Commentary for (1 John III, 21-IV, 6; Mark XIV, 43-XV, 1)

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 III, 21-IV, 6)
1 John III, 22 — 'ἀπ' αὐτοῦ' — 'ap autou' - from Him. The preposition 'apo' in its form before the following vowel indicates that this is a gift.

1 John IV, 1 — 'ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ' — 'ek tou theou' - from God. The preposition 'ek' indicates that it is spoken of whether these spirits act from God, whether God sent them to act. 'εἰς τὸν κόσμον' - 'eis ton kosmon' - into the world. To where.

1 John IV, 2 — 'ἐν σαρκὶ' — 'en sarki' - in flesh. That is, having accepted our infirmities. 'ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ' - 'ek tou theou' - from God. The preposition 'ek' indicates that it is spoken of the Source, of the fact that it is the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. Regarding the procession in the Divinity it is spoken of the Holy Spirit 'para tou patros', and of the begetting of the Son of God from the Father — 'ek tou patros', therefore, here is a parallel for the Holy Spirit… — with the Son. But the context indicates that the possibility to thus receive the Holy Spirit as a Gift and to know through this God is directly connected with the Incarnate Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ. See also more at the links and others:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/Pryjmennyky.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/31072024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/01062024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/09062024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20062024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/31072024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17082024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17022025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18022025.html

1 John IV, 3 — 'ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ' — 'ek tou theou' - from God. Analogously to verse 1 here. 'ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ' - 'en to kosmo' - in the world. Where.

1 John IV, 4 — 'ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ' — 'ek tou theou' - from God. It is spoken of the fact that God made the faithful such, gave them to live thus and to have eternal life. 'ἐν ὑμῖν' - 'en hymin' - in you.

1 John IV, 5 — 'ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου' — 'ek tou kosmou' - from the world. The preposition 'ek' indicates that the life of those people is filled with that which can be seen only in creation, but not in God, that is, that life is distanced from God.

1 John IV, 6 — 'ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ' — 'ek tou theou' - from God. Analogously to verse 4, and further in the text — to verse 1. 'ἐκ τούτου' - 'ek touto' - from that; from here.

At the beginning of the reading there is about the heart in comparison with God — a direct continuation of yesterday's reading. All free actions, thoughts and feelings of a person are born in the heart, and the person is responsible for them. Therefore the commandment of love for God begins with the heart. And what about forced, unfree actions? Or inactivity? They are also connected with the heart, similarly as rest is a kind of movement. Simply in this case the source of a person's actions is not the heart, but the heart takes part in such actions.

Someone (possibly, some psychologists or neurologists, neuroscientists and others) will say that even a spontaneous unconstrained action has certain preconditions, causes, is connected with connections in the brain which did not arise entirely spontaneously and so on. To this I have to say that heart in John is not simply spontaneity and freedom of a person, but the core of personality, the core of the human hypostasis.

Hypostasis — concrete existence of nature (here, human hypostasis — therefore, of human nature) — in theology is a logical category which indicates the uniqueness and quantitativeness of that which exists. It is basic, not reducible, cannot be reduced to other categories, similarly as in geometry basic concepts are described but have no definition. In the language of Orthodox theology, in the heart there takes place a joining of natural will and freedom with personal will, personal volition. This volition, for example, can be established, revealed by the fact that a person truly can do one of several possible actions, and indeed does one of them, in particular even if under action is understood inactivity or something similar (if a person had no volition, then the actions of all people in analogous situations would be identical. More precisely, similar people in analogous situations would act identically if there were no volition, or even more precisely, the behaviour (in the broad sense) of a person would be deterministically determined exclusively by causes which do not depend on them themselves, in particular among them also by natural conditions).

Nevertheless, volition is not reduced to freedom of choice, and exists even when a person does not make an act of choice, does not choose from several variants according to certain criteria or causes.

When our heart does not condemn us — therefore, when a person in a free state not only spontaneously and unconstrainedly, entirely freely actualises themselves, that is, when there is nothing which would burden a person from their side. Paul in another place says about this: Although I know nothing (bad) about myself, but by this I am not justified, but the Judge to me is the Lord, — speaks precisely about the heart. It is precisely in such a state that the appearance of God's faith in a person is possible. About it see in the work On the Power of Human at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/PowerOfHuman.html

Regarding conscience see two good poems. In the Apostle James the theme of conscience is also very deeply revealed, see about this at the first link (there are actually 6 pages, one needs to read to 6, they are short, but very meaningful), and also an important work at the second:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DT6fitxAvd9/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/DT6X5acAk52/

More about the reading from the Apostle see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/19022025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06032024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14022023.html

(Mark XIV, 43-XV, 1)
Mark XIV, 43 — 'παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ τῶν γραμματέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων' — 'para ton arkhiereon kai ton grammateon kai presbyteron' - from beside the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders. The preposition 'para' here with the genitive case indicates that these people were closely connected with the elders of the people. A similar construction is used regarding the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father, also regarding the human nature of Christ. See the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/Pryjmennyky.html
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
Here it indicates the closeness of those people and the fact that they entirely took the side of the elders, supported the decision regarding the trial over Jesus.

Mark XIV, 49 — 'ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ' — 'en to hiero' - in the temple. Where.

Mark XIV, 54 — 'ἀπὸ μακρόθεν' — 'apo makrothen' - from afar; separately from afar (as entirely a stranger and uninvolved). The preposition 'apo' here indicates that Peter tried in every way to conceal his apostleship. 'εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν' - 'eis ten aulen' - into the courtyard. To where.

Mark XIV, 55 — 'εἰς τὸ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν' — 'eis to thanatosai auton' - in order to kill Him. The preposition 'eis' indicates the purpose.

Mark XIV, 60 — 'εἰς μέσον' — 'eis meson' - into the middle; onto the middle (to where). Common expression.

Mark XIV, 62 — 'ἐκ δεξιῶν' — 'ek dexion' - from the right hand; from the right side; at the right hand. That is, in the most honourable place.

Mark XIV, 66 — 'ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ' — 'en te aule' - in the courtyard. Where.

Mark XIV, 68 — 'εἰς τὸ προαύλιον' — 'eis to proaulion' - into the porch. To where.

Mark XIV, 69, 70 — 'ἐξ αὐτῶν' — 'ex auton' - of them. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the following vowel indicates that Peter is of them (the disciples of Jesus).

Mark XIV, 72 — 'ἐκ δευτέρου' — 'ek deuterou' - the second time. Common expression.

About the parallel places in the other evangelists see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17042025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18042025.html

More about the reading from the Gospel see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/19022025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06032024.html

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