Glory Be to Jesus Christ!
☀️
I will write a lot about the Gospel readings, as they are an important component for understanding the fallacy of the ‘Russian world’, and in general, very valuable and important reading for understanding the processes of spreading the Christian faith, the development of communities, societies, civilisations, cultures and everything related to this.
The apostle Paul mentions many co-workers by name, most of whom are saints. Some of the identities may be difficult to pinpoint, and there are different versions.
Romans XVI, 1, 9 — ‘ἡμῶν’ - ‘emon’ - ‘us’ (our).
Romans XVI, 3 — ‘Πρίσκαν καὶ Ἀκύλαν’ - ‘Priskan kai Akylan’ - ‘Priscilla and Aquila’.
Romans XVI, 4 — ‘ἐκκλησίαι τῶν ἐθνῶν’ - ‘ekklesiai ton ethnon’ - ‘Churches from the Gentiles’. This refers to the Churches in various localities whose members are former Gentiles, not Jews. The wide activity of this Christian saint couple is reflected in the following words.
Romans XVI, 5 — ‘ἀπαρχὴ τῆς Ἀσίας εἰς Χριστόν’ - ‘aparkhe tes Asias eis CHriston’ - ‘the firstfruits of Asia for Christ (in Christ)’. The preposition ‘eis’ emphasises Epenetus' renewal in Christ Jesus, or for whose sake he is called the firstfruits.
Romans XVI, 6 — ‘εἰς ὑμᾶς’ - ‘eis ymas’ - ‘for (in; among) you’. Some believe that this is Mary Magdalene, my beloved saint woman.
Romans XVI, 7, 9, 10 — ‘ἐν Χριστῷ’ - ‘en CHristo’ - ‘in Christ’. This is the only translation used here. ‘τοὺς ἐκ τῶν Ἀριστοβούλου’ - ‘tous ek ton Aristoboulou’ - ‘those of Aristoboulou’ (‘descended’ from him, rather either his household or personally converted by him).
Romans XVI, 8, 11-13 — ‘ἐν κυρίῳ’ - ‘en Kyrio’ - ‘in the Lord’. Synonymous with the previous one, ‘in Christ’. ‘τοὺς ἐκ τῶν Ναρκίσσου τοὺς ὄντας ἐν κυρίῳ’ - ‘tous ek ton Narkissou tous ontas en Kyrio’ - ‘the ones of Narkissus, those who are in the Lord’. Most likely, not all of the Narcissus were Christians, hence Paul's clarification.
Romans XVI, 16 — ‘ἐν φιλήματι ἁγίῳ’ - ‘en philemati agio’ - ‘with a holy kiss; in a holy kiss’. The first variant is mostly used, but the presence of the second only emphasises that the purpose of the kiss is greeting (‘greet with a kiss’).
For more information about the reading from the Apostle, please refer to the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06072023.html
Matthew XIII, 4 — ‘ἐν τῷ σπείρειν’ - ‘en to speirein’ - ‘as he sowed’ (in the process of sowing, during sowing). ‘παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν’ - ‘para ten odon’ - ‘by the roadside’. ‘para’ with the accusative.
The parable itself is then directly explained by the Saviour, but this does not mean that His explanation does not require deep study, cognition, and that there are not additional meanings that are in this parable by the will of God.
Let us look deeper.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15102023.html
There is a well-known Parable of the Sower with explanations by Jesus Himself. I will say here that Luke’s version of the parable is somewhat abbreviated, but it is clear that he understands this parable as a description of the process of ripening and bearing fruit. Not everyone successfully completes this process to the end, although everyone has been included in it, at least to a small extent, and everyone is called to this maturation in the Lord. The description shows what common obstacles are possible to the successful completion and the bearing of much fruit. This understanding is indicated, in particular, by the words of Luke VIII, 14-15, where the words ‘τελεσφορουσιν’ – ‘telesphorousin’ – ‘not reaching maturity’, ‘υπομονη’ — ‘hypomone’ – ‘patient endurance, which requires time, persistence’.
In general, the parable and its explanation are very similar to similar passages in Matthew (Matthew XIII, 1-23) and Mark (Mark IV, 1-20).
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/10072023.html
Matthew XIII, 13 – literally, 'For looking they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, and do not understand'.
Matthew XIII, 14 – literally, approximately the following: 'Hearing you will hear, but not understand, and seeing you will see, but not clearly and distinctly discern'.
Matthew XIII, 15 literally reads approximately as follows: 'They heard with difficulty and closed their eyes, so that (if only) they would at least once ever see with their eyes and would hear with their ears and would understand in their heart, and would be turned, – and I will cure them'. It is important that the Lord speaks of Himself in the future tense – this gives hope not only to those who have already been turned, but also to those who are on the way to it.
We can say that Christ wants everyone to understand, to see, to know, to learn, to be turned, and He cures people, but people do not understand, do not see, and do not hear. Therefore, for Christ, everything is clear, and He reveals it to people, but for people, everything is a parable to a certain extent, everything needs to be thought about and understood.
Christ goes on to say that His hearers already have the happiness of seeing and hearing Him.
Then He explains the parable in its immediate and direct meaning and intention (which does not exclude other meanings).
