| Craig S. Keener The fish sign. 21:1–14 OTHER SOURCES MAY SUGGEST that Jesus revealed himself on a regular basis to the disciples immediately after the resurrection; Luke seems most emphatic about this point (Acts 1:3), though he omits the Galilean appearances and may therefore refer to a state after the disciples had returned to Jerusalem (reading Luke, one would not know that they had left Jerusalem). In any case, John is emphatic that this is the disciples» third revelation (21:14); that Jesus manifested himself to them also frames this sign narrative (21:1, 14), underlining the significance of this appearance. When John counts, it may be primarily to tie events together (compare 2:1,19; 2:11 with 4:54); this event takes the previous resurrection appearances to a fuller level, though Thomas " s christological confession was climactic. What is John " s point? In the light of the rest of the Gospel, Jesus again provides food for his people (6:10–11; cf. Rev 7:16–17; 12:6); the emphasis here will be spiritual food (4:32–34; 6:35; 10:9; see 21:15–17). Given the following dialogue, the point of the narrative seems to be to define more specifically the character of Jesus» call in 20:21, especially for church leaders: loving Jesus requires Jesus» servants to love Jesus» followers. The Setting: Failing at Fishing (21:1–3) These verses provide examples of typical Johannine language in the nontheological vocabulary when one would least expect it from a later hand: for example, «after these things» (21:1; see 3:22; 5:1,14; 6:1; 7:1). Likewise, only this Gospel calls the lake «the sea of Tiberias» (6:1) or mentions Tiberias at all (6:23). In the very incomplete list of Jesus» followers here, 10853 the two named characters besides Peter (who is necessary to the following story) are distinctly Johannine: only in this Gospel does Thomas appear outside lists of names (11:16; 14:5; 20:24–28) and is he called Didymus, meaning «Twin» (11:16; 20:24) ; 10854 and only in this Gospel do Nathanael and Cana appear (1:45–49; 2:1,11; 4:46). 10855 The «sons of Zebedee» admittedly weigh against the thesis that this epilogue stems from the same author or source, since the rest of the Gospel reflects a studied, probably deliberate avoidance of mentioning them; but it is noteworthy that even here they are not individually named. The mention of Thomas (21:2) provides a connection with the previous narrative (20:24–29), 10856 demonstrating that he did persevere. |
| Russian Orthodox Church Official website of the Moscow Patriarchate Main news Patriarch Kirill met with the DECR Chairman and the Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates moleben in Donskoy Monastery at the shrine with St. Tikhon’s relics His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Metropolitan Constantine of Zaraisk Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk confirmed in office as Patriarchal Exarch of Africa His Holiness Patriarch Kirill had phone conversation with Metropolitan Ioann of Belgorod and Stary Oskol Archive Пн Вт Ср Чт Пт Сб Вс 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Main / Church and society Numbers of hate crimes against Europe " s Christians skyrocket in 2020 Version for print 24 November 2021 year 11:21 According to newly published data from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the number of hate crimes against Christians in Europe rose sharply in 2020. The OSCE data , published Nov. 16, documented 980 incidents against Christians, including arson attacks on Catholic churches, desecration and robbery of Eucharistic hosts, assaults on priests, and anti-Catholic graffiti on Church property by abortion activists. The OSCE previously reported 595 incidents against Christians in 2019. There was a significant increase in the number of attacks against property last year, from 459 in 2019 to 871 in 2020, while the number of violent attacks against people decreased from 80 to 56 in 2020. Poland had the most hate crimes reported against Christians with 241 incidents in 2020, the majority of which were acts of vandalism against Catholic property connected with the Church’s stance on abortion. The OSCE also reported 172 incidents in Germany, 159 in France, and 113 in Italy. The Holy See submitted data to the OSCE on more than 150 hate crimes against Christians in Europe. The organization also released data on hate crimes driven by anti-Semitism, racism, bias based on sexual orientation, and other categories. In total, 7,181 hate crime cases were reported. The information was published to mark the International Day for Tolerance . |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy The World Council of Churches has expressed concern over the situation of the Kiev Lavra of the Caves DECR Communication Service, 21.03.2023. ‘The World Council of Churches is concerned and saddened to