His self-revelation can induce even involuntary prostration (18:6), and confession of his deity becomes the ultimately acceptable level of faith for disciples (20:28–31). Where Jesus parallels Moses, he is greater than Moses (e.g., 9:28–29), as he is greater than Abraham and the prophets (8:52–53) or Jacob (4:12). Elsewhere, however, Jesus parallels not Moses but what Moses gave (3:14; 6:31), and even here, Moses should not get too much credit for what was «given through» (cf. 1:17) him (6:32; 7:22). Moses may have given water in the wilderness from the rock, but Jesus is the rock himself, the foundation stone of the new temple (7:37–39). How do Jesus» «signs» contribute to this high Christology (as they clearly must– 20:30–31)? Even though John has specifically selected them (21:25), most signs in the Fourth Gospel are of the same sort as found in the Synoptic tradition, which often applies them to the messianic era (Isa 35:5–6 in Matt 11/ Luke 7:22). As in the Synoptics, the closest biblical parallels to Jesus» healing miracles are often the healing miracles of Elijah and Elisha. But in some other signs, John clearly intends Jesus to be greater than Moses: for his first sign he turns water to wine instead of to blood (2:1–11; cf. Rev 8:8). Later he feeds a multitude in the wilderness and, when they want to make him a prophet-king like Moses (6:15), he indicates that he is the new manna that Moses could not provide (6:32). The walking on water sign (6:19–21) probably reflects faith in Jesus» deity even in Mark. In this broader Johannine context, the healing miracles themselves may further evoke one story about Moses: people who beheld the serpent he lifted up would be healed. Yet Jesus parallels not Moses but the serpent, through which healing came directly (see 3:14, in a context addressing Wisdom, Torah, and Moses). Those who «see» him (parallel Johannine language to «believe» and «know» him) are healed. The discourses that expound the miracles clarify this point further.

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We remember that the fall of Adam and Eve occurred through eating in disobedience to the commandment of God (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-24), and that the restoration and victory in Christ was realized through His overcoming the temptation of eating (Matt. 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13). But what does our incarnate God offer to us as the ultimate possibility of union with Him? He gave us His Body and His Blood to be eaten. He said to us, “ τργων μου τν σρκα κα πνων μου τ αμα ν μο μνει, κγ ν ατ.” ”He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him " (John 6:56). Here is the ultimate paradox: During Lent, abstinence from food, i.e. fasting, is accompanied by partaking of the imperishable food, i.e. the Body and Blood of Christ. Adam and Eve fell away from paradise and from their connection to God through eating, and we are restored and united to God in the highest way through the Holy Communion by eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ. This is much more than being Christocentric. This is having Christ dwelling in us in a palpable way. 8. Cultivate human relationships The season of Lent is also an opportunity to cultivate our human relationships in more authentic ways. Looking again at the hymnology of the Triodion, we clearly ascertain that there is an emphasis on loving and caring for each other, on moving away from evil and wrong things, on forgiving one another, and on being reconnected with our fellow human beings. The Book of Isaiah, read in its entirety during Lent, begins with a condemnation of the people of Israel because they had abandoned God, and then continues with an admonition to the Israelites to return to God and to be fair and to establish proper relationships with their fellow human beings. So we are called to think of any relationships that are not in the proper condition and make every effort to remedy them. This is a very integral part of living our lives during Lent. 9. Practice almsgiving Almsgiving is a vital aspect of the Lenten period. On one of the multiple occasions speaking about the need to be a person who takes care of others, St. John Chrysostom said that we are all called to give alms. He continued to say that even those who claim to be poor are not free from offering alms. Poverty is a poor excuse not to give. Indeed there are poor people who give the half of what they have (see Mark 12:41-44). It could be said that almsgiving is a requirement for living our life as Christians. Christ said, “when you give alms” (Matt. 6:3), not if you give alms. Almsgiving is especially emphasized during this Lenten period, evidenced again by the hymnology of our Church.

