LETTERS: General

http://stfaiths-burwood.org.au/letters.html

General (Non-Pauline) Letters of the New Testament
Contents
Hebrews
James
1&2 Peter
1,2 & 3 John
Jude

Hebrews
Many readers find Hebrews difficult. There are endless quotations from the OT, it uses the imagery of the Temple and the ancient sacrifices and it is not read in public worship as often as some of Paul's Letters. Yet it is greatly loved and has some outstanding passages, e.g. the outline of the Gospel (1.1-3); Christ's solidarity with the human family (2.5-18); Christ our great High Priest (4.14-16); let us come near to God (10.19-25); the example of Jesus (12.1-13). Hebrews is not really a letter; it has no personal introduction and the only personal references are at the end (13.22-25). It is a sermon or homily - as the writer himself says, it is a "word of exhortation" (13.22).

The writer is unknown; one of the 3rd century theologians (Origen) said. "God only knows"! For some centuries it was considered that Paul wrote it, but this is not possible as its style, language and ideas are different from those of Paul. The writer was very well educated (he writes excellent Greek). The quotations from the OT are mainly taken from the Psalms, especially Psalms 2, 8, 22, 40, 45, 95, 102, 104, 110 and 118. Other quotations are from Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Habakkuk and Proverbs. The writer had an intimate knowledge of the Old Testament in its Greek translation (called the Septuagint) and the whole Letter is steeped in its language. As well as the OT, he understood the pagan philosophies, and had a systematic mind (the book is carefully designed). Moreover, he was a great pastor and all through the book he applies the message to the lives of his readers. He was certainly a Jewish Christian, probably writing from one of the cities of the Empire outside Palestine. His readers must have been Jewish Christians who were familiar with the Jewish customs and sacrifices. The readers, who were under persecution (10.32-39) were losing heart and wanting to revert to Judaism. They were spurred on by words of encouragement, by the witness of the heroes of the past and by the example of Jesus (12.1-13). Its date is uncertain. The readers were clearly second generation Christians (2.1-4) and had been Christians for a considerable time (5.12) so it could not have been written before about 60 A.D. The book is quoted by an early writer about 95 A.D. so that the book could have been written at any time between these dates; whether it was written before or after the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. is uncertain.

The introduction (1.1-4) gives a summary of the writer's theology: the various ways God has spoken to us culminating in Christ, God the creator and upholder of the universe, the Godhead of Christ, Christ's sacrifice for sin and Christ's eternal presence. The central theme of the Letter is the supremacy of Christ - the uniqueness and perfection of Christ compared with the imperfection of all others. It is the contrast between the One and the many, between the expectation and the fulfilment, between the earthly and the heavenly, between the transitory and the permanent, between the shadow and the reality. The writer illustrates these by comparing the old order with the new, the old priesthood with the new, the old covenant with the new, the old sacrifices with the new. He continually exhorts his readers to be faithful to the new and not to revert to the old.

For some comments on the Jewish sacrifices and their difficulties for modern reader, see on the Website 'Introduction to Paul's Letters', Theology Section (10).

The contents of the Letter are as follows:

1. Introduction. God has spoken his ultimate Word through his Son. 1.1-4 (Summary of the whole Epistle).
2. The Superiority of the Son. 1.5-2.18
(a) The dignity of the Son, superior to all heavenly beings. 1.5-14
(b) Warning - the peril of ignoring the word of Christ. 2.1-4
(c) The humiliation and glory of the Son. 2.5-9
(d) The solidarity of the Son with the human family. 2.10-18
3. Jesus the Faithful and Merciful High Priest. 3.1-5.10
(a) Jesus the faithful High Priest, superior to Moses (the old order). 3.1-6
(b) Warning - on infidelity. 3.7-4.13
(c) Jesus the compassionate High Priest. 4.14-5.10
4. The High Priestly Work of the Son. 5.11-10.39
(a) Warning - on spiritual immaturity, on the necessity for renewal and the certainty of God's promises. 5.11-6.12

