Commentary for (1 Corinthians I, 18-24; John XIX, 6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35; 1 Corinthians XI, 8-22; Matthew XVII, 10-18 ; Hebrews XI, 33-XII, 2; Matthew X, 32-36; XI, 1; Hebrews II, 11-18; John V, 1-4)

Oleksandr Zhabenko 🇬🇧
Glory Be to Jesus Christ!
🌞

Since in the works published at the following links:
https://churchandsociety.org.ua/pdf/projects/zbirnyk.pdf
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17082024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27112024.html
it is written that the use of prepositions is important for the correct understanding of important and actual issues, in particular the issue of power, I am writing commentaries on the use of these prepositions. As a piece of advice on how to read the text, you can read the verse in translation and/or in the original (if you have the opportunity), and then the commentary on prepositions here. Next, you need to understand which part of the verse the commentary refers to, and consider what it affirms — or less often, denies — that is essential to understanding. This thoughtful reading helps to deepen understanding and protects against the mistakes mentioned above.

To the Cross:
(1 Corinthians I, 18-24; John XIX, 6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35)
About verses 1 Corinthians I, 18-24 see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14092024.html
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1539152859716654
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14042023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20052023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26082023.html

John XIX, 17 — 'εἰς τὸν λεγόμενον Κρανίου τόπον' - 'eis ton legomenon Kraniou topon' - to the place called the place of skull. Where to.

More about the reading from the Gospel see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14092024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18042025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26092024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Power.html

Liturgy:
(1 Corinthians XI, 8-22)
1 Corinthians XI, 8 — 'ἐκ γυναικός' - 'ek gynaikos' - from woman. 'ἐξ ἀνδρός' - 'ex andros' - from man. The preposition 'ek' ('ex' before the following vowel) indicates origin.

1 Corinthians XI, 9 — 'διὰ τὴν γυναῖκα' - 'dia ten gynaika' - on account of woman. 'διὰ τὸν ἄνδρα' - 'dia ton andra' - on account of man. Detailed explanation below.

1 Corinthians XI, 10 — 'διὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους' - 'dia tous angelous' - on account of angels.

1 Corinthians XI, 11 — 'γυνὴ χωρὶς ἀνδρὸς' - 'gyne khoris andros' - woman separately from man; woman without man. 'ἀνὴρ χωρὶς γυναικὸς' - 'aner khoris gynaikos' - man separately from woman; man without woman. 'ἐν κυρίῳ' - 'en kyrio' - in the Lord. Rather in both cases the first variant of translation is better, since God did not design the sexes to be separate, separated from one another. The only reason for possible separateness can be the struggle with temptation or sin.

1 Corinthians XI, 12 — 'ἡ γυνὴ ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρός' - 'e gyne ek tou andros' - woman from man. See above. 'ἀνὴρ διὰ τῆς γυναικός' - 'aner dia tes gynaikos' - man through woman. Here, unlike earlier examples, the genitive case, which indicates the way of man's origin — birth by woman. Woman is designed by God in view of man, and men are born by women. A peculiar balance. 'ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ' - 'ek tou theou' - from God. Here the preposition 'ek' indicates deep origin, in the deepest manifestations of nature and hypostasis, personality. See more at the links below.

1 Corinthians XI, 13 — 'ἐν ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς' - 'en hymin autois' - in yourselves. Where.

1 Corinthians XI, 17 — 'εἰς τὸ κρεῖσσον' - 'eis to kreisson' - for the greater, stronger, better. 'εἰς τὸ ἧσσον' - 'eis to hesson' - for the lesser, weaker, worse. The preposition 'eis' here indicates the purpose of gathering and their result.

1 Corinthians XI, 18, 19 — 'ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ' - 'en ekklesia' - in the Church. 'ἐν ὑμῖν' - 'en hymin' - among you. Where.

1 Corinthians XI, 21 — 'ἐν τῷ φαγεῖν' - 'en to phagein' - during the taking of food. When.

1 Corinthians XI, 22 — 'εἰς τὸ ἐσθίειν' - 'eis to esthiein' - in order to eat in. 'ἐν τούτῳ' - 'en touto' - in this; for this. Paul speaks here softly — instead of I rebuke — I do not praise. Instead of simple statements — questions, particularly rhetorical ones.

The reading has as its theme various personal differences between Christians and how these peculiarities need to be understood. Very rich texts, and not very comprehensible.

1) About men and women. Paul writes about spiritual things that we (our contemporaries) do not fully understand. For example, it remains a mystery why Paul mentions angels and what this should mean in this context. Nevertheless, if something in Scripture is not comprehensible, this is not a reason to reject it.

Paul says that differences between sexes are intended by God, and that their existence is good, as is what God created. Paul emphasises that one sex will not exist if the other does not exist, that they are mutually important. He also speaks about differences. I wrote a bit on this topic earlier, I will write here again.

Why God created man first, and woman — after that, this is God's mystery. Nevertheless, Paul says that this has significance for all people, that this is not an accident and not just an event. That is, there was God's design in this. In view of this design Paul also reasons about all the questions mentioned in the reading regarding this.

