Glory Be to Jesus Christ!
☀️
It is one of the most important places for understanding Scripture in general, faith, God, and also matters for modern history. In particular, it is the misunderstanding, erroneous or incomplete understanding of this reading and the themes it raises that is one of the main prerequisites for the emergence and functioning of the concept of the Russian world
.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15072023.html
Romans IX, 5 — Christ is called God over all in the ages
.
Paul testifies to his love for the Israelites, from whom he himself comes. He lists God's promises to them in relation to themselves, but this does not exclude that other nations are to inherit the adoption by God through Christ. The order here indicates that it is the Old Testament promises that are being referred to — up to Christ. But after Christ, these promises were essentially extended to all believers in Christ. Consider, for example, Christ's words: He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward
, spoken to the people of the New Testament (Matthew X, 41).
In this sense, the desire to suffer for others is unfeasible. Paul cannot redeem
others from suffering by his suffering (see the next two paragraphs, added 16/07/2023 and the next further two paragraphs, added 17/07/2023). It is Jesus Christ, Who redeem others by His suffering. But Paul's great love for people, even those who persecuted him personally, is worthy of note. The Scripture mentions such love, for example, in Moses.
Jesus Christ is the only Redeemer. He took upon Himself our sins, suffering, death, and abandonment by God in order to save us — the Only sinless One for sinners. As sinless, as God-man, He should not have suffered, but by God's will and permission (here they coincide) He took upon Himself the suffering that creation has experienced since the sin of human beings. He did not have to die, but the death that entered the world through sin and death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam
(Romans V, 12-21), He took upon Himself by the will and permission of God (here they are the same). He, being the God-Man, experienced our abandonment by God because of our sins, and descended into hell with His soul, although He should not have gone there as a sinless human being. He did all this as a sinner, being without sin, he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
(Isaiah LIII, 4-5). Paul also testifies to this when he says: Was Paul crucified for you?
(1 Corinthians I, 11-13). Even if Paul had given himself up to suffering for people, it would not have had redemptive power, because it would not be God's will, only God's permission, for your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish
(by the way, the name Paul is translated as little one
) (Matthew XVIII, 12-14). But Christ took all things upon Himself voluntarily, He is the only One who is such, He came to seek and to save the lost (by becoming, suffering all that is characteristic of) and to save (by remaining sinless, faithful to God, and rising from the dead) the lost (sinners, creation that suffers without its sins)
(Luke XIX, 10). See also:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://sites.google.com/view/rozdumy23/home/priklad-1-pro-boze-pikluvanna-i-dvoh-malenkih-ptasok
This is with regard to the question on the part of God (the actual theological component, God's housebuilding). But in life, self-sacrifice for the sake of other people is possible, for example, the feat of heroes and saints who give themselves, sacrificing to keep others alive or save others.
We should also mention the holy apostles and martyrs. Many of them accepted martyrdom as a gift from God. But as mentioned above, their suffering, even if free, has no redemptive power. That is, they are not needed for God. God has mercy on the saints not because of their deeds, but out of His grace through the Redemptive Sacrifice of Christ. Christ is the only Redeemer. It is in this sense that it is not God's will that anyone but Christ should suffer. But it is God's will that the faithful remain faithful. It is God's will that the faithful should be an example to others. God wants the martyrs and apostles to be faithful even in suffering, and He wants their patience and love, hope and faith to be a model for others to follow. That is why God permits them to suffer. Suffering is not needed for God, but the fact that the faithful accept it brings them closer to God, testifying to their faithfulness and their establishment in goodness.
God may even direct the faithful saints to suffer (as, for example, according to Tradition, the Saint Apostle Peter did), not because He wants others to suffer, but because this may be the best way of salvation.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27042023.html
The meaning of the passage is that the faithful Christians, the apostles, seek God's protection and help at a time when people are fighting them through Christ, persecuting the Church and continuing their persecution of Jesus Christ in His followers. The faithful in prayer emphasise that these are only human schemes of those sinful unrepentant people who are powerless against the Lord, who cannot prevent the realisation of God's salvation and the spread of faith and the Church.
