Glory Be to Jesus Christ!
🌞
Happy Ascension of the Lord!
Since in the works published at the following 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 is important for the correct understanding of important and actual issues, in particular the issue of power, I am writing commentaries on the use of these prepositions. As a piece of advice on how to read the text, you can read the verse in translation and/or in the original (if you have the opportunity), and then the commentary on prepositions here. Next, you need to understand which part of the verse the commentary refers to, and consider what it affirms — or less often, denies — that is essential to understanding. This thoughtful reading helps to deepen understanding and protects against the mistakes mentioned above.
Matins:
For more on the reading, please refer to the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/04052025.html
Liturgy:
For more information about Acts I, 1-8, please refer to the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20042025.html
Acts I, 9 — ‘ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν’ - ‘apo ton ophthalmon auton’ - ‘from their eyes’. The preposition ‘apo’ here indicates that the cloud lifted/raised Christ so that their eyes could no longer see Him. Apparently, Christ ascended bodily, but did not leave His disciples, promising them the Holy Spirit. Earlier, Christ said that the Ascension was necessary for the Holy Spirit to come, because it is the glorification of Christ. Most clearly, Christ remains in the Holy Sacraments, but He is also in people, and it is desirable to multiply and grow the latter.
Acts I, 10, 11 — ‘εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν’ - ‘eis ton ouranon’ - ‘into the heaven; to the heaven’. Here, the heaven is used in two senses — the visible sky and the invisible spiritual heaven. Christ ascended bodily, visibly, but His resurrected body is also spiritual, so He ascended in the true sense into the spiritual heaven (this is partly similar to Him passing through closed doors bodily to appear to the apostles). Where to. ‘ἐν ἐσθήσεσι λευκαῖς’ - ‘en esthesesi leukais’ - ‘in white clothes’. In what.
Acts I, 11 — ‘οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναλημφθεὶς ἀφ’ ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν' - houtos ho Iesous ho analemphtheis aph hymon eis ton ouranon
- that Jesus, Who was taken up from you into the heaven
. Regarding the heaven, see above. The passive voice of the participle, translated as ‘was taken up,’ indicates that this is how Christ was glorified by the Father, which is the one will of the Holy Trinity. The preposition ‘apo’ in its form before the following ‘hy’ indicates here that the disciples ceased to see Christ with their physical eyes.
For more on the reading, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/25052023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/13062024.html
Luke XXIV, 36 — ‘ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν’ - ‘en meso auton’ - ‘in the midst of them’. A common expression.
Luke XXIV, 38 — ‘ἀναβαίνουσιν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν’ - ‘anabainousin en te kardia hymon’ - ‘rise (grow, go up) in your hearts’. Where. That is, those thoughts gain greater weight and attract attention, prompting them to think that way, gradually filling their consciousness.
Luke XXIV, 41 — ‘ἔτι δὲ ἀπιστούντων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς καὶ θαυμαζόντων’ - ‘eti de apistounton auton apo tes kharas kai thaumazonton’ - ‘but they still did not believe for joy and were amazed’. The preposition ‘apo’ here indicates that joy was not the real reason for their unbelief — the real reason was their previous belief that Christ must be dead in the selpuchre; joy accompanied their unbelief and amazement, that is, a moment of ‘inertia’ is described here, they could not believe instantly, a transition was needed.
Luke XXIV, 44 — ‘πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Μωϋσέως καὶ προφήταις καὶ ψαλμοῖς’ - ‘panta ta gegrammena en to nomo Moyseos kai prophetais kai psalmois’ - ‘all that is written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms’. Where. Throughout the Old Testament, Scripture.
Luke XXIV, 46 — ‘καὶ ἀναστῆναι ἐκ νεκρῶν τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ’ - ‘kai anastenai ek nekron te trite hemera’ - ‘and rise (resurrect) from the dead on the third day’. The preposition ‘ek’ here indicates from where the transition took place — from the dead to the living.
Luke XXIV, 47 — ‘μετάνοιαν εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν’ - ‘metanoian eis aphesin hamartion’ - ‘repentance for the forgiveness of sins; a change of mind for deliverance (from) sins’. The preposition ‘eis’ here indicates the purpose of the action. ‘εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη’ - ‘eis panta ta ethne’ - ‘to all nations; for all nations’. The preposition ‘eis’ here indicates the spread among all nations, as well as the fact that it is necessary and important for all nations, that is, for all people. ‘ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλήμ’ - ‘apo Hierousalem’ - ‘from Jerusalem’. The preposition ‘apo’ here indicates that this is the starting point, i.e. that this sermon, its beginning, is a completely new stage in history.
Luke XXIV, 49 — ‘ἐν τῇ πόλει’ - ‘en te polei’ - ‘in the city’. Where. ‘ἕως οὗ ἐνδύσησθε ἐξ ὕψους δύναμιν’ - ‘heos hou endysesthe ex hypsous dynamin’ - ‘until you are clothed with power from on high’. The order of the words indicates the double meaning desired by the author - ‘clothe yourselves from on high’ and ‘power from on high’. That is, the disciples are here between Highness and Power - between the Father and the Spirit, which indicates the maximum possible closeness to the entire Trinity, just as Christ as the Son of God is in the Father and the Spirit. That is, the disciples will be so close to the Father that they will be closer to God than those signs and wonders, powers given to them and to others, while at the same time this will be accomplished by the direct work of the Holy Spirit to bring all to the Father. The image of mutual movement from and to, towards, has a direct analogy with breathing — exhalation and inhalation — and in general points to the creation of man, and therefore to the ‘new creation’ promised by God. See also the links:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8AN3CfikTS/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18042025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17042025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30042025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/09052025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08052025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07052025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06052025.html
Luke XXIV, 51 — ‘ἐν τῷ εὐλογεῖν αὐτὸν αὐτοὺς διέστη ἀπ’ αὐτῶν' - ‘en to eulogein auton autous dieste ap auton’ - ‘when He blessed them, He stood apart from them (i.e. began to ascend into the heaven)’. When. The preposition ‘apo’ in its form before the following vowel indicates here that they eventually ceased to see Christ when He ascended bodily into the heaven.
Luke XXIV, 52 — ‘εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ’ - ‘eis Hierousalem’ - ‘to Jerusalem; in Jerusalem’. Where to.
Luke XXIV, 53 — ‘ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ’ - ‘en to hiero’ - ‘in the temple’. Where.
For more on the reading from the Gospel, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16042025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/01052024.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!