| Aside from evidence that Jesus used Isaiah " s comparison of Israel with a vineyard ( Mark 12:1 ), vineyards and vines were so much a part of ancient Mediterranean life that they presented themselves naturally for comparisons. 8830 The only fruit trees widely planted were the fig, olive, and vine, 8831 which could resist drought; the last two received the most attention. 8832 In the time and location probably most relevant to John " s audience, Asia Minor, for instance, suffered under Domitians policy restricting land for vineyards. 8833 Viticulture thus was widely practiced and known in the ancient Mediterranean. 8834 Archaeological as well as literary sources confirm the importance of wine and viticulture from an early period in ancient Israel; 8835 some Jewish farmers in Egypt were also vinedressers. 8836 Many Galilean farmers raised their own grapes, olives, and other supplies rather than merely specializing; 8837 throughout the Mediterranean, small farms often planted vines and fig and olive trees close together; 8838 some even recommended intertwining various kinds of vines and plants. 8839 Some terrains proved more useful for particular crops than others did, however, and specialized vineyards were common (cf. Matt 21:33). Jesus» parable does not need to be specific about the size of the vineyard here; although the title γεωργς (15:1) 8840 could include a farmer who owns a vineyard, 8841 it could just as easily imply a small holder who works other ground in addition to his vineyard. 8842 Because agricultural writers recommended specialization on large estates, such as distinguishing slave vinedressers from other kinds of slave farmers, 8843 the farmer so broadly titled in John 15 is probably envisioned as a smallholder or tenant farmer. Nor is the parable specific about the sort of vine, of which rural people seem to have known a considerable variety. 8844 1A. Various Proposed Backgrounds to the Image Thus vine imagery was common enough without necessary specific allusions to standard symbolisms. |
| 8939 For its spiritual significance in this Gospel, see, e.g., Potterie, «Demeurer» (stressing «mystic» interiority). 8942 Stoics and others applied it most frequently to the cosmos (e.g., Epictetus Diatr. 1.12.26; Marcus Aurelius 7.13; Diodorus Siculus 1.11.6; Long, «Soul») and to the state (e.g., Cicero Resp. 3.25.37; Sallust Letter to Caesar 10.6; originally from Menenius Agrippa, Dionysius of Halicarnassus R.A. 6.83.2–6.86.5; Livy 2.32.9–12; Dio Cassius 4.17.10–13). 8944 Cf. the Stoic notion of allowing reason (λγον) to remain (μμνοντα) in onés soul (Musonius Rufus frg. 36, p. 134.11). 8946 For one model of «being in» yet also accommodating concrete «progress,» cf. Engberg-Pedersen " s depiction of Stoic conversion ideology in Paul and Stoics, passim; a Jewish boy " s maturation in Torah might be comparable. 8948 It is also possible, though far less likely, that the αληθιν vine (15:1) alludes back to those who were disciples ληθς (8:31). 8949 Niemand, «Taüferpredigt,» thinks the image may stem from tradition brought by John the Baptist " s disciples when they became Christians; but it is a natural image (though Jesus could have drawn directly from the Baptist). 8950 Interpreting this passage by comparison with the partial burning of saved ministers» works in 1Cor 3is thus inappropriate here; while branches might need to be pruned, those which do not abide in the vine are not saved but consumed (cf. Heb 6:4–8). 8952 To the extent the distinctions are clear, Koine apparently preferred αρω (261 times in the LXX; 97 times in the NT, including 23 in John); the term αρω appears clearly in the LXX only 12 times, in NT only 3 times, none of them in John, and often without the clear sense «take away.» Writers could, however, play on words sharing the same spelling (Rowe, «Style,» 132). 8954 Derickson, «Viticulture,» assigns all of 15to the spring pruning of fruitful branches and 15to the postharvest removal of dead branches in autumn. His distinction between seasons is helpful, but the activities of 15need not all occur at the same season; the metaphor of «unfruitful branches» probably bears the same meaning throughout the parable (15:2,4,6). |
