The Lamp

This post originally appeared on my site The Divine Lamp.  On that site you can find links to my (and others) notes on Scripture.  These links can be found under the title of that blog.
I wont be giving an introduction to the book but, because these are important and aid in understanding the text, I have provided some links to introductory material.

Catholic Encyclopedia.

Jewish Encyclopedia.

Father William Most.

Father Mitch Pacwa. This is an audio program. Show 30 contains an intro to the prophet. Shows 30-51 give commentary on Isaiah chapters 1-39. Real Player is required to listen to these programs and can be downloaded and used for free here.

A good protestant introduction.

Another Protestant intro (brief, 3 pages)

Isaiah: His Life and Times. Protestant. Rather dated. Part of the Internet Arhive.

Biblical Dictionary. Non-Catholic. Dated.

Like all the books of the writing prophets (except Daniel) this book opens with a superscription (vs 1). The purpose of the superscription is to introduce us to the prophet and to the time period in which his ministry took place. This latter aspect of the verse is done by namoing the monarchs whor occupied the throne of the Southern Kingdom.

(Note: Fro a proper understanding of the historical situation of the pre-exilic prophets it is important to keep in mind that the Davidic Kingdom split in two after the death of Solomon. If you are unfamiliar with the history and theology of this event please read the following:

The law of the king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20).

The rise and fall of Solomon (1 Kings 1-11).

The division of the kingdom and the “original sin” of the new Northern kingdom (1 KIngs 12-13).

Also, read this historical summary (protestant).

Greeting:

Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the church which is at Ephesus, in Asia, deservedly most happy, being blessed in the greatness and fullness of God the Father, and predestined before the beginning of time, that it should be always for an enduring and unchangeable glory, being united and elected through the true passion by the will of the Father, and Jesus Christ, our God: Abundant happiness through Jesus Christ and his undefiled grace.

Theophorus means “one who bears God.” The saint elsewhere uses the term to denote faithful Christians.

According to Acts 19:10 St Paul spent two years in Ephesus, which was in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). A letter to that church is found in the Pauline corpus, but the ancient manuscripts suggest that his letter was not addressed to Ephesus or to any one church but was more “encyclical” in nature. Some of the language in the greeting of Ignatius possibly reflects the letter of Paul.
Chapter 1: In Praise of the Ephesians.

I have become acquainted with your name, much beloved in God, which ye have acquired by the habit of righteousness, according to the faith and love in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Being the followers of God, and stirring yourselves up by the blood of God, ye have perfectly accomplished the work the work which was beseeming to you. For, on hearing that I came bound form Syria for the common name and hope, through your prayers to be permitted to fight the beasts at Rome, that so by martyrdom I may indeed become the disciple of Him “who gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God, (Eph 5:2) ye hastened to see me. I received, therefore, your whole multitude in the name of God, through Onesimus, a man of inexpressible love, and your bishop in the flesh, whom I pray you by Jesus Christ to love, and that you would all seek to be like him. And blessed be He who has granted unto you, being worthy, to obtain such an excellent bishop.

Theophorus: A name the saint may have taken for himself upon his baptism. Given the fact that he says “who is called Theophorus” it is more likely that others gave him this name. The name can be understood either in an active or a passive sense. If the former, it means “one who carries God about;” If the latter, it means, “one who is carried by God.” In as much as Ignatius was a bishop whose task it was to bring God to the world, I tend to think that the first, active designation is correct. Also, St Ignatius saw the Bishops as sent by God through Christ and therefore, ultimately, representing God to the Church and the world. Consider this passage from latter in the letter:

