| LR: With recent reports of Christians in opposition held Raqqa province being forced to live under “dhimmi” status, things are not looking good for the future of Syria’s Christian community. What might American Christians do to help support the continued Christian presence in Syria?” Fr. Joseph: My heart truly grieves for Syria. I have been twice, having spent only a few weeks of my life there, but those days are unforgettable. The unimaginable days which the Syrians now endure will eventually pass. But for those who endure them, these days will be conversely unforgettable. I hope American Christians do not believe that this is a war of Syrian Muslims against Syrian Christians – nor even a war between native Syrians. Pray for the Syrian people! They are suffering a horrible war which is fueled from many sides whose varied interests are not, primarily, Syria or religious. Americans are used to opening their purse during such calamities. But, donors need first to find out proper, prudent and safe channels for monetary donations. That Syrian Christian presence, as old as the Faith itself, is made up of people who may soon make their way into our midst. May God help us to learn from the long-suffering Syrian people their longstanding ministry of hospitality. Interveiw by Brad Hoff Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. |
| While the third day is used for resurrection in the later ritual for Attis and perhaps for Adonis, these may be based on Christian precedents. 10442 (Some Greeks may have also thought of «three days» in terms of some burial traditions.) 10443 The third day in the cult of Osiris is most significant, but the traditional Jewish view about the corpse, the use of a «third day» for an interval between two events in close succession in the Hebrew Bible, and the inherent likelihood of some coincidence between a brief period in early Christian tradition and one in the Mysteries qualify its significance considerably. Some other Jewish traditions may also shed light on this idea, but appeal to them must remain tentative because of their uncertain date or because they were not widely enough recognized to have been obvious without explicit qualification. 10444 The fixing of the third day in the pre-Pauline formula in 1Cor 15:3 , however, weights the case in favor of a Palestinian Jewish-Christian tradition for Jesus» resurrection prior to any exposure to the cult of Osiris in the Hellenistic world. " 10445 And while gods could often die in the Mysteries, their deaths were not portrayed as triumphant or meaningful as in many strands of early Christian tradition. Further, the Gospel narratives suggest that to whatever the early Christians might have adapted the language of three days, they historically intended only parts of three days. 10446 2C. Jewish Doctrine of the Resurrection The Jewish doctrine of the resurrection was not simply an assertion of immortality. Because Greek religion in general, like many religions in the world, 10447 addressed the survival of the soul after death, 10448 it should not surprise us that the Eleusis cult promised a happy life in the underworld, 10449 that Isis promised patronage and protection, 10450 and that the Dionysiac Mysteries may have indicated a happy afterlife. 10451 But there is little evidence for any future hopes in the cult of Cybele, and certainly none linked with Attis. 10452 When the early Christian picture of bodily resurrection plainly derives directly from Jewish eschatological teaching, one casts the net rather widely to make all human hopes for afterlife parallel to it. 10453 |
| Рейтинг изображения: 2 (60) , (2) . Описание: Местное прославление и почитание в пределах Запорожской епархии последнего кошевого атамана Запорожской Сечи Петра Калнышевского. День памяти установлен 31 октября/13 ноября в день его преставления. Файл 25480.jpg: Размер: 732x1024, 0.75 MPix, 237 Kb. Дата: 2015-08-23, анонимно. Рейтинг изображения: 2 (83) , (1) . Описание: Местное прославление и почитание в пределах Запорожской епархии последнего кошевого атамана Запорожской Сечи Петра Калнышевского. День памяти установлен 31 октября/13 ноября в день его преставления. Файл 25481.jpg: Размер: 336x500, 0.17 MPix, 84 Kb. Дата: 2015-08-23, анонимно. Рейтинг изображения: 2 (68) , (1) . Описание: Икона собора Всех святых воинов Сонм воинов непобедимых, светоносен полк Царя Небеснаго Икона собора Всех святых воинов. Празднование в Неделю Вздвижения Креста