Part I

The entire Epistle is imbued with a feeling of sorrow, inspired in the soul of the Apostle by the difficult conditions of the apostolic ministry, but this sorrow does not oppress the Apostle: it is completely dissolved in that power of faith and in that consciousness of the righteousness of his cause and the holiness of the duty performed, which was the constant distinguishing feature of the holy Apostle Paul. but also to all the Christians of Achaia. Having then said that he considers the purpose of all his sufferings and consolations to be the consolation and salvation of the Corinthians, the Apostle informs him of the mortal danger that befell him in Asia, from which the Lord delivered him with the help of the prayers of the Corinthian Church (vv. 1-11). Further, beginning with the 12th verse of the first chapter and in the second chapter, the holy Apostle informs the Corinthians about the sorrows and persecutions they have endured in Asia Minor, explains the delays in his personal visit to Corinth by the desire to see them repent, and expresses his joy over the fact that they have already begun to work on their moral correction. who tried to accuse him of changeability and thus cast a shadow on his very preaching, as just as changeable, confused and false. "God is faithful, that our word to you was not 'yes' and 'no.' For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, and by Silvanus, and by Timothy, was not "yes" and "no"; but in Him was yes, ... unto the glory of God, through us" (1:18-20). The meaning of these words is that the preaching of the holy Apostle is as firm and unchangeable as Christ Himself is unchangeable. "But he who strengthens you and me in Christ, and anointed us, is God, who also sealed us, and gave the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" (vv. 21-22) — here we are talking about the sacrament of Chrismation, for the mystery formula of which the words are taken from here: "the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit." The meaning of these words of the Apostle is as follows: that the teaching I have proclaimed to you is true is proved by the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit that you have received in chrismation. "I call God as a witness against my soul" ... are words that testify to the admissibility of an oath in important cases (v. 23). Swearing by God, the holy Apostle reveals to the Corinthians the true reason for the delay in coming to them, that, sparing the Corinthians themselves, he has not gone to them until now, so as not to act with them as he would have behaved if he had only wanted to "take power over their faith," that is, he would have thought with all severity to behave as the head of the entire structure of their religious life. In other words, the Apostle wanted them to correct all their own faults, so that their meeting with the Apostle would be joyful, without any mutual grief.The holy Apostle speaks of the same thing in the second chapter: he did not want to come to the Corinthians "with grief," and therefore left it to them to judge the one who had grieved him and them exceedingly, that is, over the incestuous person. But since the culprit has repented, the Apostle allows him to be forgiven, so that he "may not be swallowed up in excessive sorrow" and so that Satan may not triumph (vv. 1-11).From 2:12 to 7:1 the holy Apostle discusses the height of Christian revelation, or Gospel truth, and how this truth is established on earth. The holy Apostle was moved to reflect on this as if suddenly, remembering the change in the plan of his journey and how, having come to Macedonia, he met Titus there and was delighted by him with the news of the favorable effect of his first epistle (v. 12-13 [1]). The Apostle gives thanks to God, "who always gives us to triumph in Christ, and spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Himself by us in every place" (v. 14). The first characteristic and effect of the Gospel Revelation is that it does not need outside approvals for itself: it makes itself felt like a fragrance that spreads everywhere: "We are the fragrance of Christ to God" (v. 15), although this fragrance produces a different effect on people, depending on their inner disposition: for some it is life-giving, and for others it is deadly. The Apostles are not to blame here, for they preach the pure and uncorrupted teaching of Christ (vv. 14-17).In the third and fourth chapters, the holy Apostle speaks of the superiority of the New Testament revelation over the Old Testament and points out the characteristic qualities of the true preachers of the Gospel and the Gospel preaching itself.As can be seen from the third chapter, the opponents of the Apostle – the leaders of the Judaizer party – boasted to the Corinthians that they had letters of approval (recommendation) from Jerusalem and, it was probably said that the activity of the Apostle Paul, who allegedly humiliated the Old Testament law in his preaching, was not approved by the Jerusalem Christians. In response to this, the holy Apostle asserts that the New Testament revelation does not need any extraneous approvals for itself. It speaks for itself, and the best