others have strongly remained deeply rooted to these old gone principles. Homosexuality has hit the church today with majority of liberal faith groups adopting and accepting lesbians and gay members to minister in church as priests, pastors and rabbis.

The various Christians denominations take very different positions and yet extremely opposite stands in various debates concerning all the above named ethical issues. Indifferences among the Christian religion are more rooted within the nature of principles and values to be upheld by the Christians. Lack of consolidation of ideas and beliefs has been the major sources of conflicts in Christianity. Today the issue of premarital sex has also become an issue of concern in church with most adherents supporting it while others extremely rejecting it. The term sin today is church has become relative since each denomination is creating values which never used to be their and adopting the as basic principles

Sociology of Women and Religion

Sociological studies reveal that religion does not only comprise a set of beliefs, practices, or doctrines observed by a group of people. Religion also defines culture sociologically, specifically in determining the role of gender in society. The depiction or representation of female sexuality varies from one religion to another, which consequently determines the kind of culture inherent in each religion. However, all too often, female gender in most religions is depicted negatively, especially in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. (241) The remainder of this discussion will focus on this issue, focusing on the role of religion in mediating or influencing how women are viewed and how society prescribe female roles, experiences, and identities then and now. The explicit issue in focus is the biased and prejudiced nature of religion, within the sociological perspective, that constitutes the kind of culture that individuals will be practicing, including the changes that occurred in gender representations because of this.

The Ties between Religion and Culture
    The complementary relations between religion and culture set the stage for the adoption of views and perspectives on the female gender and sexuality. Generally, religion may be considered an element of culture, and culture, on the other hand, may be defined by understanding a religion inherent in social groups. For instance, the identification of a patriarchal society may be based on the structure of religion observed within a social group. Thus, religion also defines culture. Within this context, we should understand that important role of the relationship between religion and culture in impressing gender roles in social groups. Gender roles and identities prescribed by religion becomes a cultural practice of a specific group, and are accepted fully without the adequate consideration of morality or fairness in these religious and cultural observances.

    Human actors cannot, by definition, act other than in terms of the desired ends which their culture has prescribed for them. They cannot act outside cultural limits, because their motives are themselves cultural products (Brittan, 1973 172). The theme or issue that is in focus within this context is the fairness and evenhandedness of gender roles and identities prescribed in religion. This is issue is represented by the concept of collective consciousness. Collective consciousness of a society the system of beliefs in a society that creates a sense of belonging to the community and the moral obligation to live up to the societys demands (242).

Overall, it is important to remember that the relationship between culture and religion eliminates the opportunity for individuals who share the same religion to assess or judge whether the gender roles and identities prescribed by their respective religions are just and fair-minded. Religion, as part of culture, imposes these roles and identities, and the people who belong to these beliefs and convictions are bound to follow it without question.

Female Sexuality and Identities in Various Religions
    Female sexuality and identities are widely depicted in religious texts. Sociologists view these texts not only as representations of religions but also as illustrations of the kind of culture inherent in social groups depending on the interpretation of religious groups. For instance, religious texts from the three of major religions in the world the Bible, the Koran, and the Torah through interpretation, are used are instruments in imposing culture that prescribe the roles of women in society. (242)

Sociologists see these histories and texts as neither true nor false, but as symbols, powerful as they may be, of group belief and collective consciousness. Consequently, they are subject to interpretation and symbolic use by religious groups (242). This strengthens the issue of bias and predisposition inherent in religion that has gone unnoticed and unchanged when translated into culture. Therefore, within the sociological perspective, religion may be seen as a representation of the personal views and perspectives of the individuals who interpret religious texts and translate them as the practices and doctrines that religious followers should observe.