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The Forerunner of the coming of the Messiah is also mentioned in the Old Testament. " Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts " (Mal. 3:1). Dwellers in Palestine knew the Holy Scripture and saw in John, who preached repentance, the Angel of the Covenant predicted by the prophets. Thus, people from all of Jerusalem and all the outskirts of the Jordan came to him (see Mark 1:5). In the holy books of the Old Testament, there are prophecies of all of the main events in the life of Jesus the Messiah. The prophet Micah identified the place of birth: " But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting " (Mic. 5:2). The Word of God demonstrated the great spiritual gifts of the future Anointed One. " And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord " (Isa. 11:1-2). All of this was fulfilled by Jesus: " ... the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes " (Matt. 7:28-29). Through the prophets, the Holy Spirit indicated a special distinguishing feature of the Messiah, the extraordinary power of wonderworking: " He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert " (Isa. 35:4-6). When the two men came to Jesus from John the Baptist to ask, " Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? " (Luke 7:20), the Lord before all else points to the miracles he has performed: " The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me " (Luke 7:22-23). The people knew that the Messiah would be characterized by the miracles he performed. " Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?” (Matt. 12:22-23).

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Sacred Scripture. By “sacred scripture” are to be understood those books written by the holy Prophets and Apostles under the action of the Holy Spirit; therefore they are called “divinely inspired” They are divided into books of the Old Testament and the books of the New Testament. The Church recognizes 38 books of the Old Testament. After the example of the Old Testament Church (Although the Church in the strict sense was established only at the coming of Christ (see Matt.16:18), there was in a certain sense a “Church” in the Old Testament also, composed of all those who looked with hope to the coming of the Messiah. After the death of Christ on the Cross, when He descended into hell and “preached unto the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:19), He brought up the righteous ones of the Old Testament with Him into Paradise, and to this day the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast days of the Old Testament Forefathers, Patriarchs, and prophets as equal to the saints of New Testament.), several of these books are joined to form a single book, bringing the number to twenty-two books, according to the number of letters in the   Hebrew alphabet. (The 22 “canonical” books of the Old Testament are: 1. Genesis, 2. Exodus, 3. Leviticus, 4. Numbers, 5. Deuteronomy, 6. Joshua, 7. Judges and Ruth considered as one, 8. First and Second Kings (called First and Second Samuel in the King James Version), 9. Third and Fourth Kings (First and Second Kings in the KJV), 10. First and Second Paralipomena (First and Second Chronicles in the KJV), 11. First Esdras (Ezra) and Nehemiah, 12. Esther, 13. Job, 14. Psalms, 15. Proverbs, 16. Ecclesiastes, 17. The Song of Songs, 18. Isaiah, 19. Jeremiah, 20. Ezekiel, 21. Daniel, 22. The Twelve Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi). This is the list given by St. John Damascene in the Exact Exposition of the Christian Faith, p. 375) These books, which were entered at some time into the Hebrew canon, are called “canonical.” (The word “canonical” here has a specialized meaning with reference to the books of Scripture, and thus must be distinguished from the more usual use of the word in the Orthodox Church, where it refers not to the “canon” of Scripture, but to “canons” or laws proclaimed at church councils.