recommendation for it is the faith and good life of those who accept it. "You are our letter, written in our hearts," says the holy Apostle: "known and read by all men; you show by yourselves that you are the letter of Christ, written through our ministry, not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tables of stone, but on the fleshly tablets of the heart" (vv. 1-3). Christian revelation does not depend on the dignity and ability of the preachers, but glorifies the preachers themselves. If service to the letter, the Old Testament law, which gave no justification to man, brought such glory to its servants that they could not look upon Moses when he was without a veil on his face, then how much more glory does it give to the service of the spirit, the New Testament, which justifies sinful man before God. What does the saying "the letter kills, but the spirit gives life" means here, and why did the holy Apostle call the Old Testament law "deadly letters"?St. John Chrysostom beautifully explains this: "The law, if it catches a murderer, it condemns him to death, and if grace catches a murderer, it sanctifies and revives him. But what do I say about the murderer? The law also seized and stoned him who was gathering wood on the Sabbath. That's what it means – a letter kills. On the contrary, grace catches innumerable murderers and robbers and, having washed them with the waters of baptism, frees them from their former evils. This is what it means: the spirit gives life." As ministers of the spirit, the holy Apostles act with great boldness and do not cover with a veil, that is, with parables, the great mysteries of the Divine economy, for Christ removed the veil that lay on the Old Testament. And only for the Jews and Judaizers who are blindly attached to the Old Testament "the same veil remains unremoved in the reading of the Old Testament... To this day, when they read Moses, the veil is on their hearts, but when they turn to the Lord, then the veil is removed" (vv. 4-16). "The Lord is Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (v. 17) — an expression that is not quite clear, which is interpreted differently, depending on who is understood here by "the Spirit", the third person of the Holy Trinity – the Holy Spirit, or the Godhead in general, as a spiritual Being. In any case, the meaning of this saying is as follows: if in the Old Testament the complexity of various legal precepts restricted freedom, then in the New Testament the grace of the Holy Spirit gave us the opportunity to freely approach the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, beholding His glory and being transformed ourselves "into the same image from glory to glory" (v. 18). who, in spite of all the hardships of their ministry, "do not lose heart," for they "do not preach themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord" (v. 1 [2] and v. 5 [3]). These preachers of the Gospel, illumined from above and enlightened by "the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," are in themselves, as people, weak. They carry the great treasure of the Gospel truth, as if in earthen vessels. This is so that "the power beyond abundance may be attributed to God" and not to him (v. 7). But the power of God is clearly manifested in these fragile, apparently meagre vessels, which, for natural reasons, should be easily broken, despite all the misfortunes that fall upon them in the performance of their ministry: "We are oppressed on every side, but we are not constrained; we are in desperate circumstances, but we do not despair; we are persecuted, but not forsaken; we are deposed, but we do not perish. We always bear in the body the death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be made manifest in our body" (vv. 8-10) — as the Lord Himself suffered, so do the preachers of His teaching, but as life in Him triumphed over death, so this life-giving power lives and acts in the Apostles, and through them it is transmitted to all believers. The constant mortal danger in which the Apostles find themselves does not frighten them, since they are inspired by the hope of a universal resurrection of the dead (vv. 11-15 [4]). In addition, these bodily sufferings bring great benefit to the soul, for "but if our outer man decays, then the inner one is renewed from day to day" (vv. 16-18).In the fifth chapter, continuing the same speech, the holy Apostle says that they, the true preachers of the Gospel, are not afraid of death, because with the destruction of this earthly "tabernacle of the body," they have "a dwelling place in heaven from God, a house not made with hands, everlasting" (v. 1). The Apostle even says that they themselves "sigh," wishing to "put on our heavenly habitation," that is, in the future incorruptible and light-bearing body (St. John Chrysostom). "That we, even clothed, may not be found naked," that is, devoid of good works and the glory of God (v. 3). Further explaining in what sense it is desirable to cast off the present body, the Apostle says: "For we, being in this tabernacle, groan under the burden," of course, of bodily infirmities and passions, from which we thirst to be delivered. It is wrong to think that we want