Commentary for (1 John I, 8-II, 6; Mark XIII, 31-XIV, 2; Hebrews XIII, 17-21; John X, 9-16)

Oleksandr Zhabenko 🇬🇧
Glory Be to Jesus Christ!
🌞

Since in the work published at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
and even earlier in others, published at the 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/12112025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27112024.html
it is written that the use of prepositions has important significance for the correct understanding of important and topical questions, particularly the question of power, I am writing comments regarding the use of precisely these prepositions. As advice regarding reading what is written — one can read the verse in translation or/and original (whoever has such possibility), and then the corresponding comment regarding prepositions here. Then it is necessary to understand which part of the verse the comment concerns, and also to consider what essential for understanding it affirms — or more rarely — denies. Such thoughtful reading helps to deepen understanding and protects from the mentioned mistakes.

I prepared an improved version of my research, the presentation of which is available at the link:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/vystup-2025-hypo-genitive-Romans-XIII_1.pdf

The research material is currently being prepared for publication. I hope, God willing, to present fuller results later after the publication comes out.

I will update the list of references regarding prepositions at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/Pryjmennyky.html
the latter — once or twice a month (in Ukrainian), to keep the text version current and up to date.

Translated from Ukrainian by Claude Sonnet 4.5 (Anthropic AI), with subsequent editing by me.

Liturgy:
(1 John I, 8-II, 6)
1 John I, 8, 10 — 'ἐν ἡμῖν' — 'en hemin' - in us.

1 John I, 9 — 'ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας' — 'apo pases adikias' - from all unrighteousness. The preposition 'apo' indicates that the cleansing is full, complete.

1 John II, 3, 5 — 'ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν' — 'en touto ginoskomen' - in this we know; with this we know. Both variants of translation are possible.

1 John II, 4 — 'ἐν τούτῳ' - 'en touto' - in such. That is, this is a concrete example of cognition of God.

1 John II, 5, 6 — 'ἐν τούτῳ' - 'en touto' - in that. In what. 'ἐν αὐτῷ' - 'en auto' - in Him. In God. See below, in particular in detail by the links.

From the ordinary Apostle the beginning of readings of the epistles of the Apostle John the Theologian, the apostle of love, as the Church calls him. The beginning is about repentance, God's forgiveness, God's justice. An important place for understanding the significance of the Mystery of Confession. Only small comments. In John grammar is important.

1 John I, 9-10 — the verses by content it is more expedient to translate, changing the order of words, in order to emphasise the thought: He is faithful and true (just) (and therefore…), if we confess our sins, then He (is ready) to forgive and to cleanse (words in brackets are not in the original, but they correspond to the content). Often the forgiveness of God is opposed to the justice of God — O God, do not manifest justice, but manifest mercy!. But in John it is not so — God is just, faithful, true and therefore, if we repent, confess our faults and sins, wish cleansing and seek forgiveness, then in His eyes correct, just, corresponding to that Which God Himself is, is to give us strength in the struggle with sin, to strengthen our searches and strivings, and to be merciful, to forgive us. On the contrary, if someone, having sins (even if insignificant supposedly), does not acknowledge that, does not repent, then he remains in them, and to God as if says: Thou didst come in vain to save me, didst die in vain for me on the cross,.. I do not need that, and — truly presents God as unreasonable, and also untruthful. And then will righteous God close His eyes to such? Will it be right to neglect such an attitude of creatures to Him?

God's forgiveness, thus, in John is a manifestation of God's righteousness (which is closely connected with love), God is strong in mercy and merciful in strength, as it is spoken in the prayer.

And we also can to a certain degree follow this abiding — first of all by love. Thanks to deep love we can go beyond the limits of our existence already in this life — to live not only by our own life, but also by the life of the person (people) whom we love. For me this is a sincere deep personal desire, in truth a need.

More about the reading from the Apostle, see by the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/13022025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/29022024.html

(Mark XIII, 31-XIV, 2)
Mark XIII, 32 — 'οὐδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐν οὐρανῷ' — 'oude oi angeloi en ourano' - nor the angels in heaven; nor the heavenly angels. Here heaven in the singular — also the spiritual heaven.

Mark XIV, 1 — 'ἐν δόλῳ' — 'en dolo' - in subtilty; with subtilty. Rather the second, since Christ is without sin (subtilty is sin — He who worketh deceit shall not dwell in My house, — the Psalm says), but possibly (little probable) that those elders until that time hoped to seize and judge Jesus for some sin, that is, hoped for a mistake of Jesus.

Mark XIV, 2 — 'μὴ ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ' — 'me en te heorte' - not in the (sequential) feast.

From the ordinary Gospel was read the conclusion of the teaching about the end of the world and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. I wrote earlier (2 October 2022).

only the Father knows — judging from everything, the Son also knows, but does not wish to reveal this date. Imagine if you knew it, for example 3893459435723475023745872349054238572835703475237534705730 AD 23 December 17:23:45 by Kyiv time, what would you think? Or another variant; today at 23:43:12, would not the very date attract more attention than the Gospel itself? Not wishing excessive interest to the time, the Lord does not reveal it. Unexpectedly — if even to wait every day, then all the same, beforehand one cannot say when exactly, therefore unexpectedly. On this theme there is a logical paradox, in English one can become acquainted with it in the book of Martin Gardner Mathematical Recreations in the first chapter ('The Unexpected Hanging').

More about the reading from the Gospel, see by the link:
https://churchandsociety.org.ua/pdf/projects/zbirnyk.pdf
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/09022023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/29022024.html

Of the Holy Hierarch Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernihiv:
(Hebrews XIII, 17-21; John X, 9-16)
For the reading from the Apostle, see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06122024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22052023.html

For the reading from the Gospel, see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/25012025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14052023.html
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/

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