hear about alleged actions taken against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’, the WCC General Secretary, Dr Jerry Pillay stated on March 17, 2023. It was reported earlier that the state authorities demanded that the community of the Dormition Kiev Caves Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church should leave the territory of the monastery until the 29 th of March. ‘It is unfortunate that such actions – including with regard to the UOC’s monastic community of the ancient Dormition Kiev Caves Lavra – appear to target the church itself, Dr Jerry Pillay stressed, ‘The actions being taken against the UOC do appear to raise genuine questions with regard to respect for freedom of religion or belief’. As the World Council of Churches General Secretary noted, ‘We believe that it is important to protect the presence and witness of the church wherever it is found, as we proclaim the grace, peace, and love of Christ to the world’. He stated that ‘The WCC will monitor this situation closely, and respond appropriately in accordance with the principles of international human rights law and the protection of religious freedom’. As is known, on March 11, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent massages to the Primates of Local Orthodox Churches, several religious leaders and representatives of international organizations in which he shared his profound concern for the drastic state pressure on Orthodox Christians. Dr Jerry Pillay was among his addressees. His Holiness called ‘to exert all possible efforts to prevent the coercive closure of the monastery, which will lead to the violation of the rights of millions of Ukrainian believers to religious freedom guaranteed by the Ukrainian Constitution, as well as such documents as the UN Charter, the General Declaration of Human Rights, the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and many other acts of international importance. Print publication Share: Page is available in the following languages Feedback |
| Photo exhibition dedicated to 120th anniversary of Russian church in Jaffa opens in Tel Aviv Tel Aviv, January 17, 2014 On January 15, in the Russian cultural center, a photo exhibition, dedicated to the 120th anniversary of consecration of the Church of Holy Apostle Peter and Saint Tabitha was opened at the dependency of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Abu-Kabir in Jaffa - a south suburb of Tel Aviv. In the past, Russian pilgrims would arrive at the Holy Land through the Jaffa seaport. On January 29, 1896, the church was consecrated by Patriarch Gerasimus of Jerusalem in honor of Holy Apostle Peter, who has been especially venerated in Jaffa. Representatives of the Russian embassy in Israel and of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, church parishioners, Israeli residents and guests from Moscow were present at the opening of the exhibition. The organizers of the exhibition are the priest in charge of the dependency of St. Tabitha in Jaffa Archpriest Igor Pchelintsev, and director of the cultural centre Natalia Yakimchuk. The exposition includes historical and modern photographs that relate the history of the dependency, building and beautification of the church on the territory of the parcel of land in Jaffa, where there was the tomb of Tabitha, who had been raised from the dead by Apostle Peter (Acts 9:36). This parcel of land was acquired in 1868 by head of the mission, Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin, 1865–1894). Modern photographs of the Russian dependency and church interior, made by the professional photographer Reuven Brenner, are exhibited. Also some rare ancient photographs can be seen at the exhibition, which depict Grand Dukes Sergei and Paul Alexandrovich as well as Holy Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna, who were present in 1888 during the laying of the foundation stone of the future church, together with portraits of Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) and other figures, associated with the history of the Russian church in Jaffa. Also photographs showing stages of construction of the buildings of the church and the house for pilgrims on the territory of the dependency, are displayed. It was founded so that pilgrims, on their arrival to Jaffa and making their first steps on the Holy Land, might rest, restore their strength, pray and go further to the Holy City of Jerusalem. The exhibition in Tel Aviv also contains color photographs, which were made at the dependency over last 20 years. This collection includes photographs that tell of the visit in 1997 of His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow and All Russia, about gilding of bells and the present-day state of the church and the dependency. At present the Russian dependency in Jaffa is considered to be one of the