New Testament
Parable of leaven
The Lord Jesus Christ, explaining the doctrine of the Kingdom of God, said: "To what shall I liken the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is like leaven, which a woman took and put into three measures of flour, until it was all leavened."
This parable is simple and short, but it has a deep double meaning: general historical the process of saving people and the personal process of saving each person.
Historical process: After the Flood, from the sons of Noah - Shem, Ham and Japheth, there were three races of the human race: Semites, Hamites and Japhetites. They are the three measures of torment into which Christ puts His heavenly leaven - the Holy Spirit, into all human races, without any limitation or exception.
Just as a woman, with the help of leaven, turns ordinary natural flour into bread, so Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit, turns ordinary natural people into sons of God, into immortal inhabitants of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The leavening process began on the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and continues to this day, and will continue until the end of the age - until everything is gone.
Personal process: The Savior, through baptism in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, gives heavenly leaven - the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the power of grace - to the soul of each person, that is, to the main abilities or forces of the human soul: reason, feeling (heart) and will (" three measures"). All three forces of the human soul grow harmoniously and rise to heaven, filled with the light of reason, the warmth of love and the glory of good deeds, becoming sons and daughters of God, heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Lord gave a woman as an example because a woman, like a wife and mother, lovingly prepares homemade bread for her children and household, while a male baker prepares bread for sale, counting on income, on profit. (According to Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich.)
NOTE: See Matthew, ch. 13 .33; from Luke, ch. 13 , 20-21.
NOTE: See Bible. "3rd Book of Kings", ch. 16-19 and "4th Book of Kings" ch. 1-2 , 1-15.
(Matt. 13:33; Luke 13:20, 21)
Many educated and influential people came to hear the prophet from Galilee. Some of them gazed with interest at the people who gathered around Christ as He taught by the lake. All walks of life were represented in this huge crowd. Here one could see the poor, the illiterate, the ragged beggar and the robber with the seal of vice on his face, the cripples and libertines, merchants and idle people, representatives of the upper and lower classes, rich and poor - all crowded and pushed closer to Christ to listen to Him. Other educated people, looking at such a strange meeting, asked themselves: can the Kingdom of God consist of such people? The Savior again answered with a parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and put into three measures of meal until it was all leavened.”
Among the Jews, leaven was sometimes used as a symbol of sin. During Easter, it was prescribed to remove all leaven from the house, which symbolized the removal of sin from the hearts. Christ also warned His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” ( OK. 12:1). The apostle Paul speaks of the leaven of vice and deceit (cf. 1 Cor. 5:8). But in the parable of the Savior, about which in question, the leaven symbol is used to represent the kingdom of heaven. Here it denotes the accelerating and advancing power of God's grace.
No one can become so vicious, fall so low that this force cannot do its cleansing work in him. In everyone who gives himself to the Holy Spirit, a new principle of life will be established; and in mankind the lost image of God will be restored.
But man is not able to transform himself by his own will. He does not have the power to effect such a change. Before the desired changes can take place in the food being prepared, leaven must be put - something from the outside. Likewise, the sinner, before he can be qualified for the kingdom of glory, must receive God's grace. No human culture and no education in the world can turn a fallen child of sin into a child of heaven. The renewing energy must come from God. The desired change can only be brought about by the Holy Spirit. Anyone who seeks salvation, whether he be of the upper class or the lower class, rich or poor, must be exposed to this very force.
Just as leaven mixed with food acts from the inside, then manifesting itself outside, so the grace of God renews the heart of a person, thereby transforming his whole life. No outward changes can bring us into harmony with God. Many are trying to reform themselves by eradicating this or that bad trait or habit; thus they hope to become Christians. But they don't start where they should. First of all, you need to start with the heart.
To confess faith with the mouth is one thing, but to live the truth that fills the soul is quite another. Simply knowing the truth is not enough. We may have such knowledge, but the direction of our thoughts may remain unchanged. The conversion and sanctification of the heart itself is necessary.
“Blessed are the blameless in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep His revelations, who seek Him with all their hearts. They do no iniquity, they walk in His ways. You commanded to keep Your precepts firmly. Oh, that my ways would be guided to keep your statutes!” (Ps. 119:1-5).
A person who tries to keep the commandments of God only out of a sense of duty, just because it is required of him, will never feel the real joy of obeying God. In fact, it is disobedience. When the commands of God are considered a yoke because they are contrary to human desires, we can be sure that the life of such a person is not truly Christian. True obedience to God is the operation of an inner principle. It originates in the love of righteousness, and the love of the Law of God. Righteousness is based on devotion to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do what is right because it is right, because what is right is pleasing to God.
The great truth about the conversion of the heart by the Holy Spirit is contained in the words of Christ addressed to Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God ... What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don't be surprised that I told you, "You must be born again." The Spirit breathes where it wants to, and you hear its voice, but you don’t know where it comes from and where it goes: this is the case with everyone born of the Spirit” ( In. 3:3-8).
The Apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says: “God, who is rich in mercy, according to His great love, with which He loved us, and gave us life, dead in transgressions, with Christ—you have been saved by grace—and raised us up with Him, and planted in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that
To manifest in the coming ages the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” ( Eph. 2:4-8).
“Forever, O Lord, your word is established in heaven; Your truth unto generation and generation. You set up the earth and it stands. According to Thy decrees, everything stands until now; for everything serves You. If it were not for your law to be my comfort, I would have perished in my distress. I will never forget Your commandments, for by them You give life to me...” I saw the limit of all perfection; but your commandment is vast beyond measure” (Ps. 119:89-96).
The leaven hidden in flour acts invisibly, gradually fermenting the whole mass; the leaven of truth also acts imperceptibly, invisibly, which ultimately leads to the transfiguration of the soul. Carnal inclinations are softened and weakened in it. New thoughts, new feelings, new impulses are born in a person. And a new ideal of character is established - the life of Christ. The mind of man is rebuilt, his abilities are awakened to work in new directions. A person does not acquire new abilities, but those gifts that already exist become sanctified. Conscience awakens in him. Traits appear in his character that make service to God possible.
The question often arises, why do so many who profess to be believers in the Word of God not show signs of the described transformation, either in their words, or in their spirit, or in character? Why are there so many around who cannot resist their aspirations and plans, who reveal sinful intemperance and whose words are harsh, commanding and unbridled? In their lives, all the same selfishness, the same egoistic inclinations, the same disposition and recklessness in words that are characteristic of worldly life are manifested. The same heightened sense of pride, the same enslavement to sinful passions, the same perversion of character, as if the truth were completely unknown to them. The reason is that these people did not convert at all. They have not taken the leaven of truth into their hearts, and therefore it cannot affect them. Their natural and acquired propensities for vice were not given over to the transforming effect of the leaven of truth. They lack the grace of Christ in their lives, their souls are filled with unbelief in His ability to change their character.
“How can a young man keep his way pure? - Keeping yourself according to your word. With all my heart I seek You; do not let me deviate from Your commandments. I have hidden Your word in my heart, so as not to sin against You... I meditate on Your commandments, and look at Your ways. I am comforted by your statutes; I do not forget your word” (Ps. 119:9-16).
“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of God” ( Rome. 10:17). Scripture is a great vehicle for the transformation of character. Christ prayed, "Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth" ( In. 17:17). If you study the Word of God and obey its commands, it will certainly work in the heart of a person, suppressing and softening every trait of character that is deprived of holiness. The Holy Spirit descends to convict of sin, and faith, growing in the heart through the love of Christ, brings us into harmony with His image in body, soul, and spirit. Only then can God use us to do His will. The power bestowed on us acts within us, then manifesting itself externally, it encourages us to pass on the truth we have found to others.
The truths of the Word of God provide an answer to the main and most urgent need of man - they lead to the conversion of the soul through faith. It should not be assumed that the great principles contained in these truths are too pure and holy to guide our Everyday life. These truths lead to heaven, pointing the way to eternity, and yet their living power must be applied in daily practice. Heavenly truths should illuminate all the great and small deeds of life.
The leaven of truth taken into the heart governs our desires, purifies our thoughts, and softens our inclinations and character. It sharpens the abilities of the mind, multiplies the energy of the soul. It enhances the capacity for compassion and love.
A person who has absorbed all these principles is a mystery to the world. The selfish, hoarding man lives only by acquiring wealth, fame, and the pleasures of this world. The eternal is not among his priorities. For a follower of Christ, worldly values lose their appeal. In the name of Christ and for His glory, he will work selflessly in the great work of saving souls who have not yet found Christ and who live without hope in this world. The world cannot understand such a person for whom only eternal values are real. His heart is captured by the redeeming power of the love of Christ. This love subordinates to itself all other motives of a person and elevates him above the world, which is stagnant in sin, saving him from its corrupting influence.
“I would praise You in uprightness of heart, learning the judgments of Your righteousness. I will keep your statutes; do not leave me completely” (Ps. 119:7, 8).
The Word of God has the power to sanctify all of our communications and relationships with people. The leaven of truth does not generate in us the spirit of competition, ambition, striving to be the first. True love, love of heavenly origin, is not selfish and unchanging. It does not depend on human praise. The heart of the one who receives the grace of God overflows with infinite love for God and for those for whom Christ died. His "I" does not achieve universal recognition. He loves others not because they love him or appreciate his virtues, he loves his neighbors because they are all redeemed by Christ. If people misinterpret the motives, words, or actions of such a person, he is not offended, but continues to work. He is kind and caring, modest and at the same time full of hope, always trusting in the mercy and love of God.
“Show me, Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and keep it with all my heart. Put me on the path of Thy commandments, for I have desired it…” Confirm Your word to Your servant, for the sake of reverence before You. Turn away my reproach, which I fear, for your judgments are good” (Ps. 119:33-39).
