Commentary for (Acts VIII, 18-25; John VI, 35-39)

Oleksandr Zhabenko 🇬🇧
Christ Is Risen!
🌞

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.

Translated from Ukrainian by Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Anthropic AI), with subsequent editing by me.

Strong's references (note: according to Strong) in the translation of the original text mean that the word is taken from Strong's dictionary, and the specific meaning was chosen following the translation and commentary by Google Gemini.

Liturgy:
(Acts VIII, 18-25)
Acts VIII, 20 — 'εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν' — 'eie eis apoleian' - let it be unto destruction. The preposition 'eis' indicates here that such behaviour (named after this story simony, after the name of the sorcerer Simon) will lead to destruction, and Peter desires not destruction but rather that the sorcerer (and all other people) should recognise that this leads to perdition. That is, let all know that this will lead to destruction. 'ενομισας' — literally to make according to law (custom) — that is, he did not simply think to receive God's gift for money, but this was his habitual way of thinking: everything can be obtained for money, even the gifts of God.

Acts VIII, 21 — 'ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ' — 'en to logo touto' - in this word. That is, in the scheme of obtaining the gift of the Holy Spirit — the desire to receive a gift of God is not evil, but the scheme of obtaining it for money is a grave sin. Word here means meaning and scheme. The heart is not right (as opposed to straight and upright) — what is spoken of precisely is the warping of the heart in this Simon.

Acts VIII, 22 — 'μετανόησον οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας σου ταύτης' — 'metanoeson oun apo tes kakias sou tautes' - repent (change your mind), therefore, from this your evil. That is, change your thought and attitude, your intentions and vision, so that the Lord may accept the new vision. At the same time the apostle Peter does not expect complete conversion and repentance from Simon — for he has just sinned gravely — yet this is not something impossible. A grave sin often hinders conversion, but does not exclude its possibility. In the verse literally whether the intention of the mind of your heart will not be forgiven — that is, the intention in this case is called the attention (direction) of the mind of the heart. The word attention of the mind ('ἡ ἐπίνοια') is used here uniquely — it appears only once in the New Testament — and is composed of the prefix 'epi' (upon, on) and the root 'noia' (mind/understanding). Here one may think that what is spoken of is not the state of a scheme, purpose (for which there are other good, more widely used words employed in the New Testament, including by Peter himself in his Epistles), but a state in which the mind is upon what it is examining (the pride of the mind as a sin, and also the rationalisation of the spiritual and the holy). The Mystery of the co-operation of the human being with God, Simon rationalised down to the level of a function of the apostles' actions, a mechanism for obtaining power. This vision is alien to God and to grace, which is why Simon must repent. Google Gemini Pro clarifies in the following manner:

If one looks at this purely morphologically, the prefix ἐπί- (epi-) does indeed have the basic spatial meaning of 'on', 'upon', 'over', as well as 'in addition' or 'directedness towards something'.
However, in Greek word-formation, when ἐπί- is combined with a root denoting mental activity (from νοῦς — mind, thinking), it usually does not mean something that stands above the mind (for the concept of 'that which surpasses the mind', the Greeks would rather have used the prefix ὑπέρ- — as for example in the word ὑπέρνοια). Instead, ἐπίνοια (and the corresponding verb ἐπινοέω) means the act of applying the mind to an object, focusing on it, or the superstructure created by the mind itself.
Therefore lexically ἐπίνοια means 'invention', 'contrivance', 'scheme', 'project'. It is a thought that is imposed upon reality; an artificial mental construction that a person builds upon the natural state of things.
That is, the heart here functions as a source, not as an object over which superiority is established.
Here it is important to recall biblical anthropology: for the authors of the New Testament the heart (καρδία) is not a container of emotions contrasted with cold logic. The heart is the very centre of the human being, the seat of their will, consciousness, and deepest decisions.
Therefore philologically and theologically the phrase of Peter means not that Simon's emotions overcame his reason. On the contrary: from the deepest centre of his will (from the heart) was born this false mental superstructure (ἐπίνοια) — a cunning scheme, a 'business plan', an attempt to devise a mechanism for manipulating the Holy Spirit. Peter strikes precisely at this root: he calls Simon to metanoia (a change of the very instrument of thinking) in order to destroy this epinoia (the artificial chimeric scheme) which his corrupted heart has generated.

This 'epinoia' now reminds me of… ideologies.

Acts VIII, 25 — 'εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα' — 'eis Hierosolyma' - into Jerusalem; to Jerusalem. Whither.

The story of simony — that is, the purchase of spiritual gifts and privileges for money or material values. This is one of the grave sins, and the name comes from the proper name of this Simon. Simony — resemblance to this Simon who wished to obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit for money.

Why is the heart in simony not right (upright)? Because it presupposes taking God (God's grace) hostage to material circumstances and things — specifically to money. Such a vision of God simply places Him on the same level as entirely material things, and is therefore crudely mistaken and contemptuous of God.

More concerning the reading see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07052025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03052023.html

(John VI, 35-39)
John VI, 35 — 'ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ' — 'ho pisteuon eis eme' - the one who believes in(to) Me. Words of manifold significance, indicating that true faith leads to Christ, makes the person like Christ — that is, its goal and final point and fulfilment is Christ Himself. See more at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/28042026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21042026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16042026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/10042026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08042026.html

John VI, 38 — 'ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ' — 'apo tou ouranou' - from the heaven. The preposition 'apo' indicates here that the Son of God humbled Himself in the Incarnation — instead of the glory due to Him, He descended to the cross and further even to hell, in order to save people.

John VI, 39 — 'ἵνα πᾶν ὃ δέδωκέν μοι μὴ ἀπολέσω ἐξ αὐτοῦ' — 'hina pan ho dedoken moi me apoleso ex autou' - so that of all that He has given Me I should lose nothing from it. That is, so that Christ may save people and not destroy any of them. Christ came to save people, not to destroy them. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the following vowel indicates here that what is spoken of is what the Father has given to Christ — what belongs to this group. It must be understood that here not only people are meant. For example, the Father gave the Son the Law (not as a restriction, but as something given into authority, entrusted into full governance and possession), and Christ neither discarded nor destroyed anything of the Law, but fulfilled the given Law.

Christ speaks of His mission on earth at the time of the First Coming. Briefly — the meaning of Christianity as such.

Coming to Christ is the person who is constantly moving, making certain efforts, towards Christ. That is, this is never a random process.

That is, if a person consciously strives and takes care to draw near to Jesus Christ, then He will not hinder them, will facilitate this, and will not turn away or drive them from Him. The Lord always awaits our sincerity and ourselves. See also the fine poem on the theme of drawing near, which contains allusions to these words:
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DVnglGNjSaQ/

If someone wishes to be like Christ in His love, then here too the main cause that can harm this is named — the seeking of one's own will (self-will). I wrote a little about this in the post concerning the Righteous Judge Jesus:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/23042026.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMTLk3DYIR/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DWv_JXXjbPZ/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22042026.html
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DT6X5acAk52/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22022025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Trinity.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27042023.html

Here, if put very briefly (in three words): Jesus saves people.

More concerning the readings from the Gospel see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07052025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03052023.html

Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!