most beautiful places of Tel Aviv. 22 января 2014 г. Смотри также Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Michael Prokurat, Alexander Golitzin, Michael D. Peterson Скачать epub pdf APOSTASY APOSTASY. From the Greek “defection” (or literally “standing off”) and beginning with a political association (“rebel”), it came to mean an abandonment or renunciation of God and religion in the Septuagint (q.v.) (Josh 22:22; 2 Chr 29:19). Paul is accused of apostasy in Acts 21when he did not require Christian Jews to keep the Law of Moses. Another different reference to general apostasy is recorded in 2 Th 2:3–4, which reflects Jewish apocalyptic expectations (cf. Dan 11:36–37 ) of the end time. Apostasy from Christianity is considered an unpardonable sin in Heb 6:1–8. Theological justification for strictness in dealing with apostasy is given in 2 Clement 8: Since there is no repentance after death, it is important to keep the flesh pure and the seal of baptism undefiled (see also chs. 9, 17). Whether these references were a localized interpretation, tautological (i.e., one who is defecting cannot be simultaneously repenting), or the universal teaching in the 1st c. A.D., denunciations of apostates soon changed somewhat and appeared in a modified form. In the earliest Christian interpretation, apostasy-as murder or fornication-was accounted unpardonable sin (q.v.). In the Shepherd of Hermas (q.v.), dated to about the same time as 2 Clement (mid-2nd c.), there are numerous references to the possibility of repentance after apostasy, although apostates are in the last instance labeled worse than unbelievers (Similitude 9.XVIII.1–4). Mandate 4.III speaks of repentance for sin after Baptism (q.v.), and the next section goes on to talk about second marriages. Sim. 8.VI explains the possibility of repentance with many examples illustrating that almost every, if not every, apostasy or sin may be absolved. Similarly, Sim. 9.XIII.6 f. describes the “rejected stones” who were apostate after fleshly things, and that they also have the possibility of repentance (9.XIV. 1–3). The Church continued to utilize the antithetical tension between Hebrews and Hennas, frequently requiring public penance of baptized persons guilty of apostasy. (See Confession.) Читать далее Источник: The A to Z of the Orthodox Church/Michael Prokurat, Alexander Golitzin, Michael D. Peterson - Scarecrow Press, 2010. - 462 p. ISBN 1461664039 Поделиться ссылкой на выделенное |
| Dining with Caesar Source: No Other Foundation Archpriest Lawrence Farley 19 April 2021 An old proverb says that whoever dines with the devil must use a long spoon—i.e. one should be very careful and keep as much distance as possible. I suggest the same advice is suitable for dining with Caesar. When Caesar is unfriendly to the Church (as he has often been in history) we Christians have cause to be a bit nervous. When he is friendly to the Church we have cause to be even more nervous. For if there is one thing the long history of Byzantium has taught us it is that there is a definite down side to being a State church, and that Caesar has a disturbing tendency to over-reach himself. Everyone knows that he who pays the piper calls the tune. And when Caesar begins to pay our bills—or gives us a break economically—he often feels more than a bit entitled to run our show. That is why the word “Caesaropapism” has such an ugly ring to it. The Church’s relationship to the State of course did not begin with Constantine, Justinian, and the rest of the Imperial gang. It began long before that. Our charter for such a relationship was set by the Lord when He said (in response to a “heads I win, tails you lose” question about paying taxes to Rome), “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s—and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:13-17). The trick is, of course, to figure out which things are which. It is not always easy. Conflict with the State began soon after the Day of Pentecost (if you don’t count the Crucifixion). The high priest had legal authority from Rome to run Jerusalem and the Jewish nation in Palestine. Everyone acknowledged that the high priest had this authority from God, and everyone respected him—including St. Paul (see Acts 23:1-5). But when the high priest and the other chief priests who ran things ordered the apostles to cease publicly preaching that Jesus was the Messiah, they firmly declined. In response to the very legal orders to shut up and sit down, Peter drew a line in the sand which has never been erased: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). |
