| let him be anathema» 11 . Soul and body, in other words, come into existence at the same time, as a single unity, and they grow to maturity together. They are strictly interdependent. Although many of the Greek Fathers were profoundly influenced by Platonism, the anathema against Origen clearly indicates that there were limits to this Platonic influence. Orthodox Christianity rejects the picture of human nature presented by Plato in the myth of Er (Republic, Book X). According to the Christian view the human person is not a soul temporarily enclosed in a body, but an integral unity of soul and body together. The body is not a transient dwelling-place or tomb, not a piece of clothing that we shall in due course discard, but it is from the first beginnings of our human existence an indispensable and enduring expression of our total personhood. These two ecumenical affirmations, then, underline the unity of our personhood, both at its initial coming-into-being -there is no pre-existence of the soul- and at its final end, when soul and body, divided at death in a manner profoundly contrary to nature, will be forever restored to their primal oneness in the Age to come. So at the consummation of all things the words of the prophet will be fulfilled: «Death is swallowed up in victory» (Isaiah 25:8; compare 1Corinthians 15:54). 3. «It is raised a spiritual body» In this way the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed and the Fifth Ecumenical Council bring us back to our central theme. Alike in the sphere of human personhood and in the cosmos as a whole, spirit and matter are not opposed, not mutually exclusive, but complementary and interdependent. They interpenetrate. Let us briefly review the outstanding examples of such interpenetration, first as expressed in Scripture, and second as affirmed in the Tradition of the Church 12 . Scripture 1 . At His Incarnation, Christ the divine Logos assumes into Himself the totality of our human nature; He has a genuinely human body and a genuinely human soul (for the soul of Christ, see above all Matthew 26and Mark 14:34 ). |
| Peter certainly remains one of the most prominent disciples throughout the Fourth Gospel, as in the other gospels. Given the model for gospel genre found in Matthew and Luke, one most naturally expects report of a commission at the end of the Gospel (which could be and is, to a significant degree, fulfilled in 20but which could also be developed further). Even here Jesus is correcting as well as encouraging Peter (especially if the three questions recall the three denials, 13:38). 10931 The passage is consistent with, but develops, the role of Peter found earlier in the Gospe1. It also may provide a model for other church leaders (cf. 1Pet 5:1–2 ). 2. The Demand of Love Loving Jesus demands fulfilling his commands (14:15), particularly the command to love one another as Jesus did (13:34); in Peter " s case, this general call includes a specific command to care for Jesus» sheep, for whom Jesus cares. The appointed undershepherds of the old covenant scattered when they saw a wolf coming (10:12–13), but Peter was to care for the sheep as Jesus did, ultimately to the point of offering his life (21:18–19, 22), as he had once promised he would (13:36–37). As noted above, Peter is given three opportunities to affirm his love for Jesus (21:15–17)–possibly three in number to balance Peter " s three denials (13:38). Peter was «grieved» by the Lord " s questions (21:17)–a strong term John elsewhere uses of the disciples» sorrow over Jesus» death (16:20). He still felt loyalty for Jesus; but Jesus demands a love that is demonstrated by obedience (14:15), which Peter " s recent behavior failed to demonstrate (18:25–27). Peter is certain that he remains faithful to Jesus–despite his recent lapse in such readily promised fidelity (13:37–38)–and that Jesus must know this, for he knows «all things» (21:17; cf. 16:30; 18:4). That Jesus» knowledge has already led him to refuse to trust untrustworthy believers (2:23–25) might lead the first-time reader– and perhaps Peter–to doubt whether Peter will do any better on this commitment than he did in his first assurance that he would die for Jesus (13:37). Yet Jesus was merely testing and confirming him, for, as Jesus accurately predicted Peter " s betrayal (13:38), he also predicts here that Peter will eventually die for Jesus (21:18). |