(b) The eternal High Priest like Melchizedek, compared with the Levitical priesthood. 7.1-28
(c) The old covenant, tabernacle and worship and the necessity for new relationships. 8.1-9.10
(d) The sacrifice of Jesus. 9.11-28
(e) The one perfect sacrifice for sins. 10.1-18
(f) Warning - the perils of being disloyal to Christ. 10.19-39
4. Persevering Faith. 11.1-12.13
(a) The heroes and heroines of the past. 11.1-40
(b) The example of Jesus. 12.1-13
5. The Christian Community in a Hostile World 12.14-13.25
(a) Warning - the peril of refusing God's gracious word. 12.14-29
(b) Pastoral directives. 13.1-19
(c) Benediction. 13.20-21
(d) Personal note. 13.22-25



James
James describes himself as "a servant of the Lord" (1.1). James was obviously a well-known person and did not need any further description. There are six people with the name of James in the NT. Of four we only know the names; James, brother of Judas (Jude 1.1); James the younger (Mk.15.40); James the father of Judas, one of the twelve; James son of Alphaeus, one of the twelve. Nothing is known of these people, unless the first is James the Lord's brother. The fifth James was James, brother of John, the sons of Zebedee of whom we know more but he was martyred by Herod Agrippa in AD 42 (Acts 12.2) and this was too early for our Letter.

The sixth James was James the Lord's brother.(1 Cor.9.5; Mt.13.55; Mk.6.3; Gal.1.19) " Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" (Mk.6.3) James was not a follower of the earthly Jesus (Mt.12.46-50; Mk.3.31-35; Lk.8.19-21; Jn.7.3-5) but became a disciple after the resurrection. He received a special appearance from the Risen Lord (1 Cor.15.7) and was a member of the infant Christian community. Later he became the leader of Jerusalem church (taking over the role from Peter) (Gal.1.1-12; Acts.15). He was martyred in 62 A.D. He was a representative of Jewish Christianity. Until the conversion of Gentiles, the whole church was Jewish. They worshipped in the Temple and continued the Jewish customs (food laws, etc). The difference from the Jews was that they believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah. With the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles they were soon outnumbered and became a tiny minority of the church which soon spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. They survived as a small group till the 5th century and then seem to have disappeared. They insisted that the Gentile Christians carry out the basic Jewish customs, a view which was strenuously opposed by Paul. For the importance of the controversy, see the Website 'Introduction to Paul's Letters' Theology Section (6).

Whether James the Lord's brother was the author of the Letter is uncertain. He was certainly a man of authority and there are close links between the Letter and the ethical teaching of the Gospels. However, the Letter is written in excellent Greek (unlikely for a rural Galilean whose native tongue was Aramaic), he gives no hint of any family relationship with Jesus and the debate on Paul (2.14-26) requires a fairly late period. There was also a very slow acceptance of the Letter by the church; it was not quoted till the 3rd century and not accepted in the list of NT books until the 4th century - such slow acceptance was unlikely if the author had been believed to be such an important person as James. Thus scholars are divided; some believe that James was the author, others that it was written later after the death of James by one of his disciples who used some material from James. The matter is not particularly important for the study of the book and does not affect its message. The readers are stated to be "the twelve tribes of the Dispersion". This could refer to Jewish Christians, but it is more likely to be used symbolically for all Christians because the early church believed it was the true Israel.

The Letter contains a collection of general instructions. It does not seem to have a logical sequence of subjects but contains a series of unrelated instructions. However, some general themes recur in the Letter and give it some semblance of unity. These themes are: endurance in suffering (1.2-4; 1.12-18; 5.7-12); be doers (1.19-27; 2.14-26); the rich and the poor (1.9-11; 2.1-13; 5.1-6); wisdom and worldly standards (3.1-18; 4.1-17); prayer and spiritual healing (1.5-8; 5.13-20). The dominant theme is the connection between faith and action. James does not deny that we need faith but insists that unless faith is shown to be real with deeds, such faith will not save us. If faith is just pious sentiment or just believing in a doctrine, then it is useless. In 2.14-26, James is reacting against a misrepresentation of Paul's teaching. Paul stressed in every Letter the importance of 'works' (deeds) but it is easy to see how people could derive from Paul's teaching the view that faith is all that is necessary (See on the Website, "introduction to Paul's Letters', Theology Section (12)). It is amusing that both Paul and James quote the same OT passage (Gen.15.6; Rom.4.3; Jam.2.23) and draw from it completely opposite conclusions! The controversy over 'faith' and 'works' was the battleground of the Reformation, the Protestants and the Roman Catholics taking opposite sides in the controversy. The Letter of James is a salutary reminder that following Christ demands action and warns us against a sterile dogmatism. There is a telling story about Jesus (Mt.21.18-19) who was walking from Bethany to Jerusalem and was hoping to find fruit on a fig tree, He found no fruit; he "found nothing at all on it but leaves". James would ask, that when Christ looks at our lives, "Will he find 'only leaves'"?