| Archive Homily by Patriarch Kirill after the Divine Liturgy in the Resurrection Cathedral in Tirana 29 April 2018 year 13:30 On April 29, 2018, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Tirana. After the liturgy, Archbishop Anastasios addressed himself to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church with the words of Easter greeting. Then Patriarch Kirill spoke in response. Your Beatitude, Most Reverend Fellow-Archpastors, Honourable Fathers, Dear Brothers and Sisters: During the celebration of the Divine Liturgy today and our common prayer, we together with the whole Holy Orthodox Church continue celebrating the Holy Pascha. On this Sunday, the Church suggests for our edification the Gospel’s text about the Saviour’s healing of a paralyzed man, which seems to have no direct relation to the event of the Resurrection of Christ. The Saviour heals a man who was taken for thirty-eight years with a serious lethal disease – paralysis. Speaking with Christ, the sick man does not even ask Him for help since this miserable man continues to hope for a miracle of God but has no strength even to ask for it. And in his absolute powerlessness he suddenly receives what he hoped for. The miraculous healing is a renewal of the distorted human nature, a revelation of God’s glory in man. The Church now lives by the Paschal events and remembers them. Healing, even if it is partial and temporary but is still a triumph over corruption, suffering and death, and it also implies in some sense a prototype of resurrection. The Reading of the Gospel on the healing of a paralyzed man is to remind us that the Resurrection of Christ is a therapy, a remedy for healing our mortal world taken with the palsy of sinfulness and fallen away from God. Resurrection is that supernatural change of human nature which can be only imagined. Human beings are accustomed to think that their life is not long and has its inevitable end. When St. Paul in Athens, the capital city of Greek scholarship, tried to speak about the resurrection of the dead, local philosophers mocked him: We will hear thee again of this matter (Acts 17:32). For a heathen intellectual of those times, it was inconceivable that a man, a tiny grain of sand in the vast cosmos, can exceed so fundamental a law of nature as death. |
| The Ascension. Giotto, c.1305, Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel, Padua, Italy Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (Heb. 4:14). Let us follow along now mentally, brethren, with the sacred writers, depicting the path of our Lord Jesus Christ’s Ascension into Heaven, in the glory of His Father. This path, ending with His Ascension to the Father (Jn. 20:17) and His receiving of the Heavenly glory which He had in His Divinity before the world was (Jn. 17:5), commenced with His sufferings. Ascending up far above all heavens, our Lord had to descend first into the lower parts of the earth (Eph. 4:9-10) to disappear into the bowels of the earth, into the depths of the abyss, and be cut off from the land of the living that, having made Himself an offering of propitiation (Is. 53:8-10) for the sins of man, He could present Himself as our High Priest, able to be touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Heb. 4:15). And we see how this bearer of man’s sin, forsaken among the dead and reduced into the dust of earth (Ps. 88:5, 21:15), is the Victor over hell and death , and binds the strong man, that is, the devil (Mt. 12:29). He Who cometh from Edom … glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength (Is. 63:1), and ascended on high , receives rather the spoils of human souls saved by Him (Ps. 68:18), as the King of glory, entering through the gates of Heaven itself, to appear there as the Forerunner and Intercessor for us (Ps. 23:7-10; Heb. 6:20, 12:23-24). If, brethren, such is the path of the Ascension of Christ Himself into His glory (Lk. 24:26)—that is, a path of suffering and death—then can our path be otherwise? If He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn. 14:6), then how can we come to God the Father, if not by imitating our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 13:15)? If our Lord Jesus Christ sits on the right hand of God, then set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth , for if we have died with Him, then, according to the apostle, our lives must now be hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:1-3). Let us mortify our earthly passions and thoughts (Col. 3:5) in order to have our citizenship in Heaven (Phil. 3:20), and with our purified minds to follow Christ, the Lord of our lives, Who has ascended into Heaven and is drawing us there where He is. Let us prepare our minds with contemplation and prayer for that spiritual joy with which the apostles were filled as they stood watching Christ as He ascended from Earth to Heaven, and afterwards returned to Jerusalem with great joy (Lk. 24:52; Acts 1:10-12). |