The quote is from Psalm II, 1-2; there is also a parallel with Isaiah LXI, 1-4 ff. Isaiah is quoted in the Gospels at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, when He opened the book of Isaiah and read this prophecy about Himself.
After prayer, the faithful receive the gift of the Holy Spirit again, this time for confirmation in preaching and in times of possible trials. In the first appearance, there was a wind and a noise from heaven, and in the second an earthquake. These are parallels to the appearance of the Lord to the prophet Elijah at Horeb, when first a strong wind passed before the face of God, then an earthquake, and then fire, and only then the Lord Himself in a quiet, pleasant voice, who firmly strengthened Elijah to continue his ministry. This parallel means that the faithful, although not Christ themselves, are witnesses and testimony of His glory, sent by Him into the world to preach, which Christ Himself directs through the Holy Spirit.
Acts IV, 25 — 'εμελετησαν κενα' - 'emeletesan' - is a derivative of 'μελεταω', the original meaning of which is 'to care for' - here in this context it literally means 'care for nothing, for vain things', i.e. they spend their energy on something that is useless to them. In the Hebrew original of the quoted psalm there is complain
, which can also be translated as think, ponder, meditate over
.
Acts IV, 28 — the word 'προωρισεν' is used, which is a form of 'προοριζω' - 'to limit in advance'. No, the Lord did not ordain
that they should persecute and kill Jesus (then they would not have sinned, see in particular more at the following links:
https://sites.google.com/view/rozdumy23/home/priklad-1-pro-boze-pikluvanna-i-dvoh-malenkih-ptasok
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/DialogueOnWordsChristFear.html
), but He limited their power so that they would not destroy the believers with Jesus, and He is limiting them again so that they cannot stop the preaching and destroy the believers. The Lord has limited the evil done against Jesus, and now the believers ask for God's further protection (God's limitation of the persecutors' evil). See also what is called the will here (following the same idea as the Apostle Peter in his letters), good works at the following links:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
There is a good piece on courage and freedom in preaching here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/DialogueOnWordsChristFear.html
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27012023.html
Verses 1 Peter II, 9-10 are a testimony of the general calling of all the faithful (not only priests) to sanctification, dominion (victory) over sin, implementation of God's will (and one's own in agreement with God's) with the aim of spreading salvation to all, making it manifested, glorified, to unite people into the great family of Christ.
they were appointed to which
— it looks like the Lord appointed
them, i.e. made them unbelievers, but in fact they set themselves up for unbelief. The Lord permitted them their unbelief, knowing that they would not believe, but He did everything so that, if they might believe, they would be saved from all the evil. Christ became a temptation
for them because of their disobedience to God,
— being the rock of salvation
, but they made Him a rock of temptation
for themselves — where faith and trust should have been shown, they showed doubt and rejection.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/01022023.html
1) 1 Peter IV, 3-5 — the will of the Gentiles
- a different word is used than in relation to the will of God and the above. It is possible to think that it is not a direct and immediate manifestation of their will, but tendencies, inclinations that manifest themselves more or less. Not all pagans lived in sin, Peter is not a cunning accuser, but all pagans without Christ can succumb to all the mentioned temptations and tendencies. This susceptibility is called will
here. These sins are like elements that could catch
pagans (similarly now). In the worst case, they not only did not understand Christians, but also condemned and slandered them. will give an answer
is not a threat, but a reminder that is waiting for everyone - we need to give a good answer at the Court of God in order to enter the Kingdom of God.
2) 1 Peter IV, 1-2 — he who has suffered in the body has ceased (stopped) sinning
- present suffering through experience can motivate people not to sin - arm yourself with the thought
- this reasoning does not bring comfort when a person lives well (in peace) ), but when he / she is in a struggle, as if in a battle, then such an additional thought
can help her as a spiritual weapon. It is good to live in peace, but if a person is already struggling, suffering, then it is advisable by Peter for him / her wisely have experience as a means against sin.
3) 1 Peter IV,11 — literally as if by the power that God directs, like a conductor or choir leader.