| 796 Irenaeus Haer. 3.3.4; Irenaeuss portrayal of the Gospel as antignostic may be part of his ploy to seize it from the gnostics» hands. 799 Blomberg, Reliability, 23. Compensation in the longer text of Ignatius suggests how keenly later scribes felt this omission. 801 Osborn, Justin, 137; but some examples, like the Logos, were too widespread to carry his case. 802 Barnard, Justin, 60–62; see esp. Braun, Jean, 136–44 (though some of his parallels are clearer than others, he regards dependence as «certaine»). 804 Although the analogy carries little weight, my first book cited Matthew over 150 times, Luke 13 times, 1 Peter 9 times, and John twice, though John was my dissertation area. 815 The disciples are not the most positive characters in the book (see Rhoads and Michie, Mark, 122–34), but they are still «for» him (ibid., 67). The problem is not with the disciples but with the preresurrection understanding (Wrede, Secret, 106) or discipleship as a whole. Cf. the agraphon critiquing Peter and his colleagues in apocryphal Acts of Peter ch. 11 (Jeremias, Sayings, 91); and Mark " s disciples are also special recipients of revelation (cf. Freyne, «Disciples»), destined to recover (Petersen, Criticism, 68). 816 Gal 2:6, 9, 11–13 , brings this argument into question (even though Lyons, Autobiography, 163, is right that Paul chose Peter for the rhetorical contrast «because he is so important»), but the conservative logic here is internally no worse than the argument against Markan authorship on the basis of Peter " s bad standing. 817 For a summary of various proposals, some only rarely offered, see, e.g., Guthrie, Introduction, 275–81 (he addresses John «the Elder» on 278–81). 819 E.g., Burney, Origin, 133–34; Bruns, Art, 103; Bauckham, «Papias»; Witherington, Wisdom, 15–17; cf. Streeter, Gospels, 444, 456. For a survey of those accepting John the Elder, see Charles-worth, Disciple, 213–15; on John the Elder blended with John the Apostle (including Streeter and Hengel), pp. 215–17. |
| 4 Paulus. Exegetisches Handbuch uber die drei ersten Evangelien. Zw. Theil. Heidelberg 1831. S. 437. 440. 461. Hase. Op. cit. S. 495. Keim. Op cit. S. 582. сл. Neander. Das Leben Iesu Christi. Hamburg. S. 515–516. Gabler в издававшемся им Neuest. theolog. journal. I. Baud. 5 St. S. 518. Hetzel. Schriftforscher II Bnd. St. 3. Rau. Symbolae ad illustrandam evangelistarum de metamorphosi I. Christi narrationem. Erlangale. 1797 и мн. др. Выдержки из последних трех сочинений см. у Павлюса стр. 442–444. 10 Это мнение с различными оттенками высказывается Павлюсом (S. 442 и 458), Газе (S. 492–493), Блеком (Synoptiche Erklarung der drei ersten Evangelien von Fr. Bleek. Herausgeg. von H. Holtzmann. Leipzig. 1862. Zw. Bnd. S. 64), Штраусом (S. 252–254), Кеймом (S. 389) и мн. др. 16 Schneckenburger. Beitrage. s. 62. Сходно Шлейермахер. См. об этом Das Leben Iesu von В. Weiss. Zw. Auflage. Zw. Bud. Berlin, 1884. s. 314, Anm. 29 Paulus. Op. cit. s. 441–442. Strauss. Op. cit. s. 252. Hase. Op. cit. s. 493. Keim. Op. cit. s. 588. Cp. Pressensé. Geschichte der drei ersten Jahrhunderte der christlichen Kirche. Leipzig. 1863. Zn. Th. s. 311–312. 33 Das Evangelium nach Matthaus. Theologisch – homiletisch bearbeitet von S. Lunge. Bielefeld. 1857. S. 239. 34 Keil. Commentar uber das Evangelium des Matthaus. Leipzig. 1877. S. 359. Darnes. Notes on the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. p. 236. Ср. Notes on the Gospel of Luke. P. 78. Schleiermacher. Predigten über das Evangelium Marci, 2 Bnd. S. 21. Lange. Das Evangelium nach Markus Bielefeld. 1858. S. 82. Фаррар. Жизнь Иисуса Христа. Пер. А. Лопухина . 1885. Спб. стр. 345. Ссылка Фаррара (ibid. стр. 607, пр. 829) на 2Пет.1:19 , ничего не доказывает, потому что выражение, «светильник, сияющий в темном месте» – метафорическое, и употребляется без всякого отношения к предшествующей (стихи 16–18) истории Преображения. 36 Более подробно см. об этом у Павлюса (стр. 497) и Кейма (стр. 500). Павлюс, опустив из внимания повествование ев. Иоанна, придает слишком большую веру показаниям Schekalim, и потому несправедливо относит событие Преображения ко времени, близкому к Пасхе страданий. |
| He also contends that «God is only knowable through the mediation of His creatures». 33 Of course, Barlaam may be misrepresented by Palamas when he is accused of teaching that knowledge of God is possible only through creatures. The Calabrian philosopher does believe also in an illumination of the mind, which leads to a vision of the divine Being. He is familiar with–and admiring of–the writings of Ps. Dionysius and of St. Maximus the Confessor, where a direct vision of God and deification are seen as the goal of Christian life. It remains, nevertheless, that a certain «knowledge of beings» (gnsis tn ontn) is, for Barlaam, a condition for illumination, and it is this conditioning that led to his conflict with the monks and that is unacceptable to Palamas. If «knowledge», identified with secular education, is necessary to know God, what is the meaning of Matthew 11:25 («You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes,») or of the references, so frequent in Palamas, 34 to Romans 1, or 1Corinthians 1–2, about the «wisdom of this age» being «put to shame»? In Palamas there is no denigration of the «knowledge of beings», and therefore no obscurantism. Furthermore, his own understanding of illumination in Christ implies