The contents of the Letter are as follows:

1. Address and greeting. 1.1
2. Instructions
(a) Joy in suffering 1.2-4
(b) Prayer 1.5-8
(c) Outcomes for rich and poor 1.9-11
(d) Enduring suffering 1.12-16
(e) God's gifts 1.17-21
(f) Be doers of the Word 1.22-25
(g) True religion 1.26-27
(h) Avoid partiality 2.1-7
(i) Fulfill the law of love 2.8-13
(j) Faith and deeds 2.14-26
3. Wisdom
(a) Controlling the tongue 3.1-12
(b) Two kinds of wisdom 3.13-18
(c) Friendship with the world 4.1-10
4. Further instructions
(a) Judging one another 4.11-12
(b) Unrealistic boasting 4.13-17
(c) Warning to rich oppressors 5.1-6
(d) Patience in suffering 6.7-11
(e) Warning against oaths 6.12
(f) The power of prayer 6.13-18
(g) Final exhortation 6.19-20



1 & 2 Peter
The greeting of the first Letter names "Peter, and apostle of Jesus Christ" (1.1). In (5.1) he calls himself an 'elder' (presbyter). The Letter was probably written from Rome, called in the Letter "Babylon" (5.15), a derogatory name for Rome used by Christians later in the first century because of the persecutions of the Christians by the Roman Empire (used also in Revelation). It was written to Christians in the Roman Provinces of Asia Minor (Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia - which together make up the greater part of Asia Minor). It appears that the writer was not well known in the area; there are no personal greetings in the Letter nor any indication that Peter had evangelised the area.

Peter was the most prominent of the disciples of Jesus. A fisherman by occupation he was one of the early disciples called by Jesus. He was married (Mk.1.30) and seems to have taken his wife with him on his missionary journeys (1 Cor.9.5). He is always mentioned first in the list of apostles and belonged to an inner group of apostles comprising Peter, James and John, who were privileged to be present at the Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane. He gave a specific testimony that Jesus was the Messiah (Mt.16.13-20) (a woman, Martha, gave a similar testimony - often forgotten (Jn.11.27)). His denial of Jesus is one of the most moving stories of the Passion and has often been portrayed in art. The first witnesses of the resurrection were women, and Peter was the first male witness of the Resurrection and was the leader of the infant church - much of the first half of the Acts is devoted to his work. Notable was his acceptance of Gentiles into the church (Acts.Ch.10), though Paul found that he was ambivalent on this (Gal.2.11-14). However, in less than a decade Peter was supplanted by James the Lord's brother as head of the Jerusalem church and Peter seems to have carried out missionary work elsewhere. Unfortunately, from this point onwards, apart from these two Letters and 1 Corinthians, we have no NT references to Peter. He seems to have been in Corinth at some stage (1 Cor.1.12) and there is credible evidence from outside the NT that he was in Rome in the mid-60s and was martyred and buried there in the time of Nero. Because of Peter's importance and the desire of the Roman church to use his name to support their claim to be the premier church, many legends grew up about Peter in the early centuries. Peter is one of the most attractive of the early disciples. He was so human - an intense love of Jesus, impulsive and temperamental, swinging from saying he would die for Jesus and then denying him (the look of Jesus on his third denial (Lk.22.61-62) must have seared his soul - legend has it that he asked to be crucified upside down because he had denied his Lord), and, after the resurrection, fearless in his witness to Christ and dying ultimately a martyr's death. The stereotypes of Peter holding the keys of heaven, so often portrayed in art, distract from his wonderful personality, so like us and yet immeasurablely more faithful to Christ than we are.