Not just one force, but many, many-empowered
under the control of God. Comparison, which reveals not only motivation, but also diligence.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/31012023.html
1 Peter III, 17 — After all, it is better, if it is God's will, to suffer as a doer of good things than a doer of evil
, literally because it is better, doing good (co-creating with God), if it is God's will, to suffer than doing evil (creating evil)
. God's will
— that is, God permits those sufferings. The apostle does not say to seek suffering, but to create (co-create with God) good. If the Lord allows suffering, then it is better for the suffering person to remain good-doer than to be evil. God's will may wish us to struggle suffering and overcome it (for example, the Lord heals and teaches us not to neglect the work of doctors and the gifts of healing), at the same time God's permission (allowance) for suffering in Scripture can also be called 'God's will', and then God's actual will, not permission, it is for us to be patient in doing good. Suffering itself is a consequence of sin, in the Kingdom of God it will not exist.
1 Peter III, 21 — the correct translation is request, inquiry of good conscience
, not promise (by a person) of good conscience
. A famous place, about which there is still disagreement.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26102023.html
Verse 24 literally translates roughly as I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and fill up (supplement) instead of someone else the lack (poverty) of persecution, the distress of Christ in my body for the sake of His Body, that is, the Church
. Here Paul does NOT say that he is supplementing Christ's Passion (as it appears in the common Ukrainian translation), but he says that he suffers as a supplement
to the persecution he suffers for Christ's sake for the sake of the Church and its building, for the sake of the ministry.
Colossians I, 28 — 'ημεις' - 'emeis' - 'we'. 'τελειον' - 'teleion' - 'perfect, accomplished, fully grown'.
Colossians I, 29 — 'εμοι' - 'emoi' - (in) 'me'.
On suffering, see the references to the earthquake and the trial quoted above.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30012023.html
1) called to that
— not called to suffering, but to loyalty to God, to love that even suffering cannot break, destroy, violate. But if someone does not have Jesus in front of their spiritual eyes, then for such a person, although it is possible to recognize a possible feat of patience for the sake of good, it is difficult to have real firmness and faithfulness in this, because you were like those sheep that wandered.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03042023.html
It tells how Jacob, because of his mother Rebekah's participation in this, receives more blessings from his father Isaac, who was almost blind, and Esau — less, and how it allows us to better see the difference between these brothers.
We also see the sacrifice of Rebekah, the mother, who is ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of her beloved son, and the importance of blessings (especially from parents) and respect for blessings.
But the topic of attitude towards the spiritual is key and important in particular for fasting, on the example of two brothers — sincere Jacob, who truly believes and tries to act according to his conscience, and Esau, who considers the spiritual only as a certain means, an instrument
for obtaining good, advantages.
It was because of the latter that God took that blessing from him and gave it to Jacob — because Esau himself proved to be unworthy in his soul (let's look at the fact that earlier he sold the birthright
to Jacob, at Esau's dialogue with his father, as well as at the plan to kill Jacob with compliance with the rules
of mourning for a later deceased father, to envy). Jacob did not have such plans, because he was close to God, had a good conscience, and treated his brother with respect. Esau, on the other hand, treated the spiritual as points in the game
, which can be received for a successful game, passing the game.
He was not really interested in God, and he was only interested in the spiritual because of its external significance for the environment in which he grew up and lived.
It must be said that later, Jacob will come to make peace with Esau precisely because of the voice of conscience, and will indeed succeeded in making peace because of God's grace to both of them.
Isaac's blessing of Esau also in this context resembles a prophecy about the secularization of society — people will try to formalize
spirituality in order to get more freedom
, although the roots of this attitude do not lie in the lack of spiritual freedom (just the opposite!), but in the very attitude of people , who have distanced themselves from God. It can also be said that God cares even about people who are far from Him.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/23062023.html
Romans IX, 11 — 'προθεσις' - 'prothesis' - 'laid before (in particular, the bread of the offering in the temple)'. It is often understood that God chose Jacob, and that is why he really became a saint. But the fact is that God knew that Jacob would be a saint, knew how he would use and exercise his freedom, so without restricting human freedom in any way, God foresaw who should be called and established. That is why the promises were given to those people for whom they were important. See:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
This is a general opinion.