that the mind, transfigured by grace, opens up also to a knowledge of creatures. Neither is there, in Palamism, a systematic opposition to secular learning. Not only is Palamas himself clearly indebted to his training in Aristotelian logics, but also his disciple and biographer, Philotheos Kokkinos, likes to embellish his writings with references to authors of antiquity. Furthermore, the triumph of Palamism in the Byzantine Church, completed in 1351, did not interrupt the development of secular humanism, which produced on the eve of Byzantium " s fall such figures as Gemisthos Pletho and Bessarion. The debate between Barlaam and the hesychasts can probably be best understood in the light of their different interpretations of what St. |
| The Grace of the Holy Spirit : “ That which is born of the Spirit is spirit…” ( John 3:6 ); “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” ( John 4:13–14 ); “ If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13); “The comforter, the Spirit of truth…He will guide us into all truth.” ( John 16:13 , also see John 7:37–39 and 14:15–21, also Mark 4:26–29 , the parable of the growing seed; Matthew 13:31–32, the parable of the mustard seed; Matthew 25:1–13, the parable of the ten foolish virgins). Holy Communion : “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day” ( John 6:27–58 ; Luke 22:15–20). Humility : “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3); “Whoever exalts himself will be abased and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11); “Learn from Me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29); “Whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26; see also Luke 10:21, Luke 18:9–14, Mark 10:42–45 , John 13:4–17 , Matthew 20:1–16, the parable of the workers in the vineyard). Love : “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength… you shall love your neighbor as yourself” ( Mark 12:28–34 ); “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13); “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father …and we will come to him and make Our home with him” ( John 14:15–23 ); “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” ( John 13:35 ); “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” ( John 15:13 , see also Matthew 5:42–48, John 13:34–35 ). Non-Judgment : “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged…” (Matthew 7:1–2) Narrow Path : “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14); “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12); “He who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:38; also see Luke 13:22–30, Mark 8:34–38 , Luke 14:25–27, John 12:25–26 ). |
| Patience : “In your patience save your souls” (Luke 21:19); “He who stands to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22); “Bear fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15); “… remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted and you are tormented.” (Luke 16:19–31, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus). Prayer : “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7–11); “And all things whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22); “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” ( John 4:23–24 , see also Matthew 6:5–15, Matthew 18:19–20, Mark 11:23 , John 16:23–27 , Mark 14:38 , Luke 11:9–10, Luke 18:1–8, the parable of the unjust judge). Prudence : “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Matthew 24:4, see also Luke 14:28–33, Luke 16:1–13, the parable of the unjust steward). Purity of Heart : “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8); “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts … These are the things which defile a man” (Matthew 15:19–20); “…Those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word and retain it” (Luke 8:15); “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, will by no means enter it” ( Mark 10:15 ); “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” ( John 15:3 , Mark 7:15–23 ). Reconciliation and Forgiveness : “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matt. 6:14); “forgive up to seventy seven times seven” (Matt. 18:22, see also Matt. 5:23–26, Luke 23:34, Matt. 18:23–35; the parable of the unforgiving servant). Righteousness : “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6); “Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43); “ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). |