 For a fact, if I in a short time became so warmly attached to your
bishop–an attachment based not on human grounds but on spiritual–how much
more do I count you happy who are as closely knit to him as the Church is
to Jesus Christ, and as Jesus Christ is to the Father! As a result, the
symphony of unity is perfect. Let no one deceive himself: unless a man is
within the sanctuary, he has to go without the Bread of God. Assuredly, if
the prayer of one or two has such efficacy, how much more that of the
bishop and the entire Church! It follows, then: he who absents himself from
the common meeting, by that very fact shows pride and becomes a sectarian;
for the Scripture says: God resists the proud. Let us take care, therefore,
not to oppose the bishop, that we may be submissive to God.
Furthermore: the more anyone observes that a bishop is discreetly
silent, the more he should stand in fear of him. Obviously, anyone whom the
Master of the household puts in charge of His domestic affairs, ought to be
received by us in the same spirit as He who has charged him with this duty.
Plainly, then, one should look upon the bishop as upon the Lord Himself.

Ephesus: The Christians of Ephesus were closely associated with St Paul and St John.
deservedly most happy:  What follows gives the reasons why they are so deserving of happiness; 1)

 they ave been blessed in the fulness and greatness of God the father; 2)predestined before the 

beginning of time; 3) that they should abide for and enduring and unchanging glory; 4) and be 

united and elected through the true passion by the will of the Father, and Jesus Christ, our God.

 
Fulness: Refers to the abundant blessings of God’s salvific bounty which come through Jesus 

Christ (see John 1:16; Eph 1:22-23)

Predestined: Neither in the NT or in Ignatius is this word ever used of individuals in a Calvinist

 sense.  The word refers to the eternal, salvific plan of God, the purpose of which is that those

 who accept the faith should, as St Ignatius puts it “abide for an enduring and unchageable glory.”
being united and elected through the true passion: unity and the truth of the passion are strongly

 emphasized by the saint in opposition to heretics and schismatic; we will see this repeatedly as 

we work our way through his letters.

What follows below first appeared as five individual posts on one of my other sites The Divine Lamp.  Anyone interested in the Chruch Fathers should check out my site Catholic Bookworm, which contains a couple of hundred links to online books, articles and podcasts, dealing with the Fathers, Catholic theology, Catholic sermons, Spirituality, Church history, philosophy, ect

SECTION 1 

1. Already there is an odor of blessedness upon you, O you who are soon to be enlightened; already you are gathering the spiritual flowers, to weave heavenly crowns; already the fragrance of the Holy Spirit has breathed upon you; already you have gathered round the vestibule of the king’s palace; May you be led in also by the King! For blossoms have now appeared upon the trees; may the fruit also be found perfect! Thus far there has been an inscription of your names, and a call to service, and torches of the bridal train, and a longing for heavenly citizenship, and a good purpose, and hope attendant thereon. For he does not lie who said, “that to them that love God all things work together for good.” God is lavish in beneficence, yet he waits for each man’s genuine will: therefore the Apostle added and said, “to them that are called according to his purpose. The honesty of purpose makes you called: for if your body be here but not your mind, it profits you nothing.

NOTES

Already there is an odor of blessedness upon you, O you who are soon to be enlightened. The odor the saint is referring to is the blessings of baptism. Though they have not yet been “enlightened” (i.e. baptized) the blessing of baptism is said to surround them like a ladies fine perfume because the have made it through the initial stages of the catechumenate and are preparing for the 40 day test of Lent. Perhaps the blessing spoken of here is akin to that of the baptism of desire, for already they have gathered round the vestibule of the King’s palace, but they have not yet entered it; blossoms have appeared upon the trees, but not yet the fruit; and “to them that love God all things work together for good,” so it follows that those who have honesty of purpose, in both mind and heart, are called according to his purpose.

Enlightened: In the early Church this word was often associated with baptism. The story of the man born blind whom Jesus healed by sending him to wash in the pool of Siloam is often associated with this theme (see John 9:1-41, and note the themes of Jesus as light of the world and of the blindness of the pharisees).

The holy spirit has breathed upon you. Perhaps an allusion to God breathing into Adam’s nostrils to give him life (Gen 2:7; see also Jn 20:22).

You have gathered round the vestibule of the King’s palace; may you be led in also by the King! An image perhaps suggested by Psalm 45:11-16.