Romans IX, 13 — 'εμισησα' - 'emisesa' - 'hated' - from 'μισεω' - 'miseo' - 'to hate' (i.e. showed less love). Here it is less honoured
rather than hated
, because God does not hate His creation, but cares for it. Nevertheless, the blessing was given more to Jacob than to the elder Esau.
Romans IX, 15 is a difficult passage to translate accurately. It is closest in meaning to: I will show mercy on whom it may be shown, and I will show compassion on whom it may be shown.
See also more about this:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
It is about the promises of God. God promises something important to people, not because they want it or strive for it, but because He is Merciful and Loving; God promises not because of people's deeds, but as a gift, nevertheless, to those who can keep these promises and for whom they will really matter.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/26062023.html
The continuation of the written by the link:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
Paul explains why it is not God who is responsible for the sins of creation, for the unwillingness of creation to be with God, for the resistance to God from creation, but creation itself. He does this in a specific way, so that it may seem that it is God who determines what a person will do in a given situation.
But if we look at the examples that Paul gives, at their internal logic, it becomes clear that there is no idea that God determines everything.
Let's look at the clay and the potter
: the potter has an idea of what he wants to get out of his clay. He moulds it in such a way that he gets the desired result. Similarly, God has a purpose for creation, and this purpose was not influenced by creation itself, because the creation did not exist when God thought about it. But this plan was influenced by God's desire to include the creation in free, blissful eternal life with Him. Hence, the creation has a purpose — it is determined by God, but God does not force
the free creation to fulfil this purpose. Yes, He facilitates it and does what depends on Him (like the potter), but unlike clay, people and angels have freedom and may not become like God.
Another example is the story of the Hebrews' exodus from Egypt from slavery to Pharaoh. Paul quotes Exodus IX, 16. If we read the whole passage carefully, God rebukes Pharaoh for his unbelief, saying that He had spared him and his people, who had already deserved punishment, until the time of the exodus from Egypt, to show His glory in it. It was not God who made Pharaoh cruel, but God held back His justice against the cruel Pharaoh until the time of the exodus.
Furthermore, when Paul quotes from the Old Testament, we need to remember that the people of the Old Testament hardly distinguished between God's will and God's permission (as I have written about often before, in particular in relation to the book of Isaiah during Lent). Therefore, the fact that God permitted Pharaoh and the Egyptians to rule over the Jews for a certain period of time does not mean that God wanted it. Nor does it justify the Egyptians.
Another way to look at it is that God gave people the ability to perform different and sometimes opposite virtues and perfections, such as procreation, but also the ability to be pure. This generosity of God's gifts creates the preconditions for human freedom, but it also requires that people skilfully manage the powers and abilities of their nature — with God's help, people should decide which abilities of nature are more necessary than others and when. A person may need to be firm in many cases, but also need to be soft in many other cases. Both are necessary, but they are mutually exclusive (at least to a certain extent). God's will and God's permission to exercise different qualities is for our freedom, but it does not absolve people of responsibility for how they exercise their freedom. And the Old Testament texts simply do not distinguish between the two.
More about freedom itself can be found here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/DialogueOnWordsChristFear.html
Paul goes on to say that the Israelites began to look to the Law and the works of the Law instead of faith, and there was a shift in their right perception, which is why many of them stumbled about Jesus Christ.
In general, the text (in part) shows the richness of God's design for all nations.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15032023.html
Isaiah prophesies that the Assyrian king, whose attack on Israel and other countries the Lord allowed because of their sins, will not rise above the nations and even more so above the Lord.
Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!
is the key question of the reading. Here again it must be said that the Old Testament people did not distinguish between God's direct action and God's permissiveness, when God does not desire something, but permits the freedom of action to be carried out, to stop other evils, to call for change and repentance, for other similar reasons, etc.
About freedom, see the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/DialogueOnWordsChristFear.html
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
And here it is important that it is about the impossibility of anything significant to happen without either the will of God (and then it is good, really good), or without God's permission (and then really it is not good, but the Lord allows it due to the reasons mentioned above) .