to "put off" the body: "We do not want to be put off, but to put on," that is, so to speak, to put on an incorruptible and immortal body, "that the mortal may be swallowed up in life," for "for this very thing God created us," that is, for an incorruptible and immortal life according to spirit and body" (vv. 4-5). full of privations and sufferings, not for self-glorification, but to give the Corinthians a weapon against the slanderers who troubled them: that they might have "what to say to those who boast in their faces and not in their hearts" (vv. 6-12). The Corinthian rebels proved their authority, among other things, by the fact that they knew Christ in the flesh and personally heard His teaching. With this in mind, the Apostle asserts that it is not the knowledge of Christ according to the flesh that is important, but the life according to the spirit of His teaching. Christ died for all, and all must die to the former life of sin and become a "new creature in Christ": "Whosoever therefore is in Christ a new creature; the old things have passed away, now all things are new" (vv. 13-17). The essence of Christianity is the complete renewal of life through the reconciliation of people to God Jesus Christ, and the Apostles are "messengers in the name of Christ" who ask in the name of Christ: "Be reconciled to God" (vv. 18-21), Who "He who knew no sin," that is, Jesus, "made for us a sacrifice for sin, that in Him we might become righteous before God." although the door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there; but, having taken leave of them, I went to Macedonia. ^Therefore, having such a service by the grace of God, we do not lose heart; ^For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; but we are your servants to Jesus, ^For we who are alive are constantly given over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be made manifest in our mortal flesh, 12 so that death worketh in us, and life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, as it is written, I believed, and therefore spoke, and we believe, therefore we speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us also through Jesus, and will set us before Himself with you. For all things are for you, so that the abundance of grace may produce in many all the greater gratitude to the glory of God. ^

Part II

In the sixth chapter, the holy Apostle Paul gives a fervent rebuke to the slanderers who tried to convince the Corinthians that the cause of the persecution and deprivation experienced by the Apostle Paul lay in his personal shortcomings, thanks to which he did not enjoy the respect and love of the people among whom he preached, and thus hindered the success of the Gospel preaching. Preaching that now is the "favorable time" for reconciliation with God and salvation, "we do not stumble to anyone in anything, so that the ministry may not be blamed, but in all things we show ourselves as ministers of God" (v. 6), and further, with great inner strength, the Apostle paints a vivid picture of the discrepancy between the straitness and oppression of his situation and the greatness of the feats undertaken in order to so as not to give any reason for stumbling to the faithful. In these verses 1-13 is inscribed the lofty ideal of Christian service to duty to the point of complete self-denial, a firm and unswerving service, drawing strength in the midst of persecution and deprivation in the consciousness of the righteousness of one's cause and in the hope of God's all-powerful help.Having opened his heart to the Corinthians, filled with love for them, the Apostle calls them also to reciprocal love and trust in him: "In equal retribution, I say as to children, spread ye also," that is: as I love you, so in equal recompense expand your love for me, as for your spiritual father, and accept with full confidence the teaching I offer you. To do this, it is necessary first of all to completely renounce all communion with the Gentiles: "What has light to do with darkness?" or "What is the agreement between Christ and Belial?" So: "And therefore come out from among them, and be separated, and touch not the unclean" (vv. 14-18). making holy things in the fear of God" (v. 1), and then expresses the joy and comfort that Titus's return had given him, and all that he had seen and met in Corinth. The Apostle rejoices in the moral correction of the Corinthians so that he is ready to forget all his sorrows (vv. 4-17). He does not regret that he grieved them with his first epistle, for godly sorrow is not only harmless, but on the contrary brings great spiritual benefit, since it leads to repentance: "For godly sorrow worketh unfailing repentance unto salvation, but worldly sorrow worketh death" (vv. 8-10). The sorrow caused by the Epistle of the Apostle produced a beneficial moral revolution in the Corinthians, who wished to correct all moral shortcomings in their midst. The Apostle rejoices that the Corinthians have justified his confidence in them, have not disgraced their teacher, and he can rely on them (vv. 11-16). In them the holy Apostle disposed the Corinthians to collect mercy for the benefit of the needy Christians of Jerusalem. To this St. Paul