    Inequitable treatment of the female gender is also inherent in practices and traditions observed by religions groups. For instance, the Taliban, who are Muslim, adapt religious practices that are demeaning to women. After the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, awareness of gender inequality in the Muslim culture was raised for Under the rule of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan a regime that had taken control of the nation in 1996 following the Afghani war with the Soviet Union women were forcibly excluded from all public participation, including schools, health care facilities, work, even public baths (252).
Increasing Awareness of Gender Roles and Identities

    The long-standing prejudiced and biased aspect of religion, when viewed from the angle of sociological concepts and theories, are similarly responsible for the various changes that occurred in society in modern times. Over time, individuals have realized how religious perspectives are restricted to the personal interpretation of the people who prescribe and administer religious doctrines to social groups. Thus, the biased and prejudiced views were also the precursors to major social changes on how the female population is perceived in major religious groups or factions.

    At present time, women are given the opportunity to fulfill major roles within their religious groups which were previously prohibited. Sometimes, similar changes occur within existing religious groups, while in some instances, these changes occur due to radical changes by separatist groups that develop new religions and implement egalitarian doctrines and beliefs. For instance, women nowadays are allowed to be part of the clergy. women now constitute 16 percent of all clergy, an increase from the past, but still a small proportion, especially considering that women are 56 percent of all religious workers (247). Thus, positive perspectives that may be gleaned from this discussion is that the long existence of traditional views of female sexuality in different religions have resulted to a major social change in which women are gradually being accepted as valuable members of religious groups.

    By and large, the discussion focused on the changes that occurred within some religious groups due to traditional and biased perspectives of gender roles and identities. The one-sided aspect of religion has brought about sought after changes and reform within religious groups and cultures. Prejudiced and biased perspectives inherent in some religions have opened up opportunities and possibilities for feminist individuals and groups to be recognized as equal members and society and of religious groups. Although the strong ties between religion and culture have made it difficult to change one-sided perspectives of female sexuality and identity, it is also the same reason why changing the views and perspectives of individuals and religious groups may be successful. Feminist movements and religious groups that practice egalitarianism may be able to change prejudiced and biased perspectives by gradually incorporating just and equal views and perspectives among men and women in religion, and finally in culture

Jesus Christ Superiority

Jesus a son of God was sent to the world to redeem man who was lost in sins to die and offer his live as a sacrifice so that man would be free of sins again. In most books in the Bible especially in the New Testament Hebrews Jesus Christ the name which many biblical prophecy and writings describe as being given to him by God his heavenly father describe his position and hierarchy in the kingdom of heaven. God calls him his only son a calling that suggests his seniority in leadership and possession and ownership of creation on earth and heavens.

Jesus Christ Superior to Angels
In the Bible, the book of (Hebrews Chapter 12 ), says that God finds favor in his son whom he has appointed as his heir decided to seat him on his right hand of his (Gods)glory and that seating equates taking a position almost as of his father as a heir (God). After Jesus willingly ascended from heaven for a mission of liberating man from his sins by offering his life he gained more superiority from that of angels. He became a son of God and he (God) commanded that all shall worship him including angels. There is no where it is said of any angel being given such superiority even in terms of seating position in His Glory and leadership or in his worship. When the son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will seat on his throne in heavenly glory (Mathew 2531) the verse talks of all the angels coming with Jesus as though Jesus is their master and that he Jesus will seat then on his heavenly throne in glory. This verse not only indicates that Jesus is the superior one that all the angels but that again he has a powerful rank in heaven.

Finally, in we are told that God spoke to the community of Hebrews the Jewish people by use of prophets in many ways. But now after the birth of Christ, God resorted speaking to them directly through his son Jesus Christ whom he God has appointed to be the heir of all things and that by whom he made the universe in deed there is no one who has been singled out as a heir of the kingdom of heaven and a leader of all leaders nor is there a king of all kings nor an angel of all angels but his son Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christs Superiority to Moses
The in the Holy Bible book of Hebrews, the author recognizes Jesus as an apostle and as a priest. He says that Moses was obedient to Gods house but at the same time he depicts Jesus as the builder of the house and just like the owner the builder of the house has much honor and command than the house itself and those that the owner has chosen to be leaders in the house and that signifies and distinguishes Moses position and that of Jesus. Jesus is the builder of the house as opposed to Moses only being part of the house and worthyof more glory than Moses because the one who hathbuildthe house hath morehonorthan the house. Hethat built all things is God. Therefore we have been left with the picture of Jesus, as our heavenly High Priest. The point that the author made in (Hebrews 210-18) is that humanity is unique in the fact that salvation has been provided to no other part of creation and that creation is we humans.

