My photo at home
A Lot of Joy from God!

Oleksandr Zhabenko

🇬🇧 Glory be to Jesus Christ! 🌞 Dedicated to Emma Kok.

(2 Corinthians XIII, 3-13)

The actual conclusion of 2 Corinthians.

It is also a direct continuation of yesterday’s reading, which was spoken about here:
05092023.html

2 Corinthians XIII, 3 – ‘εμοι’ – ‘emoi’ – (in) ‘me’.

2 Corinthians XIII, 4, 6, 7, 9 – ‘ημεις’ – ‘emeis’ – ‘we’.

2 Corinthians XIII, 9 – ‘καταρτισιν’ – ‘katartisin’ – ‘training, perfecting’.

Verse 4 would be quite understandable if it were by the power of God which is in US. But it says in YOU. Here Paul implies that the concern for the salvation and knowledge of the truth of the believers is even more important to the apostles than the concern for their own salvation and knowledge of the truth (although both are very important). Thus, the apostles’ love for their neighbours exceeds their love for themselves, and we are all called to this.

All the following verses to the closing greetings must be understood with this in mind.

Verse 8 means for the truth, for the sake of the truth. The power of the apostles is in the truth itself, so this power is for the truth and for the sake of the truth, but not against it.

In verse 9, Paul says that he writes about the judgement in order to do the work of the judgement in time. There is also evidence here that the apostle’s judgement is aimed at building up and resolving, not at destroying.

The holy kiss is a friendly kiss. See more about kissing here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Kiss.html

The completion – the wish for unity with the whole Trinity – is included in the text of the Divine Liturgy.

(Mark IV, 35-41)

Mark IV, 35 – ‘ημερα’ – ‘emera’ – ‘of the day’.

For the parallel passage in Matthew (Matthew VIII, 18, 23-27), see the link:
15062023.html

Mark has more details. In particular, there are Jesus’ words about faith. See a good essay on faith here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/PowerOfHuman.html

To the Archangel Michael:
(Hebrews II, 2-10; Luke X, 16-21)
For the readings in honour of the Archangels, see here:
26072023.html

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

Source:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/

List of Used Sources