Glory Be to Jesus Christ!
☀️
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
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.
Colossians I, 18 — ‘ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν’ - ‘ek ton nekron’ - ‘from the dead’. The preposition ‘ek’ here indicates where Christ's transition in the Resurrection took place - from the dead to the living. ‘ἐν πᾶσιν’ - ‘en pasin’ - ‘in everything’.
Colossians I, 19 — ‘ἐν αὐτῷ’ - ‘en auto’ - ‘in Him’.
Colossians I, 20 — ‘εἰς αὐτόν’ - ‘eis auton’ - ‘unto Him’. The preposition ‘eis’ here indicates unity ‘in the direction of Christ’, i.e. that unity is achieved by moving towards Christ and uniting with Him. ‘ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς’ - ‘en tois ouranois’ - ‘in the heavens’.
Colossians I, 21 — ‘ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις’ - ‘en tois ergois’ - ‘in works’.
Colossians I, 22 — ‘ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς σαρκὸς’ - ‘en to somati tes sarkos’ - ‘in the body of the flesh; by the body of the flesh’. Both translations are possible. The phrase is mysterious, because sometimes ‘body’ and ‘flesh’ are used synonymously, or only one of these two words is used. We might think that this combination indicates how God, through the Incarnation, saves human nature, which was damaged by sin. ‘Body’ then refers to the state of nature when it is full of God's grace, deified, living in accordance with God's will, and flesh
is the human corruption and weakness that God took upon Himself. In Christ, therefore, human nature is simultaneously in both senses during His earthly life - and the salvation of the flesh is realised through the deified body. And in a broader sense, the salvation of humanity is realised through the Body of Christ, the Church.
Colossians I, 23 — ‘ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος’ - ‘apo tes elpidos’ - ‘from hope’. ‘ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει’ - ‘en pase ktisei’ - ‘in all creation’. ‘ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν’ - ‘hypo ton ouranon’ - ‘under the heaven’. The preposition ‘hypo’ here is with the accusative, meaning ‘under’.
For more information about the reading from the Apostle, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/25102023.html
Luke XV, 4 — ‘ἐξ ὑμῶν’ - ‘ex hymon’ - ‘of you’. ‘ἐξ αὐτῶν’ - ‘ex auton’ - ‘of them’. The preposition ‘ek’ in its form before the following vowel indicates here a choice from a group. ‘ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ’ - ‘en te eremo’ - ‘in the wilderness’.
Luke XV, 6 — ‘εἰς τὸν οἶκον’ - ‘eis ton oikon’ - ‘into the house’.
Luke XV, 7 — ‘ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ’ - ‘en to ourano’ - ‘in the heaven’.
For more information about the Gospel reading, please refer to the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15112023.html
To Saint John Chrysostom,
For more information about the reading from the Apostle, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/24052023.html
For more information on the Gospel reading, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14052023.html
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Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!