Господня. Файл 26836.jpg: Размер: 620x802, 0.5 MPix, 666 Kb. Дата: 2016-04-24, анонимно. Рейтинг изображения: 2 (124) , (5) . Описание: ЛУКИАН ДИРРАХИЙСКИЙ Память 7 июля (ст. ст.) Житие Мученики Перегрин, Лукиан, Помпей, Исихий, Папий, Саторнин и Герман http://azbyka.ru/days/sv-lukian-dirrahijskij Файл 27792.jpg: Размер: 642x768, 0.49 MPix, 90 Kb. Дата: 2016-09-23, анонимно. Рейтинг изображения: 3 (80) , (1) . Описание: Преподобный Флорентий Нурсийский, Италийский, Фолиньосский День памяти: Август 23 (ст. ст) жития преподобных Евтихия и Флорентия http://azbyka.ru/days/sv-florentij-nursijskij, http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life4502.htm Файл 27793.jpg: Размер: 1024x1253, 1.28 MPix, 318 Kb. Дата: 2016-09-23, анонимно. Рейтинг изображения: 3 (81) , (1) . Описание: Икона в киоте.Предположительно 19 век.Выполнена на ткани.В частном пользовании,но с передачей в Свято-Троицкую Александро-Невскую Лавру. Файл 28043.jpg: Размер: 2048x1536, 3.15 MPix, 751 Kb. Дата: 2016-10-30, анонимно. Рейтинг изображения: 2 (73) , (2) . Описание: Мчч. Авкт, Таврион и Фессалоникия. Миниатюра Минология императора Василия II. Константинополь. --- АВКТ, ТАВРИОН И ФЕССАЛОНИКИЯ [греч. АВКТ - приумноженный, ТАВРИОН - бычий, ФЕССАЛОНИКИЯ - фессалопобедительница], мученики Амфипольские (пам. 7 нояб.). Св. Фессалоникия, дочь Клеона, знатного и богатого жреца бога Диониса, обратилась ко Христу. Когда отец, стараясь вернуть ее к языческой вере, ничего не добился, он высек ее воловьими жилами, разбил ребра палками и, лишив наследства, выгнал и[...] |
| “The Femen thus know that they are able to count on the support of a certain number of opinion leaders, media outlets and intellectual backing,” wrote Julie Graziani, a spokesperson for an association of young French Catholics, in Le Figaro. It is also this negative tolerance that has allowed Femen activists to escape almost unscathed any legal punishment in French courts. The most recent example occurred only days before the Saint Peter Square incident. A Femen siren, Eloise Bouton, received a one-month suspended sentence from a French judge for a “happening” she staged in Paris’s St. Madeleine church in December, 2013. Using the customary Femen tactics of “caricature, provocation, blasphemy, and intolerance” to garner media attention, Bouton had invaded St. Madeleine several days before Christmas (these women must really have something against the birth of Jesus) and took up a position (bare-breasted, of course) before the altar and the astonished eyes of about a dozen parishioners and choir members present. Wearing a biblical-like head-covering to appear like the Holy Mother Mary, Bouton proceeded to mimic an abortion, leaving pieces of bloody calf liver on the altar steps to symbolise the aborted foetus of Jesus. Bouton concluded her act of profanation la sauce Femen,” as one French journalist called it, by urinating on the floor. (A similar, blasphemous “happening” occurred only days later during Christmas mass in Germany’s ancient Cologne cathedral. A Femen sitting in a front row pew suddenly disrobed and jumped, bare-breasted and screaming, on to the altar with “I am God” emblazoned on her chest). As per Femen custom, Bouton’s bare chest and stomach were also not left bare. This time, they displayed the message “343 salopes” (sluts). This lovely communication refers to a manifesto by 343 women calling for the decriminalisation of abortion. On her back, in English, was written the anti-Christian message: “Christmas is annulled. Jesus is aborted.” Bouton was convicted on the charge of “sexual exhibition.” |
| 3. The heaven revolves not by the nature of a World Soul but by its own nature. Revolution is the proper natural motion of the heaven. Since by its own nature the heaven is the lightest body, it has no upward motion. 6. There is no body beyond the heaven. 7. Further details on the natural motion of the heaven. III. The Terrestrial Sphere (8–14) The winds too move by their own nature. The Hellene theory of four habitable zones of the earth. There is no habitable zone beyond our own. The eccentric location of the sphere of water. Relation of the earth sphere centre to the water sphere centre. Geometric diagram of the relation of the two spheres. The rational and irrational animals inhabit only this zone. IV. The Natural Human Faculties (15–20) Sense perception (the five senses). Imagination (Φαντασα) Mind (Νος). Unreliability of sense perception. A composite knowledge results from the use of the faculties of sense perception, imagination and mind. This is the source of our knowledge of natural phenomena. Such knowledge cannot be called spiritual. V. Spiritual Knowledge (21–29) About God and creation. About the ordering of creation in six days. About the two bounds of the universe. About the creation of man. Superiority of the true wisdom and saving knowledge to Hellenic philosophy. True knowledge of God and man " s place before him. All rational beings made in the Image of God. The errors of Hellenic learning. 