convinces: "By the example of the Macedonian churches, which were not rich, but showed great generosity (vv. 1-8); By pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ, "that when he was rich, he became poor for your sake, that you might be enriched by his poverty" (v. 9). By the thought of the great benefit of mutual aid, and that donations were required only as much as they could, in the spirit of the equanimity observed by the Israelites in gathering manna in the wilderness (vv. 13-15). The holy Apostle says that he had already praised the Corinthians for their sacrifice, and they should justify this praise, so that it would not be in vain. In addition, the Apostle attests to the complete trustworthiness of the persons sent to collect offerings, Titus and another brother, who is praised in all the churches for preaching the gospel (vv. 16-24 and 9, vv. 1-5). In the second half of the 9th chapter, the holy Apostle exhorts us to donate without grief, voluntarily and generously, for the measure of benevolent generosity is the measure of God's blessing: "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; but he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (v. 6), "for God loves him who is a willing giver" (v. 7). God rewards those who do good to their neighbors generously, and Christian charity is also useful because it sets in motion the whole religious life of Christian communities and contributes much to the glory of the Church (vv. 8-15). Here the Apostle again proceeds to defend his apostolic dignity against slanderers who spread false rumors and opinions about him in Corinth, wishing to undermine his authority in the eyes of the Corinthians. These chapters of the epistle differ sharply in tone from the previous ones in the severity of their tone. It can be thought that they were written after the Apostle received new news about the slanders of the Corinthian false teachers against him. The tone of authoritative authority and the feeling of indignation suppressed by love give these chapters of the Epistle a special force and expressiveness. As Bishop S. Theophanes, the Recluse of Vyshensky, "St. Paul was not shown in body and was in poor health. His speech in personal evangelism was distinguished by its quietness and gentle persuasiveness. He begged them to believe in the Crucified One, and did not present a decree from heaven that those who heard them should believe. And in the epistle, when he was already writing to the faithful, his word was strict and authoritative. This difference was taken by his opponents as the starting point for censure. They said: "Personally... modest", and "in absentia ... brave": "in his epistles he is strict and strong, but in his personal presence he is weak, and his speech is insignificant" (10 chs. 1 and 10). "That would not have been so embarrassing," says Bishop Theodore. St. Theophan the Recluse: "But in explanation of such a difference, something was inserted that some could consider St. Paul to "walk in the flesh" (i.e. to act like a man of little spirituality, secular), and this, in turn, undermined confidence in the teaching he preached. That is why the holy Apostle Paul considered it necessary to resolutely defend his apostolic authority.In the tenth chapter, St. Paul says that he is as strict in person as he is in his epistles, and asks the Corinthians not to force him to use this severity when he comes to them (vv. 1-11). St. Paul is authorized to this severity by his very apostolic calling, which he defends and proves by pointing to the preaching destiny assigned to him by God Himself: "For he is not worthy who praises himself, but whom the Lord praises." (vv. 12-18). The opponents of the Apostle praise themselves, imagining themselves to be the main figures in Corinth, after St. Paul planted Christianity there, and the holy Apostle boasts in the Lord, that is, he does not praise himself, but God's power and God's gift, which impel him to go and preach. what can serve to praise him, freeing him from the reproaches of slanderers. Thus, first of all, he emphasizes his complete unselfishness, that he preached the Gospel to the Corinthians "gratuitously," not bothering anyone, and trying not to be a burden to anyone (vv. 1-10). At the same time, the Apostle explains that he did not want to use anything material from the Corinthians, not because of a lack of love for them, but in order not to be like those "false apostles" who devour and rob them. St. Paul calls them "flattering (deceitful) workers" and says that they only take the form of the apostles of Christ, not being really so, which is not surprising: "Satan himself takes the form of an angel of light" (vv. 11-21). In vain do they boast of their carnal advantages, for the holy Apostle has many more of these advantages. And he enumerates all his labors and sorrows that he had to endure for preaching the Gospel of Christ, partly only narrated in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Enumerating all the persecutions and tortures that he had to endure, the holy Apostle ascribes all his feats to the grace of God, and only to his own weaknesses: "If I must boast, I will boast in my weakness" (vv. 22-23).