The apostle admonishes us: “According to the example of the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your deeds; for it is written: "be holy, for I am holy" ( 1 Peter. 1:15, 16). The grace of Christ is to govern our emotions and our words. And this action of the grace of God will be manifested in courtesy and delicacy towards each other, in kind and encouraging words. In such a house, the presence of angels is felt. Then life breathes fragrances ascending to God like holy incense. Love is manifested in kindness, gentleness, indulgence and long-suffering.
The converted person also changes outwardly. Christ, who dwells in the heart, is revealed in the radiance of the faces of those who love Him and keep His commandments. This face bears the imprint of truth. Soft heavenly peace is reflected in the face. Kindness is inscribed on it, surpassing ordinary human love.
The leaven of truth produces a decisive change in the whole man, making the rough graceful, the sharp soft and tender, turning the selfish into the noble. With the blood of the Lamb, she washes and cleanses all that is unclean. With its life-giving power, it brings the mind, soul and forces of man into harmony with the Divine life. Man, without losing his human nature, becomes the owner of Divine qualities. Excellence and perfection of character give glory to Christ. When such changes take place in a person, the angels rapturously sing a song of praise, and God and Christ rejoice at the souls that acquire godlikeness.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I swore to keep Your righteous judgments, and I will fulfill ... Your Revelations I accepted as an inheritance forever; for they are the joy of my heart. I have inclined my heart to do thy statutes” (Ps. 119:105-112).
The goal of a Christian's life - deification, the spiritual transformation of a person, is compared by Jesus Christ with the process of preparing dough, when the leaven comes into contact with flour and imparts its own property to it. Saint Theophylact of Bulgaria:
Saint John Chrysostom:
Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy: Points to double meaning in the parable:
Bishop Alexander (Minelant):
Gladkov B.I.:
Priest Konstantin Parkhomenko:
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35 Thus was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
Comments:
Commentary on the book
Section comment
The author of the first Gospel in the New Testament, Matthew, was a collector of taxes and duties in favor of the authorities of the Roman Empire. One day, as he was sitting in his usual tax collection area, he saw Jesus. This meeting completely changed the whole life of Matthew: from that time on he was always with Jesus. He walked with Him through the cities and villages of Palestine and was an eyewitness to most of the events that he tells about in his Gospel, written, as scholars believe, between 58 and 70 years. according to R.H.
In his narrative, Matthew often quotes the Old Testament to show readers that Jesus is the same Savior promised to the world, whose coming was already foretold in the Old Testament. The Evangelist presents Jesus as the Messiah, sent by God to build the Kingdom of Peace already on this earth. As the One who came from the Heavenly Father, Jesus can and does speak like God, with the consciousness of His divine authority. Matthew gives five great sermons, or speeches, of Jesus: 1) the Sermon on the Mount (ch. 5-7); 2) the commission given by Jesus to His disciples (ch. 10); 3) parables about the Kingdom of Heaven (ch. 13); 4) practical advice disciples (ch. 18); 5) the judgment of the Pharisees and the prediction of what awaits the world in the future (ch. 23-25).
The third edition of the "New Testament and Psalter in modern Russian translation" was prepared for publication by the Institute for Bible Translation in Zaoksky at the suggestion of the Ukrainian Bible Society. Recognizing their responsibility for the accuracy of the translation and its literary merits, the staff of the Institute used the opportunity of a new edition of this Book to make clarifications and, where necessary, corrections to their previous long-term work. And although in this work it was necessary to keep the deadlines in mind, maximum efforts were made to achieve the task facing the Institute: to convey to the readers the sacred text, as far as possible in translation, carefully verified, without distortion or loss.
Both in previous editions and in the present, our team of translators has strived to preserve and continue the best that has been achieved by the efforts of the Bible Societies of the world in the translation of Holy Scripture. In an effort to make our translation accessible and understandable, however, we still resisted the temptation to use rude and vulgar words and phrases - the vocabulary that usually appears in times of social upheaval - revolutions and unrest. We tried to convey the message of the Scriptures in common, settled words and in such expressions that would continue the good traditions of the old (now inaccessible) translations of the Bible into the native language of our compatriots.
In traditional Judaism and Christianity, the Bible is not only a historical document that should be preserved, not only a literary monument that can be admired and admired. This book was and remains a unique message about God's proposed resolution of human problems on earth, about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who opened the way for mankind into an unending life of peace, holiness, goodness and love. The news of this should sound to our contemporaries in words directly addressed to them, in a language that is simple and close to their perception. The translators of this edition of the New Testament and the Psalters have done their work with prayer and the hope that these sacred books in their translation will continue to support the spiritual life of readers of any age, helping them to understand the inspired Word and respond to it by faith.
