Friday
24th Week of Ordinary Time
(I) 1st Reading: 1 Timothy 6:2c-12
False Teachers Described
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[2] Teach and urge these duties. [3] If any one teaches otherwise and does not
agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which ac-
cords with godliness, [4] he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing; he has
a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words, which produce
envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, [5] and wrangling among men who
are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means
of gain. [6] There is great gain in godliness with contentment; [7] for we brought
nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; [8] but if
wehave food and clothing, with these we shall be content. [9] But those who de-
sire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful
desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is
the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from
the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.
An Appeal to Defend the Faith
--------------------------------------------
[11] But as for you, man of God, shun all this; aim at righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. [12] Fight the good fight of the faith; take
hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good con-
fession in the presence of many witnesses.
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Commentary:
1-2. It is reckoned that approximately half the population of Ephesus were slaves;
so it is reasonable to assume that a sizable proportion of the Christians there
were slaves.
The Apostle does not tackle the social problem of slavery in a direct way; this
does not mean that he was happy about the situation; he simply felt it was more
urgent to make people appreciate the intrinsic dignity of all men and their equali-
ty in the order of grace (cf. Gal 3:29). Slaves too have been redeemed by Christ
and called to be holy; therefore, upright conduct is required of them as of others
(for other Pauline texts touching on slavery see, for example, Eph 6:5-9; Col 3:
22-4:1; Tit 2:9-10; Philem 8-21 and the notes on same).
St Paul provides two criteria to guide slaves in their dealings with others--aposto-
late and fraternity. For many pagans the example of their slaves was their only
way of learning about Christianity; therefore slaves should act in a way that reflec-
ted their faith and their Christian formation (v. 1). If their masters were believers,
the fraternity between master and slave should not lessen the slaves' obligations:
they should fulfill these obligations out of a deep sense of Christian love. If this
policy is applied, the whole social structure will become imbued with a Christian
spirit and eventually the permanent abolition of slavery will come about, for "the
ferment of the Gospel has aroused and continues to arouse in the hearts of men
an unquenchable thirst for human dignity" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 26).
See also the note on Col 3:22 - 4:1.
3-10. What he has to say about unmasking false teachers shows he is writing
from long experience. He twice describes them as knowing nothing. Their inten-
tions are wrong, because they seek only personal gain (v. 5); the reason why
they cause controversy and are forever arguing is to distract attention from their
defects and lack of true wisdom (v. 4).
"Sound words": words which bring spiritual health, words of salvation (cf. note
on 1:8-10). "The sacred words [words of salvation] of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v.
3): this phrase, and the quotation from Luke 10:7 in 1 Timothy 5:18, give grounds
for thinking that at the time this letter was written there was in circulation among
the Christians of Ephesus, a written Gospel, specifically that of St Luke. However,
there is no other evidence to support this theory. The Apostle could be referring
to words of our Lord accurately passed on in oral teaching.
"Teaching which accords with godliness" (v. 3). The term "eusebeia" ("pietas"),
godliness/religion/piety, which appears in the New Testament only in the Second
Epistle of St Peter and in the Pastoral Epistles, has a broad meaning. Some-
times it refers to Christian doctrine, not in the sense of abstract truths but as a
revelation of God to man. Sometimes it means "religion" (cf. 1 Tim 6:6, where
it is translated as "godliness"). In this passage (v. 3) it is the same as "revealed
truth" insofar as revealed truth is our link with God; if one does not accept the
truth, one breaks that link; if one makes use of it for financial gain one perverts
its inner meaning.
"신심에 부합되는 가르침(teaching which
accords with godliness)" (제3절). 신약
성경에서 오로지 성 베드로의 두 번째
서간과 사목 서간들에서만
나타나는 "eusebeia"
("pietas"), godliness(건경, 虔敬,
경건한 공경)/religion(경신덕)/piety[경의(敬意)와
함께 당연한
의무들에 대한 충실], 이라는 용어는 넓은 의미를 가지고
있습니다. 가끔
이 용어는, 추상적 진리들의 의미로서가 아니라
사람 쪽으로 하느님의 한 개의
계시로서,
그리스도교 교리(Christian docrine)에 대한 언급입니다(refers to).(*)
가끔
이 용어는 "경신덕(religion)"을
의미합니다 [이 용어가 "godliness"로
번역되고
있는 곳인 1티모테오 6,6을 참조하라](**).
