Commentary for (Galatians III, 8-12; Luke XIII, 18-29; Ephesians I, 16-23; Luke XII, 32-40; Hebrews IV, 14-V, 6; Mark IX, 33-41)

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.

(Luke XIII, 18-29)
Luke XIII, 19 — 'εἰς κῆπον ἑαυτοῦ' — 'eis kepon heautou' - into a garden of themselves. Where to. The preposition 'eis' can indicate here the will of a person (in the context here — God) who accomplished this by a certain conscious action. Then under 'person' is understood God. But one can look also at the reciprocal word 'ἑαυτοῦ', which then can indicate also God, and can — also a human being. In the first case it is spoken about the richness of God's design, and in the second — about a human's devotion to the Kingdom of God, about the direction of life towards it. 'εἰς δένδρον' - 'eis dendron' - (became) into a tree. The preposition 'eis' indicates here transformation into something. 'ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ' - 'en tois kladois autou' - in its branches. Where.

Luke XIII, 21 — 'εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία' — 'eis aleurou sata tria' - into three sata (measures) of flour. Where to.

Luke XIII, 22 — 'εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα' — 'eis Hierosolyma' - to Jerusalem; into Jerusalem. Where to.

Luke XIII, 25 — 'ἀφ' οὗ ἂν' — 'aph hou an' - from when; from that; hence, if. A construction which indicates that the following events occur not according to the design and desire of the Lord, but from the actions of people — people are guilty in that they did not enter into the house of the Lord, not He.

Luke XIII, 26 — 'ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις ἡμῶν' — 'en tais plateiais hemon' - in our streets; on our streets. Grammatically more appropriate is the second variant.

Luke XIII, 27 — 'ἀπ' ἐμοῦ' — 'ap emou' - from Me. The preposition 'apo' in its form before the following vowel indicates here that it will be necessary to depart completely, entirely.

Luke XIII, 28 — 'ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ' — 'en te basileia' - in the Kingdom. Where.

The first part of the reading has as parallel place Matthew XIII, 31-33 and Mark IV, 30-32, about which see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/11072025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14072025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16072025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/09092025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/11072023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05092023.html

The Lord in response to the question whether many people will be saved gives an answer… not statistical and not mathematical. And it is necessary to explain why.

The question whether many people will be saved substitutes the question about the salvation of each specific personality, each person with a question about comparison of people among themselves and evaluation of correspondence to an averaged standard of what is a good life. But such averaged comparison with an imaginary average person (wherever this imaginary middle may lie, the achievement of which is sufficient for salvation), the concept of which moreover will be formed predominantly on the basis of partial observations from the life of some people from one's surroundings by each person, in reality does not give a satisfactory answer to the question about the salvation of each person, and in particular of the person themselves.

In no way is it possible from the fact that many or few people will be saved for a person to form a correct judgement about their own salvation.

Instead the Lord says that it is necessary to look at one's possibilities and at God's commandments, God's will.

Regarding possibility — all can be saved, and therefore are called to that. If anyone is not saved, then exclusively by virtue of their non-fulfilment of God's will, which desires all to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.

Therefore precisely about life according to God's will, according to grace Christ speaks. And as a striking example He presents that unexpectedly for all many people will be saved, and many people will not be saved (which only confirms the erroneousness of comparing oneself with others for determining salvation).

More about the reading from the Gospel see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07122024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/09122023.html

(Ephesians I, 16-23)
Ephesians I, 16 — 'προσευχων' — 'proseuchon' - prayers (in prayers, the word means elevated, high prayers).

Ephesians I, 17 — 'ἐν ἐπιγνώσει' — 'en epignosei' - in cognition; with cognition. By meaning rather the first.

Ephesians I, 18 — 'εἰς τὸ εἰδέναι ὑμᾶς' - 'eis to eidenai hymas' - for your understanding. The preposition 'eis' indicates here the purpose — our clear and distinct understanding. 'ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις' - 'en tois hagiois' - in the saints; in the holy ones. In whom.

Ephesians I, 19 — 'εἰς ἡμᾶς' - 'eis hemas' - into us; to us; for us. All variants of translation are possible. The first indicates where the Lord manifested the greatness of power and might — (in)to us, for us. The second indicates the purpose, for whom He did this.

Ephesians I, 20 — 'ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐγείρας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν καὶ καθίσας αὐτὸν ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις' - 'en to CHristo egeiras auton ek nekron kai kathisas auton en dexia autou en tois epouraniois' - in Christ, having raised Him [that is, having resurrected Him] from the dead and having seated Him at His right hand in the above-heavenly places [in the heavens].

Ephesians I, 21 — 'οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι' - 'ou monon en to aioni touto alla kai en to mellonti' - not only in this age, but also in the coming [future]. When.

Ephesians I, 22 — 'ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ' - 'hypo tous podas autou' - under His feet. The preposition 'hypo' is here with the accusative and indicates here under what the Lord subjected all things to Christ (a figurative expression regarding absolute authority).