Many scholars consider that the first Letter was written by the apostle Peter, perhaps assisted by Silvanus (5.12), but there are some difficulties. The Letter is written in excellent Greek and, although Peter living on the Sea of Galilee was probably bi-lingual, the Greek pre-supposes considerable education, unlikely for a fisherman. The Letter shows no familiarity with the earthly Jesus, nor does the author use his unique position with Jesus to lend authority to his message. The Letter shows the influence of Pauline theology (suggesting an author other than Peter who was at odds with Paul) and there are difficulties in dating the persecutions which his readers were obviously enduring. It is possible to accept the traditional authorship of Peter, which would date the Letter about 65 A.D. but the authorship remains uncertain. If it was written by a disciple of Peter, the Letter must be dated later in the century.

The situation with 2 Peter is different. Although a few scholars hold to the Petrine authorship, the majority of scholars reject Peter as the author and place the Letter in the first quarter of the 2nd century by an unknown author writing in Peter's name to enhance his memory - this makes the Letter the latest of all the books of the NT. The reasons for this decision are: its excellent Greek - the same problem as with 1 Peter; its dependence on the Letter of Jude, which was used extensively by the author, and which probably dates from towards the end of the 1st century; its mention of the collection of all Paul's Letters (3.16), which, at the earliest, was not completed till the end of the 1st century; its language is strongly influenced by Greek thought (Hellenism), unlikely for Peter; the opponents who are denying the Second Coming of Christ (3.4) are more typical of the controversies at the beginning of the 2nd century; it refers to "your apostles" (3.2) as if they were in the distant past. The book is similar in tone to other church writings at the beginning of the 2nd century.

The first Letter was written to Christians who were undergoing persecution (2.19-24; 3.14-15; 4.12-19; 5.10). This persecution was coming from the general pagan society but it would seem that the families were also concerned because the customary relationships within the family (master/slave; husband/wife) were threatened. Christians were also urged to "honour the Emperor" (2.13-17) - perhaps to forestall hostility from the Roman authorities. The author urges the persecuted Christians to imitate Christ (2.21-23), to do good (2.12; 2.15; 2.20) and not to retaliate against those who persecute them (2.20-23; 3.9; 3.14-17). After an introduction (1.1-2), the Letter stresses the Christian calling (1.3-2.10): confidence in God, a life of holiness, the wonder of being "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people" (2.9) and the hope of salvation. The next section (2.11-3.12) deals with conduct in a pagan world and the third section (3.13-5.11) concentrates on the persecution that the Christians were experiencing and the Christian response to it. The Letter concludes with personal details and a benediction (5.12-14).

The second Letter was written to combat false teachers. These teachers were denying Christ, were permitting immorality and were a danger to recent converts. By contrast, the Letter stresses the true knowledge of God in Jesus Christ, the inevitable judgement of God that is coming and the nearness of Christ's Second Coming. It puts forward these teachings as those of Peter and frames the Letter in the form of a last 'testament' of Peter (a common form of ancient literature to honour a famous teacher or ancestor). The author writes against the background of pagan society and the dangers of the church accommodating itself to pagan thought and morality. After a greeting (1.1-2), he stresses the connection between our belief and a life of goodness (1.3-11) and reinforces this teaching with the 'testament' of Peter approaching death (1.12-15) and a statement of the grounds for Christian hope (1.16-21). Chapter 2 deals with the issue of the false teachers. Chapter 3 turns to the final judgement and the Second Coming of Christ, suggesting that these have been delayed by God "not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (3.9). The Letter ends with some general advice and a concluding doxology (3.11-18).

