Christ Is Risen!
🌞
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 4.6 (Anthropic AI), with subsequent editing by me.
Strong's references (note: according to Strong) in the translation of the original text mean that the word is taken from Strong's dictionary, and the specific meaning was chosen following the translation and commentary by Google Gemini.
Congratulations on the feast of Mid-Pentecost!
Matins:
Concerning the readings from the Gospel see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03072025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/DialogueOnWordsChristFear.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08022024.html
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/postsa>
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/29062023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18072024.html
Liturgy:
Acts XIV, 6 — 'εἰς τὰς πόλεις τῆς Λυκαονίας Λύστραν καὶ Δέρβην καὶ τὴν περίχωρον' — 'eis tas poleis tes Lykaonias Lystran kai Derben kai ten perikhoron' - into the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region
. Whither.
Acts XIV, 8 — 'ἐν Λύστροις' — 'en Lystrois' - in Lystra
. Here in the plural. The city is used sometimes in the singular, sometimes in the plural. Where. 'χωλὸς ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ' - 'kholos ek koilias metros autou' - lame from his mother's womb
. The preposition 'ek' indicates here that what is spoken of is origin and birth (here) — that is, a congenital developmental defect.
Acts XIV, 14 — 'εἰς τὸν ὄχλον' — 'eis ton okhlon' - into the crowd
. Whither.
Acts XIV, 15 — 'ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν ματαίων ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ θεὸν ζῶντα' — 'apo touton ton mataion epistrephein epi theon zonta' - to turn from these vanities to Living God
. The preposition 'apo' indicates here that what is spoken of is the complete and total abandonment of idol worship. The preposition 'epi' indicates here that what is spoken of is a turning of one's gaze to
God — that is, to cease looking at idols and false gods, and to begin looking at the true and Living God. 'πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς' - 'panta ta en autois' - all things that are in them
. What is spoken of is creation.
Acts XIV, 16 — 'ἐν ταῖς παρῳχημέναις γενεαῖς' — 'en tais parokhemenais geneais' - in past generations
. That is, in the times of past generations. This does not speak of a cessation of God's care now, but emphasises its duration, significance, and God's faithfulness (the Gentile Greeks of that time had no deep concepts of progress, and golden
was what they mostly considered to be in the past).
The miracle of Paul, similar to those read about on this Sunday, evokes a religious — but not Christian — reaction of beginning to venerate the apostles as pagan gods, complete with the corresponding cult and offerings.
Paul, having the floor, refutes this false veneration and testifies concerning God, who allowed the nations to walk in their own ways
— that is, permitted them to live without the Law of Moses, whilst not ceasing to care for them — and has now accomplished a miracle through people just like the viewers and listeners of the preaching, with the same feelings.
More concerning the reading see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14052025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/10052023.html
John VII, 14 — 'εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν' — 'eis to hieron' - into the (Jerusalem) temple
. Whither.
John VII, 17 — 'πότερον ἐκ θεοῦ ἐστὶν ἢ ἐγὼ ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ λαλῶ' — 'poteron ek theou estin he ego ap emautou lalo' - whether the teaching is from God, or whether I am speaking from Myself
. The preposition 'ek' indicates here the origin of the teaching — that is, whether Christ truly teaches according to God's will. The preposition 'apo' in its form before the following vowel indicates here that what is spoken of is the fact that words can be (though in this case they are not) in the general case separate from their source — can be considered independently, separately, in a more objectivised
manner. See also the detailed analysis of the meaning of from Himself
in the Gospel of John concerning the Hypostases of the Trinity at the links (in particular concerning John V, 19, John XVI, 13, and also John XVIII, 34):
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22042026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/10042026.html
Here I shall cite in full the first link (the relevant part).
The preposition 'apo' in its form before the following 'he' indicates here that what is spoken of is actions with respect to creation, not within the Trinity: what is implied (though not stated in explicit detail — that is, it is more of an implicit thought) is that within the Trinity, in the relationships within the Most Holy Trinity, the Son can act in a manner that clearly and distinctly manifests His Hypostasis — that He is the Son and not the Father or the Holy Spirit; and also that He Himself sees
what and how the Father creates, and this seeing
is His own, His very own
, whereas here what is spoken of is only deeds concerning creation. In other words, what is spoken of here concerns only creation — whereas with respect to the relationships of the Hypostases within the Trinity one can speak of the Son Himself from Himself
(though in that case it would be better in ancient Greek Koine to use 'ek heautou', since in that context it is impossible to separate
in any way the actions of the Hypostasis from the Hypostasis directly, and therefore 'apo' is inappropriate here). Since none of the divine Hypostases does something externally to the Trinity without prior agreement within the Trinity, one may thereby see more of the richness of the divine relationships — within the Trinity the Hypostases both take counsel together and can act in broader contexts, whereas in creation, externally
, their actions are more united with One Another. Let us recall, for example, the creation of the human being. God addresses the other Hypostases within the Trinity concerning the creation of the human being (the Hypostasis Who speaks evidently acts here somewhat differently — more from Themselves
— since the Others listen), but the act of creation itself is described by a verb in the singular. See also the fine works at the links concerning these themes:
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DT6X5acAk52/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMTLk3DYIR/?img_index=1
One may also say that values in a certain sense are similar to the Trinity — in particular beauty and other values. God has placed in creation a testimony concerning the Trinity. See more on this at the link:
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DX8gyD7Nqp2/
John VII, 18 — 'ὁ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ λαλῶν' — 'ho aph heautou lalon' - the one who speaks from themselves
. See just above and at the links cited concerning John XVI, 13 and XVIII, 34. 'ἐν αὐτῷ' - 'en auto' - in Him
. Here in terms of meaning Christ speaks of Himself.