Part III

In the twelfth chapter, St. Paul defends his apostolic calling and proves it by pointing to his rapture to the third heaven, where he experienced the most blessed state and where he heard ineffable words that cannot be told to man. The Apostle speaks of himself as of another person: "I know a man"... St. John Chrysostom explains that St. Paul says this "in order to show how reluctant he is to get down to business," that is, how unpleasant it is for him to say anything in praise of himself, that he says this only out of a forced need to defend the height of his apostolic dignity from slanderers. By the "third heaven," as Blessed Theodoret argues, one should understand paradise. It was "before forty years." If the Epistle was written in 58 A.D., then the vision falls in the year 44, when St. Paul and Barnabas were carrying alms to Jerusalem and then were set apart by the Holy Spirit for the great ministry of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 13:2-3 [1]). lest I should be puffed up." "It was customary to think," says Bishop Theodore. Theophan the Recluse: "What is a thorn in the flesh, angel of Satan," is something that confused and troubled St. Paul from the side of the flesh and was in the flesh itself. The new interpreters recognized that St. Paul was speaking here of the movements of carnal lust. But what is the peculiarity of carnal lust? It is experienced by everyone, and not only the celibate, but also the married. And St. Paul, by means of his expression, gives the idea that he has been given something special, which is not common to all. In addition, the foul "colaphysi" given to him, beats him on the cheeks, acts unmercifully, cruelly, and carnal lust is the most flattering and insinuating enemy. Therefore, this idea cannot be accepted.Our interpreters believe that St. Paul speaks here, as before, about external disasters and about hostility on the part of the enemies of the Gospel, who are the tools of Satan." St. John Chrysostom says that the words of the Apostle have the following meaning: "God did not deign that our preaching should spread unhindered, wishing to humble our high opinion of ourselves; but he allowed the opponents to attack us." It was from these slanders of the enemy that the Apostle prayed to be freed from his "trifolds," in the sense of "many times" (St. John Chrysostom), but he heard the Lord's answer: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness," that is: "It is sufficient for you that you raise the dead, heal the blind, cleanse lepers, and perform other miracles. Do not seek to live in safety, without fear, and to preach without difficulty. But do you grieve and grieve? Do not attribute to My weakness that many are deceitful against you, tormenting you, persecuting you, and scourging you. This very thing shows My power. "My power is made perfect in weakness," that is, when you who are persecuted gain the upper hand over the persecutors, when you who are persecuted defeat your persecutors, when you put those who are bound to flight (St. John Chrysostom). That is why the Apostle goes on to say: "Therefore I am happy in weaknesses, in offenses, in wants, in persecutions, in oppression for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong," for then the grace of God acts most of all. Finally, St. Paul proves his apostolic calling by pointing to the signs of his apostleship in Corinth, which were expressed in all kinds of miracles and powers. (vv. 1-13). In conclusion, the holy Apostle again repeats that when he comes to the Corinthians, he will make no use of them, just as Titus, whom he sent, did not use anything. The main goal of the Apostle is the moral correction of the Corinthians, to which he leads his speech. The Apostle fears lest, having come to them, he find them uncorrected (vv. 14-21).In the thirteenth chapter, the holy Apostle threatens that if he finds the Corinthians uncorrected, he will treat them with all severity: "When I come again, I will not spare them." "Ye seek proofs whether Christ says in me, He is not powerless for you, but is mighty in you" (vv. 1-3). Theophan the Recluse, "says to them, as it were: so you yourselves have raised the question that if I do not reform, I will inevitably not spare you, but manifest upon you the Apostolic authority given to me and the power of Christ, acting in me. You have begun to say of me, "He is weak in body, and his word is not strong," thus suggesting the very teaching which I teach, as if it were not Christ's. And so, since you speak of me in this way, then if I did not manifest among you the severity of the Apostles, you would indeed be confirmed in such thoughts, and this would be extremely harmful to the work of the Gospel and to your salvation. And so, one of two things: either reform yourselves, or I will have to spare you without mercy, powerfully cutting off the disobedient from the Church, or striking them down with some direct punishment, as I struck the sorcerer Elymas with blindness in Cyprus. And then