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.
Matins:
For the reading from the Gospel, see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/04052025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30042023.html
Translated from Ukrainian by Claude Sonnet 4.5 (Anthropic AI), with subsequent editing by me.
Liturgy:
1 Corinthians VI, 12 — 'ἐξουσιασθήσομαι ὑπό τινος' - 'exousiasthesomai hypo tinos' - (I) shall be mastered by something
. The preposition 'hypo' here with the genitive case indicates the passive voice of the participle (I) shall be mastered
and by what or whom mastered.
1 Corinthians VI, 13 — 'καταργήσει' — 'katargesei' - will divide; will reduce to nothing; will make inactive, will cease
.
1 Corinthians VI, 16 — 'ἔσονται γάρ, φησίν, οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν' — 'esontai gar phesin oi dyo eis sarka mian' - for the two shall be, it says, into one flesh; for the two shall be, it says, for one flesh; for the two shall be, it says, one flesh
. Generally speaking, different variants of translation are possible. All of them indicate that two people become one flesh through bodily sexual relations. An example that the like happens not only in marriage. Further the apostle explains that in more detail.
1 Corinthians VI, 18 — 'ὁ δὲ πορνεύων εἰς τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα ἁμαρτάνει' — 'ho de porneuon eis to idion soma hamartanei' - but he who commits fornication, concerning (with respect to, relatively to, against) his own body sins
. The preposition 'eis' indicates the direction, directedness of sin — sin concerning one's own body, one can also say against
one's own body.
1 Corinthians VI, 19 — 'ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου πνεύματός' — 'naos tou en hymin hagiou pneumatos' - temple (sanctuary) in you of the Holy Spirit
. 'οὗ ἔχετε ἀπὸ θεοῦ' - 'hou ekhete apo theou' - Whom you have from God
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that the Holy Spirit is given to people as a gift of God.
1 Corinthians VI, 20 — 'ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν' — 'en to somati hymon' - in your body; with your body
. Both variants of translation are possible, moreover the first emphasises the body as a component of human nature, and the second — that it ought to be a sanctuary and by this to glorify God. Words about the spirit together with the body are not in many ancient manuscripts.
From the Apostle was read about the life of the present and future age (after the general resurrection), about food and bodily relations, in general about the body. A meaningful place, I shall stop briefly on some important moments.
1) All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful for me, but nothing should possess (rule over) me; All (things) are lawful for me, but not all make whole (holistic). All (things) are good for me, but by none shall I be mastered
— literally — the second variant of translation. It is spoken about a wise attitude to all creation, in particular first of all to that which the person uses (in the broad sense), or which is in certain interrelations with the person. The person ought not to become a servant of things (whatever may be meant by things), likewise also ought to care for wholeness (holisticity) — one's own and others'.
2) Food — to the belly, and the belly — to food, but God will make both the one and the other vain, inactive, unneeded. The body — not to fornication, but to the Lord, and the Lord — to the body
— literal translation.
stomach
— in the original belly
, that is, the place where are located the organs which are responsible for the digestion of food and reproduction, birth of children, one can say in general — the place of vital functions of the organism.
will make vain, inactive, unneeded
— it is meant that after the general resurrection people will not need food in order to sustain life, and there will not be processes of digestion as such which are needed for vital activity. The organs of digestion will be inactive
in the understanding that although people can eat after the resurrection, and there is nothing bad in that — in particular they can drink new wine in the Kingdom of God
, the Kingdom of God is called the wedding banquet
of the Lamb, but that food in no way will be needed for life. The source of life will be God, and not food (but food can be consumed with some other purpose, for example Jesus after the Resurrection ate honey and fish not because He had need of food in order to live, but for assurance of the genuineness of bodily resurrection). That is, this word partially opens the mystery of the future age and resurrection — people will not need food in order to live, but will be able to consume it for something else. The organs of digestion will not function as they are now.
for
(to
) — in the original simply the dative case, one can translate more literally food — to the body and the body — to food, the body not to fornication, but to the Lord, and the Lord — to the body
. The latter speaks about the sense of the words — it is spoken about needs and connection, accomplishment of God's intention. Now food is needed for the body, and the Lord is needed always. The body is connected with food, the body is connected with bodily life, in particular with sexual relations, but the purpose is to be with God. And bodily sexual relations in the future age will also be unneeded, as also food, why Christ says that in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are equal to angels in heaven, being children of the resurrection
(in conversation with the Sadducees about the resurrection of the dead). And the Lord is needed always.