Christ became a man, dwelt among humanity, and was sacrificed for the sins of humanity. In chapter 3 of Hebrews, the author then considers Christs superiority to Moses. The book of Hebrews was written to converted Jews, so in their view, Moses was a great and powerful man. The Bible tells us that there was never a man before or after him who walked with God, and talked with Him the way Moses did. The purpose of the author is not to belittle Moses but rather, to show us however great Moses was, Jesus Christ is superior to him. He uses the superiority of Moses to expose Jesus more and more.

Jesus Christs Superiority to Aaron
The book of Hebrews Chapter 5, we are told how a high priest is selected. That the selection is done from among men and that he is appointed to represent them in matters related to God. It then explains why the qualities of Jesus and the kind of sacrifice he had to make for mankind. Since he was born as human and underwent worldly tests he stood a position where he would understand men and be able to tolerate those backsliding and those moving slowly. That he possessed that perseverance and that he offered sacrifices for his sins and for those of other people.

Although not clearly expressed in the case of Aaron, the author simplifies the facts surrounding the circumstance under which one has to be a High Priest. That just like Aaron, Jesus too was called by God his father. Jesus did not choose himself nor did he take up that glorification by himself but called by God. The author says that God called Jesus, You are my son today I have become your father later again You are my priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek. Although being Gods son, he portrayed obedience by his submissiveness throughout his suffering on earth and later when God made him perfect he became the source of our salvation and God made him the High Priest.

Jesus Christs Superiority to Melchizedek
Melchizedekthe king of Salem was not only a king but also apriest of the Lord God. This is unique because there is no other priest we are told who was both a priest and a king at the same time. Just like Jesus, Melchizedektoo is God appointed into his priesthood. He was highly placed as a king of peace, with no mother and father, no ancestry history, with no beginning of days nor end of life so highly ranked priest that even Abraham gave his a tenth of his making in his business and received blessings from Melchizedek.
Jesus was a priest chosen by God and gave him imperishable life and God declared him a for ever priest and equated him to the order of Melchizedek because Melchizedek was one of the great priests having come from a none ancestral ruling clan as was required by law but was made such powerful and holy to be collecting even a tenth from the clans of whom were known kings and rulers to be coming from there. Jesus is unique, of the order of Melchizedek, in the sense that he is a priest, a king and a ruler. He is superior to all other priests who ever existed in that he is the ultimate mediator (high-priest) between God and humankind. At the second coming, he will be displayed in power as king, a ruler over the entire world. Since that time or priesthood and appointment, most of all priests passed on because of death but its only Jesus who lives and reigns for ever thus he has a permanent priesthood unlike all other priests. He is most holy, most pure and doesnt offer sacrifices day after a day for him and for other sinners because he sacrificed for the sins once and for all for the law appoints men for priests who are weak but oath which come after the law appointed the son who was made pure and perfect for ever. Healwayslives to make intercession for us. The eternal intercession and eternal salvation are for those who draw near to God through Christ and that our salvation depends on the work of Christ Forever and Ever