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
Almost two years have passed since the "New Testament in modern Russian translation" was published at the Mozhaisk printing plant by order of the Dialog Educational Foundation. This edition was prepared by the Bible Translation Institute in Zaoksky. It was received warmly and with approval by readers who love the Word of God, readers of various confessions. The translation was met with considerable interest by those who were just getting acquainted with the primary source of Christian doctrine, the most famous part of the Bible, the New Testament. Just a few months after the publication of The New Testament in Modern Russian Translation, the entire circulation was sold out, and orders for publication continued to arrive. Encouraged by this, the Institute for Bible Translation in Zaoksky, whose main goal was and remains to promote the familiarization of compatriots with the Holy Scriptures, began to prepare the second edition of this Book. Of course, at the same time, we could not help but think that the translation of the New Testament prepared by the Institute, like any other translation of the Bible, needed to be checked and discussed with readers, and our preparations for a new edition began with this.
After the first edition, along with numerous positive reviews, the Institute received valuable constructive suggestions from attentive readers, including theologians and linguists, who prompted us to make the second edition as popular as possible, naturally, without compromising the accuracy of the translation. At the same time, we tried to solve such problems as: a thorough revision of the translation we had previously made; improvements, where necessary, of the stylistic plan and easy-to-read layout of the text. Therefore, in the new edition, in comparison with the previous one, there are significantly fewer footnotes (footnotes that had not so much practical as theoretical significance were removed). The previous letter designation of footnotes in the text is replaced by an asterisk to the word (expression) to which a note is given at the bottom of the page.
In this edition, in addition to the books of the New Testament, the Institute for Bible Translation publishes its new translation of the Psalms - the very book of the Old Testament that our Lord Jesus Christ so loved to read and often referred to during His life on earth. Over the centuries, thousands and thousands of Christians, as well as Jews, considered the Psalter to be the heart of the Bible, finding for themselves in this Book a source of joy, consolation and spiritual enlightenment.
The translation of the Psalter is taken from the standard scholarly edition Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Stuttgart, 1990). A.V. took part in the preparation of the translation. Bolotnikov, I.V. Lobanov, M.V. Opiyar, O.V. Pavlova, S.A. Romashko, V.V. Sergeev.
The Institute for Bible Translation brings to the attention of the widest circle of readers "The New Testament and the Psalter in a modern Russian translation" with due humility and at the same time with the confidence that God has more New World and truth, ready to illumine the reader of His holy words. We pray that, with the blessing of the Lord, this translation will serve as a means to that end.
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
The meeting with any new translation of the books of Holy Scripture gives rise to any serious reader a natural question about its necessity, justification and an equally natural desire to understand what can be expected from new translators. This circumstance dictates the following introductory lines.
The appearance of Christ in our world marked the beginning of a new era in the life of mankind. God entered history and established a deeply personal relationship with each of us, showing with obvious clarity that He is on our side and is doing everything possible to save us from evil and destruction. All this manifested itself in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The world was given in Him the ultimate possible revelation of God about Himself and about man. This revelation is striking in its grandeur: He who was seen by people as a simple carpenter, who ended his days on a shameful cross, created the whole world. His life did not begin in Bethlehem. No, He is "He Who was, Who is, Who is to come." This is hard to imagine.
And yet the most different people steadily came to believe it. They were discovering that Jesus is God who lived among them and for them. Soon the people of the new faith began to realize that He lives in themselves and that He has the answer to all their needs and aspirations. This meant that they acquire a new vision of the world, themselves and their future, a new, previously unknown experience of life.
Those who believed in Jesus were eager to share their faith with others, to tell everyone on earth about Him. These first ascetics, among whom were direct witnesses of the events, clothed the biography and teaching of Christ Jesus in a vivid, well-remembered form. They created the Gospels; in addition, they wrote letters (which became “messages” to us), sang songs, prayed, and recorded the divine revelation bestowed upon them. To a superficial observer it might seem that everything written about Christ by His first disciples and followers was by no means specially organized by anyone: it was all born more or less arbitrarily. For some fifty years, these texts amounted to a whole Book, which later received the name "New Testament".
In the process of creating and reading, collecting and organizing recorded materials, the first Christians, who experienced the great saving power of these sacred manuscripts, came to the clear conclusion that all their efforts were led, guided by Someone Mighty and Omniscient - the Holy Spirit of God Himself. They saw that there was nothing accidental in what they recorded, that all the documents that made up the New Testament are in a deep inner relationship. Boldly and resolutely, the first Christians could call and called the existing code "the Word of God."
A remarkable feature of the New Testament was that the entire text was written in simple, colloquial Greek, which at that time spread throughout the Mediterranean and became an international language. However, for the most part, "it was spoken by people who were not accustomed to it from childhood and therefore did not really feel the Greek words." In their practice, "it was a language without soil, a business, commercial, official language." Pointing to this state of affairs, the outstanding Christian thinker and writer of the 20th century K.S. Lewis adds: “Does this shock us?... I hope not; otherwise we should have been shocked by the Incarnation itself. The Lord humbled Himself when He became a baby in the arms of a peasant woman and an arrested preacher, and according to the same Divine plan, the word about Him sounded in the folk, everyday, everyday language. For this very reason, the early followers of Jesus, in their testimony of Him, in their preaching and in their translations of the Holy Scriptures, sought to convey the Good News about Christ in a simple language that was close to the people and understandable to them.