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Motivation.html
If a seed sprouts, it produces a lot of fruit, multiplying at least 30 times, or even 100 times. For example, if a person learns something necessary, 'good and vital' (which contributes to a good, prosperous and fulfilling life), then it takes a little time, for example, to hear good science takes… from a few seconds to perhaps an hour or two. The measure of time is rather arbitrary, but it's still about right. But if the person perceives it well and then makes it a part of his or her life, then it will bear numerous fruits in life. The person can even live their whole life, which can be up to 100 years or more, i.e. 876600 hours (if you take away a third of them for sleep, then there are about 584400 hours left). If the probability that the person will use what he or she has learnt within the next hour is at least 2/584400, which is approximately equal to 3.4223*10^(-6), i.e. a little over three millionths, then the two hours spent were well worth it. To be motivated to study… you just need to realise it, maybe even to imagine it clearly.
The sower in the parable throws the grain, and it falls on different ground, and accordingly, depending on where it falls, so it happens to it. Only the part that falls on good soil bears multiplied fruit — by 30, 60 and 100 times. Christ Himself explains the meaning of this parable. But it should be noted that the fruit is not borne by all the grain that fell, but by the grain that fell on good soil, which bears multiplied fruit. Thus, the work of preachers, people who try to bring others to Christ, does not always find a response, does not always bear good fruit, sometimes it does not bear any. But where it does find a response, where it is received, it bears good fruit. These fruits far outweigh the work done in that direction. That is why Christianity is spreading, why it has been so successful for many centuries and even for almost two millennia. Those who bear fruit cover the costs, and society develops.
Here we should also mention another principle: every civilisation, every society develops to the extent that it lives in consonance with the Gospel commandments: if people fulfil them, they will flourish, if they violate them, they will decline — and accordingly, there is no society, no civilisation in human history that would fully fulfil the Gospel commandments and would live in full consonance with them. On the other hand, this suggests that there is a principle of resonance: if they can fulfil those commandments, let them do so, and it will resonate, and it will bear multiplied fruit, it will contribute to their development and prosperity.
The ‘Russian world’ fundamentally forgets that other cultures, in particular Western European ones, have their own resonant Gospel commandments — those that are easier for them to fulfil because of their organisation, experience, level of development, including the protection of human rights, the expansion of people's freedoms, the development of education. And this is where they are making significant progress, where these civilisations and cultures are developing, growing, and flourishing - this is known to the Russians themselves.
But what are the leaders of the ‘Russian world’ concept doing? They do not look to God to take care of everyone, but look to bad things.
And with regard to the good things, such as vast territories, economic development, and so on, they show envy.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03062023.html
John XXI, 15-25 — In relation to Jesus’ words, 'What (is it) to you?', Peter, as an emotional person, needed a floodway for his feelings so that he would not be overwhelmed. We can also say that emotional love for God requires more obedience and attention to God, and sometimes more restraint is needed in relation to people.
The same words also teach us not to desire what our neighbour has. I once wrote some works about this, and it can be understood in different ways. I would say that Jesus’ way of dealing with possible envy is based on two key points: 'you' and 'that' ('it'). He says that there is no link between 'you' and 'it' ('What?' emphasises this absence). In other words, in order not to be envious, you need to deeply understand and accept this lack of connection.
It is worth saying that the question 'what?' can also have a positive meaning – in addition to denying envy, it can allow us to see the connection, the commonality and develop them further in a good sense, in true commanded love.
The Gospel also warns against misunderstanding.
It concludes with the idea of the depth and inexhaustibility of the work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ. It also refutes the idea that theology has already been fully created. As we can see from the words of the Gospel, this idea is never correct. The Lord is truly rich and generous in His mercies and bounties.
Citation:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27022023.html
But to paraphrase and somewhat reinterpret a well-known argument about the Scriptures, if we fully understood everything, where would there be reserve for deepening understanding? And if we understood almost nothing, then who would want to understand more? And our mind, in particular, also needs a source of inspiration. Therefore, God inspired Moses to write in such a way that the text was always both clear and mysterious.
Someone will say: So every text remains to a certain extent mysterious, but also to a certain extent understandable, and indeed, but the Scriptures were written not only for contemporaries, but for all generations, of which there were actually many and there may be many more ahead.
Paul’s image of the Church and its members comes to mind (see, for example, 1 Corinthians XII). Only instead of the Church and people can there be a book of Genesis and ways of understanding it. After all, it appeals not only to the mind, and is holistic, which is not reduced to the sum or a simple collection of its components, but has organic connections and grows.
Referring again to the resonance of the Gospel commandments, I note that many people are concerned that faith in God is generally in decline. But this is a vain concern.
For more information on why this is no meaning to be concerned, see the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Proof.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/On-cognition.html
Religious leaders of the ‘Russian world’ concept are trying to spread ‘civilisation’ by force of arms, imagining that this is how they can spread faith. But the Gospel offers a completely different way of spreading the faith, as the above commentary illustrates.
To the Reverend Moses Ugryn, of the Kyiv Cave Monastery:
For a more detailed explanation of the frequent reading from the Apostle, please refer to the link:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
For information about the frequent reading from the Gospel, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22052023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!