Faith

    In short, faith is best described as blind belief in what cannot be seen as though it were perfectly clear. It is also the believing in a justification of actions, such as Gods requirements of mankind. In Hebrews 11, a description of faith is asserted though a list of historical events that occurred through faith alone. Even in an extreme situation when God tested Abraham and commanded him to sacrifice his son, Abraham was willing. Abraham accepted sacrificing Isaac because he had faith enough that God would raise the child back from the dead. In essence, faith is believing in the word and understanding that there is reason for Gods command, despite any apparent cruelty it may evoke. In addition to this, faith is described through various persecuted Jews. These people did not receive what was promised by God, but still they persisted. In spite of the lack of reward, faith is continuing to believe in something better that will eventually come.
    God decided to test Abrahams faith by demanding a sacrifice of his offspring. That the son of Abraham, Isaac, was to be judged in order to fulfill Gods satisfaction.   The fear comes from the unknown. Curiosity of divine wisdom is something to take very seriously. After all, it is not a small thing to sacrifice ones own son in the name of faith. Understanding why God may make such a request and how it can benefit anyone is something difficult to comprehend. Condemning Isaac in Abrahams name can certainly be a mystery to the untrained faith. The reason behind such a punishment onto Isaac is tragically unknown to Abraham and the outcome devastatingly painful, but only having faith in such a sacrifice would allow Abraham to pass Gods test.
    In accordance with the unknown comes uncertainty. Abraham is called to wonder into a desert that would become his inheritance from God. Yet, he did not know where to travel or what to do with the land. Still, he went and Abraham made a home of such an area. The livelihood could not have been too pleasant, sleeping in tents for the rest of ones life. Still, the land was promised to Abraham and he endured to make it his home no matter how foreign or wild the territory seemed.
As he wandered in the desert he realized that it was the land God had created for his benefit. No manmade city could come close to the prosperity of the physical land. The Old Testament proclaims that he was the first patriarch to make the land into a mighty nation for the Jews.   As Abrahams faith grew, so was the award promised by God.
In his belief, Abraham was able to do the impossible. Promised by God, Abraham was able to become a father despite his sterility and his wifes barren womb. God had considered the man faithful enough to change the laws of nature in Abrahams favor.   This exposes the power behind such faith. As long as faith in Abraham existed, he would receive the works of divine intervention to fulfill his dreams. Without it, he would have just withered away as a fruitless man without a legacy to bestow onto the Promised Land. Of course having faith is a cruel matter and the Lord demanded that his miracle of a child be sacrificed. This was to test Abrahams faith. Despite Gods momentous stipulation on fathering a child, Abraham had the foresight to understand how God could make things right. He believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead in order to reward the sacrifice. Such faith allowed for the entire sacrifice to be replaced by God and Isaac never had to enter deaths realm. Instead an angel delivered a ram and both Abraham and Isaac saw that the Lord did provide the merciful sacrifice in exchange for their obedience. Consequently, Abraham was again rewarded with more seed to his clan, making this patriarch the father of Israel in essence.
By the end of Hebrews 11 there is a montage of wretched events that caused significant suffering for those faithful. Not because the people of biblical proportions had too little faith, but because they were faithful enough to sacrifice all. So many were tortured and put to death because of their faith. They were persecuted and did not receive what was promised to them. This did not make the Jews of old waiver. The idea is that they persistently believed in something better to come whether it be in this life or in the next generation. For that, the world was not worthy to exist in their presence. As such, the people of faith were ironically killed by the wickedness of the world. Despite this, other faithful people survived the odds of a demonic world. Such people were able to conquer kingdoms and armies without the might of military strength, but with only the might of their fortitude and belief in the word of God. Faith is described as something that is had in both victory and defeat.