John VII, 19 — 'οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν' — 'oudeis ex hymon' - none of you
. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the following 'hy' indicates here that what is spoken of is representatives of the hearers (for the living witnesses of the events) or readers (for the Gospel).
John VII, 22, 23 — 'ἐκ τοῦ Μωϋσέως' — 'ek tou Moyseos' - from Moses
. The preposition 'ek' indicates here the source of origin — that is, Moses did not institute circumcision. 'ἐκ τῶν πατέρων' - 'ek ton pateron' - from the fathers
. Analogous to what was just written — what is spoken of is origin from the point of view of the people, the hearers of Jesus — they did this because the fathers first did so and commanded it, in particular Abraham. 'ἐν σαββάτῳ' - 'en sabbato' - on the Sabbath
. When.
John VII, 25 — 'τινες ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμειτῶν' — 'tines ek ton Hierosolymeiton' - some of the people of Jerusalem
. The preposition 'ek' indicates here that what is spoken of is representatives of the people of Jerusalem.
John VII, 28 — 'ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ' — 'en te hiero' - in the (Jerusalem) temple
. Where. 'ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ' - 'ap emautou' - from Myself
. See the explanation on verse 17 above.
John VII, 29 — 'ὅτι παρ' αὐτοῦ εἰμι' — 'hoti par autou eimi' - for I am from beside Him
. The preposition 'para' in its form before the following vowel here with the genitive case. This construction is used concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and concerning the human nature of Jesus Christ. See more at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/Pryjmennyky.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
Here this indicates that Christ as the God-man is sent by the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit — and one may also say that the Son of God came according to the common Eternal Council of the Most Holy Trinity.
The feast of Sukkot (of Booths, that is Tabernacles, connected with life in tents) — in relation to which the teaching of Christ today is the feast of Mid-Pentecost — recalls the renewal of human nature and the gifts of the Holy Spirit with which the Lord endows the faithful. The tent is a symbol of the spiritual heaven and firmament, as well as of the human body filled with hope, of the Transfiguration in the Kingdom of God; whilst the waters are a symbol of the Holy Spirit given to people. The feast and the teaching of Christ testify both to eternal life in the resurrection and to the spiritualisation of the person — including already in this present time.
See more concerning these symbols and their significance in the commentaries on the readings at the links:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/19042023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/19082023.html
Christ teaches the people in the temple openly during the feast, but they do not understand Him and secretly think about the fact that they want to kill Christ — they doubt whether this is truly the Christ and have their own thoughts about the Messiah.
Christ exposes their failure to receive Him, and also their schemes to kill Him.
Similarly to the analogous miracles and explanations in the Synoptic Gospels — where Christ healed on the Sabbath and said that the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath
— so here too He says that it is possible to heal and save people during feasts. He gives the example of circumcision and points out the inaccuracies in the Jews' understanding, in order to show that they do not understand Him either.
Also important are the thoughts that the Jews need salvation and do not know God
in the sense that they are preparing for a grave sin.
Also important in that Christ says that the person who truly loves God will draw near to Jesus, to the truth.
In general the meaning of Jesus's words is that those who sincerely sought God and truth received Him — and rightly so — whilst others reject Him without realising the gravity of their situation.
It is important to note that the Jews still had time to realise what Christ was doing and saying, and Who He is.
More concerning the readings from the Gospel see at the link and others cited there:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14052025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/29052024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/10052023.html
Of the Righteous Job the Long-Suffering:
Concerning the readings from the Epistle see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/13012026.html
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1539152859716654?multi_permalinks=3009792692652656
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/C6UFRMqsq66/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/24012023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22032023.html
More concerning the readings from the Gospel see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/13022025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26032023.html
Of the Venerable Job of Pochaiv:
Concerning the readings from the Epistle see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06122024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14052023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22052023.html
More concerning the readings from the Gospel see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03072025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/DialogueOnWordsChristFear.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08022024.html
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/29062023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18072024.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!