바로 이 단락에서(제3절), 계시된 진리
(revealed truth)가
하느님과 우리의 연결(link)인 한, 이 용어는 "계시된 진리"와
동일하며, 그리하여 만약에 어떤 자가 이 진리를
받아들이지 않으면, 그자는 바로
이
연결(link)을 깨뜨리는 것이며, 그리고
만약에 어떤 자가 금전적 이득(financial gain)을
위하여 이 진리를 사용하면 그자는 이
진리의 내면적 의미를 오용하는 것입니다(perverts).
-----
(*) 번역자
주: 다음에 있는 1티모테오 6,11-16에 대한 NAB
주석을 또한 참고하라:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__P114.HTM
(**) 번역자
주: "새 번역 성경"의 해당 본문에서는 "신심"으로
번역되고 있으며, 위의
RSV(Revised Standard Version)의 해당 본문에서와는 달리, 다음에 있는
NAB
(New American Bible)의 1티모테오 6,6에서는, "godliness" 혹은
"piety" 대신에,
"religion"으로 번역되고 있다:
http://old.usccb.org/nab/bible/1timothy/1timothy6.htm
참고로,
NAB 본문에서 "godliness" 라는 단어가 2마카베오 12,45에서만
오로지
단 한번 사용되고 있음은 다음의 NAB 색인에서 확인 할 수 있다:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/_H6.HTM#FZ6
-----
10. "The love of money is the root of all evils": probably a proverb accepted even
by pagans of the time, particularly the more educated ones. Christians were well
aware of the harmful effects of greed (cf. 1 Jn 2:17 and note). St Paul uses this
memorable phrase to get at the false teachers: the root cause of all their errors
is their greed for possessions. It is clearly a perverted thing to do to turn godli-
ness, religion, into a way of making money (v. 5). Those who try to satisfy this
ambition will end up unhappy and wretched.
10. "돈에 대한 사랑은 모든 악들의
뿌리입니다": 아마도 심지어 그
시대의 다신교도
(pagans)들에 의하여, 특히 더 많이 교육받은 자들에 의하여,
받아들여졌을 한
개의 격언(a proverb)이었을 것입니다. 그리스도인들은 탐욕(greed)의
해로운
결과들에 대하여 잘 알아차리고 있었습니다(1 요한 2,17과
주석을 참조하라). 성 바오로는
바로 이 기억에 남는 경구{警句, phrase)를 거짓 선생들에
이르기 위하여 사용합니다:
그들의 오류들 모두의 근본적인 원인은 소유물(possessions)들에
대한 그들의 욕심입니다.
godliness(건경, 虔敬, 경건한 공경), 경신덕(religion)을 돈을
버는 행위의 한 방식으로
바꾸는 것은 분명하게 한 개의 그릇된 일(a perverted thing)입니다(제5절).
바로 이러한
야망(ambition)을 만족시키고자 하는 자들은 장차 불행하고
그리고 비참하게 끝이 날
것입니다.
"It hurts you to see that some use the technique of speaking about the Cross of
Christ only so as to climb and obtain promotion. They are the same people who
regard nothing as clean unless it coincides with their own particular standards.
All the more reason, then, for you to persevere in the rectitude of your intentions,
and to ask the Master to grant you the strength to say: 'Non mea voluntas, sed
tua fiat!--Lord, may I fulfill your Holy Will with love'"(St. J. Escriva, "Furrow", 352).
These severe warnings show how much St Paul suffers over the harm being done.
"For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as
enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil 3:18). Good teachers, on the contrary, are
content with food and a roof over their head (v. 8); detachment has always been
a pre-condition of apostolic effectiveness: "The spirit of poverty and charity is the
glory and witness of the Church of Christ" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 88).