3) For God also raised up the Lord
— here it is spoken about that the Father raised up the Son, Jesus Christ, Who could not remain dead in the grave. Scripture often says that the Father raised up the Son, often that the Son Himself rose, and often that God raised up the Son. All this together clearly says Who the Father and the Son are, Who rose by the power of His Divinity. The Most Holy Trinity by Their Divine power will raise up also the dead, and the living will transform in the time of the general resurrection of the dead.
4) Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ?.. ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price…
— a pervasive thought in several verses about that our nature, especially after union with God in the Mysteries, has the gift of the Holy Spirit, has grace and is not the property
of the person themselves (as sometimes erroneously reason completely unbelieving people, saying my body, what I want, that I also do with it
). God wishes that our bodies and souls be His temple (the body — in its own way, as a body, and the soul — in its own, as a soul). For this He saved us, for this He suffered, rose, ascended, for this He will come again. One needs to understand that the gift of the Holy Spirit
— here as earnest money which is given beforehand in order to outline and show the direct intention afterwards completely to redeem
, as Paul briefly speaks about that in another place.
5) He who is joined to a harlot becomes one body with her
, — words of multiple meanings, and here is an evident reason to avoid sexual relations and the like with harlots (prostitutes). And not only them, but everything which is a manifestation of sin.
6) He who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him
— in contrast to the previous — that to which we are called. Union with God is properly true spiritual life, sanctification, to which we all are called.
7) Glorify God in your body [and in your spirit, which belong to God]
— that is, live so as to be God's temple with all being — soul and body
. Are also recalled the words of Jesus from a somewhat different occasion, but a related theme — Is not the soul more than food, and the body than raiment?
. Concerning these I think I wrote earlier that to a certain degree one needs at least to clothe oneself by the body and at least to be satiated by the soul.
More about the reading from the Apostle, see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16022025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03032024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12022023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15072023.html
Luke XV, 13 — 'εἰς χώραν μακράν' — 'eis khoran makran' - into a far country
. Whither.
Luke XV, 15 — 'εἰς τοὺς ἀγροὺς' — 'eis tous agrous' - into the fields
. Whither.
Luke XV, 16 — 'ἀπὸ (εκ) τῶν κερατίων' — 'apo (ek) ton keration' - from the fruits of the carob tree
. These fruits are similar to locusts, they were food sometimes also of the poorest people. In different texts both prepositions are met. 'apo' indicates that these are remains of food which were not sufficient, and 'ek' — from where the son expected satiation, which, as he thought, can satiate him.
Luke XV, 17 — 'εἰς ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἐλθὼν' — 'eis heauton de elthon' - having come to himself
. Common expression.
Luke XV, 18, 21 — 'ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου' — 'hemarton eis ton ouranon kai enopion sou' - I have sinned concerning (in the direction of, with regard to, against) heaven and before you
. The preposition 'eis' indicates the direction of sin, whither it is directed, that is, against what or whom.
Luke XV, 22 — 'δακτύλιον εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑποδήματα εἰς τοὺς πόδας' — 'daktylion eis ten kheira autou kai hypodemata eis tous podas' - a ring for his hand and sandals for the feet
. The preposition 'eis' indicates the designation of these things.
Luke XV, 25 — 'ἐν ἀγρῷ' — 'en agro' - in the field
. Where.
The parable about the prodigal son (from where the name of the Sunday) — very deep, meaningful, detailed, well studied. Therefore I shall stop only on one moment — in the tradition the younger son is called prodigal
not because he wasted his substance with harlots
, as the elder son accused him before the father, but through his wandering
before he truly became a worthy son. In the parable it is spoken that that son wasted his substance vainly, wastefully
, but it is not spoken directly about harlots. The elder son accused him of connections with them, who in thoughts, probably, many times condemned the younger precisely in such an imaginary way.
More about the reading from the Gospel, see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16022025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03032024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12022023.html
Of the Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates:
For the reading from the Apostle, see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03012026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21062023.html
More about the reading from the Gospel, see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03012026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/25062025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21062023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/10072024.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!