For blossoms have now appeared on the trees; may the fruit also be found perfect! Perhaps suggested by Mark 13:28, or its parallels.

Thus far there has been an inscription of your names… perhaps an allusion to passages such as Rev 13:8; 17:8; or Daniel 12:1.

torches of the bridal train.. Perhaps an allusion to the ten virgins parable of Matt 25:1-13.

SECTION 2
The purpose of the Protocatechesis (hereafter Pc) was to commend the people for their desire for baptism and to exhort them to maintain this desire and bring it to fruition. At this point it might be well to go back and read section 1 of the Pc. At the very least, one should recall the last sentence of that section: “The honesty of purpose makes you called: for if your body be here but not your mind, it profits you nothing.” Section 2 builds upon this warning by focusing on the figure of Simon Magus.

Did not Simon Magus once approach the laver and have himself baptized without being enlightened? Though he plunged his body into water his heart was not enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Though his body went down and came up again his soul was neither buried with Christ nor raised up with him. I make reference and indict this man for his fall so that you may not fall. Things such as this happen to serve as an example to you, and were written down as an admonition for those who would draw near (i.e. to baptism). You must not tempt God’s grace so that no bitter root grow up and cause trouble. Let none of you come in saying, ‘let us see what the faithful are doing; let me go in and see, that I may leaarn what is being done.’ Do you expect to see and yet not be seen? Do you think that while you search out what is going on, God is not searching your heart?

NOTES

“Did not Simon Magus once approach the laver?” The story of Simon Magus can be read in Acts 8:9-24. He was a Samaritan who became a believer and was baptised but latter fell away. St Cyril seems to suggest (wrongly, I think) that neither his faith or his baptism were on the up and up. In spite of this, the saint’s warnings to his hearers remains valid.

“Though he plunged his body into the water he was not enlightened by the Holy Spirit.” Light often has a spiritual meaning in the NT Jn 1:9; 1 Cor 4:5; 2 Cor 4:4-6; Eph 1:18; 2 Tim 1:10; Heb 6:4 and 10:32. The two passages from Hebrews were instrumental in the application of the term enlightened to baptism.

“Though his body went down and came up again his soul was neither buried with Christ nor raised up with him.” See Romans 6:1-11.

“Things such as this happen to serve as an example to you, and were written down as an admonition for those who would draw near” (i.e. to baptism). The saint is here alluding to 1 Cor 10:1-14; especially verse 11. A somewhat similar idea occurs in Romans 15:1-3.

“No bitter root grow up and cause trouble.” A reference to Hebrews 12:14-17: “See to it that no one fail to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” spring up and cause trouble, and by it the many become defiled; that no one be immoral or irreligious like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” (RSV)

“let none of you come in saying…” The saint warns them not to be baptized out of mere curiosity concerning what the faithful are doing.

SECTION 3

Having warned his listeners not to approach the their baptismal instructions-and, by implication, their baptism- out of mere curiousity (section 2), the Saint now tells the story of  a guest who shows  up to a wedding feast in unseemly dress and with bad manners.   He is clearly adopting and adapting Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast from Matthew 22:1-14.

A certain man in the Gospel once pried into the marriage feast, and took an unbecoming garment, and came in, and sat down, and ate: for the bridegroom permitted it.  But when he (the guest) saw them all clad in white, he ought to have assumed a garment of the same kind himself; for like the others he partook of the food but was unlike them in fashion and purpose.  The bridegroom, however, though bountiful, was not undiscerning; and in going round to each of the guests and observing them (for his care was not with their eating, but for their seemly behavior), he saw a stranger not having on a wedding garment, and said to him, “friend, how is it you came in looking like that?  In that color!  With what a conscience!  True, the door-keeper did not forbid you entrance because of my bounty; but were you ignorant of what fashion to wear to a wedding feast?  When you came in and beheld the glorious raiment of the guests, should this not have been a lesson to you?  Should you not have receded in good taste so as to return in good taste? (i.e. you should have gone home and changed, then represented yourself) But since you have come here and stayed without taste, tastelessly you shall be cast out.”  And so the Bridegroom ordered the servants to bind the feet he used to intrude; and to bind the hands he refused to use to put on fine garments; and he ordered him cast headlong into the outer darkness, for he was unworthy of the wedding torches.  Seeing, then, what happened to that man, make your own condition safe.

