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.
I prepared an improved version of my research, which is currently being prepared for publication. For now, I will leave its results undisclosed so as not to create an announcement of the publication. I hope, God willing, to present the results later after the publication comes out.
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:
Ephesians I, 22 — 'ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ' - 'hypo tous podas autou' - under His feet
. Here the preposition 'hypo' with accusative. A parallel with the well-known prophecy of Ezekiel, where he saw the Son of Man with feet, which represent His human nature. Here this means that the Son of God, having become man, did not cease to be God and Lord of all.
Ephesians I, 23 — 'τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν' - 'ta panta en pasin' - all (things; creation) in all; all (things; creation) by all
. Both translation variants are possible.
Ephesians II, 2 — 'ἐν αἷς ' - 'en hais' - in which
. 'ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας' - 'en tais hyiois tes apeitheias' - in the sons of disobedience
.
Ephesians II, 3 — 'ἐν οἷς' - 'en hois' - in which; among which
. 'ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν' - 'en tais epithymiais tes sarkos hemon' - in the lusts of our flesh; with the lusts of our flesh
. Rather the first variant, although the second is also possible, which emphasises strong involvement in these lusts.
The reading has several important theological thoughts.
I will focus on the logic of the construction of two verses, and then other points, on which I will not focus, will be more understandable.
In fact, verses 22-23 say that God the Father gave to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to be the Head of the Church (compare with what is spoken of in the work On the Trinity
at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Trinity.html
), while God (here is meant the entire Trinity, for the Father was well pleased with this, the Son indeed took on a body and became man, and the Holy Spirit continues to act in the Church, sanctifying it, and indeed making it the Body of the Son of God, particularly through the Sacraments, first of all the Eucharist) made the Church the Body of Jesus Christ.
Also these verses mean that the Church thus became the fullness (completion, a kind of
final point of movement, the Son of God will never leave it)
of the Son of God through His human nature, particularly the body, but also He as God gives fullness, meaning, significance to everything, fills everything with gifts, endows everything with what it is (that is, the nature of all creation is most closely, most intimately connected with the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and depends on Him), and this happens most of all not even in the creation and care for creation (although this has a prominent place in all God's economy), but in the Incarnation and salvation of the world.
In chapter II Paul speaks of the state of creation and people before union with Christ, the state of death and the dominion of the devil through the impossibility of conquering completely and getting rid of sins. The place of abode of evil wicked spirits, together with their leader, the devil, called prince
(princes
do not have full power), is called air
(considering that they do not live in the spiritual heaven, having been cast down from there; also people live being surrounded by air, that is, air
here — the environment of people's life). The translation according to the spirit
— the word according to
is not in the original, and one can simply read … according to the prince, who rules in the air, {that is} the spirit, who acts (works) in the sons of disobedience...
.
Verse 3 says that those who accepted Christ in mature age, before this lived similarly to pagans, in an environment with people and demons (in fact confirming the thought that air
— is the environment of life not only of demons, but also of people). In fact, the Church here opposes precisely this environment of life (which can also be called death) of people and demons, in the air
.
More about the reading from the Apostle see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20012025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/25092023.html
Mark X, 46 — 'εἰς Ἰερειχώ' - 'eis Iereikho' - to Jericho
. 'ἀπὸ Ἰερειχὼ' - 'apo Iereikho' - from Jericho
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that they were going out from Jericho, leaving it. 'παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν' - 'para ten hodon' - to proximity with the road
. The preposition 'para' here with accusative, by meaning this indicates that he sat by the road.
Mark X, 52 — 'ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ' - 'en te hodo' - on the way
. The second variant is better grammatically here.
The blind Bartimaeus acknowledges Jesus as Son of David
, that is, Messiah, Christ. I wrote earlier that the well-known Jesus Prayer in fact combines the confession of the apostle Peter, the healed blind (particularly today's Bartimaeus), the publican and the Canaanite woman.
More about the reading from the Gospel see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/23122024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/25092023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!