That is, the meaning of the question is that the Assyrian king (here, specifically, but in fact, in general, anyone from creation) cannot do anything exclusively from himself / herself
, by his / her own strength solely, unless the Lord permits it or wants it.
Someone will say: If the Lord permits this or that, does it mean that He Himself does it?
— but no, it's not like that. More about that at the links above. And also here below.
The Lord does only what He wills to do. It is impossible to force Him or include
, draw
Him into anything, if He Himself did not want it. God is never passive in this sense, He is always active. He can never be a victim
of manipulations of the evil type here I will do evil, and God will be guilty
— no, but it is impossible to involve Him in such manipulations, where He would be a hostage
- a hostage
of anything, and not would act completely freely, in His completely holistic freedom. God acts actively and freely, only what He wills, and creation can act like Him freely, if such freedom is foreseen and granted to it by God. At the same time, the creation, not the Creator, is responsible for its actions.
Isaiah X, 16 — a flaming fire will be kindled in your glory
- the committed sin carries its own punishment, and the Lord will reveal this punishment (here in the form of a flaming fire).
Many-meaningful words, as they refer to the present age, but ultimately to the future age, the Kingdom of God, where sins will be judged by God.
Verse 19 — child
means one who has not reached the age of adolescence, the original meaning of the word is boy, but it can also be a girl.
Verse 20 — those who wronged them
- the Assyrians, whose military and political support the Israelites sought, but fell victim to the attack.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17042024.html
Proverbs XVI, 1 (also verse 9) — To man (belongs) the arrangement of the heart, but from the Lord is the response of the tongue
- compare:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03042024.html
i.e., a person can think this or that, but the realisation of their plans depends on God.
Proverbs XVI, 4 — 'lammaanehu' - from 'maaneh' - 'an answer, a remark in a dialogue'. One cannot think that the Lord created everything, including evil (God did not create evil), but one must know that everything is related to God, everything is set, established, intended
to respond to God, everything is called to dialogue with God, everything is responsible and answerable to Him.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18042024.html
Proverbs XVI, 33 — in tune with yesterday's readings:
Proverbs XVI, 1 (also verse 9)
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17042024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03042024.html
Value is determined by God.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22112023.html
2 Thessalonians II, 1, 2 — 'ἡμῶν' - 'emon' - 'us' (our).
2 Thessalonians II, 2 — ἡμέρα - 'emera' - 'day'.
A continuation of the reading that I wrote about at the link, which has verses in common with it (2 Thessalonians II, 1-2):
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
As I wrote earlier, the apostle Paul, following the Old Testament people, sometimes does not distinguish between God's permission (what God does not want but permits) and God's will (what God wants). This is an example of such a failure to distinguish: where it means God will permit
people to have an antichrist (God does not want him to be like that, but will permit it), Paul writes God will send
people an antichrist.
See the need for this distinction and the fact that it is made in the Gospel at the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30062023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15072023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27042023.html
and other references cited there.
Overall, it is a mysterious place that is often understood in different ways. Most believe that the antichrist here is a real person who will appear before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, this place is one of the most explicit indications of the reality (rather than symbolism or allegory) of the antichrist.
At the same time, the Gospels do not pay much attention to the topic of his appearance, with only indirect mentions and references to Old Testament prophecies, which makes it difficult to understand. This may be because speculation about the antichrist is often unfounded and ultimately leads to unbelief in many people.
There are also different opinions as to what is meant by who or what is holding back
the appearance of the antichrist. For example, there is an opinion that it is the Holy Spirit, or another that it is the former Roman (legal) state (we could now say strong international law and state authorities), and there are other opinions.
The whole logic of the construction and actions of the antichrist is based on the fact that the devil would like to see him come as soon as possible, and something from God is holding back the fulfilment of this desire.
It is also often understood that people's repentance delays
the time of the end of the world, while people's thoughtlessness and unrepentant sins bring it closer. God knows the exact time and all the circumstances as the Omniscient One, but from the point of view of people, events look exactly like this.
Nevertheless, it is also important that the antichrist should not be the focus of the faithful, because the faithful belong to God. But it is also wrong to ignore what is known about him, because it is revealed by God to people.
For information about the reading from the Gospel, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15072023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!