29. Saving knowledge: the mind " s acknowledgement of its own weakness and the quest for its healing. VI. Rational Nature (30–33) 30. Human nature possesses life not only essentially but as an activity; angelic nature posseses life only essentially but as capable of opposites (good and evil). 31. Irrational animals possess life only as an activity. 32. Immortality of the human soul. 33. The rational soul is susceptible of opposites and so does not possess goodness essentially. VII. The Divine Nature and its Triadic Image in Man (34–40) |
| Нравственное состояние народа. Конечное торжество Бога Глава 28. Книги пророков Авдия, Ионы и Наума 28.1. Книга пророка Авдия 28.2. Книга пророка Ионы 28.3. Книга пророка Наума Глава 29. Книга пророка Аввакума 29.1. Первый вопрос пророка: почему зло остается безнаказанным? 29.2. Второй вопрос: почему для отмщения избран народ лукавый? 29.3. Пророческая песнь Глава 30. Книга пророка Иеремии 30.1. Общая характеристика книги 30.2. Изображение нравственного состояния жителей Иерусалима и Иудеи 30.3. Служение пророка Иеремии 30.4. Служение пророка после падения Иерусалима 30.5. Значение послушания 30.6. Символические видения и действия 30.7. Тема личной ответственности 30.8. Пророчество о пастырях Израиля 30.9. Пророчество о возвращении из плена и Новом Завете 30.10. Мессианские пророчества 30.11. Окончание книги: пророчества о языческих народах 30.12. Книга Плач Иеремии, Послание Иеремии и Книга пророка Варуха Глава 31. Книга пророка Иезекииля 31.1. Призвание к пророческому служению 31.2. Пророчества о гибели Иерусалима (символические действия) 31.3. Видение беззакония Иерусалима. Второе видение Славы Божией 31.4. Обетование спасения 31.5. Предсказание о переселении 31.6. Обличение лжепророков и старейшин-идолопоклонников 31.7. Обличительные и пророческие притчи 31.8. Притча о кедре и пророчество о Наследнике 31.9. Разорение Иудеи – подтверждение истинности Обетований 31.10. Тема личной ответственности 31.11. Пророчества о языческих народах. Царь тирский 31.12. Пророчества о Пастыре и Новом Завете 31.13. Пророчество о воскресении 31.14. Великая битва 31.15. Видение Нового Иерусалима Глава 32. Книга пророка Даниила 32.1. Даниил и Анания, Мисаил и Азария в Вавилоне 32.2. Сон Навуходоносора 32.3. Золотой истукан. Отроки в печи вавилонской 32.4. Безумие Навуходоносора 32.5. Пир Валтасара 32.6. Даниил во рву львином 32.7. Неканонические добавления 32.8. Видение четырех зверей 32.9. Видение овна и козла 32.10. Пророчество о седминах 32.11. Видение великой брани Глава 33. Книги пророков Аггея, Захарии и Малахии 33.1. |
| Robinson says ‘the concept of canonicity began to take over’ at around the year 200. 28 His words imply that at about this time the use of other, popular Gospels began to be curtailed in the church. And yet, if we look at the papyrus finds from the third century, we cannot affirm that the ratio of non-canonical to canonical Gospels changes very much in that century. Ehrman has recendy said that of all Gospel or Gospel-like texts from the second or third century combined, there are thirteen fragments representing seven non-canonical Gospels and thirty fragments representing the four canonical ones. 29 Martin Hengel says the ratio of apocryphals to canonicals is fourteen to thirty-six, 30 and Larry Hurtado would put the numbers at ten to thirty-six. 31 In addition, since these scholars wrote, fragments of two more third-century copies of John have been published. 