| Sermon for the Feast of the Apostle Matthew 2015 The Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, like the Evangelist John, was one of the twelve Apostles, whereas the Evangelists Mark and Luke were of the Seventy. The Apostle Matthew was first called Levi, as we are told in Luke’s Gospel. As Peter was called Simon ( cf. St. Mark 3:16, St. Luke 6:14) and Paul was called Saul ( cf. Acts 13:19), each of them receiving a new name from Christ. Levi was a tax collector (i.e., publican) and spent his days in the tax collector’s booth (i.e., custom house), in Capernaum, collecting money from his fellow citizens. We can understand the type of employment Levi had, and how his countrymen thought of his trade, by reading what he wrote regarding publicans in his Gospel. We find that the word “publican” is used as a derogatory term and is often synonymous with “sinner” and “heathen.” For example, Matthew writes that if we love others as they love us we do not deserve a reward because even publicans do the same (St. Matt. 5:46-47). He also mentioned that Christ was viewed negatively because he was accused of eating with publicans and sinners (St. Matt. 9:10-11; 11:19). Another reference is made when he writes that if a Christian is corrected by an elder of the Church but does not listen, he is to be treated as a heathen and a publican (St. Matt. 18:17). Lastly, we see that publicans are even grouped with harlots, when Jesus, speaking to the Pharisees, said: “Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (St. Matthew 21:31). One day while Levi was applying his trade in the custom house, Jesus walked by and, upon seeing him, said, “Follow me.” It is said of Levi that at that moment, “he left all, rose up, and followed Him” (St. Luke 5:27, cf. St. Matthew 9:9). Next, the Apostle Luke writes: Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But [the] scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?” And Jesus answering said unto them, “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (5:29-32) |
| If any ambiguity remains concerning Jesus» identity in 17:3, it vanishes in 17:5, which affirms Jesus» preexistence with the Father in glory. 9424 Jesus is not paralleled here primarily with Moses but with God " s own revelation, presumably with Wisdom and Torah in early Jewish thought. Greek philosophers could speak of onés spirit returning to its prenatal existence at the body " s death, 9425 but such an image fits neither the language of this passage nor the worldview of the Gospel as a whole; likewise isolated Jewish examples of God keeping the names of his chosen ones with him 9426 do not match the exalted image of this passage nor relate to the Christology of this Gospe1. The «glory» harks back to its first mention in the Gospel, in 1:14, where Jesus» disciples, like Moses, saw God " s glory in Jesus; like Moses with respect to God, they will reveal Jesus» character as they reflect his glory (13:35; 15:8; cf. 2Cor 3–4 , esp. 4:6). Jesus» glory in the flesh expands the theology implicit in the Synoptic transfiguration tradition ( Mark 9:2–8 ; Matt 17:1–8; Luke 9:28–36) or perhaps Paul " s experience as reported in Acts (Acts 9:3; 22:6; 26:13). Both the transfiguration narratives and Paul " s encounter as depicted in Acts reflect the tradition of God " s glory revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. 9427 This makes all the more likely that Jesus is here God " s word or wisdom, with the disciples taking the place of Moses. Although the relation between knowledge of God and eternal life (17:3; cf. 1 John 5:20 ) makes passable sense in a Hellenistic framework, 9428 it also fits the covenantal use of «knowing God» in the biblical tradition ( Jer 31:34 ; Hos 2:20 ). 9429 Hellenistic Jewish wisdom had already identified knowing (πιστασθα, εδναι) God and his power with righteousness and immortality (Wis 15:3). More may hinge on the να in 17:3; if one takes it in its most frequent (and classical) sense as «in order that,» knowing God would be the result of eternal life. This could be taken as corresponding to the more radical second-century gnostic ideologies, such as Valentinianism, where knowledge «is not only an instrument of salvation but itself the very form in which the goal of salvation, i.e., ultimate perfection, is possessed.» 9430 Such a view might, however, still equate knowledge with eternal life, which reading the grammatical construction in this manner would not. Further, a grammatical argument based on the classical force of να would be misleading; this construction in 17may simply represent a Semitism 9431 or, more likely, an example of the broadened use of conjunctions in Koine. 9432 In this case it means «that» (e.g., 4:34; 6:29), which is how translators usually take it. Knowing God includes embracing his revelation in Christ, sharing his «things» (16:13–15; 17:14, 17), particularly an intimate relationship of love with him (17:25–26). 9433 |
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