It should be noted that due to the obscurity one can generally allow many mistakes in understanding.

I will dwell on one, and from that it will also be seen how to understand many others. Created for (for the sake of) does not mean that a comparison of importance, significance of woman and man takes place. For example, an analogous phrase God created man for eternal happiness together with Him in love, that is, that according to God's design man should obtain this eternal bliss, does not mean that man and eternal bliss are compared regarding their significance, importance, and that eternal happiness is more important than man himself. Not at all. Therefore the words that woman was created through (for, for the sake of, in view of) man — likewise do not mean that she is less important, less significant or lower. But this is about the original God's design, what people should be like. One can say that the world of people and their relationships should not turn into a completely dualistic, polarly-balanced world, where the feminine opposes the masculine and completely balances it. No, but God designed a world with differences that influence its architectonics, its construction, its multi-levelness and multi-planarity, which despite all their potentially possible complexity or simplicity can and should form harmony. I think it is precisely in such a key that all these reasonings need to be understood.

I will provide another such building analogy (theology has such a term God's house-building, part of which is the creation of man). If you are planning a house, and want the kitchen to have windows facing south (in the Southern Hemisphere — north), so that there would be plenty of light there during the day, and then in view of this you place other rooms, this in no way means that the kitchen is more important than all other rooms. And if the kitchen will be more important when it comes to preparing food, then, for example, when it comes to rest and sleep — such will be other rooms, for example, bedrooms.

In view of these reasonings one can also look at all mentioned in this regard. If for a man it is more natural (more proper; in contemporary language — short hair more simply corresponds to masculine thinking style than to feminine) to have shorter hair, and for a woman — longer, then there is nothing strange in this; likewise there would be nothing strange if it were the opposite.

2) About love feasts — agapes — which now in the direct sense do not exist, but which were practice in the times of the apostles and for some time after them. At these feasts after the Eucharist the rich together with the poor consumed the same food, bringing everyone everything from home, sharing and showing community (reminds more of contemporary picnics of friends). Paul says that they need to be organised so that there would not be in anyone a feeling of inferiority or contempt, but so that these would truly be feasts of mutual Christian love.

More about the reading from the Apostle see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27072023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05082024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16082024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27072023.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8K6h5NsWNE/

(Matthew XVII, 10-18 )
Matthew XVII, 11 — 'ἀποκαταστήσει' - 'apokatastesei' - will restore. Here it is meant that John the Baptist will turn people's attention, awaken expectations, encourage repentance and similar, which was characteristic of the beginning of people's conversion, of the beginning of their deep relationship with God.

Matthew XVII, 12 — 'ἐν αὐτῷ' - 'en auto' - with him. Here the preposition 'en' indicates what happened to John. 'ὑπ' αὐτῶν' - 'hyp auton' - by them. The preposition 'hypo' in the form before the following vowel here emphasises the depth of the Saviour's humility, used with the genitive case, emphasises that those people are instruments of sin, but through God's Incarnation also instruments of sufferings of Christ.

Matthew XVII, 15 — 'εἰς τὸ πῦρ' - 'eis to pyr' - into fire. 'εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ' - 'eis to hydor' - into water.

Matthew XVII, 18 — 'ἀπ' αὐτοῦ' - 'ap autou' - from him. The preposition 'apo' here indicates the complete, total exit of the evil one from the person. 'ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας' - 'ato tes oras' - from then on; from the time. Here a common expression which emphasises an important change.

The reading is about John the Baptist as the Elijah promised by the prophets, prophecy about Christ's sufferings and also about the healing of the possessed. John the Baptist was not Elijah personally (that is, Elijah the Tishbite at the time when John the Baptist preached on earth was bodily in the heaven), but John the Baptist received spiritual gifts similar to Elijah's and had the same zeal and direction as Elijah, which is why the prophecy concerning the First Coming calls him thus. At the same time there is a widespread opinion, which is partially confirmed by Scripture, that Elijah the Tishbite will indeed personally come before the Second Coming with a preaching of repentance. That John the Baptist was not personally Elijah is also seen from the description of the Transfiguration, when not John appeared to Jesus (from Abraham's bosom, as did Moses), but Elijah (from the heaven).

Regarding the healing of the possessed, it is considered that the man did not have the necessary faith, but also did not fall into despair, turned to Jesus Himself. Jesus's reaction shows the father's state, also it needs to be understood that the apostles could have healed the son, but they themselves then lacked faith. Jesus's emotional words show that He does not want unbelief to spread, while faith should spread. Accordingly He for the sake of spreading and establishing faith, out of mercy heals the young man.

More about the reading from the Gospel see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16082024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27072023.html

More about the reading from the Gospel see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27062025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/23062023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12072024.html

At the blessing of water:
(Hebrews II, 11-18; John V, 1-4)
About the reading from the Apostle see the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/24122024.html

More about the reading from the Gospel see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/11052025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07052023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26052024.html

Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!