Happy are the peoples who have received the Holy Scripture in a worthy translation from the original languages into their native language that they can understand. They have this Book can be found in every, even the poorest family. Among such peoples, it became not only, in fact, a prayerful and pious, soul-saving reading, but also that family book that illuminated their entire spiritual world. Thus, the stability of society, its moral strength and even material well-being were created.
It pleased Providence that Russia should not be left without the Word of God. With great gratitude, we Russians honor the memory of Cyril and Methodius, who gave us the Holy Scripture in the Slavic language. We also preserve the reverent memory of the workers who introduced us to the Word of God through the so-called Synodal Translation, which to this day remains our most authoritative and best known. The point here is not so much in his philological or literary characteristics, but in the fact that he remained with Russian Christians in all the difficult times of the 20th century. In many respects, it was thanks to him that the Christian faith was not completely eradicated in Russia.
Synodal translation, however, with all its undoubted merits, is not considered quite satisfactory today due to its well-known (obvious not only for specialists) shortcomings. The natural changes that have taken place in our language over more than a century, and the long absence of religious enlightenment in our country, have made these shortcomings sharply palpable. The vocabulary and syntax of this translation are no longer accessible to direct, so to speak, "spontaneous" perception. The modern reader in many cases cannot do without dictionaries in his efforts to comprehend the meaning of certain formulas of the translation that was published in 1876. This circumstance responds, of course, to the rationalistic "cooling" of the perception of that text, which, being spiritually uplifting by its nature, must not only be understood, but also experienced by the whole being of a pious reader.
Of course, to make a perfect translation of the Bible "for all times", such a translation that would remain equally understandable and close to readers of an endless succession of generations, is impossible, as they say, by definition. And this is not only because the development of the language we speak is unstoppable, but also because over time, the very penetration into the spiritual treasures of the great Book becomes more and more complicated and enriched as more and more new approaches to them are discovered. This was rightly pointed out by Archpriest Alexander Men, who saw the meaning and even the need for an increase in the number of Bible translations. In particular, he wrote: “Today pluralism dominates the world practice of biblical translations. Recognizing that any translation is, to one degree or another, an interpretation of the original, translators use a variety of techniques and language settings ... This allows readers to experience different dimensions and shades of the text.
In line with this understanding of the problem, the staff of the Institute for Bible Translation, established in 1993 in Zaoksky, found it possible to make their own attempt to make a feasible contribution to the cause of familiarizing the Russian reader with the text of the New Testament. Driven by a high sense of responsibility for the cause to which they have devoted their knowledge and energy, the project participants have completed this translation of the New Testament into Russian from the original language, taking as a basis the widely accepted modern critical text of the original (4th revised edition of the United Bible Societies, Stuttgart , 1994). At the same time, on the one hand, the orientation towards Byzantine sources, characteristic of the Russian tradition, was taken into account, on the other hand, the achievements of modern textual criticism were taken into account.
The employees of the Zaoksky Translation Center, naturally, could not but take into account in their work foreign and domestic experience in translating the Bible. In keeping with the principles that govern Bible Societies around the world, the translation was originally conceived as free from confessional bias. In line with the philosophy of modern Bible Societies the most important requirements for the translation, fidelity to the original and the preservation of the form of the biblical message wherever possible were recognized, while being ready to sacrifice the letter of the text for the sake of an accurate transmission of the living meaning. At the same time, it was impossible, of course, not to go through those torments that are completely inevitable for any responsible translator of the Holy Scriptures. For the inspiration of the original obliged us to treat with reverence the very form of it. At the same time, in the course of their work, translators had to constantly convince themselves of the validity of the thought of the great Russian writers that only that translation can be considered adequate, which, first of all, correctly conveys the meaning and dynamics of the original. The desire of the staff of the Institute in Zaoksky to be as close as possible to the original coincided with what V.G. Belinsky: “Closness to the original does not consist in conveying the letter, but the spirit of creation ... The corresponding image, as well as the corresponding phrase, do not always consist in the apparent correspondence of words.” Looking back at other modern translations that convey the biblical text with severe literalness, forced to recall the well-known saying of A.S. Pushkin: "An interlinear translation can never be correct."
The Institute's team of translators at all stages of work was aware that no real translation can equally satisfy all the requirements of different readers, which are diverse in nature. Nevertheless, the translators strove for a result that could, on the one hand, satisfy those who turn to Scripture for the first time, and, on the other hand, satisfy those who, seeing the Word of God in the Bible, are engaged in its in-depth study.
In this translation, addressed to the modern reader, words, phrases and idioms that are in living circulation are mainly used. Obsolete and archaic words and expressions are allowed only to the extent that they are necessary to convey the color of the narrative and to adequately represent the semantic shades of the phrase. At the same time, it was found expedient to refrain from using sharply modern, fleeting vocabulary and the same syntax, so as not to violate that regularity, natural simplicity and organic majesty of presentation that distinguish the metaphysically non-futile text of Scripture.