Prophet and Messiah Explicated

A prophet, as believed by Jews, is a spokesperson elected by God to convey his message to the Israelites. Someone who has not spoken the message of God, like those who merely write histories, is not considered a prophet. The word prophet came from the Hebrew word navi which has a literal translation of fruit of the lips (Rich, 1999). Thus, a prophet is inevitably a speaker. In contrast, a Messiah is not a prophet. A Messiah is a prophesized king, written in the sacred Jewish scriptures, who will be coming from the bloodline of King David. Etymologically, the Hebrew word Messiah has a literal denotation of the anointed one, which means that a Messiah is a mortal king. Thus, equating Messiah with savior is not approved. Jews believe that just like any king, the Messiah is an immense military man not a god or a son of god who will pilot Israel to triumphs in battles. Thus, Jews have not acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah.
    Nevertheless, the prophets and the beliefs in them are central dogmas of Judaism. The Jews have high regard to prophets for they have become channels for God to communicate. They were the representatives of God His lips and His voice. Thus, all beliefs of Jews are mostly anchored in the writings of the prophets. They considered Moses as their utmost prophet. Thus, the Torah, which was his writing of Gods commandment, has been venerated well. Nonetheless, the concept of Messiah is very vital in the Jewish faith. Though the Jews have waited so long for the Messiahs coming, they never grow annoyed. Rambans 13 Principles of Faith state that every Jew should be prepared everyday for the imminent coming of the Messiah. Thus, until today, Jews still wait for their King. According to Jewish scholars, circumstances will determine the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah is a wise King who will redeem Israelites from oppression, restructure the temple of Jerusalem and reign over the people of God.
Jewish Leaderships Then and Now
    Abraham has been considered the father of all the Jews. Though some who profess the Jewish faith are Jewish converts, they have claimed that Abraham was their spiritual father. Judaism is basically a monotheistic religion. Thus, it also upholds theocracy or the rule of God. God is the leader of Israel and his commandments, which were written in the Torah, should be absolutely followed. Though the ruler, God has chosen human leaders to represent him in the community. The system has been patriarchal, Abraham being the first till Jacob and his twelve sons. Then the next leader has been the prophet Moses, who is both a spiritual and communal leader. When the priesthood had been vested to Aaron and his sons, the demarcation between spiritual and political leadership has been drawn. The priests and the Levites should consecrate themselves to the service of God and to the spiritual needs of the people. Then, the political leaders have been the judges and the kings, who were constantly guided by prophets.
    On the other hand, the Jewish leadership has now been only restricted to the community. Jews, who live outside Israel, could not expect a Jewish political leader who will uphold orthodox theocracy. However, a certain area with a large Jewish population commonly has a synagogue where a rabbi, a Jewish scholar, officiates service. Though some areas have no rabbi, members of synagogue has been assigned prayer leaders and master readers of the Torah. However, some communities have priests who claimed to be descendants of Aaron. Their duty has been but ceremonial yet they are widely cherished and respected. Furthermore, a synagogue also assigns ceremonial duty to members such as circumcisers, scribes and ritual slaughterers. Yet, these leadership structures have been still based from the Torah.
    Nevertheless, one of the most important dogmas of Judaism is its eschatological expectation, which is linked to leadership. Jews believe that a Messiah will come to save them from the evils of the world. They believe that he will be a great military leader of Israel who will defeat the enemies of their faith.

Zephaniah

Zephaniah, a work from the southern kingdom of Judah, is quite a short book of prophecy, taking up only 3 chapters or 53 verses, and so is considered in Judaism to be a Minor prophet, not minor because it is of less importance, but because of the text’s short length. He spoke at about the same time as Jeremiah, that is about thirty years before the city was destroyed by the Assyrians, the temple more or less eradicated, and the majority of the people led off into exile. Jeremiah though continued to prophesy after the death of good king Josiah, whereas Zephaniah spoke only during the king’s reign.

Gordon Churchyard in his commentary suggests that the name may refer to him have been hidden away from the cruelties and murders of King Manasseh, Josiah’s grandfather.

It is possible to date the work fairly precisely as in Chapter 1 v 1 after his genealogy, the longest written of any prophet, though John Calvin points out : With regard, then, to his pedigree, it is a matter of no great moment; but it is of great importance to know that God was the author of his doctrine, and that Zephaniah was his faithful minister, who introduced not his own devices, but was only the announcer of celestial truth.
The prophet tells us that the work dates from the time of King Josiah of Judah i.e. between 640 and 609 B.C.E. David Graves points out that this dating would make him a contemporary of several other prophets such as Jeremiah, Haggai and therefore Zechariah, and possibly Habakkuk. Josiah was the 16th king of Judah and he and Zephaniah shared common ancestry as the latter was descended from Hezekiah, the14th king. Although this book is placed almost at the end of the Jewish Bible the timing of its writing relates to events recorded in the Books of Kings and in the Chronicles. Zephaniah one of the few prophets whose chronology can be is fixed by a precise date in the introductory verse of the book.