NOTES

The bountiful bridegroom.  The description of the bridegroom as bountiful or benefiecent was no doubt meant to recall to the listeners minds what was said in section 1: “For he does not lie who said, “to them that love God all things work together for good.” God is lavish in beneficence, yet he waits for each man’s genuine will…”  The saint clearly wants us to see the wedding guest as not acting with a good will.  “Like the others he partook of the food but was unlike them in fashion and purpose.”  The food  no doubt represents the instructions they are receiving.  Proper attire symbolizes the good will or purpose the saint had praised them for in section 1, and exhorted them to maintain in section 2.

 (The bridegroom went) round to each of the guests and observing them (for his care was not with their eating, but for their seemly behavior), he saw a stranger not having on a wedding garment, and said to him, “friend, how is it you came in looking like that?  In that color!  With what a conscience!  The watchful bridegroom who notices the man’s slovenly appearance and recognizes it as bad conscience calls to mind the warning at the end of section 2:  You must not tempt God’s grace so that no bitter root grow up and cause trouble. Let none of you come in saying, ‘let us see what the faithful are doing; let me go in and see, that I may leaarn what is being done.’ Do you expect to see and yet not be seen? Do you think that while you search out what is going on, God is not searching your heart?  

Should you not have receded in good taste so as to return in good taste? (i.e. you should have gone home and changed, then represented yourself) But since you have come here and stayed without taste, tastelessly you shall be cast out.  Normally, a bridegroom would not cast an invited guest out of his wedding feast, but should an inconsiderate guest expect considerations from the man who invited him? “the measure with whcih you measure shall be measured out to you.” (Mt 7:2).   Notice that the feet with which the guest walked in with, and the hands he refused to dress himself properly with, are bound.

he ordered him cast headlong into the outer darkness, for he was unworthy of the wedding torches.  Possibly an allusion to the parable of the ten virgins (Mt 25:1-13).  As noted at the beginning, the saint is making use of the parable of the wedding feast from Matthew 22:1-14.  This use of scripture as a warning reminds us of what was said earlier by the saint in relation to what happened to Simon Magus:  I make reference and indict this man for his fall so that you may not fall. Things such as this happen to serve as an example to you, and were written down as an admonition for those who would draw near (i.e. to baptism).

SECTION 4

Section four of St Cyril’s Protocatechesis builds upon the themes introduced in section three; therefore I will be giving few if any notes.

For we, the ministers of Christ, (the bridegroom of section 3) have admitted everyone, and occupying, as it were, the place of door-keepers we left the door open: and possibly you did enter with your soul stained by sin, and with your will defiled. You entered, and were allowed to do so, and your name was inscribed (like a guest’s name in a wedding book). Answer me this, do you not see the venerable constitution of the Church? Do you not view her order and discipline, the reading of the Scriptures, the presence of the ordained, the course of instruction? Be ashamed at the place, andbe taught by what you see. It is appropriate that you go out now, and even more appropriately return tomorrow.

If your soul is dressed in avarice, put on a different garment and come in. Put off your former garment. Continue not to cloak yourself in it. I beg of you, strip off your garments of fornication and uncleanness, and don the glorious robe of chastity. This charge I give you, before Jesus the Bridegroom of souls come in and see what fashion they (those espoused to Christ) wear. A long period of preparation has been given to you; you have forty days of repentance; you have full time then to put off (their old garments) and wash up, and then put on (their new garments of repentance) so as to enter in (i.e. to the wedding feast, their union with Christ in baptism). But if you persist in your evil intentions (a hypocritical conversion lacking repentance) the speaker (St. Cyril) is blameless, but you must not look for the grace; for though the water will receive you, the holy spirit will not accept you. If anyone of you is conscious of a wound, then take the salve; if any of you have fallen, then rise up. Let there be no Simon among you, no hypocrisy, no idle curiosity concerning this matter.