The contents of the Letters are as follows:

1 Peter

1. Introduction (1.1-2)
2. The Christian calling (1.3-2.10)
(a) The hope of salvation (1.3-12)
(b) The call to holiness (1.13-25)
(c) Christians as the chosen people (2.1-10)
3. The Christian duties (2.11-3.12)
(a) For all (2.11-12)
(b) To the civil authority (2.13-17)
(c) For slaves (2.18-25)
(d) For wives (3.1-6)
(e) For husbands (3.7)
(f) For all (3.8-12)
4. Persecution and the Christian's response (3.13-5.11)
(a) Confidence in suffering (3.13-22)
(b) Renouncing sin (4.1-6)
(c) The end is near (4.7-11)
(d) Joy in suffering (4,12-19)
(e) Advice to elders (5.1-5)
(f) Advice to all (5.6-11)
5. Conclusion (5.12-14)



2 Peter

1. Introduction and greeting (1.1-2)
2. The 'testament' of Peter (1.3-21)
(a) The faith and a life of goodness (1.3-11)
(b) The final message from Peter (1.12-15)
(c) The grounds for Christian hope (1.16-21)
3. False teachers (2.1-22)
(a) God's judgement (2.1-11)
(b) Error leads to vice (2.12-16)
(c) False promises (2.16-19)
(d) Christians who have relapsed (2.20-22)
4. Promise of the Lord's Coming (3.1-10)
(a) Certainty of the Lord's Coming (3.1-7)
(b) Reasons for the delay (3.8-10)
5. Final advice and doxology (3.11-18)
(a) Advice on striving for goodness (3.11-18a)
(b) Doxology (3.18b)



1, 2 & 3 John
Traditionally, these Letters (together with the Gospel of John and Revelation) have been attributed to John the Apostle. The apostle John was one of the most prominent disciples during the earthly ministry of Jesus. He was one of the three intimate disciples (with Peter and James) who were present at the Transfiguration and the Garden of Gethsemane. Three times he was rebuked by Jesus (Lk.9.49-50; Lk.9.51-56; Mk.10.35-45). At the Last Supper he was closest to Jesus (Jn.13.21-30) and in John's Gospel he is called the beloved disciple (the disciple whom Jesus loved). He was the only disciple recorded as being at the Cross (Jn.19.26-27). He ran with Peter to the tomb after the resurrection (Jn.20.1-10) and first recognized the Risen Lord by the Sea of Tiberias (Jn.21.7). The Gospel is attributed to him (Jn.21.24-25). He is mentioned in the early chapter of Acts in association with Peter. Later tradition, working on the basis that the John of the Revelation was John the Apostle, held that John carried on missionary work at Ephesus and the nearby cities and that he was banished to the island of Patmos (just off the coast of Asia Minor), where he died in old age.

There are some differences in ideas between those of the Letters and of the Gospel, but these are not significant and most scholars hold that, because of the similarities in style, language and concepts, the same author wrote the Gospel and the three Letters (Revelation is treated separately under that heading). Who that author was is in dispute. All four books were written about 90-100 A.D. and John the Apostle would have been an extremely old man. Most scholars hold that his authorship is unlikely; rather that, around the figure of John the Apostle in the Province of Asia, a community arose that greatly revered him and that some disciple of John in this community (called the Elder (2 Jn.1.1; 3 Jn.1.1) wrote these four books. The complicated arguments for and against the authorship of John the Apostle have been discussed since the beginning of the 19th century and need not be detailed here. Whatever the decision, these books give us the teaching of John the Apostle, directly or through one of his disciples after his death.

The background of the 1 John is the pagan philosophy and religions of the period. It believed the soul or mind was the real person and that the body had an inferior status - in fact, it was a hindrance as the soul strived for goodness and was essentially evil. This had ethical implications. Some believed that the body must be subdued and disciplined, leading to an ascetic life-style; others believed that as the body was unimportant that it not matter what a person did with the body, leading to profligate living (hence the strictures in John against immorality); others even that, by associating sin with the body, they were beyond sinning (1.8-10). Because the body (and the material universe) was evil, it was impossible for God to 'become flesh' and enter human history - thus denying the central element of the Christian's faith. This is why in the Letter there is great stress on the incarnation, well seen in the opening sentences which state clearly that the Christian is witness to One whom they have heard, seen, looked at and touched (1 Jn.1.1-4; Jn.1.14). Another feature of the pagan philosophies and religions was the interest in 'light', the inward illumination which was obtained through special (and often secret) knowledge. Hence the stress on Christ as the true light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 Jn.1.5-7; Jn.1.3-9). Judaism of the period, especially in Asia, had been greatly influenced by some aspects of these ideas and it is through Judaism that they probably came to John and not directly from pagan sources.