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Jesus withdraws from the intense conflict in Jerusalem (ch. 5) and encounters a different sort of response in Galilee (ch. 6). The «other side» of the lake (6:1) contrasts with Jesus» usual Galilean location on the west side of the lake (e.g., 2:1, 12; 4:45–46), though the exact location is uncertain. 5972 That crowds would flock to Jesus (6:2) fits the rest of the gospel tradition (e.g., Магк 9:15 ; Matt 4:24) and what we know about the response of crowds to popular teachers. 5973 Johns mention of the «mountain» in v. 3 could reflect a minor allusion to the Moses tradition that will dominate the following discourse, especially given the repetition of the mountain in 6:15; probably Matthew had already employed the mountain image to this end (Matt 5:l). 5974 Its primary literary function here, however, appears to be an inclusio with 6:15, 5975 suggesting either that Jesus withdrew on both occasions from overzealous multitudes (6:2) or that Jesus withdrew from militant but uncomprehending followers (cf. 2:23–25) the way he had from active opponents (5:45–6:1). The nearness of the Passover (6:4) explains the flourishing of grass (6:10), which was not always available in much of the «wilderness» (e.g., 1 En. 89:28). The grass already present in the gospel tradition (Matt 14:19)–especially the «green» grass ( Магк 6:39 )–suggests that the nearness of the Passover is a genuine historical reminiscence. 5976 Grass could recall biblical images of abundant provision for livestock sometimes linked with God " s provision for his people ( Deum 11:15 ), but John " s audience would probably not seek biblical allusions in this aspect of the setting. 5977 The primary function of the grass in 6is probably simply to indicate that the ground was easier to sit on (e.g., Virgil Ed. 3.55). The mention of Passover and spring further suggests that at least a year has passed since 2in the story world, developing John " s plot. The language of this verse probably alludes to the language of 2(especially εγγς and «feast of the Jews»; cf. also 11:55; Tabernacles in 7:2), suggesting that one read both passages in light of the impending Passover; Jesus encounters rejection in both passages because he defies traditional expectations of his messianic role. 5978 The most important function of John s mention of Passover is thus that it sets the rest of the chapter in the context of the paschal lamb, and perhaps in the context of the earlier gospel tradition " s passion narrative. Just as Jesus» entire ministry becomes a transfiguration (1:14) and John places the temple cleansing before the public ministry (2:14–22) to bracket the whole, John again invites us to understand Jesus» whole ministry in terms of the passion leading to the cross. (See comments on eucharistic interpretations of the discourse, below.)

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Mark announces that the whole narrative of Jesus’ ministry is gospel (euangelion, Магк 1.1 ). Luke chooses the verb euangelizesthai for the good news of the Savior’s birth (Luke 1.10–11). In Matthew and Mark, and also Luke but without the same terminology, Jesus begins his public ministry with the announcement that the dawn of the awaited age of salvation is ful­filled in him (Matt. 4.17; Магк 1.14–15 ; Luke 4.16–21). John presents Christ as the incarnation of the eternal Logos or Word of God who mediates the very presence and power of God as grace, glory, truth, light, bread, life, and love ( John 1.1–18; 3.16; 8.12; 17.24–26 ). The witness of the four gospels confirms that the entire ministry of Jesus is good news for humanity, which is the very reason why these documents themselves were eventually named gospels. Their titles “Gospel according to Matthew,” “Gospel according to Mark,” and so forth, derive from the 2nd century, and signify both the essential unity of the gospel message and the freedom of the evangelists to narrate Jesus’ ministry from their own perspective. The heart of the gospel, distinguishable by content, blessings, and demands, is Christ and his saving work. The content is the person of Christ himself in whom God’s rule or kingdom is inaugurated. Jesus not only announced but also enacted the good news of the dawn of God’s rule, bestowing blessings in forgiving sinners, healing the sick, eating with the outcast, instructing the ways of God’s righteousness, anticipat­ing his death and resurrection as the cosmic defeat of evil, and gathering around him followers who formed the nucleus of the church. Jesus’ gospel, proclaimed as the “word of God,” included radical demands most notably recorded in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7). Jesus challenged his followers to take up their cross, pray for persecutors, freely forgive others, tend to the needy, and love enemies, to be worthy of him and not risk being cast out of the kingdom (Matt. 7.21–23; 16.24–26; 25.11–12, 46).