| Christians confidently identify that One as the Christ, who was promised to be both King and Savior. It is noteworthy also that Ps. 22:22–31 , Ps. 110:2–3 , and Isa. 53:10 suggest a spiritual Kingdom, in contrast with the glorious visible Kingdom pictured in the other prophecies. But the self-righteous Pharisees and the politically-minded Sadducees did not recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of their cherished messianic prophecies. Accordingly, they condemned Him to death, and thus they unknowingly fulfilled prophecies about the Messiah. But Christians recognized Jesus of Nazareth to be the fulfillment of all messianic prophecies – they trusted Him as Savior, they acknowledged Him as spiritual Lord and King in their lives. 2. Selected Teachings < of the Savior Charity : “Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom… For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:34–36; also see Luke 14:12–15, Luke 21:1–4). Chastity and Marital Fidelity : (Matthew 5:27–32, 19:3–12). Courage : “Watch therefore for you do not know when the master of the house is coming – in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning – lest coming suddenly, he find you sleeping” ( Mark 13:33–37 , see also Luke 11:24–26 and 21:34–36 and Matthew 8:28–33, parable of the unclean spirit). Faith : “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have life everlasting” ( John 3:16 ); “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” ( Mark 9:23 ); “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” ( John 20:29 , also see Matthew 16:17, Luke 17:5–10, Mark 16:16 ). Fasting : “However this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21; see also Mark 2:19–22 , Matthew 6:16–18, Mark 9:29 ). Good Deeds : “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.” (Matthew 7:12); “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16); “Whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42; also see Luke 19:11–27, Matthew 25:31–46, Luke 10:25–37, parable of the Good Samaritan, also the parable of the barren fig tree, Luke 13:6–9). |
| Trust in God : “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs on your head are all numbered, Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6–7); “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” ( John 14:1 ); “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27); “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Truth : “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” ( John 18:37 ; also see Matthew 13:44–46, the parable of the treasure). Unity : “There will be one flock and one shepherd” ( John 10:16 ); “That they all may be one, as You Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” ( John 17:21 ); “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Virtues. The development of good qualities was a constant teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. For example refer to His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chs. 5–7) and the Beatitudes, in which are traced the path towards total fulfillment (Matthew 5:3–12). The parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3–23); and especially in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30) state the importance of development and of the abilities which God gave us. The combination of gifts of grace with the development of abilities (talents) comprises the original wealth of man; that is why it is said that “the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). Will of God : “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…” (Matthew 6:10); “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven…” (Matthew 7:21). Worldly Cares : “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:19–34); “ For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26); “ Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God” ( Mark 10:24 , see also Luke 10:41–42, Mark 10:17–27 , Luke 12:13–21, parable of the rich fool). Prayer before reading the Gospels |
| Rejoicing in God : “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:12); “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30); “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” ( John 10:28 ); “your joy no one will take from you” ( John 16:22 ). Repentance : “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2); “For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13); “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. If the Son makes you free you shall be free indeed” ( John 8:34–37 ); “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (like those crushed by the tower in Jerusalem) (Luke 13:3–5; see also Matthew 4:17, John 5:14 , Luke 7:47, Matthew 18:11–14, the parable of the lost sheep, Luke 15:11–32, the parable of the Prodigal Son; Luke 18:9–14, the parable of the publican and the Pharisee). Temptations : “If your hand makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go into hell.” ( Mark 9:43–49 ); “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matthew 18:7, Luke 17:1–2). Thankfulness : “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?…arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well!” (The story of the ten lepers, Luke 17:11–19). Tongue : “How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:34–37, Matthew 5:22). |
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