11-16. The letter's final piece of advice is given with special solemnity. There are
two reasons for constancy in the fight (v. 12): the call to eternal life, and fidelity
to the confession of faith made at Baptism. The second obligation, to keep what
is commanded (v. 14), is urged with an appeal to the presence of two witnesses
--God the Father, and Jesus Christ (v. 13), who firmly proclaimed his kingship to
Pontius Pilate.
There is a very close connection between perseverance and the eternal sove-
reignty of God (v. 16): "The eternity of God", St Bernard teaches, "is the source
of perseverance [...]. Who hopes and perseveres in love but he who imitates the
eternity of his charity? Truly, perseverance reflects eternity in some way; only to
perseverance is eternity granted or, to put it better, only perseverance obtains
eternity for man" ("Book of Consideration", 5, 14).
11. "Man of God": this expression was used in the Old Testament of men who
performed some special God-given mission--for example, Moses (Deut 33:1; Ps
40:1), Samuel (1 Sam 9:6-7); Elijah and Elisha(1 Kings 17:18; 2 Kings 4:7, 27,
42). In the Pastoral Epistles (cf. also 2 Tim 3:17) it is applied to Timothy insofar
as ordination has conferred on him a ministry in the Church. Through ordination
"the priest is basically a consecrated man, a 'man of God' (1 Tim 6:11) [...]. The
ministerial priesthood in the people of God is something more than a holy public
office exercised on behalf of the community: it is primarily a configuration, a sa-
cramental and mysterious transformation of the person of the man-priest into the
person of Christ himself, the only mediator (cf. 1 Tim 2:5)" (A. del Portillo, "On
Priesthood", pp. 44-45).
"Fight the good fight": St Paul often uses military comparisons to describe the
Christian life (cf., e.g., 2 Cor 10:3-6; Eph 6:10-17; Col 1:29; 2 Tim 2:3; 4:7), and
they have found their way into the ascetical tradition of the Church (cf. note on
1 Tim 1:17-19). Here and in 2 Timothy he is referring more to keeping the truth
unsullied, and to preaching: the "good fight of the faith" is of great importance to
everyone.
"Confession in the presence of many witnesses": in addition to the day of his con-
secration (cf. 1 Tim 4:14), Timothy would have often had occasion to make public
confession of his faith. However, this phrase is couched in such formal terms that
it seems to refer rather to the profession of faith which has been made at Baptism
ever since the early years of the Church (cf. Acts 2:38-41).
(II) 1st Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
The Basis of our Faith
--------------------------------
[12] Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say
that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13] But if there is no resurrection of the
dead, then Christ has not been raised; [14] if Christ has not been raised, then our
preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. [15] We are even found to be misrepre-
senting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ, whom he did not
raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. [16] For if the dead are not raised,
then Christ has not been raised. [17] If Christ has not been raised, your faith is fu-
tile and you are still in your sins. [18] Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ
have perished. [19] If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men
most to be pitied.
The Cause of our Resurrection
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[20] But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who
have fallen asleep.
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Commentary:
12-19. St Paul very forcefully states that the resurrection of Christ is an essential
truth of the Christian faith; without it that faith is vain. For, by rising from the dead
Christ completes the work of Redemption. Dying on the cross meant victory over
sins; but it was necessary also that he should rise from the dead and thereby
conquer death, the outcome of sin (cf. Rom 5:12). "It was necessary that Christ
should rise again in order to manifest the justice of God; for it was most appro-
priate that he who through obedience to God was degraded, and loaded with ig-
nominy, should by him be exalted. [...] He rose also to confirm our faith, which
is necessary for justification; for the resurrection of Christ from the dead by his
own power affords an irrefutable proof that he was the Son of God. Again the
resurrection nourishes and sustains our hope. As Christ rose again, we rest on
an assured hope that we too shall rise again; the members must necessarily
arrive at the condition of their head. [...] Finally, the resurrection of our Lord, it
should also be taught, was necessary to complete the mystery of our salvation
and redemption. By his death Christ liberated us from sin, by his resurrection he
restored to us the most important of those privileges which we had forfeited by
sin" ("St Pius V Catechism", I, 6, 12).