32 Again, we are obviously unable to give precise numbers because of the imprecise nature of the science of dating manuscripts. Perhaps it is thirteen to thirty-two, perhaps ten to thirty-eight. In any case, we cannot say with any confidence that the ratio changed very dramatically in the third century as compared with the second. It may be that the same sorts of people who used Matthew (Mark), Luke, and John at the beginning of the third century continued to do so throughout the century and that it was the same for people who used other Gospels. In both centuries, remnants of canonical Gospels outnumber remnants of non-canonical ones at least somewhere between two (plus) to one and three (plus) to one, and perhaps closer to four to one. Reading Random Samplings We have seen how the numbers used by Robinson are a bit fishy. But there are also problems with the method he employs. First, when he concludes that ‘popularity was rather evenly distributed’ 33 among canonical and non-canonical Gospels, this assumes that the random discovery of ancient manuscripts in a limited number of archaeological sites is an accurate and sufficient barometer of a document’s popularity, and the only such barometer. |
| That John intends an allusion to Genesis 1 may be regarded as certain; that he also plays on fuller nuances in postbiblical Wisdom language (identifying Wisdom with the beginning) is quite possible; that he also intends an allusion to the proper «beginning» of the Gospel account is possible, though the strongest evidence (primarily Mark 1:1 ) is not compelling. For the sake of emphasis 1recapitulates from 1the intimacy of Father and Son in the beginning, at creation (so also 1:3; 8:58); thus those who reject the incarnate Jesus reject God himself. Jesus did not «make himself» God (10:33); he shared glory with the Father before the world began (17:5). 2. The Word " s Preexistence (1:1–2) Although Johns concept of the Words préexistence surpasses that of his contemporaries (see below on ν), his language would have impelled readers to recall the contemporary Wisdom language he surpasses. 2A. Wisdom or Torah as God " s First Creation Many texts depict Wisdom " s creation at the beginning, often including Wisdom " s participation in the creation of the rest of the universe (on which see comment on John 1:3 ). Thus in Sirach Wisdom exclaims, «Before the world, from the beginning (π» ρχς) He created me.» 3211 The author declares, «Before all things was Wisdom created, and understanding of counsel from eternity.» 3212 First-century Jewish literature similarly stressed that God " s law was «prepared from the creation of the world.» 3213 Some second-century Tannaim, identifying Torah with Wisdom in Prov 8:22–23 , declared that Torah was God " s first creation; 3214 Amoraim followed this teaching. 3215 Although later rabbis sometimes claimed that God created six or seven things before the world, they generally listed Torah first. 3216 In one scheme where God created six things before the world, for instance, only Torah and the throne of glory were formed before the world, and Torah was created first; God merely contemplated the other «préexistent» creations. 3217 (Although many rabbis declared that the Messiah was among those things which existed before the world was formed, 3218 more often only the name of, or plan for, the Messiah existed beforehand. 3219 Similarly the patriarchs preexisted, but usually only in God " s plan or as spirits in God " s plan. 3220 In contrast to the teaching of Wisdom " s/Torah " s préexistence, teachings concerning préexistent messiahs or patriarchs have little substantial early attestation 3221 and should not be regarded as relevant for the study of the Fourth Gospe1.) 3222 |
| If there are theological associations one would read them along the following lines: Jesus was later welcomed at a Bethany (11:1) known from the tradition ( Mark 11:1, 11–12; 14:3 ), though it was quite near Jerusalem ( John 11:18; 12:1 ; cf. Mark 11:1 ; Luke 24:50). Yet because the Gospel portrays Perea «beyond the Jordan» as Jesus» place of refuge, where he had shared ministry with John the Baptist (1:28; 3:26; 10:40), one might argue that he symbolically moves Bethany across the Jordan despite his literal acknowledgment that it was «near Jerusalem» (11:18). 4001 This argument, however, appears strained. Although it would be compatible with John s use of symbolism, it is probable that the references to «beyond the Jordan,» which would make little sense to John " s audience (except for the transplanted Palestinian minority), reflect the Baptist " s actual historical ministry there, as noted above. It was also customary when mentioning» more than one site of the same name to distinguish them, so John " s Bethany «across the Jordan» would be naturally read as a Bethany distinct from the Bethany near Jerusalem of the gospel passion tradition. The Spirits Witness about Jesus (1:29–34) In the preceding section, John the Baptist defers all honor to Jesus. This section explains more of Jesus» identity. 