NOTES

Concerning the garment imagery see (or recall) the parable St. Cyril gave in section 3. As we saw in our notes on that section, St. Cyril’s image was heavily dependent on the parable of the wedding feast Jesus spoke in Matt 22:1-14. In the present section, the garment imagery from section 3 is combined with allusions to Col 3:8-10 (see the text and corresponding footnote. See also Eph 4:22-24)

 SECTION 5

Section 5 of the Protocatechesis continues the dominant theme of  the lecture, namely honesty of purpose, the need to receive baptism with integrity of purpose.  The section is short and rather straight-forward and so my notes will be few.  Cyril’s text is in bold type and my notes in italics. 

Possibly you have come on another pretext.  It is possible that a man is here wishing to court a woman; or likewise, a woman is here for the purpose of gaining a man.

Many Christian parents did not allow their children to marry pagans.  In one of his sermons on Psalm 119 St Ambrose mentions that some Pagans became Christian on a pretext, their motivation not really being salvation but marriage to the Christian they loved.  This seems to be the problem St Cyril has in mind.

  A slave also perhaps wishes to please his master (see Eph 6:5-9), and a friend his friend.  I accept this bait for the hook, and welcome thee, thou you came with an evil purpose, yet as one to be saved by a good hope.  

Though they have come for the wrong reasons the Saint nonetheless welcomes them, seeing it as an opportunity to save them.

Perhaps you did not now where you were coming, nor in what kind of net you were taken.  You have come into the Church’s nets to be taken alive (see Mt 4:18-20 and 13:47), for you must die and rise again (see Rom 6:4).  You have heard the Apostle say, “Dead unto sin, but living unto righteousness.” (see Rom 6:11-14)  Die to your sins and live to righteousness, live from this very day.

Words in italics represent my own notations.
The Saint begins by emphasizing that both Church ministry and membership in the Church are the product of God’s grace.
read 1 Cor 1:1-3

See how immediately, from the very beginning he cast down their pride, and dashes to the ground all their fond imagination, in that he speaks of himself as called. For what I have learned, says he, I discovered not myself, nor acquired by my own wisdom, but while, I was persecuting and laying waste the Church. Now here of Him that calls is everything: of him that is called, nothing,(so to speak,) but only to obey.

St Paul was not called because of anything he had or did; rather, he was called by the grace and mercy of God (1 Cor 15:9-11; 1 Tim 1:12-17; Gal 1:13-17). For this reason, the forming of cliques around certain teachers, such as himself and Apollos is quite out of place (see 1: 10-17; 3:5-9).

Of Jesus Christ. Your teacher is Christ; and do you write yourselves by the names of men, as patrons of your doctors? (see 3:21-2)

By the will of God. For it was God who willed that you should be saved in this way. We ourselves have wrought no good thing, but by he grace of God we have attained to this salvation; and because it seemed good to Him, we were called, not because we were worthy. (i.e., called by his grace and mercy, not by our own worthiness).

Unto the Church of God. Not “of this or of that man,” but “of God.” (The saint is here obviously alluding to the cliques formed at Corinth. The Church comes from no man but exists by the will of God.)

