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
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.
For rest of the dead:
1 Thessalonians IV, 15 — ‘ἐν λόγῳ κυρίου’ - ‘en logo kyriou’ - ‘in the word of the Lord; with the word of the Lord; in the Word of the Lord’. Different translations are possible, and it should be remembered that the Word of the Lord can also mean Christ Himself (the Lord is then the Father). However, the most logical translation in this verse is the second option, where ‘Lord’ means ‘Christ’, and it is implied that Christ told His disciples about this. ‘εἰς τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ κυρίου’ - ‘eis ten parousian tou kyriou’ - ‘until the Lord's Coming; for the Lord's Coming’. Either before the time of the Second Coming of Christ, or in order to see Him as living people.
1 Thessalonians IV, 16 — ‘ἐν κελεύσματι, ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καὶ ἐν σάλπιγγι θεοῦ’ - ‘en keleusmati, en phone arkhangelou kai en salpingi theou’ - ‘at the loud command, the sound of the archangel and the trumpet of God’. The preposition ‘en’ indicates what will be the ‘environment’ of the Second Coming, i.e., the actual accompaniment of the event itself. ‘ἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ' - ap ouranou
- from heaven
. The preposition ‘apo’ in its form before the following vowel indicates that Christ will bodily descend from heaven to earth, just as He bodily ascended into heaven. ‘οἱ νεκροὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον’ - ‘hoi nekroi en CHristo anastesontai proton’ - ‘those who have died in Christ will rise first’. The words ‘in Christ’ can refer to the dead, or to the resurrection, or to both, standing in between in the text. In the first case, it refers to the departed believers (all the dead will be resurrected, but here it refers to the destiny of the faithful), in the second case, to the resurrection of the dead by Christ, and in the third case, to both options together.
1 Thessalonians IV, 17 — ‘ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα’ - ‘en nephelais eis apantesin tou kyriou eis aera’ - ‘in the clouds to meet the Lord (in)to the air’. In other words, the clouds will take up the faithful people (or accompany them) to meet Christ in glory. Since Christ will descend from heaven at His Coming, these words imply that He will at least occasionally ascend to heaven again afterwards and descend to earth as well, or ascend again to heaven, where the faithful in the clouds will also ascend.
John V, 24 — ‘εἰς κρίσιν’ - ‘eis krisin’ - ‘to judgement; for judgement’. The former is more likely, since the latter has the connotation that people for some reason have a certain purpose in coming to judgement. ‘ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν’ - ‘ek tou thanatou eis ten zoen’ - ‘from death to life’. The pair of prepositions ‘ek’ - ‘eis’ emphasises the transition from death to life.
John V, 26 — ‘ἐν ἑαυτῷ’ - ‘en heauto’ - ‘in Himself’. See more here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17082024.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6-_dm6sBQt/
https://churchandsociety.org.ua/pdf/projects/zbirnyk.pdf
John V, 28 — ‘ἐν ᾗ’ - ‘en he’ - ‘in which’. ‘πάντες οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις’ - ‘pantes hoi en tois mnemeiois’ - ‘all those who are in the tombs’.
John V, 29 — ‘εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς’ - ‘eis anastasin zoes’ - ‘into the resurrection of life; for the resurrection of life’. ‘εἰς ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως’ - ‘eis anastasin kriseos’ - ‘into the resurrection of judgement; for the resurrection of judgement’. Both translations are possible, the first indicating the movement and the second the purpose of the movement.
John V, 30 — ‘ἀπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ' - ap emautou
- from Himself
. The preposition ‘apo’ in its form before the following vowel indicates that the imaginary action in question continues to have an objective meaning after it has been performed (but Christ does not act from Himself, but in unity with the Father and the Spirit).
For more on these readings, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27042023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21102023.html
For more on the reading from the Apostle, please refer to the following:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12102024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/09032024.html
Luke XXI, 25 — ‘ἐν ἡλίῳ καὶ σελήνῃ καὶ ἄστροις’ - ‘en helio kai selene kai astrois’ - ‘in the sun, and the moon, and the stars; with the sun, and the moon, and the stars’. That is, either in direct connection with these luminaries, or those signs will be given through them, they will ‘signal’. ‘ἐν ἀπορίᾳ ἤχους θαλάσσης καὶ σάλου’ - ‘en aporia ekhous thalasses kai salou’ - ‘in the perplexity of the roar of the sea and waves’. That is, in open water. A possible reference to tsunamis (which did not occur in Israel).
Luke XXI, 26 — ‘ἀπὸ φόβου καὶ προσδοκίας τῶν ἐπερχομένων τῇ οἰκουμένῃ’ - ‘apo phobou kai prosdokias ton eperkhomenon te oikoumene’ - ‘out of fear and expectation of what is coming to the whole world’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that the news of the impending end of the world is not catastrophic, but actually involves the Good News of the Kingdom of God and the Coming of Christ in glory. The fear of the end of the world is wrong, essentially erroneous.
Luke XXI, 27 — ‘ἐν νεφέλῃ’ - ‘en nephele’ - ‘in a cloud; with a cloud’. That is, Christ's movement will be accompanied by a cloud.
Luke XXI, 34 — ‘ἐν κραιπάλῃ καὶ μέθῃ καὶ μερίμναις βιωτικαῖς’ - ‘en kraipale kai methe kai merimnais biotikais’ - ‘in hangovers (headaches after the drunkenness) and in the cares of life (biological); with hangover, and drunkenness, and the cares of life (biological)’. So that earthly and sinful things do not burden people.
Luke XXI, 36 — ‘ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ’ - ‘en panti kairo’ - ‘at all times (seasons)’. That is, at every important, meaningful change or event.
For more on the readings from the Gospel, please refer to the following:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/09032024.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!