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Jesus Heals on the Sabbath (5:1–16) The focus of 5:l-9a is a healing narrative that fits John " s water motif and makes a point by itself. But the additional notation about the Sabbath in 5makes this account part of a larger unit addressing the Sabbath (5:1–16), allowing a christological discourse comparing Jesus» role with that of the Father (5:17–47). As John often addresses Passover (2:13,23; 6:4; 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28,39; 19:14; more fully in ch. 6), plus other festivals like Tabernacles (7:2) and Hanukkah (10:22), in this chapter he addresses the Sabbath. As in many other narratives of Jesus» signs (3:1–21; 6:1–71; 9:1–41), this one leads to a response. 5717 The water of the pool of Bethesda, like the ritual water in most of the preceding chapters, is ineffectual, leaving a man paralyzed for thirty-eight years until Jesus comes to heal him. While the water of such a pool would not be used in official Jewish ritual, its significance on a popular level must have been great. We lack multiple attestation of the account, but the healing of the lame (which signifies the messianic era in Isa 35and was not performed by OT prophets) is consonant with the Jesus tradition (Matt 11/ Luke 7:22; Matt 15:30–31; 21:14). 5718 More critically in this case, its close knowledge of Jerusalem, confirmed by a pre-70 record from Qumran, as well as the probable attestation of a healing cult at the cite, suggests the authenticity of the basic story. 5719 What we do have multiple attestation for is the frequency of Jesus healing persons, sometimes on the Sabbath ( Магк 3:2–5 ). It is also not surprising that, given Jesus» activity on the Sabbath, we also have controversies between Jesus and other interpreters of biblical Sabbath law. 5720 1. Jesus, Not Bethesda, Heals (5:l-9a) 1A. The Occasion (5:1,9) «After these things» (μετ τατα) is a rather indefinite (though frequent Johannine) chronological marker, 5721 and John " s mention of «a Jewish feast» does not clarify matters substantially beyond this; for him, both Passover (6:4) and Tabernacles (7:2) are called «the Jewish feast.» The unidentified feast of 5has been identified with Purim, 5722 Pentecost, 5723 Tabernacles, 5724 or perhaps Rosh Hashanah, 5725 since many early manuscripts omit the article. If «the feast» is read, Sukkoth is surely in view; 5726 but since no special associations with Sukkoth appear (unlike John 7–9 ), it is probable that the «feast» is simply an explanation for why Jesus has returned to Jerusalem, since he makes the journey to Jerusalem only for the feasts (cf. also 2:13; 10:22–23; 12:12).

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3. Вы должны серьезно обдумать все варианты на случай, если ситуация будет и дальше развиваться в нынешнем духе      Есть такая китайская поговорка: мудрый кролик имеет три норы. Вам надо начать готовить вторую и третью норы. У вас могут быть трудности на работе, и, возможно, надо обдумать, что делать, если вы ее лишитесь. Например, в штатах, где уже легализованы гомосексуальные «браки», детей могут учить, что гомосексуализм – это норма. И если вы – учитель, что делать, если это начнется в вашей школе? Если ваши дети учатся в государственной школе, стоит подумать о домашнем обучении или отдать их в частную христианскую школу. Также вам нужно донести до избранных вами представителей, что они должны заняться этим вопросом, который потребует больше усилий, чем один телефонный звонок или одно электронное письмо. Ссылки и видео ( на английском языке ): Доктор Роберт Гэнон о гомосексуальности: О гомосексуальном лобби: Некоторые другие ссылки: Stand for Marriage: Responding to the Ruling June 2015 “Stand for Marriage: Responding to the Ruling”. Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6. June 2015 Статьи о браке и гомосексуализме на сайте отца Джона Уайтфорда скрыть способы оплаты Смотри также Комментарии КСЕНИЯ 11 ноября 2015, 22:30 Можем так только реагировать- антихрист в Православии не пройдет! Всем думаю давно уже все понятно, к чему дело идет. Я живу в Голландии и это- АД, НЕ ХОЧУ ТАКОЙ ВЕЧНОЙ ЖИЗНИ. БУДУ ДО КОНЦА ДНЕЙ МОЛИТЬСЯ И КАИТЬСЯ, Я УВИДЕЛА АД НА ЗЕМЛЕ, ЛЮДИ=ХУЖЕ И ПРИМИТИВНЕЕ ЗЕВЕРЕЙ, ДАЖЕ У НИХ ИНСТИНКТ СОХРАНЕНИЯ И ВЫЖИВАНИЯ И ЗАКОНЫ ПРИРОДЫ, КОТОРЫЕ ОНИ В ОТЛИЧИИ ОТ ЛЮДЕЙ НЕ НАРУШАЮТ, ВОТ ВАМ И ЭПОХА ЗВЕРЯ... Игорь 15 июля 2015, 16:02 Все это говорит о том что США скоро исчезнет с лица Земли как Государство и даже как территория Василий Н. 15 июля 2015, 14:08 Дмитрий (2015-07-13, 04:18), согласен с вами. Андрей 13 июля 2015, 23:48 " Если все православные, да и все люди с традиционным, христианским мировоззрением убегут из " нехороших " стран, то кто будет помогать желающим избавиться от греха аборигенам? "

