[asa] St. Andrew & natural theology

30 November is the traditional Feast of St. Andrew & both the Episcopal & Lutheran lectionaries assign Psalm19:1-6 as the psalm for that observance. (Episcopalians may also include the latter half of the psalm.) This of course is a text that is often cited in support of the possibility of a natural knowledge of God - "The heavens declare the glory of God" &c. But why is it particularly appropriate for the apostle Andrew?

The answer is in the Epistle suggested for the day, Romans 10:10-18 (or 8b - 18 for Episcopalians). In the last verse of this selection Paul quotes from Psalm 19: "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." But it's clear from the context that Paul is not referring this to any message conveyed by the heavens but to the apostolic proclamation of Christ - for which Andrew is one example (John 1:40-42).

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

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Received on Fri Nov 30 12:38:38 2007