Which is at Corinth. See how at each word he puts down their swelling pride; training their thoughts in every way to heaven? He calls it also the Church “of God;” showing that it ought to be united, For if it be “of God,” it is united, and it is one, not in Corinth only, but also in all the world: For the Church’s name is not a name of separation, but of unity and concord. (God formed man as a social being [Gen 1:27; 2:18]; sin is a disruption of this fact [Gen 3:8-13; 11:1-9]. God saves individuals, but he does so in and through a community. This is the whole point of Pentecost [Acts 2]

“The sacred mystery of the Church’s unity” (UR 2)

813 The Church is one because of her source: “the highest exemplar and source of this mystery is the unity, in the Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit.”²⁵⁹ The Church is one because of her founder: for “the Word made flesh, the prince of peace, reconciled all men to God by the cross, . . . restoring the unity of all in one people and one body.”²⁶⁰ The Church is one because of her “soul”: “It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of the Church’s unity.”²⁶¹ Unity is of the essence of the Church:

What an astonishing mystery! There is one Father of the universe, one Logos of the universe, and also one Holy Spirit, everywhere one and the same; there is also one virgin become mother, and I should like to call her “Church.”²⁶²

814 From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity which comes from both the variety of God’s gifts and the diversity of those who receive them. Within the unity of the People of God, a multiplicity of peoples and cultures is gathered together. Among the Church’s members, there are different gifts, offices, conditions, and ways of life. “Holding a rightful place in the communion of the Church there are also particular Churches that retain their own traditions.”²⁶³ The great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church’s unity. Yet sin and the burden of its consequences constantly threaten the gift of unity. and so the Apostle has to exhort Christians to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”^{264 (Source)}

To the sanctified in Christ Jesus. He mentions the Name of Jesus, for the names of men he finds no place. But what is sanctification? The Laver, the Purification (i.e. baptism). For he reminds them of their own uncleanness, from which they had been freed; thus does he persuade them to lowliness of mind; for not by their own good deeds, but by the loving kindness of God, had they been sanctified.

Called to be saints. For even this, to be saved by faith, is not, says he, from yourselves; for you did not first draw near, but you were called; so that not even this matter is yours. However, thou you had drawn near, accountable as you are for innumerable wickedness, not even so would grace be yours, but God’s. For this reason, writing to the Ephesians, he said, “By grace are you saved through faith, and this not of yourselves;” not even the faith is yours altogether; for you were not first with your belief, but obeyed a call.

With all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not “of this or that man,” but “the Name of the Lord.”

In every place, both theirs and ours(i.e. their Lord and ours). Though the letter is written only to the Corinthians, yet he makes mention of all the faithful throughout the world, showing that the Church throughout the world is one, however separated into different places it may be, including Corinth (see 11:16; 15:1-11;). And though they be separated in place, the Lord binds them together, being common to all. Wherefore also uniting them he adds, both theirs and ours. And this is far more powerful [to unite], than the other[to separate]. For as men in one place, having many and contrasting manners, become distracted, and their one place helps them not to be of one mind, their masters giving orders at variance with each other, and drawing each their own way, according to what Christ says, “You cannot serve both God and money;” so those in different places, if they have not different lords but one only, are not by the places injured in respect of unanimity, the One Lord binding them together. (In other words, whatever can hinder unity among men, such as place or state in life, is not as strong as Christ’s power to unite). “I do not say,” so the apostle means, “that only you Corinthians should be of one mind among yourselves only, but of one mind with all those in the whole world who have the common Master (Christ). This is also why he has added for a second time the word ours; for since he had spoken about “the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he did not wish to appear to be inconsiderate by making a distinction, so he adds, “both our Lord and theirs.”

That my meaning may be clear, I will read it according to its sense thus: Paul and Sosthenes to the Church of God which is in Corinth, and to all who call upon the name of Him who is both our Lord and theirs in every place, whether in Rome or wheresoever else they may be: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Or again thus; which I also believe to be rather more correct. Paul and Sosthenes to those that are in Corinth, who have been sanctified, called to be saints, together with all who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both their Lord and ours; that is to say, grace unto you, and peace unto you, who are at Corinth, who have been sanctified and called; not to you alone, but with all those who in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and theirs.

