Highlighting the Bible, Part XII: Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude, and Revelation

A. Hanson, Amsterdam, 2009

The remaining books of the New Testament, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude and Revelation are an interesting collection of literature.  They cannot be attributed to Paul and their authorship is unknown.

The letter to the Hebrews is a favorite among the lectionary folks, because of its poetic language.

The letters of James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1,2, and 3 John and Jude are intended to be general letters written to the whole Christian community as both warning and exhortation to be faithful.

The book of Revelation is an interesting book.  This literature uses a tone of apocalypse, but this is more a style of writing than a road map for the end of times, like so many biblical literalists would claim.  It was written to support and encourage a group of seven churches who face persecution and struggle to faith faithfully.

A. The following passages from the book of Hebrews do not appear in the lectionary:

Heb 1:13-14 (questions about devotion to God)

Heb 2:1-4 (warning to pay attention)

Heb 3 (Moses a servant, Christ a son; warning against unbelief)

Heb 4:1-11 (The rest that God promised)

Heb 5:11-14 (Warning against falling away)

Heb 6 (The peril of falling away; the certainty of God's promise)

Heb 7:1-22 (the priestly order of Melchizedek; another priest, like Melchizedek)

Heb 8 (Mediator of a better covenant)

Heb 9:1-10 (the earthly and heavenly sanctuaries)

Heb 9:16-23 (the death of the will)

Heb 10:1-4 (the law cannot take away sin)

Heb 10:26-39 (a call to persevere in the midst of struggle)

Heb 11:4-7 (The examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah)

Heb 11:17-28 (the faith of Abraham; the faith of Moses)

Heb 12:4-17 (The example of Jesus; warnings against rejecting God's grace)

Heb 13:9-14 (do not be carried away by strange teachings)

Heb 13:17-25 (call to obey leaders; benediction; final exhortation and greetings)


B. The following passages from James do not appear in the lectionary

James 1:1-16 (Salutation; faith and wisdom; poverty and riches; trial and temptation)

James 2:18-26 (more discussion on faith and works)

James 4:11-12 (warning against judging another)

James 5:1-6 (warning to rich oppressors)

James 5:11-12 (endure in faith)


C. The following passages from 1 and 2 Peter do not appear in the lectionary

1 Peter 1:1-2 (salutation)

1 Peter 1:10-16 (prophets testifying to the hope of Christ; a call to holy living)

1 Peter 1:24-25 (quoting a passage from Isaiah 40)

1 Peter 2:11-19 (live as servants of God; command to slaves to accept the authority of their masters)

1 Peter 3:1-12 (wives accept the authority of their husbands; do not repay evil for evil)

1 Peter 4:1-11 (good stewards of God's grace_

1 Peter 4:15-19 (do not view your suffering as a disgrace, but glorify God)

1 Peter 5:1-5 (Tending the flock of God)

1 Peter 5:12-14 (final greetings and benediction)

2 Peter 2 (false prophets and their punishment)

2 Peter 3:1-7 (The promise of the Lord's coming)

2 Peter 3:16-18 (final greetings and doxology)


D. The following passages from 1, 2, and 3 John do not appear in the lectionary

1 John 2:3-28 (we must obey Christ's commandments if we are to know him; a new commandment; warning against anti-Christs_

1 John 3:8-15 (The son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the devil; Love one another)

1 John 4:1-6 (Testing the Spirits)

1 John 5:7-8 (The spirit, the water and the blood testify that Jesus is the son of God)

1 John 5:14-21 (epilogue)

2 John (no part of this book appears in the lectionary) (salutation; truth and love; final greetings)

3 John (no part of this book appears in the lectionary) (salutation; Gaius commanded for his hospitality; Diotrephes and Demetrius; Final Greetings)

E. No passages from the book of Jude appear in the lectionary

Jude (Salutation; Occasion of the Letter; Judgment on false teachers; warnings and exhortations; Benediction

F. The following passages from the book of Revelation do not appear in the lectionary
 Rev 1:1-3 (Introduction and Salutation)

Rev 1:9-20 (a vision of Christ)

Rev 2 (Message to Ephesus; Message to Smyrna; message to Pergamum; message to Thyatira)

Rev 3 (Message to Sardis; message to Philadelphia; message to Laodicea

Rev 4 (The heavenly worship)

Rev 5:1-10 (the scroll and the lamb)

Rev 6 (the seven seals)

Rev 7:1-8 (the 144,000 of Israel sealed)

Rev 8 (the seventh seal and the Golden censer; the seven trumpets)

Rev 9 (the seven trumpets continued)

Rev 10 (the angel with the little scroll)

Rev 11 (the two witnesses; the seventh trumpet)

Rev 12:1-6 (the woman and the dragon)

Rev 12:13-18 (the dragon fights again on earth)

Rev 13 (the first beast; the second beast)

Rev 14 (the Lamb and the 144,000; the messages of the three angels; reaping the earth's harvest)

Rev 15 (The angels with the seven last plagues)

Rev 16 (The bowls of God's wrath)

Rev 17 (The great whore and the beast)

Rev 18 (the fall of Babylon)

Rev 19 (the rejoicing in heaven; the rider on the white horse; the beast and its armies defeated)

Rev 20 (The thousand years; Satan's doom; the dead are judged)

Rev 21:7-9 (those who are cowardly and faithless will be punished; one of the seven angels appears to show the bride of the Lord)

Rev 21:11-21 (the vision of the new Jerusalem)

Rev 22:6-11 ("See!  I am coming soon!"; epilogue and benediction)