you will see tangibly that Christ the Lord both speaks and acts in me." having no power when He was crucified, but at the same time He destroyed the power of death and destroyed hell, and then rose again with glory. In the same way, when we are persecuted and armed against us, we suffer no harm, but "we will live with Him," that is, we will be undefeated from enemies "in you," that is, for your spiritual benefit, your salvation (v. 4). The Holy Apostle invites the Corinthians to test and examine themselves better whether they are in the faith: "For us I hope you will know that we are what we ought to be" (vv. 5-6). But to these stern words he immediately makes an addition full of love and mercy: "We pray God that you do not do any evil... For this reason I write this in absence, lest in my presence I should use the severity of the power which the Lord has given me to build up, and not to destroy" (v. 7, 10). Here the holy Apostle Paul wishes his Corinthian children to rejoice, to be perfected, to be in peace and like-mindedness, by which they will attract to themselves the God of love and peace. Then he calls upon them to greet each other with a "holy kiss," that is, pure and sincere, serving as an expression of brotherly Christian love, and conveys the usual greeting from the Christians ("saints") among whom he himself dwells. The entire epistle ends with the usual Apostolic prayerful greeting, which we now always hear from presbyters and bishops celebrating the Divine Liturgy: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit with you all. Amen."As they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then they fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, and dismissed them. ^However, brethren, rejoice, be perfected, be comforted, be of one mind, be peaceful, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit with you all. Amen. ^

The Epistle to the Galatians

In the twelfth chapter, St. Paul defends his apostolic calling and proves it by pointing to his rapture to the third heaven, where he experienced the most blessed state and where he heard ineffable words that cannot be told to man. The Apostle speaks of himself as of another person: "I know a man"... St. John Chrysostom explains that St. Paul says this "in order to show how reluctant he is to get down to business," that is, how unpleasant it is for him to say anything in praise of himself, that he says this only out of a forced need to defend the height of his apostolic dignity from slanderers. By the "third heaven," as Blessed Theodoret argues, one should understand paradise. It was "before forty years." If the Epistle was written in 58 A.D., then the vision falls in the year 44, when St. Paul and Barnabas were carrying alms to Jerusalem and then were set apart by the Holy Spirit for the great ministry of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 13:2-3 [1]). lest I should be puffed up." "It was customary to think," says Bishop Theodore. Theophan the Recluse: "What is a thorn in the flesh, angel of Satan," is something that confused and troubled St. Paul from the side of the flesh and was in the flesh itself. The new interpreters recognized that St. Paul was speaking here of the movements of carnal lust. But what is the peculiarity of carnal lust? It is experienced by everyone, and not only the celibate, but also the married. And St. Paul, by means of his expression, gives the idea that he has been given something special, which is not common to all. In addition, the foul "colaphysi" given to him, beats him on the cheeks, acts unmercifully, cruelly, and carnal lust is the most flattering and insinuating enemy. Therefore, this idea cannot be accepted.Our interpreters believe that St. Paul speaks here, as before, about external disasters and about hostility on the part of the enemies of the Gospel, who are the tools of Satan." St. John Chrysostom says that the words of the Apostle have the following meaning: "God did not deign that our preaching should spread unhindered, wishing to humble our high opinion of ourselves; but he allowed the opponents to attack us." It was from these slanders of the enemy that the Apostle prayed to be freed from his "trifolds," in the sense of "many times" (St. John Chrysostom), but he heard the Lord's answer: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness," that is: "It is sufficient for you that you raise the dead, heal the blind, cleanse lepers, and perform other miracles. Do not seek to live in safety, without fear, and to preach without difficulty. But do you grieve and grieve? Do not attribute to My weakness that many are deceitful against you, tormenting you, persecuting you, and scourging you. This very thing shows My power. "My power is made perfect in weakness," that is, when you who are persecuted gain the upper hand over the persecutors, when you who are persecuted defeat your persecutors, when you put those who are bound to flight (St. John Chrysostom). That is why the Apostle goes on to say: "Therefore I am