The two kings before Josiah, were Amon and Manasseh, and during their reigns idolatry had been introduced into Judea and with this worship of foreign gods came a foreign culture , as described in 1 v 8 where people were wearing foreign ( presumably Assyrian) clothing and perhasp this also refers to having Assyrian habits such as worshipping their gods. Gordon Churchyard point out that this might have included even human sacrifice.There was a resultant general corruption of morals.The image used in 1 v 12 is of th every dregs i.e. the corrupted, useless part of the wine. Elsewhere in scripture the idea of Israel as an unfruitful vine is a frequent one as in Jeremiah 2 v 21 as well as in Isaiah and the Psalms :-
I had planted you like a choice vine of sound an dreliable stock. How did you then turn against me into a corrupt and wild vine? So th ewine, fruit of the vine, was corrupted. Some of these false gods were definitely the gods of Assyria and Babylon. The Assyrians had overlordship of that part of the world until 612 B.C.E. Manasseh, Amon and Josiah, although kings in their own right by inheritance, had to obey the emperors of Assyria.

Despite this Josiah became a dedicated reformer after the scroll of the law was found in the temple, wanted to put an end the horrers tha t were going on.. One of his champions in this period of reform was Zephaniah, and his writing remains an important documents for any proper understanding of the time of Josiah.

The New International Bible places the book near the beginning of Josiah’s long reign, in a period before religious revival swept over the country. David Baker, in the New Bible Commentary, also mentions a possible dating before the reign of Josiah because there is mention of pagan practices still going on as described in 1 v 4-9 i.e. the worship of Baal and Molech, astrology and the worship of the various celestial bodies. However the fact that religious reform had begun might not necessarily mean that all pagan practices had instantly ceased. Israel was surrounded by nations who did not worship as they were supposed to and this must have had some negative impact on the people and the way they worshipped, perhaps especially those who lived far away from the temple, because this was before the time of the synagogues and so worship was still being carried out on many high places, David Baker also points out links to Deuteronomy which can be found in verses such as Chapter 2 v 9 which mentions the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah#and also chapter 3 v 5 which speak of the perfection of God. These verses may point to a slightly later dating , after the discovery of the book of the law in the temple, which seems to have been a copy of Deuteronomy, and which discovery was the beginning of a time of great reform. This event is dated as being in the18th yea r of Josiah’s reign, which might mean that Zephaniah’s prophecy dates after that. It was certainly spoken before the Babylonian exile which began in 598 B.C.E. . Chapter 2 v 13 and 15 describe a future judgment on Ninevah, then capital of Assyria, something also predicted by Nahum. This means a definite earlier dating before that city’s destruction in 627 B.C.E., according to David Graves, but the New Bible Dictionary gives a slightly later date of 612 B.C.E

According to the Biblical narratives both Hezekiah and Josiah were both good, God fearing kings as can be judged from verses such as 2 Chronicles 29 v 3 which tells how in the first days of his reign Hezekiah set about making repairs in the temple and 2 Kings 2 v 2, speaking about Josiah:-He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
The work has two themes – the future judgments of God in chapter 1 to 3 v 8 and a promise of future salvation in 3 v 9 – 20.

Calvin points out that Zephaniah does not begin with doctrine i.e. ‘You should believe or do this’ but jumps right in with the result of their behavior.
Judgment is described in Chapter 1 where, passing on the words of God, the prophet says ‘I will stretch out my hand i.e. God will lift up his hand in order to hit out.

