Glory Be to Jesus Christ!
🌞
Happy Day of the Holy Spirit!
Since in the works published at the following 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/27112024.html
it is written that the use of prepositions is important for the correct understanding of important and actual issues, in particular the issue of power, I am writing commentaries on the use of these prepositions. As a piece of advice on how to read the text, you can read the verse in translation and/or in the original (if you have the opportunity), and then the commentary on prepositions here. Next, you need to understand which part of the verse the commentary refers to, and consider what it affirms — or less often, denies — that is essential to understanding. This thoughtful reading helps to deepen understanding and protects against the mistakes mentioned above.
Matins:
For more on the reading from the Apostle, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16012025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26072024.html
Liturgy:
Romans I, 18 — 'ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ' - 'ap ouranoi' - from heaven
. The preposition 'apo' in its form before the following vowel indicates here that God's wrath leaves heaven, because in heaven there is nothing that can cause God's wrath. 'ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἀδικίαν ἀνθρώπων τῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐν ἀδικίᾳ κατεχόντων' - 'epi pasan asebeian kai adikian anthropon ton ten aletheian en adikia katekhonton' - upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness
. Various translation options are possible. By truth
is meant correspondence to God's design, also truths of faith, and hold
means that those people, existing thanks to God's truth as God's creatures, nevertheless distance themselves and oppose God's will, God's truth through their unrepentant unrighteousness, through which even other people (or the same ones) even begin to blame God for the consequences of sins and unrighteousness.
Romans I, 19 — 'διότι τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσεν' - 'dioti to gnoston tou theou phaneron estin en autois ho theos gar autois ephanerosen' - because those which are known of God are manifest in them, for God has revealed those to them
. Here are two important statements — people know about God and about the God's, because God revealed those, these are God's revelation (it is impossible to know something about God or the God's without God's revelation, manifestation), and also, that it is not about something secret, mysterious, incomprehensible, beyond understanding, but about that which is subject to logic, comprehension by people, understanding, perception, experience etc. — that is, it is manifest, not secret.
Romans I, 20 — 'τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασιν νοούμενα καθορᾶται, ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀναπολογήτους' - 'ta gar aorata autou apo ktiseos kosmou tois poiemasin nooumena kathoratai, he te aidios autou dynamis kai theiotes, eis to einai autous anapologetous' - for His invisible things from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made, are clearly seen, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse
. It is meant that God revealed to people His invisible intentions, designs, will, His power and appeared Himself (this refers particularly to Old Testament God's appearances, but one can also speak of New Testament ones), testified by this what is good and what is not, and now people cannot say that they simply did not know this, therefore are innocent. It must be understood that the presence of God's mysteries, Sacraments and other things should not stop people from recognising and knowing what is revealed by God as manifest and accessible for understanding.
Romans I, 21 — 'ἀλλ' ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν' - 'all emataiothesan en tois dialogismois auton' - but became vain in their reasonings (doubts, conversations, imaginations, disputes, debates); but became vain through their doubts
. That is, instead of rising up to God and high vocation, they began to fall down and degrade.
Romans I, 23 — 'ἤλλαξαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου θεοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πετεινῶν καὶ τετραπόδων καὶ ἑρπετῶν' - 'ellaxan ten doxan tou aphthartou theou en omoiomati eikonos phthartou anthropou kai peteinon kai tetrapodon kai herpeton' - changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and of fourfooted beasts, and of creeping things
. Here two different understandings are possible, which lead to different interpretation. The first consists in joining man in this verse to the following creatures in the list, so that then it is about idolatry, idol worship, which precisely consisted then often in the fact that people instead of the true God began to worship corruptible people and animals, attributing divine glory to them. The second consists in the fact that man here is connected with God and the beginning of the phrase, and the rest of the verse further — not (such understanding is indicated by the difference in number — man in singular, and other creatures — in plural, although Gentiles worshipped many gods in the form of people). Then it is about the fact that a human being is indeed created as a likeness of the image of God, although being corruptible, and after sin is subject to sufferings, diseases, death, and animals further experienced the influence of human fall. This second understanding is generally much better consonant with the whole Epistle, thematically, therefore it is better, fuller than the first, though both make sense here.
Romans I, 24 — 'ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν' - 'en tais epithymiais ton kardion auton' - in the lusts of their hearts
. Here only such translation. 'εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν' - 'eis akatharsian' - unto uncleanness
. Where to. That is, God allowed people who turned away from true life, true worship to fall into the lusts of their hearts and further — into bodily and spiritual uncleanness. 'τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς' - 'tou atimazesthai ta somata auton en autois' - to dishonour their bodies among themselves
. That is, the path of unbelief led people even to dishonour and shame of their bodies by themselves.