The Bible message is of decisive importance for the salvation of every person and in general for his entire Christian life. This Message is not a mere report of facts, events, and a straightforward exposition of commandments. It is able to touch the human heart, induce the reader and listener to empathize, arouse in them the need for living and sincere repentance. Zaoksky's translators saw it as their task to convey such power of the biblical narrative.
In those cases when the meaning of individual words or expressions in the lists of books of the Bible that have come down to us does not lend itself, despite all efforts, to a certain reading, the reader is offered the most convincing, in the opinion of the translators, reading.
In striving for clarity and stylistic beauty of the text, translators introduce into it, when it is dictated by the context, words that are not in the original (they are marked in italics).
The footnotes offer the reader alternative meanings for individual words and phrases in the original.
To help the reader, the chapters of the biblical text are divided into separate semantic passages, which are supplied with subheadings typed in italics. While not part of the translated text, subheadings are not intended for oral reading or interpretation of Scripture.
Having completed their first attempt at translating the Bible into modern Russian, the employees of the Institute in Zaoksky intend to continue their search best practices and decisions in the transmission of the original text. Therefore, all those involved in the appearance of the completed translation will be grateful to our highly respected readers for any help they can provide with their comments, advice and suggestions aimed at improving the text now proposed for subsequent reprints.
The employees of the Institute are grateful to those who, during all the years of work on the translation of the New Testament, helped them with their prayers and advice. Especially should be noted here V.G. Vozdvizhensky, S.G. Mikushkina, I.A. Orlovskaya, S.A. Romashko and V.V. Sergeev.
The participation in the now implemented project of a number of Western colleagues and friends of the Institute, in particular, W. Ailes, D.R. Spangler and Dr. K.G. Hawkins.
For me personally, it was a great blessing to work on the published translation together with highly qualified employees who devoted themselves entirely to this matter, such as A.V. Bolotnikov, M.V. Boryabina, I.V. Lobanov and some others.
If the work done by the Institute's team helps someone in knowing our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, this will be the highest reward for everyone who was involved in this translation.
January 30, 2000
Director of the Institute for Bible Translation in Zaoksky Doctor of Theology M. P. Kulakov
EXPLANATIONS, SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS
This translation of the New Testament is made from the Greek text, mainly according to the 4th edition of the Greek New Testament (The Greek New Testament. 4th revision edition. Stuttgart, 1994). The translation of the Psalter was taken from the edition of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Stuttgart, 1990).
The Russian text of this translation is divided into semantic passages with subtitles. Italicized subheadings, which are not part of the text, are introduced to make it easier for the reader to find Right place in the proposed translation.
In small capital letters in the Psalter, the word "LORD" is written in those cases when this word conveys the name of God - Yahweh, written in Hebrew with four consonants (tetragrammaton). The word "Lord" in its usual spelling conveys another appeal (Adon or Adonai), used in relation to both God and people in the sense of "Lord", friend. transl.: Vladyka; see Dictionary Lord.
In square brackets words are concluded, the presence of which in the text of modern biblical studies is considered not fully proven.
In double square brackets words are concluded that modern biblical studies consider inserts into the text made in the first centuries.
Bold quotes from the books of the Old Testament are highlighted. At the same time, poetic passages are placed in the text with the necessary indents and breakdown in order to adequately represent the structure of the passage. A note at the bottom of the page indicates the address of the citation.
Words in italics are actually absent in the original text, but the inclusion of which seems justified, since they are implied in the development of the author's thought and help to clarify the meaning of the text.
An asterisk raised above the line after a word (phrase) indicates a note at the bottom of the page.
Individual footnotes are given with the following conventional abbreviations:
Letters.(literally): formally accurate translation. It is given in those cases when, for the sake of clarity and a more complete disclosure of the meaning in the main text, it is necessary to deviate from a formally accurate transmission. At the same time, the reader is given the opportunity to come closer to the original word or phrase and see conceivable translation options.
In the meaning(in meaning): is given when a word translated literally in the text requires, in the translator's opinion, an indication of its special semantic connotation in this context.
In some manuscripts(in some manuscripts): used when quoting textual variants in Greek manuscripts.
Greek(Greek): used when it is important to show which Greek word is used in the original text. The word is given in Russian transcription.
Ancient per.(ancient translations): used when it is necessary to show how a particular passage of the original was understood by ancient translations, possibly based on a different original text.
Friend. possible per.(another possible translation): is cited as yet another, albeit possible, but, in the opinion of the translators, less substantiated translation.
Friend. reading(other reading): is given when, with a different arrangement of signs denoting vowel sounds, or with a different sequence of letters, a reading is possible that is different from the original, but supported by other ancient translations.
Heb.(Hebrew): used when it is important to show which word is used in the original. It is often impossible to convey it adequately, without semantic losses, into Russian, so many modern translations introduce this word in transliteration into their native language.
Or: is used when a note gives a different, well-founded translation.
