Readings:
2 Chronicles 1-3
Sirach 12
1 John 2

2 Chronicles 1-3

2 Chronicles is very much a continuation of the first one, and seamlessly transitions from one book to the next. We hear of Solomon’s ascension to the throne and his building of the temple. When the kingdom splits, this book will follow a different story arc from 1 & 2 Kings. While that book tried to tell the history of both kingdoms, Chronicles is more interested in the history of Judah alone. This is mostly because the people who have returned from exile are almost entirely from the southern kingdom, and the purpose of this book is to record the history and connection these people have back through time to the fathers of their nation.

1 John 2

John tells us in the opening of this chapter that Jesus is the expiation, or sacrificial satisfaction for our sins, and those of the whole world. He tells us that he wishes we wouldn’t sin, and this is probably in response to some of the heretical teachers of the day that taught you could sin all you wanted because you were forgiven. A kind of license to sin.

He says we shouldn’t sin, but if we do we have Jesus as our advocate and he will forgive us. He also tells is that the way we know that we know him is if we keep his commandments. Now this isn’t like the judaizers saying we have to keep the Old Testament laws and ceremonial laws, it’s the commandments of Jesus that we are obliged to keep is the law of love.

Jesus said “why do you call me Lord, but don’t do what I tell you?” And this is exactly what John is saying here, that we are to follow his example and love our neighbors and God, and that will fulfill all the things Jesus told us to do. That is how we can “walk in his ways” as John says.

John shifts to talking about what he calls “antichrists“ who are apparently former members of the church who have fallen away and are either attempting to get others to leave too, or are possibly teaching heretical views to the believers. They seem to be telling the believers that Jesus is not the messiah, so it’s unclear if they just didn’t believe or had maybe transitioned back to being members of the synagogue and no longer Christians, or maybe some heretical sect like mandeans. One thing is certain, John was not pleased by their attempts to sway the believers who remained and he took it upon himself to write these epistles to warn them.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
2 Chronicles 4-5
Sirach 13
1 John 3