Ephesians I, 23 — 'τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν πληρουμένου' - 'to pleroma tou ta panta en pasin pleroumenou' - the fullness of the One Who fills all [all things, matters etc.] in all [things, phenomena]; the fullness of the One Who fills all with all [that is, with what they are, with content, meaning, reality]. Both variants of translation are possible, but here it is spoken about things or matters — Christ enables them to be accomplished, realized, from Him comes all realizedness and completeness of events, phenomena, objects, and also all evaluation and value of all things. In this context it is spoken about that people themselves act according to Christ in the Church, therefore their actions order the world according to His will.

The Apostle Paul thanks God for the Ephesians and solemnly glorifies and confesses faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father, in the glory according to the human nature of the Son of God and that Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the Head of the Church, and the Church is His mystical Body, called here the fullness of the One Who fills all with all.

The beginning is generalized in the conclusion of the reading — God manifests in the faithful the richness of His generosity, which He manifests to all creation, but most and highest — to the Church.

The Church is called fullness not because it somehow completes the Son of God or His glory, but because in it is the ultimate purpose of all creation — that the Church be united with God, and all creation through it be sanctified. And therefore every action of God in the world and regarding the world is in one way or another connected with the Church — at least as with the purpose of accomplishment — so that the Church be united and grow in God, in His knowledge, glory, holiness etc., in general — in the divinisation of creation, and all creation which is not the Church, through it draw near to God, be sanctified.

More about the reading see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27092025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16122023.html

(Luke XII, 32-40)
Luke XII, 33 — 'ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς' — 'en tois ouranois' - in the heavens. Where.

Luke XII, 36 — 'ἐκ τῶν γάμων' — 'ek ton gamon' - from the wedding. The preposition 'ek' here indicates from where he will return.

Luke XII, 38 — 'κἂν ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ, κἂν ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ φυλακῇ' — 'kan en te deutera, kan en te trite phylake' - and if in the second, and if in the third watch. The preposition 'en' enters here into common expressions. When.

Also an important image is expectation and readiness for the Coming of Christ. When someone awaits someone's arrival, this state is known to almost all. Precisely with it Christ compares how it is necessary to relate to awaiting His Coming.

Also about heavenly treasure I wrote earlier regarding the parallel place in Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount.

So as not to quote a rather extensive comparison and reasoning, I will present only briefly the thoughts: 1) fulfillment of Gospel commandments leads to receiving a source of true heavenly joy; 2) this does not mean obligatory salvation of a person, but means that God grants a person a certain unfading consolation; 3) in contrast joys which are not connected with a person fulfilling Gospel commandments can disappear and disappear completely; 4) all this is described under images of metaphors. See also at the links:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_C9Ad6sV1P/?img_index=2
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8Iav6ssKOI/

More about the reading from the Gospel see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30112024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02122023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/10072023.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_C9Ad6sV1P/?img_index=2
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8Iav6ssKOI/

To the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer:
(Hebrews IV, 14-V, 6; Mark IX, 33-41)
Hebrews IV, 16 — 'χάριν εὕρωμεν εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν' — 'kharin euromen eis eukairon boethetan' - grace to find for timely help; to find grace for appropriate help. The preposition 'eis' indicates the purpose.

Hebrews V, 1 — 'Πᾶς γὰρ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων' — 'Pas gar arkhiereus ex anthropon' - For every high priest from among men. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the following vowel indicates that a choice is made from a group of people and this high priest then represents this group.

Hebrews V, 4 — 'καλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ' — 'kaloumenos hypo tou theou' - called by God. The preposition 'hypo' here with the genitive case and indicates that this is the passive state of the participle called.

Hebrews V, 6 — 'ἐν ἑτέρῳ' — 'en hetero' - in another (place of Scripture). 'εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα' - 'eis ton aiona' - forever; unto the ages. That is, it indicates the design of eternal priesthood, and since it is God's design, also eternal priesthood.

Melchizedek — king of peace (some believe, of Jerusalem) and literally king of righteousness according to the book of Genesis appeared to Abraham after the latter's victory over the princes of Sodom and Gomorrah and blessed him in God's name. Abraham gave him a tenth part of the spoils as (to a higher) priest.

Actually polysemous words which mean that Christ is the meaning of priesthood as such.

And all together — that He is the Son of God and the perfect High Priest.

More about the reading see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/23032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/19032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07042024.html

Mark IX, 33, 34 — 'εἰς Καφαρναούμ' — 'eis Kapharnaoum' - to Capernaum. 'ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ' - 'en te oikia' - in the house. 'ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ' - 'en te hodo' - on the road; by the road.

Mark IX, 36 — 'ἐν μέσῳ' — 'en meso' - inside; in the midst; among. Common expression. Where. There exists a widespread tradition that this child was Ignatius the God-Bearer himself.

Mark IX, 38, 41 — 'ἐν (τῷ) ὀνόματί' — 'en (to) onomati' - in the name; with the name. Both variants of translation are possible, which can here complement one another.

About the reading from the Gospel see well, in detail and substantiated written at the link during examination of the parallel place Matthew XX, 17-28:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07082025.html

More about the reading from the Gospel see at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07082025.html

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!