happy in weaknesses, in offenses, in wants, in persecutions, in oppression for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong," for then the grace of God acts most of all. Finally, St. Paul proves his apostolic calling by pointing to the signs of his apostleship in Corinth, which were expressed in all kinds of miracles and powers. (vv. 1-13). In conclusion, the holy Apostle again repeats that when he comes to the Corinthians, he will make no use of them, just as Titus, whom he sent, did not use anything. The main goal of the Apostle is the moral correction of the Corinthians, to which he leads his speech. The Apostle fears lest, having come to them, he find them uncorrected (vv. 14-21).In the thirteenth chapter, the holy Apostle threatens that if he finds the Corinthians uncorrected, he will treat them with all severity: "When I come again, I will not spare them." "Ye seek proofs whether Christ says in me, He is not powerless for you, but is mighty in you" (vv. 1-3). Theophan the Recluse, "says to them, as it were: so you yourselves have raised the question that if I do not reform, I will inevitably not spare you, but manifest upon you the Apostolic authority given to me and the power of Christ, acting in me. You have begun to say of me, "He is weak in body, and his word is not strong," thus suggesting the very teaching which I teach, as if it were not Christ's. And so, since you speak of me in this way, then if I did not manifest among you the severity of the Apostles, you would indeed be confirmed in such thoughts, and this would be extremely harmful to the work of the Gospel and to your salvation. And so, one of two things: either reform yourselves, or I will have to spare you without mercy, powerfully cutting off the disobedient from the Church, or striking them down with some direct punishment, as I struck the sorcerer Elymas with blindness in Cyprus. And then you will see tangibly that Christ the Lord both speaks and acts in me." having no power when He was crucified, but at the same time He destroyed the power of death and destroyed hell, and then rose again with glory. In the same way, when we are persecuted and armed against us, we suffer no harm, but "we will live with Him," that is, we will be undefeated from enemies "in you," that is, for your spiritual benefit, your salvation (v. 4). The Holy Apostle invites the Corinthians to test and examine themselves better whether they are in the faith: "For us I hope you will know that we are what we ought to be" (vv. 5-6). But to these stern words he immediately makes an addition full of love and mercy: "We pray God that you do not do any evil... For this reason I write this in absence, lest in my presence I should use the severity of the power which the Lord has given me to build up, and not to destroy" (v. 7, 10). Here the holy Apostle Paul wishes his Corinthian children to rejoice, to be perfected, to be in peace and like-mindedness, by which they will attract to themselves the God of love and peace. Then he calls upon them to greet each other with a "holy kiss," that is, pure and sincere, serving as an expression of brotherly Christian love, and conveys the usual greeting from the Christians ("saints") among whom he himself dwells. The entire epistle ends with the usual Apostolic prayerful greeting, which we now always hear from presbyters and bishops celebrating the Divine Liturgy: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit with you all. Amen."As they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then they fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, and dismissed them. ^However, brethren, rejoice, be perfected, be comforted, be of one mind, be peaceful, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit with you all. Amen. ^

Information about the country called Galatia

Galatia was the name of the Asia Minor region, located almost in the middle of Asia Minor and surrounded on the north by Bithynia, Paphlagonia and Pontus, and on the south by Phrygia, Lycaonia and Cappadocia. This country was originally inhabited by Greeks, but in the third century B.C. it was settled by those who invaded Macedonia and Greece from the banks of the Rhine River, and then moved to Asia Minor (in 280). ancient Gauls (one of the Celtic tribes), who gave it their name Galatia, or Gallo-Greece. In 189 B.C., the Roman consul Manlius subordinated this country to Roman rule, leaving it his own administration. In 26 A.D. Augustus turned Galatia into a Roman province. Having settled here, the formerly warlike Gauls turned to peaceful occupations and arts and began to cultivate their fertile and prosperous country. Gradually, they mixed with the local Greeks, assimilating their customs and language. The rich country of Galatia began to attract Jews, who had been forced to leave Palestine for various other regions since the time of Alexander the Great. Uk. Augustus declared his special protection of the Jews migrating to Galatia, as reported by Jude. the historian Josephus Flavius.

