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/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.
The correct statements in the work at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
are connected with comments written during more than a year, during which I better understood the ideas, usage, logic, even peculiarities of pronunciation, therefore now it is appropriate to review and correct the allowed inaccuracies. Instead of correcting in old texts, I will correct in new ones (I have already begun to do this). Therefore the work continues, particularly it is necessary to consider the readings during about two weeks in August-September 2024, when I did not have access to the Internet network. If you notice inaccuracies in the comments at the links cited there, then it is worth checking whether there are newer ones regarding the same reading. I will update the list of links regarding prepositions at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
to keep the version of the text current and in future.
Liturgy:
2 Corinthians VI, 12 — 'ἐν ἡμῖν' - 'en hemin' - in us
. In whom, where. 'στενοχωρεῖσθε δὲ ἐν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ὑμῶν' - 'stenokhoreisthe de en tois splankhnois hymon' - you are straitened in your compassions
. Where. Compassion expands
the boundaries of a person, for that person who has compassion receives another person, people or beings within the boundaries of their feelings, expanding them and extending them to that person, people or beings. At the same time unbalanced, unreasonable impulses can cause also discomfort, feeling of limitation and powerlessness, but here it is not spoken of them, but only of high compassion, close to God's mercy. Here the apostle says that the apostles have empathy, and often also sympathy towards the faithful, whilst the faithful often lack them, which is here characterised as straitness
.
2 Corinthians VI, 15 — 'συμφωνησις' - 'symphonesis' - harmony, accord, consonance
(hence the word symphony
).
2 Corinthians VI, 16 — 'ἐν αὐτοῖς' - 'en autois' - in them; among them
. Where, among whom. That is God will become Neighbour, Nearest to people. The quotation from the Old Testament is composed of two — Leviticus XXVI, 11-12, Ezekiel XXXVII, 26-27.
Just before this Paul wrote about apostolic work. And here continues, saying that the hearts of the apostles are open and full of love towards the faithful, but the faithful at times lack such openness and love in return. They have to grow in this, as children grow. At that time it was not common to call apostles fathers
, and themselves their children
(this is a later Church tradition concerning clergy). In verse 13 therefore the translation as to children
can be both a comparison and a direct statement that the Corinthians are spiritual children of the apostle Paul.
Further Paul says that the faithful should beware of sins and idolatry, since they are cleansed in baptism and received as God's children, then have to live holy, and God has to live in them. See also:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12022023.html
Mark I, 23 — 'ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν' - 'en te synagoge auton' - in their synagogue
. Where. 'ἄνθρωπος ἐν πνεύματι ἀκαθάρτῳ' - 'anthropos en pneumati akatharto' - a man in an unclean spirit
. In whom. That is possessed by an unclean spirit.
Mark I, 25, 26 — 'ἐξ αὐτοῦ' - 'ex autou' - out of him
. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the next vowel indicates from where that spirit had to come out.
Mark I, 28 — 'πανταχοῦ εἰς ὅλην τὴν περίχωρον τῆς Γαλιλαίας' - 'pantakhou eis holen ten perikhoron tes Galilaias' - everywhere into all the region round about Galilee
. The preposition 'eis' indicates here the spreading of information. Where, where to.
Mark I, 24 — literally what to us and to You, Jesus?..
(that is what have You to do with us?
, what fellowship is between us?
. The demon does not want to have anything common with God, does not even want to remain in one place together. An important moment regarding demons and evil spirits — they want to be like God (hence the reason of their falling away)… but without God, want to displace
Him, which is impossible). In the parallel place from Luke (Luke IV, 33-37) the demon asks: Have You come to destroy us?
.
An important moment that the demon might not know that before him is the Son of God, but feel God's power in Him. Nevertheless, it is often so understood that it is spoken in the words of the demon about knowledge that this is the Messiah, Christ, promised by God. Demons know prophecies, know about the Trinity, can feel much spiritually. But they do not know the hearts of people, do not know the future and similar, that is are limited as angels in their powers (although they exceed people in them). If indeed the demon knew that this is the Messiah, then he could think that this is the Son of God, God, but could not know that (in other words could guess, but not be certain).
It is considered that Christ forbade him to speak, so that the faith of people would not be built on demonic franknesses — for what is revealed by demons (by evil) is not revealed by God, this is not Revelation in the proper sense, and it, although can contain elements of truth, as also half-truth or deception contain elements of truth, but generally leads astray.
See about the Gospel reading by the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/23082023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!