Some manuscripts are added(some manuscripts add): is given when a number of copies of the New Testament or Psalms, not included in the corpus of the text by modern critical editions, contain an addition to what was written, which, most often, is included in the Synodal translation.
Some manuscripts are omitted(some manuscripts are omitted): it is given when a number of copies of the New Testament or the Psalms, not included in the corpus of the text by modern critical editions, do not contain an addition to what was written, but in some cases this addition is included in the Synodal translation.
Masoretic text: text accepted as the main one for translation; a footnote is given when, for a number of textological reasons: the meaning of the word is unknown, the original text is corrupted - in translation, one has to deviate from the literal transmission.
TR(textus receptus) - an edition of the Greek text of the New Testament, prepared by Erasmus of Rotterdam in 1516, based on lists of the last centuries of the existence of the Byzantine Empire. Until the 19th century this edition served as the basis for a number of well-known translations.
LXX- Septuagint, translation of the Holy Scriptures (Old Testament) into Greek, made in the III-II centuries. BC References to this translation are given according to the 27th edition of Nestle-Aland (Nestle-Aland. Novum Testamentum Graece. 27. revidierte Auflage 1993. Stuttgart).
ABBREVIATIONS USED
OLD TESTAMENT (OT)
Life - Genesis
Exodus - Exodus
Leo - Leviticus
Number - Numbers
Deut - Deuteronomy
Is Nav - Book of Joshua
1 Kings - First Book of Kings
2 Kings - 2 Kings
1 Kings - 1st Book of Kings
2 Kings - Fourth Book of Kings
1 Chron - First Book of Chronicles
2 Chron - Second Book of Chronicles
Job - Book of Job
Ps - Psalter
Proverbs - Book of Proverbs of Solomon
Eccles - The Book of Ecclesiastes, or Preacher (Ecclesiastes)
Isaiah - The Book of the Prophet Isaiah
Jer - The Book of Jeremiah
Lamentations - Book of Lamentations of Jeremiah
Ezek - The Book of Ezekiel
Dan - Book of Daniel
Os - Book of the Prophet Hosea
Joel - The Book of the Prophet Joel
Am - The Book of the Prophet Amos
Jonah - Book of Jonah
Micah - The Book of Micah
Nahum - The Book of the Prophet Nahum
Avv - The book of the prophet Habakkuk
Haggai - The Book of the Prophet Haggai
Zech - The Book of Zechariah
Mal - The Book of the Prophet Malachi
NEW TESTAMENT (NT)
Matthew - Gospel according to Matthew (From Matthew the gospel)
Mk - The gospel according to Mark (From Mark the holy gospel)
Luke - Gospel according to Luke (From Luke the holy gospel)
Jn - Gospel according to John (From John the holy gospel)
Acts - Acts of the Apostles
Rome - Epistle to the Romans
1 Corinthians - First Epistle to the Corinthians
2 Corinthians - Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Galatians - Epistle to the Galatians
Eph - Epistle to the Ephesians
Php - Epistle to the Philippians
Col - Epistle to the Colossians
1 Thess - First Epistle to the Thessalonians
2 Thess - Second Epistle to the Thessalonians
1 Timothy - First Epistle to Timothy
2 Tim - 2 Timothy
Titus - Epistle to Titus
Heb - Epistle to the Hebrews
James - The Epistle of James
1 Peter - First Epistle of Peter
2 Peter - Second Epistle of Peter
1 Jn - First Epistle of John
Revelation - Revelation of John the Evangelist (Apocalypse)
OTHER ABBREVIATIONS
app. - apostle
aram. - Aramaic
V. (centuries) - century (centuries)
g - gram
year(s) - year(s)
ch. - chapter
Greek - Greek language)
others - ancient
heb. - Hebrew (language)
km - kilometer
l - liter
m - meter
note - note
R.H. - Nativity
Rome. - Roman
Syn. per. - Synodal translation
cm - centimeter
see - see
Art. - poem
cf. - compare
those. - that is
t. - so-called
h - hour
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31-33 These parables speak of the gradual, progressive growth of the Kingdom of God, which imperceptibly has already appeared among people: in the parable of the mustard seed - about its external development, in the parable of the leaven - about its internal grace-filled power that transforms the world. "Mustard seed" - the Greek word "synapse" could refer to certain types of shrubs, the grains of which were used as a seasoning.
1. The Evangelist Matthew (which means “gift of God”) was one of the Twelve Apostles (Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13). Luke (Lk 5:27) calls him Levi, and Mark (Mk 2:14) calls him Levi of Alpheus, i.e. son of Alpheus: it is known that some Jews had two names (for example, Joseph Barnabas or Joseph Caiaphas). Matthew was a tax collector (collector) at the Capernaum customs house, located on the coast of the Sea of Galilee (Mk 2:13-14). Apparently, he was in the service not of the Romans, but of the tetrarch (ruler) of Galilee - Herod Antipas. Matthew's profession required knowledge of the Greek language from him. The future evangelist is depicted in Scripture as a sociable person: many friends gathered in his Capernaum house. This exhausts the data of the New Testament about the person whose name is in the title of the first Gospel. According to legend, after the Ascension of Jesus Christ, he preached the Good News to the Jews in Palestine.