| Like other Greco-Roman literature, ancient Jewish literature generally permitted variation in detai1. Although amplification in matters of halakah was sometimes discouraged, 255 the practice was especially frequent in narratives, to answer questions posed by a narrative 256 or to heighten the praise of God or the protagonist, 257 sometimes by fanciful midrash. 258 Sometimes writers added details for literary purposes, to make a better story; 259 this could include names, 260 sometimes arrived at midrashically or for symbolic value. 261 (This practice is hardly surprising; Greeks also elaborated their sacred stories, filling in details over the centuries.) 262 One could emphasize a theme already present in onés source by reiterating it where it appeared and occasionally adding it elsewhere. 263 Similarly, negative incidents could be toned down, 264 omitted, 265 or justified 266 in the character " s favor. This could range from the sort of «twist» on a narrative acceptable in modern journalism to fabricating details to explain what was not said. While John, like the Synoptics, is far more like Greco-Roman biography than like such «rewritten» biblical accounts, these Palestinian Jewish narrative techniques must also be considered as part of his general milieu. Variations in the tradition and/or its editing in these sources were also not problematic; 267 a greater degree of freedom in telling the story was then permitted than is standard in historically-oriented works today. As Anderson says about 4 Maccabees, «the discrepancies between the descriptions of the tortures administered to the first son and the other six, here and in 2 Mac, indicate no more than that the story circulated in different forms or that each writer claimed his freedom to shape up the narrative in his own way.» 268 Thus a wide variety of writing techniques was available in ancient Jewish as well as broader Greco-Roman writing related to history, and the Gospels could fall anywhere in this range. Intending to be essentially historical in the events they report, in principle they could vary in the accuracy of their details. 269 Further, as we noted above, paraphrase of sayings was standard Greco-Roman rhetorical practice; Jewish interpreters also regularly employed paraphrase in communicating what they took to be the biblical text " s meaning, 270 a practice some interpreters deem relevant to understanding John " s relation to the earlier Gospel tradition. 271 The Gospels as Historical Biography |
| The Church has placed all of its teaching on marriage in the prayers read during the marriage ceremony. The wedded are blessed to live their lives in love and prudence, following the commandments of God. “Be thou exalted, a Bridegroom, like unto Abraham; and be thou blessed, like unto Isaac; and do thou multiply like unto Jacob, walking in peace, and keeping the commandments of God in righteousness. And thou, O Bride: Be thou exalted like unto Sarah; and exult thou, like unto Rebecca; and do thou multiply, like unto Rachel: and rejoice thou in thy husband, fulfilling the conditions of the law: for so is it well pleasing unto God”. (Rite of the Holy Matrimony). 2 The fact that women and men who had been worthy of experiencing divine vision in the Old Testament are mentioned in the prayers, demonstrates the ascetic and saving character of marriage in Christ. The holy Fathers teach that conception, gestation and birth constitute the “garments of skin” which Adam wore after the Fall. God, however, eventually blessed this way. St. Maximos writes that marriage, as we know it today, is a result of the Fall. 3 St. Chrysostom teaches that all of the commandments of the Gospel -except, of course, for that of marriage-are to be shared by all men -monks and married. 4 St. Basil discerns that both -monastics and the married-are called to uphold the commandments of Christ in the Gospel. St. Gregory Palamas, on the theme of the purity of the heart, declares that married persons can also strive to attain it. 5 The existence of many married Saints who possessed noetic prayer both in the Old and the New Testaments reveals that married people have the capacity to experience Orthodox spirituality in all its manifestations. The prophetess Anna kept noetic prayer within her heart and prayed unceasingly while in the midst of experiencing great pain. Within the framework of Orthodox spirituality, therefore, Christians are not divided into categories of married and single, monastics and lay people; however they are separated into those who have the Holy Spirit within and those who do not. It is possible for all people to uphold Christ’s commandments and experience Orthodox spirituality under the guidance of a spiritual father. There are neither privileged nor non-privileged people within Orthodox tradition. |