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left do nothing, either good or bad.’In particular the judgments will come against irreligion and false worship It isn’t just judgment of Jerusalem however. 1:2-2:3. Warnings about the "day of the Lord",I.e the day of judgment. The judgment of God will come down upon Judah and Jerusalem as a just punishment for the awful degeneracy in the people’s religious life (1:4-7a) it will extend across all types of people from rich princes through to the market traders (1:7b-13). More than just judgment there will be terrible catastrophes including what seems to be a plague or great disease. (1:14-18); Therefore, says the prophet, repent and seek the Lord before all this happens. (2:1-3). 3:1-8. The Prophet is again focused especially on Jerusalem: "Woe to the city of opressors, rebellious and defiled ! She obeys no one,she accepts no correction. Despite the earlier sayings about a general judgement the severest reckoning will be required of the leaders of the community, and of the arrogant prophets and priests who are described as ‘profaning the sanctuary.’ 3:9-20. In these verses the prophet looks forward to the future Kingdom of God of the future, one in which all the world unites and turns together to God, and in which the prosperity of the Messianic Kingdom will be fully enjoyed. Althrough the book the prophet has repeated the phrase ‘The Day of the Lord, each time with very negative connotations, but now it has a new slant. In 3 v 11 at last he says :-On that day you will not be put to shame.

This last part message of Zephaniah’s message has Messianic ideas, although not to any extent to be comparable with that which can be found
Doom and judgment are also predicted for the whole nation of Judah.’I will stretch out my hand against Judah, ’, but also other nations such as the Philistines, ‘O Canaan, land of the Philistines, I will destroy you and there will be none left.’. and Ethiopia ( Cush) among others ,’You too, O Cushites will be slain by my sword.’
Judah was not living in a peaceful era. Images of destruction and the devastation and disease that follows would have been familiar ideas. Assyria was already a mighty nation who might ( and eventually would) sweep down on them, but how much worse it th e destruction cam e from God himself.
The Message Bible, although a paraphrase, puts the matter very clearly in chapter 1 v 7:- ‘Times up. My judgment day is near.’

The majority of the book is quite negative in its mood - a list of bad things, of threats from God that will be carried out at some future date, a future judgment as delineated in chapter 3 v 8-13 which mentions an assembly of people from all nations, not just the Jews. God himself will testify. And God’s wrath will be poured out like an angry, but purifying fire.

Just as Genesis describes the act of creation, this could be described as ‘uncreation’ as in chapter 1 v 2,3 there is a description of the destruction of man, animals, birds and fish which is the reverse of the order as described in the first chapter of Genesis. The words ‘sweep away’ are repeated three times in verse 2 and 3. This emphasizes what is being said by its repetition. No one who heard this message could have been unsure about what was being said. Elsewhere these have been translated as remove. It is almost as if God is an artist who has created something, and has now decided to remove part of his artwork.

In 1 v 4 there is mention of the worship of other gods. Judaism had always been a monotheistic faith from the days of Abraham. Even the most irreligious of Jews would surely have been aware of verses such as Exodus 20 v 1-4:-God spoke all these words,“ I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt , out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make idols in the from of anything in heaven above or on the earth or in the waters below.

The final chapter though offers a ray of hope:
I will leave within you the meek and humble who trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel will do no wrong. In the words of John Calvin at this point :-he turns his discourse to the faithful, and exhorts them to patience, setting before them the hope of favor, provided they ever looked to the Lord; and provided they relied on the gratuitous covenant which he made with Abraham.

The prophecy continues on a very positive note for the next 6 verses, concluding with the words, pointing to some future time:-‘When I restore your fortunes before your very eyes, says the Lord.’

His prophecies can then be summed up as in verses 1:1-2:3 and 3:1-7 God will punish his Judean people who do not obey him;

1:2-3; 2:4-15 and 3:8 God punishment will extend to bad people from other surrounding lands
3:9-20 God will be very good to people who seek him and are obedient to him.

Blog Archive