This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context.
Other bolded hyperlinks will take you to meditations on the matters raised in today’s readings. They are provided beneath the specific reading they relate to.
Information about the meaning the original Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue. They are provided beneath the specific reading they relate to.
Excerpts collected in yellow at the end of this post tell us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him.
Excerpts collected in green at the end of this post tell us about something God wants us to do.
Excerpts collected in red at the end of this post tell us about something God does not want us to do/be.
Reading I
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage. Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up. I myself am also a human being.”
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.”
While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit should have been pouredout on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Then Peter responded, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?” He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
uprightly = δικαιοσύνη = dikaiosynē
integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting; "the character or quality of being right or just;" it was formerly spelled "rightwiseness"; faithfulness, or truthfulness; the sum total of the requirements of God; "right action"; state of him who is as he ought to be; the condition acceptable to God; virtue which gives each his due; a state approved of God; manifests itself in beneficence
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
Justice, fulfillment of the Law
poured = ἐκχέω = ekcheō
Blue Letter Bible
Gush;to bestow or distribute largely
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
Spilt; squander, waste; spread out; throw down; stream out or forth
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Reading II
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
love= ἀγαπάω = agapaō
to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly;to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing;to take pleasure in the thing, prize it above other things, be unwilling to abandon it or do without it;to welcome with desire, long for
to be full of good-will and exhibit the same;to have a preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of
Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
"Love can be known only from the actions it prompts *** this is not the love of complacency, or affection, that is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its objects; It was an exercise of the [] will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause[]”
"Christian love, whether exercised toward the brethren, or toward men generally, is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered. Love seeks the welfare of all ... and works no ill to any[]; love seeks opportunity to do good to 'all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith'”
“In respect of agapao as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant ‘love’ and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential "love" in them towards the Giver, and a practical "love" towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Giver.”
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
greet with affection, show affection for; persuade, entreat; to be fond of, prize, desire; to be well pleased, contented
Love = ἀγάπη = agape
affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
the love of husband and wife; brotherly love, charity
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Love—see above
keep, keeps = τηρέω =tēreō
to guard; to watch over, keep, give heed to, observe; hold fast;to attend to carefully, take care of
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
watch over, take care of, guard; maintain; take care that; give heed to, watch narrowly, observe; notice; test by observation or trial;preserve, retain
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
love & love—see above
remain = μένω = menō
Abide; continue; dwell; endure; stand; tarry; not to depart; to continue to be present; to remain as one, not to become another or different; to wait for, await one; to sojourn, tarry, to tarry as a guest, lodge; to maintain unbroken fellowship with one, adhere to his party; to be constantly present to help one; to put forth constant influence upon one;to dwell as it were within him, to be continually operative in him by his divine influence and energy; to be rooted as it were in him, knit to him; to persevere; cleaves, holds fast, to; to be held, or kept, continually; not to perish, to last, to endure; be still in (his) possession
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
stand fast; stay at home, stay where one is; lodge, tarry; to be lasting, remain, stand; fixed, stable, permanent; abide; await, expect
keep—see above
friend = φίλος = philos
he who associates familiarly with one, a companion
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
beloved, dear; kith and kin; another self; allies, dear one; object of love
fruit = καρπός = karpos
that which is produced by the inherent energy of a living organism; the visible expression of power working inwardly and invisibly; advantage, profit;sanctification; that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result;work, act, deed; utility
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
the fruits of the earth, corn, harvest, produce; taxes paid in kind; eed with seed-vessel;returns, profits; reward
See also:
What we can learn about fruitfulness from John 15
Gardening Bible Study: John 15:1-17
John 15:1-17 annotated—What this scripture tells us to do
Gardening Themed Scripture Meditations—topically organized series and stand-alone meditations
What these readings tell us about God/His ways:
God shows no partiality
in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him
the Holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power
he has done wondrous deeds
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power
his salvation
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice
his kindness
his faithfulness
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power
love is of God
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God
the love of God was revealed to us
God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him
he loved us
my Father will love him and we will come to him
As the Father loves me, so I also love you
Remain in my love
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you
You are my friends if you do what I command you
I have called you friends
I have told you everything I have heard from my Father
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain
whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you
This I command you: love one another
What these readings tell us to do:
fears him
acts uprightly
Sing to the LORD a new song
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands
break into song; sing praise
love one another
keep my word
Remain in my love
keep my commandments ... just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
love one another as I love you
do what I command you
love one another
What these readings tell us not to do:
Whoever is without love does not know God
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