| The behavior of the believers» enemies itself condemns them. The believers» opponents believe that the death of Christians offers priestly sacrifice to God (16:2), no doubt pleasing to God the way Phinehas " s execution of an Israelite idolater had been. 9186 In fact, however, they think in this manner precisely because they have never genuinely known God or his agent (16:3). Jewish Christians were not the only minority group in Judaism to respond with hostility to what they regarded as the broader hostility of Israe1. Qumran interpreters concluded that Belial caught Israel in nets by presenting them as forms of righteousness (CD 4.15–17; cf. comment on John 16below). 9187 A further note of irony appears in the persecutors» conviction that their acts offer worship to God. In fact, those whom they martyr do «glorify» God by their deaths (21:19), 9188 as Jesus had (12:23–24; 13:31–33). Because Jesus» hearers in this passage had been with him from the «beginning,» they were qualified to witness (15:27), but now he was providing warnings they had not needed at the «beginning» (16:4). His presence had been enough for them (16:4), but now that he was leaving (16:5), 9189 they would need to be warned of what was coming (16:2–3). Other hardships awaited them, but Jesus could not explain them at this point (16:12); they were already weighed down with sorrow (16:6). 9190 When, however, Jesus» successor, the Spirit of truth, would come, he would reveal the rest of Jesus» secrets (16:13–15), including the things to come (16:13). Undoubtedly this included a revelation of future sufferings, beyond Jesus» own summary in this context (15:18–16:3), such as one finds in the book of Revelation. 8829 That Jewish parables often included allegorical elements is now clear, against earlier Aristotelian models; see Johnston, Parables; Keener, Matthew, 381–84; on «parables» (in the broader ancient sense) in John, see comment on 10:6. 8830 For moralists» various botanical illustrations, e.g., Seneca Ep. Luci1. 112.2; Plutarch Demosthenes 1.3; Marcus Cato 3.3 (and Jewish images, below); Eunapius Lives 461. John " s circle of believers may have also compared the «world» with a vine in contrast to the community of believers (Rev 14:18), but the pervasiveness of vine imagery renders this judgment at most possible. |
| The Mountain reveals the extremity of human conditions. It has on average the discerning ethos, with the divine extremeness of an absolute and uncompromising lifestyle and ideology, but without any unjustified extremes. The daily vigils, the absence of feminine consolation, even as an image, the given obedience, the lifestyle without any choices, all underline the natural feeling of a situation beyond nature. On the Mountain, the majesty of human nature is highlighted. The place functions as a workshop for theosis. The Athonite community chants: Your life in the flesh had astonished the angelic hosts, thus honouring its father, saint Athanasios the Athonite. Human measures are taken to their limits. Here, saints like St. Gregory Palamas become observers of Godhood. Saints, like St. Maximos the Hut-burner, shed their temporal gravity, so that they stand suspended above the ground. Saints, like St. Nicodemos the Hagiorite, express their intelligence as enlightenment and they transform their knowledge into a revelatory word. Saints, like our contemporary Elder Paisios, Elder Ephraim, the Elder Joseph the Hesychast, all combine constraint along with Divine Grace in their lives, just like the olden-time elders in ascetic literature. Saints, like St. Kosmas of Aetolia, or our contemporary father Sophrony and Porphyrios, draw strength from the Athonian fountain for a certain number of years, then are transformed into universal reformers and preachers and lifelong theologians. But the Mountain is not only a place for Man’s spiritual glory. In all four of the aforementioned Mounts the presence of God is indicated by the appearance of a cloud—on Sinai, as a dark fog-like cloud, in which Moses entered, thus feeling but not seeing the Lord (Ex 19:16 & 24). On Carmel, the cloud breaks the silence of the heavens and brings forth rain in a miraculous manner (Kings III 18:44). On the Mount of the Divine Ascension, a cloud lifted up the Lord to the heavens (Acts 1:9). Finally, on Mount Tabor, a bright cloud overshadowed the disciples and a voice from within the cloud saying this is my beloved Son, in Whom I have shown favor; hearken unto Him (Mt 17:5) are a positive indication of the co-presence of God the Father. |
