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/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.
The correct statements in the work at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
are connected with comments written during more than a year, during which I better understood the ideas, usage, logic, even peculiarities of pronunciation, therefore now it is appropriate to review and correct the allowed inaccuracies. Instead of correcting in old texts, I will correct in new ones (I have already begun to do this). Therefore the work continues, particularly it is necessary to consider the readings during about two weeks in August-September 2024, when I did not have access to the Internet network. If you notice inaccuracies in the comments at the links cited there, then it is worth checking whether there are newer ones regarding the same reading. I will update the list of links regarding prepositions at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
to keep the version of the text current and in future.
Liturgy:
2 Corinthians II, 14 — 'ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ' - 'en to CHristo' - in Christ
. In Whom. 'ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ' - 'en panti topo' - in every place; everywhere
. Where.
2 Corinthians II, 15 — 'ἐν τοῖς σῳζομένοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις' - 'en tois sozomenois kai en tois apollymenois' - in those who are being saved and in those who are perishing
. The mediopassive (middle / passive) voice of the participles here indicates that both groups of people largely participate in both salvation and perishing, i.e., the latter are consequences of the very actions of those people.
2 Corinthians II, 16 — 'ὀσμὴ ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον' - 'osme ek thanatou eis thanaton' - a fragrance from death to death
. 'ὀσμὴ ἐκ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν' - 'osme ek zoes eis zoen' - a fragrance from life to life
. Here we have identical constructions regarding prepositions. The meaning concerns the fact that the ministry of the apostles, the life of the faithful, is a kind of measure of who is being saved and who is perishing; also noted here is the responsibility of the ministry of the faithful and particularly of the apostles themselves.
2 Corinthians II, 17 — 'ὡς ἐξ εἰλικρινίας' - 'hos ex eilikrinias' - as from sincerity (clearness, purity)
. 'ὡς ἐκ θεοῦ κατέναντι θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ' - 'hos ek theou katenanti theou en CHristo' - as from God before God (opposite God) in Christ
. That is, as if proclaiming to God Himself. The apostle preaches as if he is preaching to God Himself — in such purity, sincerity, responsibility, attentiveness, diligence, humility and the like. And what enables him to preach thus is unity with Christ. And all preachers of the Gospel are called to this. It must be said that proper and diligent teaching of others is the most effective way for the person who teaches to learn something themselves, better even than practice. One can advise, if a person wishes to learn something — a faithful person can tell God about it — of course, not as to someone who does not know, but rather as at an examination before the One Who knows everything.
2 Corinthians III, 1 — 'ἐξ ὑμῶν' - 'ex hymon' - from you
. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the following 'hy' indicates here that we are speaking of letters that express something important from the faithful.
2 Corinthians III, 2 — 'ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν' - 'en tais kardiais hemon' - in our hearts
. Where. 'γινωσκομένη καὶ ἀναγινωσκομένη ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων' - 'ginoskomene kai anagignoskomene hypo panton anthropon' - known and read by all people
. The preposition 'hypo' here with the genitive case indicates the passive voice of the corresponding participles here.
2 Corinthians III, 3 — 'ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ διακονηθεῖσα ὑφ' ἡμῶν' - 'epistole CHristou diakonetheisa hyph hemon' - a letter of Christ, ministered by us
. That is, obtained as a result of the apostles' ministry. The preposition 'hypo' in its form before the following 'he' here with the genitive case indicates the passive voice of the participle ministered
. 'οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν λιθίναις ἀλλ' ἐν πλαξὶν καρδίαις σαρκίναις' - 'ouk en plaxin lithinais all en plaxin kardiais sarkinais' - not on tablets of stone, but on fleshly tablets of the heart
. That is, the value of the Gospel is not in the fact that it is written somewhere as text and the like, but in the fact that it is in the hearts of the faithful. Here is a direct connection with the well-known Old Testament prophecy of Jeremiah about the New Covenant.
The fragrance of knowledge
— a person is capable of sensing a smell at least initially even without wanting to. Therefore, from all the organs of sense, Paul chooses precisely smell when speaking of the fact that the preaching of faith by the apostles, like a fragrance, cannot simply be ignored or not noticed.
Next comes one of the most beautiful and poetic metaphors in Scripture — the image of Christ's letter of recommendation, written on fleshly tablets of the heart not with ink, but with the Holy Spirit.
One can say that when the Holy Spirit acts in the human and pure-hearted (at least good-hearted) faithful through Jesus Christ thanks to the labour of the apostles, then they themselves become confirmation of the truth of the words and preaching of the apostles through whom they received Christ's Gospel.
Also here is significance about the Mysteries of Chrismation and Ordination. For it is primarily through the Holy Spirit that they are accomplished, renewing the person with His gifts from within.
About the reading from the Apostle, see also the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15082023.html
Matthew XXIII, 25 — 'ἔσωθεν δὲ γέμουσιν ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς καὶ ἀκρασίας' — 'esothen de gemousin ex harpages kai akrasias' - but within they are full of extortion and intemperance
. That is, desires to break the framework
, go beyond one's own and others' real boundaries
, obtain what does not belong
and similar violations. A pious person needs to overcome such impulses if they arise. This will mean that they have the virtue of temperance, unlike the Pharisees here.
It must be said that voluntary sins proceed from the heart, that is, from within the personality according to Christ's words in another place, where He also exposes the Pharisees and warns against their leaven
. Involuntary sins are also largely connected with the heart, if not by source of origin, then at least by everything connected with them, accompaniment
and further sinful influence, enslavement, dependencies (also addictions and obsessions) and other similar things. If one cleanses the heart of all that, then it will not only not be a source of voluntary sins, but will not be able to participate in involuntary ones, and therefore will not allow those latter ones either. And then everything will become clean.
Also important here is the thought that we do not fulfil the Gospel commandments in all their possible depth, fullness, breadth. I have written about this before, and here we see confirmation of those words.
1) we do not fulfil all Gospel commandments as is possible, as the Lord sees in eternity, as that to which we are called;
2) nevertheless, we are capable of approaching that;
3) certain commandments act according to the principle of resonance
: proper fulfilment is based on love, each, even the smallest commandment opens
a new world, reveals
the world anew, at all times different communities are capable more or less of fulfilling certain commandments of the Gospel, which is what their, communities', development consists in;
4) to the extent of resonant fulfilment of Gospel commandments, societies develop; to the extent of non-fulfilment, they decline.
See the links:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://churchandsociety.org.ua/pdf/projects/zbirnyk.pdf
One can understand this differently as well — all parts of the body, the whole person is mysteriously connected with the heart, see in particular:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Adultery-briefly.html
By influencing the heart, you mysteriously influence the whole person. Also see the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/DialogueOnWordsChristFear.html
More about the reading from the Gospel see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15042025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/PowerOfHuman.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!