In these verses St Paul is really giving indirect arguments in support of Christ's
resurrection, by pointing out what an absurd situation we would be in if Jesus
Christ had not risen: our faith would be in vain (vv. 14,17,18), as would our hope
(v.19); the Apostles would be false witnesses and their preaching valueless (vv
14-15); and we would still be in our sins (v. 17). Christians, in other words, would
be "of all men most to be pitied" (v. 19).
20-28. The Apostle insists on the solidarity that exists between Christ and Chris-
tians: as members of one single body, of which Christ is the head, they form as
it were one organism (cf. Rom 6:3-11; Gal 3:28). Therefore, once the resurrection
of Christ is affirmed, the resurrection of the just necessarily follows. Adam's diso-
bedience brought death for all; Jesus, the new Adam, has merited that all should
rise (cf. Rom 5:12-21). "Again, the resurrection of Christ effects for us the resur-
rection of our bodies not only because it was the efficient cause of this mystery,
but also because we all ought to arise after the example of the Lord. For with
regard to the resurrection of the body we have this testimony of the Apostle: 'As
by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead' (1
Cor 15:21). In all that God did to accomplish the mystery of our redemption he
made use of the humanity of Christ as an effective instrument, and hence his
resurrection was, as it were, an instrument for the accomplishment of our resur-
rection" ("St Pius V Catechism", I, 6, 13).
Although St Paul here is referring only to the resurrection of the just (v. 23), he
does speak elsewhere of the resurrection of all mankind (cf. Acts 24:15). The
doctrine of the resurrection of the bodies of all at the end of time, when Jesus will
come in glory to judge everyone, has always been part of the faith of the Church;
"he [Christ] will come at the end of the world, he will judge the living and the dead;
and he will reward all, both the lost and the elect, according to their works. And
all those will rise with their own bodies which they now have so that they may re-
ceive according to their works, whether good or bad; the wicked, a perpetual
punishment with the devil; the good, eternal glory with 'Christ" (Fourth Lateran
Council, "De Fide Catholica", chap. 1).
Gospel Reading: Luke 8:1-3
The Holy Women
-------------------------
[1] Soon afterward He (Jesus) went on through cities and villages, preaching and
bringing the Good News of the Kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with Him,
[2] and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary,
called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, [3] and Joanna, the
wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for
them out of their means.
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Commentary:
1-3. The Gospel refers a number of times to women accompanying our Lord.
Here St. Luke gives us the names of three of them--Mary, called Magdalene, to
whom the risen Christ appeared beside the Holy Sepulchre (John 20:11-18; Mark
16:9); Joanna, a lady of some position, whom we also meet among the women
who went to the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection (Luke 24:10), and Su-
sanna, whom the Gospel does not mention again. The role of these women con-
sisted in helping Jesus and His disciples out of their own resources, thereby
showing their gratitude for what Christ had done for them, and in cooperating in
His ministry.
Men and women enjoy equal dignity in the Church. Within the context of that
equality, women certainly have specific characteristics which must necessarily
be reflected in their role in the Church: "All the baptized, men and women alike,
share equally in the dignity, freedom and responsibility of the children of God....
Women are called to bring to the family, to society and to the Church, charac-
teristics which are their own and which they alone can give--their gentle warmth
and untiring generosity, their love for detail, their quick-wittedness and intuition,
their simple and deep piety, their constancy.... A woman's femininity is genuine
only if she is aware of the beauty of this contribution for which there is no sub-
stitute --and if she incorporates it into her own life" (St. J. Escriva, "Conversa-
tions", 14 and 87).
The Gospel makes special reference to the generosity of these women. It is nice
to know that our Lord availed Himself of their charity, and that they responded to
Him with such refined and generous detachment that Christian women feel filled
with a holy and fruitful envy (cf. St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 981).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
[참고: 이 파일은 저서명 "가톨릭 교회의 말씀 전례에 따른 성경공부 해설서"(엮은이: 소순태, 출판사: 가톨릭출판사)의 각주의 연장으로 마련되었습니다].