4002 A prophet, like a teacher, could have «disciples» ( 1Sam 19:20; 2 Kgs 2:3; Isa 8:16). 4003 In 1:19–28, John negatively testifies that he himself is not the eschatological king, Elijah, or the Mosaic prophet, but that one whose slave he was not worthy to be was already among them. In 1:29–34, he positively testifies that Jesus is the lamb (as in 1:36), and he recognized his identity as Son of God (1:34, probable reading) and Spirit-bringer (1:33) because the Spirit was on Jesus (1:32–33). The «next day» provides a transition to a new christological confession to John " s disciples. Although some ancient writers preferred disjunctive episodes, many connected events of various occasions into a chronological sequence that made them easier to follow (cf. Mark 1:21,29 ). 4004 Some have found symbolic significance in the number of days in the introductory narratives (see comment on 2:1), but John could intend them literally (cf. 12:12), providing a sample of meaningful days at the beginning of Jesus» ministry. While it would be an exaggeration to say with Origen that John «leaves no room for the temptation story» and that one cannot harmonize John with the Synoptics here, 4005 John is not interested in the temptation story here; nor was chronological sequence a necessary feature of ancient biography. 4006 In view of the Gospel " s penchant for double entendres, that the Baptist saw Jesus «coming» (ερχμενον) to him (1:29) may suggest a narrative confirmation of the one «coming» (ερχμενος) after John (1:27). 1. The Sin-Bearing Lamb (1:29, 36) |
| Those who were seeking him in the temple (11:56) probably included these Jewish people from outside Jerusalem (11:55) who remembered hearing Jesus at earlier recent feasts (thus presumably they were mostly Galileans rather than distant foreigners, who could make pilgrimage only rarely); in contrast to the leaders mentioned in 11:57, they do not appear uniformly hostile to Jesus. They had good reason to wonder whether he would come to the feast (11:56); although it was considered pious behavior to come, they were also aware that the leaders wanted to kill Jesus (11:57; cf. 8:59; 10:31; 11:8). Thus John again builds suspense as his narrative begins to climax in Jesus» final coming to, and suffering in, Jerusalem. 4. Mary " s Lavish Devotion (12:1–8) Even though Jesus» passion overshadows the entire body of the Gospel from ch. 2 on, fully one-third of the Gospel specifically occurs during the week of Jesus» execution, mostly in or near Jerusalem. This reflects and further augments the sort of emphasis on the passion that one finds in Mark. In contrast to most modern biographies, some ancient biographies devoted an extensive proportion of their space to events immediately preceding and surrounding their protagonists» deaths. 7745 R. Alan Culpepper points to structural parallels between John 12 and 13: Category John 12 John 13 Six days before Passover Before Passover Companion Lazarus Beloved disciple Washing feet Mary washed Jesus Jesus washed disciples Jesus» death Day of my burial Took off robe (implied) Jesus» departure You do not always have me Hour to depart from the world As Culpepper notes, this repetition increases pathos. 7746 The repetition also builds toward a climax, the discourse making Jesus» death and departure more explicit. Most of ch. 12 is transitional, closing Jesus» public ministry and (with 11:45–57) leading into the Passion Narrative. 7747 Mary " s anointing at Bethany contrasts starkly with the preceding scene of calculated plans to have Jesus killed: «a supreme act of ignorant unbelief and a supreme act of intelligent faith.» 7748 The smaller units (11:45–46, 54–57; 12:9–11) in this section underline the mixed response to Jesus; the two longest units, however, contrast the high priests (11:47–53) and Mary (12:1–8), while linking Judas with the attitude of the Judean elite (12:4–6). 7749 After the leaders have plotted against Jesus» life (11:47–53), Mary lovingly anoints him for burial, Jesus is acclaimed king of Israel (12:13) as he will be at the cross (18:39; 19:3, 14–15, 19), and Jesus» brief discourse elaborates on his impending death (12:23–33), preparing the way for the Passion Narrative. 7750 4A. The Tradition |
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