| There is a modern Orthodox service to St. Edmund in English, and, in addition to this, old hymns and fragments of early services to the saint still survive. Today many Orthodox Christians in England hope that St. Edmund will work a new miracle; that his relics will become available for general veneration, and all who need the prayers of the holy king and martyr will be able to ask for his intercession in this holy place. Early English Church of St. Edmund in Taverham, Norfolk. Among churches dedicated to St. Edmund nowadays we can mention the following ones situated in: Emneth in Norfolk (the large church dates to the twelfth century, there are ancient figures of angels, apostles, stained glass, and examples of medieval painting); Castleton in Derbyshire (the church is Norman, and has many architectural styles and stained glass); Hardingstone in Northamptonshire (twelfth century); Hauxton in Cambridgeshire (fifteenth century); Kingsbridge in Devon (in the Perpendicular style); Fritton in Norfolk (contains scenes from the saint’s life; it has a round tower as do very many Norfolk churches); Taverham in Norfolk (some of its parts are from the Saxon period); the medieval church at Costessey in Norfolk; Southwold in Suffolk (built in the fifteenth century, one of the best churches in Suffolk); Assington, Hargrave, Kessingland (fifteenth century. The tower is 300 feet high) and in the pretty little village of Bromeswell near Woodbridge in Suffolk; in Holme Pierrepont in Nottinghamshire; Wootton on the Isle of Wight (built in 1087); the Church of the Holy Trinity and St. Edmund in the city of Bristol; the Roman Catholic church in Halesworth in Suffolk; the Roman Catholic church in Withermarsh Green in Suffolk; the charming church in Burlingham in Norfolk; Caistor St. Edmund on the site of a Roman town in Norfolk; Downham Market, Forncett End, and many other sites in Norfolk; Ingatestone in Essex, and so on. St. Edmund the Martyr should not be confused with the Catholic saint Edmund Rich, or Edmund of Abingdon (c.1175-1240) who was Archbishop of Canterbury and to whom some churches are also dedicated. |
| These demons, whom our philosophic friends have provided for us as mediators with the gods, may indeed say of the soul and body, the one we have in common with the gods, the other with men; but, as I said, they are as it were suspended and bound head downwards, having the slave, the body, in common with the gods, the master, the soul, in common with miserable men, – their inferior part exalted, their superior part depressed. And therefore, if any one supposes that, because they are not subject, like terrestrial animals, to the separation of soul and body by death, they therefore resemble the gods in their eternity, their body must not be considered a chariot of an eternal triumph, but rather the chain of an eternal punishment. Chapter 10.– That, According to Plotinus, Men, Whose Body is Mortal, are Less Wretched Than Demons, Whose Body is Eternal. Plotinus, whose memory is quite recent, enjoys the reputation of having understood Plato better than any other of his disciples. In speaking of human souls, he says, The Father in compassion made their bonds mortal; that is to say, he considered it due to the Father " s mercy that men, having a mortal body, should not be forever confined in the misery of this life. But of this mercy the demons have been judged unworthy, and they have received, in conjunction with a soulsubject to passions, a body not mortal like man " s, but eternal. For they should have been happier than men if they had, like men, had a mortal body, and, like the gods, a blessed soul. And they should have been equal to men, if in conjunction with a miserable soul they had at least received, like men, a mortal body, so that death might have freed them from trouble, if, at least, they should have attained some degree of piety. But, as it is, they are not only no happier than men, having, like them, a miserable soul, they are also more wretched, being eternally bound to the body; for he does not leave us to infer that by some progress in wisdom and piety they can become gods, but expressly says that they are demonsforever. |