The first letter commences with the introduction referred to above (1.1-4) and then deals with the Christian walking in the light (1.5-2.27), especially through a life of love and the rejection from the fellowship of those who deny Christ. Next John stresses that God's children are shown by their love one for another (2.28-3.24). John then returns to the subjects of rejection of evil, the necessity of love springing from the God of love and of believing in God as seen in Jesus Christ (4.1-5.12). John concludes on the power of prayer and on the certainties of life in Christ.

Both 2 John and 3 John are short Letters. The second letter again stresses the necessity for love and harmony in the Christian community and gives a warning against those who deny that God "has come in the flesh" in Jesus Christ. He advises his readers not even to give these opponents hospitality (Compare the much more Christian attitude in Jude, following the teaching of Jesus (Mt.5.43-48)). In the third Letter there is no discussion of doctrine or love. It gives praise for the reader's faithfulness, a warning against Diotrephes (perhaps one of the opponents in the second Letter) and praise for Demetrius (possibly the bearer of the Letter and in some way associated with the author).

The contents of the Letters are as follows:

1 John

1. Introduction (1.1-4)
2. Walking in the Light (1.5-2.27)
(a) God is light (1.5-7)
(b) Remedy for sin (1.8-2.2)
(c) Commandment to love (2.3-11)
(d) Reasons for writing (1.12-14)
(e) Warning against the ways of the world (1.15-17)
(f) Warning against deceivers (1.18-27)
3. Love for one another (2.28-3.24)
(a) Children of God (2.28-3.3)
(b) Those born of God do not sin (3.4-10)
(c) Love one another (3.11-17)
(d) Abide in God (3.18-24)
4. Love and believing (4.1-5.12)
(a) The way to test the spirits (4.1-6)
(b) God is love (4.7-21)
(c) Belief in the Son (5.1-12)
5. Conclusion (5.13-21)
(a) Confidence in prayer (5.14-17)
(b) Confidence in God (5.18-20)
(c) Keep yourselves from idols (5.21)



2 John

1. Introduction and greeting(1.1-3)
2. Commandment of love (1.4-6)


3 John

1. Greeting (1.1)
2. Praise for reader's hospitality (1.2-8) 3. Condemnation of Diotrephes (1.9-12)
4. Final greetings (1.13-15)


Jude
In this short Letter Jude (Greek 'Judas') is described as "the brother of James" (1.1). The 'James' was almost certainly the Lord's Brother so that Jude also was a brother of the Lord. Mark 6.3. states "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses, and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us" We know nothing about this Jude. Presumably, like his brother James, he did not believe in the earthly Jesus but was converted after the resurrection. The writer was clearly a Jewish Christian; he was familiar with the pre-Christian Jewish apocalyptic books, as well as the OT. He speaks of "the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1.17) as if they were in the distant past, and urges his readers to contend for "the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (1.3), phraseology used in writings written after the apostles had died. The Letter has strong links with 2 Peter (it is extensively used by 2 Peter) and the problems in the church which they were facing were similar. Although it is possible that the Letter was written by Jude, the Lord's brother, it is more likely to have been written by a Jewish Christian towards the end of the 1st century. There is no indication of its city of origin or the site of its readers.

After a greeting (1.1-2) the author gives the reason for writing the Letter, namely, that false teachers had come into the church who were licentious and were denying Christ (1.3-4). They will receive a just judgment (1.5-16). The readers are urged to continue in the teaching of the apostles, who predicted such scoffers of the faith (1.17-19), The Christians must hold fast to faith, prayer and love and look forward to their final salvation. Instead of merely condemning these people, they must combine a horror for the sin they are committing with loving compassion for them - a welcome attitude compared with the lack of compassion for enemies that is seen in some of the other Letters in the NT (1.20-23). The Letter finishes with a praise of God (1.24-25). The views of the enemies are not clear but they are similar to the false teachers in 2 Peter.

The contents of the Letter are as follows:

1. Introduction (1.1-2)
2. Reason for the Letter (1.3-4)
3. The judgement on the false teachers, using OT examples (1.5-16) 4. Continue in the teaching of the apostles, who predicted such scoffers (1.17-19)
5. Continue in faith, prayer and love and show compassion on enemies (1.20-23)
6. Final doxology (1.24-25)