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        Fr. Chris : Now, bread has always been incredibly important to human life and civilization, and Christ calls himself the “Bread of Life.” Can you talk a little about the significance of bread and Christ’s choice to compare Himself to it?   Fr. Sergei : Bread is quite literally that of which we are made.  Most humans who have ever lived on planet Earth used some form of bread-like food for their nourishment: from the wheat bread of the Egyptians to the cornmeal of the Native Americans to the rice cakes of the Asian people and to the rye porridge of the Slavs and northern Europeans—our bodies are made of it as much as grain is made of the dust of the earth.  Thus, in the ancient world, bread served as the symbol of the body; in fact, some have noted that the words for “bread” and “body” were used interchangeably in ancient Greek—the language of the Gospels.  It is, perhaps, through this connection between human life and bread that we may understand the words of Christ “I am the Bread of life”: In other words, “I am just as essential to your life as the very bread you eat.  Through partaking of bread which is matter, you are matter; through partaking of Me, you become My Body.”    Related to this is another important aspect of the symbolism of bread.  The bread of the ancient Hebrews did not look like the loaves one most often sees at an American grocery store. Perhaps a good way to describe that bread would be a large dinner roll.  They were round “blobs” that looked very similar to stones.  And this interplay between the symbols of stone and bread is extensively used in the Scripture. “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?” (Luke 11:11)  There is, of course, a major difference: stones are dead and represent death—they are used for burial mounds, while bread represents nourishment and life.   Fr. Chris :  Father, there are also a number of scriptural passages about bread and stone. Would you explain that a little more?   Fr. Sergei :  The Church Fathers teach that the word “stones” in the Scripture often refers to people who are hardened in their sin and are as if dead, and whom Christ came to save.  While tempting Christ, the devil urges Him to turn stones into bread (Matt. 4:3).  Satan is rather clever: he knows that this is precisely why Christ came to dwell among us—to turn us, dead stones without Christ, into bread.  And He does, but not the earthly bread; rather, He raises up out of stones spiritual children of Abraham (Matt. 3:9) who make up His Body—the loaf of the New Testament.  Consider the following parallel: Christ is not only the Bread, but also the cornerstone (Matt. 21:42) and the stumbling block (1 Cor. 1:23).

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2. Review the understanding of fasting Take fasting seriously as a very important aspect of Lent. Think of fasting not simply as an item of diet, but as something related to the fall of humankind, and at the same time as a victory through Christ. We fast for forty days in Lent before Holy Week not merely as an exercise, an ascesis, but also because there is an important Christological significance attached to fasting. We have forty-day fasting models from both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, Moses fasted for forty days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28, Deut. 9:9, 9:18) and Prophet Elijah fasted for forty days on Mount Horeb (3 Kingdoms 19:8). Both of these instances are connected with an encounter with God at the end of their fasting. In the New Testament, we have the forty-day fasting in the desert by our Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13). At the end of the forty-day fasting by Christ in the desert, there are the well-known “Temptations” of Christ, the first of which is related to eating: And the tempter came and said to him, " If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. " But he [Christ] answered, " It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matt. 4:3-4). Is this event in the life of Christ in any way connected to the Fall of Adam? Indeed, the Fall of Adam was caused by an eating situation, yet the victory of Christ also happened through an eating situation. While Adam said “yes” to the temptation and ate (Genesis 3:1-6), Christ said “no” to the temptation and did not eat. This is why the fasting of the forty-days during Lent is not simply a matter of abstention or an issue of diet, but is a major Christological and soteriological situation; the fall of humankind, and then the restoration through the victory of Christ. So let us take fasting seriously and prepare ourselves for a blessed encounter with God.

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