Glory Be to Jesus Christ!
☀️
Romans XV, 7 — ‘εἰς δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ’ - ‘eis doxan tou theou’ - ‘into the glory of God’.
Romans XV, 8 — ‘εἰς τὸ βεβαιῶσαι’ - ‘eis to bebaiosai’ - ‘into confirmation; to confirm’. Here the preposition ‘eis’ indicates the purpose of the action.
Romans XV, 9 — ‘ἐν ἔθνεσιν’ - ‘en ethnesin’ - ‘among the nations; among the ethnoses; among the Gentiles’. All three translations are correct, but each is partial because of the richness of meaning in the words. In the following verses of the prophecies, as well as in verse 16, the forms of this word have three meanings, all of which are correct at the same time, but in different senses.
Romans XV, 13 — ‘ἐν τῷ πιστεύειν, εἰς τὸ περισσεύειν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι ἐν δυνάμει πνεύματος ἁγίου' - ‘en to pisteuein eis to perisseuein ymas en te elpidi en dynamei pneumatos agiou’ - ‘in faith (as in the space and time of faith
) to exceed (to overflow; to abound) you in hope in the Holy Spirit (in hope, by the Holy Spirit; with hope in the Holy Spirit; in hope by the Holy Spirit)’. All of these translations are correct, but they have different meanings. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to consider the combination of all of them as the full meaning.
Romans XV, 15 — ‘ἀπὸ μέρους’ - ‘apo morous’ - ‘in part’. This is an enduring phrase. ‘ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ’ - ‘apo tou theou’ - ‘from God’. Here ‘apo’ emphasises that grace is God's gift to Paul. It was given to him so that it could be fully ‘’Paul's‘’ without ceasing to be God's.
Romans XV, 16 — ‘εἰς τὸ εἶναί με λειτουργὸν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη’ - ‘eis to einai me leitourgon CHristou Iesou eis ta ethne’ - ‘for me to be a co-minister (i.e., one who ministers with others, to be a co-minister) of Christ Jesus in (among) the nations (Gentiles; ethnoses)’. The word used here is important for theology, as the name of the Liturgy, ‘common service’, is derived from it. Most translations omit the part ‘co-’ (together), making Paul's importance as a person stand out and emphasising it, but reducing the meaning for other people. Paul's words are actually very humble here. He is not just a minister, but one of many others who minister with him.
For more information about the reading from the Apostle, please refer to the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05072023.html
Matthew XII, 38 — ‘θέλομεν ἀπὸ σοῦ σημεῖον ἰδεῖν’ - ‘thelomen apo sou semeion idein’ - ‘we desire, long for, want a sign, a miracle from You to see, to know, to experience, to perceive deeply’. Actually, the words used here emphasise not only the desire for miracles, but a deeper miraculous experience, a sensation, the fullness of the miraculous not only from an objective but also from a subjective point of view. Moreover, the preposition ‘apo’ here emphasises that they are not interested in the miracle itself and the testimony of Jesus, nor in Who He is and what it implies, but in the possibility of ‘receiving’ and ‘appropriating’ what they have experienced completely miraculously.
Matthew XII, 40 — ‘ἡμέρας’ - ‘emeras’ - ‘days’.
Matthew XII, 41 — ‘ἄνδρες Νινευεῖται ἀναστήσονται ἐν τῇ κρίσει’ - ‘andres Nineueitai anastesontai en te krisei’ - ‘the men of Nineveh will rise up, stand in judgement’. That is, not just ‘’stand‘’, but ‘’rise, be higher‘’. ‘εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα’ - ‘eis to kerygma’ - ‘in preaching’. The change in the Ninevites under the influence of the sermon is emphasised.
Matthew XII, 42 — ‘βασίλισσα νότου ἐγερθήσεται ἐν τῇ κρίσει’ - ‘basilissa notou egerthesetai en te krisei’ - ‘the queen of the South will rise in judgement’. See above. ‘ἐκ τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς’ - ‘ek ton peaton tes ges’ - ‘from the ends of the earth’. These two examples of Old Testament history show that there can be no real excuse for complete unrepentance and insensitivity, or even anger towards Christ, either because of the cultural differences that existed between the Ninevites and the Israelites, or because of the geographical distances and boundaries that existed between the queen of the South and Solomon.
For more information about the Gospel reading, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05072023.html
To the blessed princes and martyrs Borys and Hlib:
Please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15052023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06052023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!