Romans I, 25 — 'ἐν τῷ ψεύδει' - 'en to pseudei' - in the lie; for the lie
. That is, they exchanged God's truth for falsehood. 'ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα' - 'elatreusan te ktisei para ton ktisanta' - worshipped the creature to the proximity of the Creator; worshipped the creature alongside the Creator; worshipped the creature as if the Creator; worshipped (honoured) the creature as one worships (as one ought to worship) the Creator
. A very semantically rich prepositional phrase. The preposition 'para' is here with the accusative case and indicates here that the creature here is elevated to some degree to one level
with God the Creator. Moreover, the apostle may also indicate that devotion to one's religion or beliefs (the latter may be more relevant now in the world, since idolatry can have various forms, not only literal) can be no less than it is necessary to be devoted to the true God. 'ὅς ἐστιν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν' - 'hos estin eulogetos eis tous aionas. amen' - Who is blessed forever. Amen
. The preposition 'eis' enters into a common expression.
Romans I, 26 — 'εἰς πάθη ἀτιμίας' - 'eis pathe atimias' - unto dishonourable passions (which have no honour, respect, value, shameful)
. 'φυσικὴν χρῆσιν εἰς τὴν παρὰ φύσιν' - 'physiken khresin eis ten para physin' - natural employment unto that which is to the proximity of nature; natural employment (occupation, use) unto that which is (just) concerning nature
. The preposition 'eis' indicates here what they changed to. The preposition 'para' here is with the accusative case and has many different meanings. Common is the translation against nature
(possible particularly in view of the Gospel, where it is used in the same construction in such meaning of opposition, also here Saint Maximus the Confessor comes to my mind). One can understand that the second translation variant appears more precise
in the sense that natural occupation with sexual union with a person of the opposite sex people replaced with that which is related (in this sense concerning
) to nature, is also sexual union with a person, but has no connection with the nature of people and the character of these relations.
Romans I, 27 — 'ἐξεκαύθησαν ἐν τῇ ὀρέξει αὐτῶν εἰς ἀλλήλους' - 'exekauthesan en te orexei auton eis allelous' - burned deeply in the excitement of their mind one toward another
. 'ἄρρενες ἐν ἄρρεσιν' - 'arrenes en arresin' - males in males
. It concerns directly sexual relations. 'ἐν ἑαυτοῖς' - 'en heautois' - in themselves; with themselves
. Here the verse concerns physiology, description (here male, but one can think similarly about female) of homosexualism.
More about the reading, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26062024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07062023.html
Matthew V, 20 — 'εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν' - 'eis ten basileian ton ouranon' - into the Kingdom of God
. Where to. The expression in the Gospels has several meanings, particularly already in this life, now to live according to God's will, similar to how the saved will live in the Kingdom of God
.
Matthew V, 22 — 'ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός' - 'enokhos estai eis ten geennan tou pyros' - shall be liable unto the hell of fire
. That is, moves where — into fiery hell. I wrote earlier, now I shall quote:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07062023.html
Anger makes a person a participant in God's judgment (but by no means a judge there!), insulting someone makes them subject to God's judgment or the Supreme Court (in the Church this is the judgment of an Ecumenical Council), proud contempt makes a proud person spiritually dead. The degrees of falling into the sin of malice, anger, condemnation and insult, harassment, bullying, contempt and others are clearly visible. Often translations add the word without cause
, but it is not in the original.
Matthew V, 23-24 — do not contain prepositions which I study and investigate, but are important. Particularly important as testimony that an obstacle to Communion is non-reconciliation with a person. Yes, it is good to receive the Holy Gifts of Christ and the Sacraments of the Body and Blood, it is His commandment, but if a person is not at peace with brothers and sisters in faith, if the absence of peace is not caused by the necessity of fulfilling God's commandments and God's will (that is, when a person is actually not guilty of what the brother or sister accuses them of), then such non-peace is a Gospel obstacle to serving the Eucharist for clergy, and for the faithful — an obstacle to Communion (and if more literally — even to participation in the Liturgy of the Faithful).
Matthew V, 25 — 'ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ' - 'en te odo' - in the way; on the way
. Where. 'εἰς φυλακὴν' - 'eis phylaken' - into prison; to prison
. Where to.
For more on the reading from the Gospel, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07062023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26062024.html
To the Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas:
For more on the reading from the Apostle, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18052025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02062024.html
For more on the reading from the Gospel, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08112024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/09102024.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!