Now if our peace be from grace, why is it that you have such high thoughts of yourselves? And if you have peace with God, why do you wish to assign it to others? Is this not what separation comes to? (by assigning their gifts to various ministers rather than to Christ they are fostering division). For what if you be at peace with this man, and with the other even find grace? My prayer is that both these may be yours from God; both from him, I say, and toward him. (If it is conceivable that they can have peace as a gift from one man, then it is conceivable that they can have grace as a gift from another. Their cliques around certain men are not simply divisive, they are capable of multiplying. The saint says that Paul wishes [prays] that the Corinthians come to understand that the men they are forming their cliques around are from [empowered by] God). For neither do they (the men around whom the cliques have formed) abide secure unless they enjoy the influence from above; nor unless God is their object will they be of any avail to you; for it profits us nothing if we be at peace towards all men, if we are at war with God; likewise, it is no harm to us, if we are hated by all men, if we are at peace with God. Again, it is no good to us if we are approved by all men, if we are offensive to God; conversely, if we shunned and hated by all men, there is no danger in that, if we be loved and accepted by God. (God, not man, not ourselves, should be our primary focal point). For that which is true grace, and true peace, comes from God, since he who finds grace in God’s sight, though he suffers ten thousand horrors, fears none of them; I say he neither fears man, or the devil himself; but he that offends God holds all men suspect, even though he seems to be in security. For human nature is unstable, and not only friends and brothers, but fathers also, before now, have been altogether changed; and often for a little thing the son whom he begot, the branch of his planting, has been to him, more than all foes, an object of persecution. Children too have cast off their fathers. Thus, if you will attend to it, David was in favor with God, Absalom, his son, in favor with men. What was the end of each, and which of them is in most honor, you know. Abraham was in favor with God, Pharaoh with men; for to gratify him they gave up the just man’s wife. Which of the two was the more illustrious and happy? Everyone knows. And why speak I of righteous men? The Israelites were in favor with God; but they were hated by men, the Egyptians; but nevertheless they prevailed against their haters, and vanquished them, with how great a triumph is well known to all.

For this therefore all of us labor earnestly; whether one be a slave, let him pray for this, that he may find grace with God rather than with his master; or a wife, let her seek grace from God her Savior rather than from her husband; or a soldier, in preference to his king and commander let him seek that favor which comes from above. For then among men you will be amiable.

To read the rest of the homily (without my notes) go HERE and begin reading at section 4. Hopefully, I will be able to finish my notes at a latter date.

What follows is from the Jamieson, Fausset, Brown COMMENTARY CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY.  The work is in the public domain
PSALM 1

Psalms 1:1-6. The character and condition, and the present and future destiny, of the pious and the wicked are described and contrasted, teaching that true piety is the source of ultimate happiness, and sin of misery. As this is a summary of the teachings of the whole book, this Psalm, whether designedly so placed or not, forms a suitable preface.

1. Blessed–literally, “oh, the happiness”–an exclamation of strong emotion, as if resulting from reflecting on the subject. The use of the plural may denote fulness and variety (2 Chronicles 9:7).
counsel . . . way . . . seat–With their corresponding verbs, mark gradations of evil, as acting on the principles, cultivating the society, and permanently conforming to the conduct of the wicked, who are described by three terms, of which the last is indicative of the boldest impiety (compare Psalms 26:4,5, Jeremiah 15:17).

2. law–all of God’s word then written, especially the books of Moses (compare Psalms 119:1,55,97, &c.).

3. like a tree–(Jeremiah 17:7,8).
planted–settled, fast.
by–or, “over.”
the rivers–canals for irrigation.
shall prosper–literally, “make prosper,” brings to perfection. The basis of this condition and character is given (Psalms 32:1).

4. not so–either as to conduct or happiness.
like the chaff–which, by Eastern modes of winnowing against the wind, was utterly blown away.

5. stand in the judgment–be acquitted. They shall be driven from among the good (Matthew 25:45,46).

6. knoweth the way–attends to and provides for them (Psalms 101:6, Proverbs 12:10, Hosea 13:5).
way of the wicked–All their plans will end in disappointment and ruin (Psalms 37:13, 146:8, Proverbs 4:19).

Welcome to our blog.