🇬🇧 Glory be to Jesus Christ! 🌞
Acts XX, 28 – ‘επισκοπους’ – ‘episkopous’ - ‘those who look over (literal translation), overseers; bishops’. In this reading, it appears to be the former rather than the latter. That is, senior shepherds for their congregations (and not necessarily bishops themselves).
Acts XX, 30 – ‘διεστραμμενα’ – ‘diestrammena’ – ‘perverted, distorted’ – from ‘διαστρεφω’ – ‘diastrepho’ – ‘to pervert, damage, distort, lead to decay and ruin’.
The apostle continues with his preaching and gives pastoral
instructions. The reading is directly related to the memory of the
Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325 A.D. The
wolves
and false teachers
in particular can be understood to include
the heresiarchs, and specifically Arius. Paul also speaks of his own
particular example of eagerness to win and bring more people to
salvation (in particular, the fact that although he could have been
fully engaged in preaching and ministry, he also worked with his hands
so as not to burden anyone). I would also note that the pastoral words
do not make Paul a commander
and the overseers and elders
subordinates
because they pray together on their knees.
Half of the chapter contains the so-called High Priest’s prayer of Jesus
Christ (as High Priest in the order of Melchisedec, as we can tell from
the Epistle to the Hebrews). Again, it is closely connected with the
memory of the Fathers.
John XVII, 8 – ‘ρεματα’ – ‘rhemata’ – ’rhemas, that which is
actually reported about the topics of conversation, that is, not so much
the words themselves as the content of what is said.
John XVII, 10 – ‘εμα’ – ‘ema’ – ‘My’ (twice in the plural, though in translations it is often in the plural and singular).
John XVII, 11 – ‘ειμι’ – ‘eimi’ – (I) am
. It is used for emphasis.
‘εν’ – ‘hen’ – one
(there is no good translation for this word, in the
original it is a plural adjective that means unity).
John XVII, 13 – ‘εμην’ – ‘emen’ – ‘My’.
The Father brings people to the Son, and the Son brings people to the
Father. I wrote about this earlier, see the link:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/
About the traitor Judas – the Lord did not want him to perish, but knew in advance as God that this would happen. And the Scriptures contain prophecies about that.
In general, we can see a peculiar relationship in the Trinity, mutual responsibility in love. Yes, God is the example of responsibility – the Father to the Son and the Spirit, the Son to the Father and the Spirit, the Spirit to the Father and the Son. It is a responsibility of mutual love, not of fear or duty.
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!