| Photo: Freepik.com What influences us most in our lives? Who are the people or figures who consciously or maybe unconsciously influence us? We all are surely influenced by a variety people, by certain ideologies, by contemporary movements or fads, by the things that surround us. There are societal influences, financial influences, political influences, cultural influences, and individual influences. I think of what we see on the internet and how we engage with social media. Who are the popular characters and figures who persuade countless people, who sway us and affect our worldview, our understanding of success and happiness and meaning and life itself. I googled to see who are the most famous people in the world today. Celebrities like Will Smith, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey or the Kardashian. Entertainers like Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift or Justin Beiber. Entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg. Athletes like Lebron James, Tom Brady, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Politicians turned demagogues like Donald Trump (I was just in vacation at Myrtle Beach and found it quite strange how there were numerous Trump Superstores; what other politician ever had stores like that?). Even previously unknown young teenagers like Charli and Dixie Damelio have become influencers among the youth through Tiktok fame. What do these figures represent? How do they influence us, in conscious or often in unconscious ways? Do we envy their rich and famous lifestyles? Do we dream about the freedom they have to do whatever they want? And because they have an oversized platform, do we give their voice more credence and importance than we should? This past week I learned about Andrew Tate, one of the most popular social media personalities over the past six months. He is a former world champion kickboxer who probably very few people knew about back in March, and yet, over the past half year videos of him have been watched more than 11 billion times! He’s a savvy entrepreneur who knows how to market himself with his façade as a rich, tough, do-whatever-I-want man’s man who makes outrageous, misogynic, and terribly dangerous statements about women. The disturbing part, however, is that millions of people, especially male teens and young men, watch this man, find his offensive comments funny, and are unconsciously manipulated by his behavior. |
| Gruppe der Hierarchen, die der Regierung gegenüber völlig loyal sind. Werke : Intervju s General’nym Sekretarem VSC d-rom J.K. Blejkom 2.4. 1967, in: MP 1967 ,6 ,17–18. Religioznye osnovy mirotvorestva, in: MP 1969,4,42–46. Patriarch Sergij v istorii vosstanovlenija patriaršestva, in: MP 1969,5,63–71. Slovo v nedelju russkich svjatych, in: MP 1969,7,15–16. Etot den‘ prinadleit cerkvi, in: MP 1970 ,2 ,25–29 . Nagrobnoe slovo (Patr. Aleksij), in: MP 1970,6,26–29. V poslušanii svobodnogo ducha, in: MP 1970,10,35–36. U groba Patriarcha Gruzinskogo, in: MP 1972,6,57–63. K50-lemiju Sojuza SSR, in: MP 1972,12,37–39. Bratskie vizity Predstojateija Russkoj Cerkvi, in: MP 1973,2, 12–20; 3,8–13; 4,10–17; 5,11–17. U svjatitelja Spiridona v Kerkire, in: MP 1974,1,44–46. O duše voskrešennoj. Slovo na Evangelie ot Marka,5,35–43, in: MP 1974,2,30–31. O poezdke Patriarcha Pimena v Efiopiju, in: MP 1974,5,38–47. Cerkov‘ kakpremvorenie Trinitarnogo Domostroitel‘stva, in: MP 1975,1,58–76; deutsch, in: Orthodoxie Heute 1975,50, 1–8. Cerkov‘ i sveršenie tvorenija, ebda 64–76. V nedelju 16-ju po Pjatidesjatnice, in: 2МР1976, 1, . Slovo v nedelju Vsech svjatych, in: MP 1977,8,66–67. Maksim, Patriarch Bolgarskij. Na nive Gospodnej. (Rez.), in: MP 1977 ,10,53–54. Intronizacija Bl. Patriarcha Rumynskogo Iustina I, in: ZMP 1977, 11,44–47. Pogrebenie Bl. Archiepiskopa Kiprskogo Makarija, in: ZMP 1977, 11,47–50. Pamjati Bl. Archiepiskopa Kiprskogo Makarija, in: MP1977,12, 39–44. Slovo v den’ pominovenija Sv. Patriarcha Aleksija, in: MP1978, 2,32–33. Pred panichidoj v roditel’skuju subbotu, in: MP 1978 ,10 ,28–29 . V nedelju Vsech svjatych, in: MP 1979,6,27–28. Lampada Prepodobnogo Sergija, in: MP 1979,9,32. Slovo pered panichidoj, in: MP 1980,9,52–53. Slovo na Novyj god, in: MP 1981,1,26–27. Slovo v den’ pamjati sv. Ioanna Zlatousta, in: MP 1981,2,37–39. Slovo na Passii, in: MP 1981,8,43–45. Slovo о poslušanii, in: MP 1982,1,44–46. Rodestvenskoe pis " mo kchrismianskim publicistam, in: MP 1982, 1,66. |
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