The Founding of Christian Churches in Galatia

The first mention of the illumination of the Galatian country by the light of the Christian faith is found in Book II. Acts of the Holy Apostles, at the beginning of the story of the second Apostolic journey of the holy Apostle Paul. Having mentioned the sorrow, as a result of which the holy Apostle Paul parted from Saint Barnabas after the Apostolic Council, and, taking Silas as his companion, passed through Syria and Cilicia, the writer, having told about the addition to them of a new companion Timothy, says: "And as they passed through the cities, they (that is, Saint Paul with his disciples Silas, Luke and Timothy) delivered up to the faithful to observe the decrees, decreed by the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem. And the churches were established by faith and daily increased in number. And when they had passed through Phrygia and the country of Galatia, they were not permitted by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia," etc. (Acts 16:4-6). There is no doubt that at this very time the holy Apostle Paul laid the foundation of the Christian churches in the main cities of Galatia – Ancyra, Pessina, Tavia and Gordia. That the Galatian churches were founded by the holy Apostle Paul is clearly seen from the Epistle to the Galatians itself (see 1:6-9 [1]; 4:13 [2], etc.). There are no details about this book. Acts, it is true, does not report, but in describing the third Apostolic journey of the holy Apostle Paul, the writer notes that the holy Apostle Paul "went through the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, confirming all the disciples" (Acts 18:23). Of course, it is possible to affirm in the faith only those who have already been converted to the faith before. Acts does not give us any information about the circumstances of the conversion of the Galatians, we learn something about this from the Epistle to the Galatians itself. As can be seen from Gal. 4:13-15 [3], the holy Apostle Paul, while visiting the Galatian country, was subjected to some kind of disease of the flesh. Probably, this illness detained the Apostle at the Galatians for a longer period than he himself had imagined, and this served for the good of the Galatians, for it enabled the holy Apostle to prescribe Christ the Lord to them so vividly that they beheld Him as if crucified before them (Gal. 3:1 [4]). From this they believed with special fervor and extraordinary zeal, and they received the Apostle himself as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus, and loved him so much that they were ready to open their eyes and give them to him (Gal. 4:14-15). confusing you and wishing to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any other gospel than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so now I say again: Whoever preaches to you other gospel than that which you have received, let him be accursed. ^you know that, although in the weakness of the flesh I preached the gospel to you for the first time, ^yet you did not despise my temptation in my flesh, nor abhorred it, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. How blessed you were! I testify of you, that if it were possible, you would pluck out your eyes and give them to me. ^Oh, foolish Galatians! Who deceived you not to submit to the truth, you who had Jesus Christ predestined before your eyes, as if crucified? ^

Reason for writing

The reason for writing the Epistle to the Galatians was the invasion of the Galatian church by Judaizers, who inspired the Galatians with the idea of the need for salvation to observe circumcision and other rites and the institutions of the Old Testament Jewish religion. Continuing his third evangelistic journey, the holy Apostle Paul arrived in Ephesus from the land of Galatia (Acts 19:1 [1]). It was here that he soon heard rumors of the disturbances which had been sown among the Galatians by Judaizing heretics, who had apparently come from Palestine, since the local Jews, owing to their long association with the Gentiles, could hardly hold such fanatical narrow national Jewish views. These Judaizers of Paul's teaching about freedom from the Old Testament law were explained only by his desire to gain love among the pagans and pointed out that he was not called to the apostolic ministry directly by Jesus Christ Himself during His earthly life and was not a living witness to His works and a listener of His teaching. many of the Galatians succumbed to this corrupting preaching, soon "passed into another gospel" (Gal. 1:6 [2]) and grew cold to his person. Struck by such unexpected frivolity and recklessness of the Galatians (3:1), the holy Apostle Paul immediately decided to write them an epistle about their error and to denounce their seducers, and he wrote it with his own hand (Gal. 6:11 [3]), so as not to lose time from the scribes and to remove all suspicions about its authenticity. ^I wonder that you should pass so quickly from Him who called you by the grace of Christ to another gospel. ^See how much I have written to you with my own hand. ^