Christ Is Born!
🌞
Let's glorify Him!
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.
Congratulations on the Nativity of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Matins:
About the reading from the Gospel see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21122025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22122024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22122023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/24122023.html
Liturgy:
Galatians IV, 4, 5 — 'ἐκ γυναικός' — 'ek gynaikos' — of a woman
. The preposition 'ek' indicates here the origin according to the human nature. 'ὑπὸ νόμον' - 'hypo nomon' - under the Law
. Here the preposition 'hypo' is with the accusative, indicates in verse 4 the obedience of Jesus Christ to the Law of Moses, and in 5 — that the Law sets for people the goal, that they may come historically and personally to Christ and His acceptance. As a guide the Law first of all keeps people from impenitence (one can here first of all remember Noah and Lot), from lawlessness, from arrogance, from everything that hinders people from truly accepting Christ and completely overcoming sins.
Galatians IV, 6 — 'εἰς τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν' — 'eis tas kardias hemon' - into our hearts
. Where to. Also possible is the variant for our hearts
, which indicates that close relations, similar to family ones, are God's gift for the hearts of people. The cries in two languages can be understood differently, in particular the deeper interpretation consists in that here faith and reason are united, also this is an indication of the richness of the heart's life and its movements, which often do not fit into one language
, are not satisfied with one language
, striving for fullness, completeness, growth and going beyond one's own limits. There is a similar image in the psalms, where the heart of a person is likened to waterfalls, and its address — sincere — to the roar of these waterfalls (compare with the miracle of Pentecost and the commentaries about multisound
and the place about burning of hearts
:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08062025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22042025.html
).
The gift of the Holy Spirit, Who as a Person cries to the Father Father!
, is a confirmation of that the faithful become God's children.
Important here are many statements.
In particular this confirms that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the Comforter is a Personality, and not a force of God, is a Hypostasis of the Trinity.
The Spirit of God, according to the known expression, calls the Father Father, although the Spirit to the Father is not Son
, which also shows that these are names of Hypostases, names of Persons, and not a description of properties, not a description of relations, about which theologians also testify.
Also important is that not the person themselves cries and calls the Father 'Father' — not this confirms that they are God's child, but the action of the Holy Spirit, gifted to the person.
Here also is seen the so-called relative appropriation
— the Holy Spirit cries on our behalf, at the same time gives us to take part in this, to be partakers of the Holy Spirit and children of God.
The Spirit of the Son
here the Holy Spirit is called, because through the Incarnation of the Son of God and His life the faithful received the possibility, according to the words of Christ, to receive the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of sonship, the Spirit of adoption to God, the Spirit of the gift to become God's children and co-heirs with Christ. See also what is written at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21122025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/vystup-2025-hypo-genitive-Romans-XIII_1.pdf
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/Pryjmennyky.html
About relative appropriation it is well described in the work at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Adoption.html
In today's reading there is an important thought, about which the Church testifies — God became a human being, so that people might become gods by the grace of God.
About heirship
it is spoken in the sense of likening to the Trinity — the Father gave to the Son to have life in Himself
(see in more detail about that at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Trinity.html
https://churchandsociety.org.ua/pdf/projects/zbirnyk.pdf
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6-_dm6sBQt/
), so similarly the saved faithful in the Kingdom of God will be established in eternal life — not by nature will they have eternal blessed life (the Son of God has by nature), but as an irrevocable and constant gift of grace.
More about the reading from the Apostle see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/06102025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/26062025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02102024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/25122023.html
More about the reading from the Gospel see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/24122025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/24122024.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!