2. Around 120, the disciple of the Apostle John Papias of Hierapolis testifies: “Matthew wrote down the sayings of the Lord (Logia Cyriacus) in Hebrew (Hebrew here should be understood as the Aramaic dialect), and he translated them as best he could” (Eusebius, Church History, III.39). The term Logia (and the corresponding Hebrew dibrei) means not only sayings, but also events. Papias' message repeats ca. 170 St. Irenaeus of Lyons, emphasizing that the evangelist wrote for Jewish Christians (Against Heresies. III.1.1.). The historian Eusebius (4th century) writes that “Matthew, having first preached to the Jews, and then, intending to go to others, expounded in the native language the Gospel, now known under his name” (Church History, III.24). According to most modern scholars, this Aramaic Gospel (Logia) appeared between the 40s and 50s. Probably, Matthew made the first notes when he accompanied the Lord.
The original Aramaic text of the Gospel of Matthew has been lost. We have only the Greek translation, apparently made between the 70s and 80s. Its antiquity is confirmed by the mention in the works of "Apostolic Men" (St. Clement of Rome, St. Ignatius the God-bearer, St. Polycarp). Historians believe that the Greek Ev. from Matt arose in Antioch, where, along with Jewish Christians, large groups of Gentile Christians first appeared.
3. Text Ev. from Matthew indicates that its author was a Palestinian Jew. He is well acquainted with the OT, with the geography, history and customs of his people. His Ev. is closely related to the OT tradition: in particular, it constantly points to the fulfillment of prophecies in the life of the Lord.
Matthew speaks more often than others about the Church. He devotes considerable attention to the question of the conversion of the Gentiles. Of the prophets, Matthew quotes Isaiah the most (21 times). At the center of Matthew's theology is the concept of the Kingdom of God (which, in accordance with Jewish tradition, he usually calls the Kingdom of Heaven). It resides in heaven, and comes to this world in the person of the Messiah. The gospel of the Lord is the gospel of the mystery of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:11). It means the reign of God among people. In the beginning, the Kingdom is present in the world "in an inconspicuous way", and only at the end of time will its fullness be revealed. The coming of the Kingdom of God was foretold in the OT and realized in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Therefore, Matthew often calls Him the Son of David (one of the messianic titles).
4. Plan MF: 1. Prologue. Birth and childhood of Christ (Mt 1-2); 2. Baptism of the Lord and the beginning of the sermon (Mt 3-4); 3. Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7); 4. Ministry of Christ in Galilee. Miracles. Those who accepted and rejected Him (Mt 8-18); 5. The road to Jerusalem (Mt 19-25); 6. Passion. Resurrection (Mt 26-28).
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Holy Scriptures of the New Testament were written in Greek, with the exception of the Gospel of Matthew, which is said to have been written in Hebrew or Aramaic. But since this Hebrew text has not survived, the Greek text is considered the original for the Gospel of Matthew. Thus, only the Greek text of the New Testament is the original, and numerous editions in various modern languages around the world are translations from the Greek original.
The Greek language in which the New Testament was written was no longer the classical Greek language and was not, as previously thought, a special New Testament language. This is the colloquial everyday language of the first century A.D., spread in the Greco-Roman world and known in science under the name "κοινη", i.e. "common speech"; yet the style, and turns of speech, and way of thinking of the sacred writers of the New Testament reveal the Hebrew or Aramaic influence.
The original text of the NT has come down to us in a large number of ancient manuscripts, more or less complete, numbering about 5000 (from the 2nd to the 16th century). Before recent years the most ancient of them did not go back beyond the 4th century no P.X. But lately, many fragments of ancient manuscripts of the NT on papyrus (3rd and even 2nd c) have been discovered. So, for example, Bodmer's manuscripts: Ev from John, Luke, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude - were found and published in the 60s of our century. In addition to Greek manuscripts, we have ancient translations or versions into Latin, Syriac, Coptic and other languages (Vetus Itala, Peshitto, Vulgata, etc.), of which the oldest existed already from the 2nd century AD.
Finally, numerous quotations from the Church Fathers in Greek and other languages have been preserved in such quantity that if the text of the New Testament were lost and all ancient manuscripts were destroyed, then specialists could restore this text from quotations from the works of the Holy Fathers. All this abundant material makes it possible to check and refine the text of the NT and classify it. various forms(the so-called textual criticism). Compared with any ancient author (Homer, Euripides, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Cornelius Nepos, Julius Caesar, Horace, Virgil, etc.), our modern - printed - Greek text of the NT is in an exceptionally favorable position. And by the number of manuscripts, and by the brevity of time separating the oldest of them from the original, and by the number of translations, and by their antiquity, and by the seriousness and volume of critical work carried out on the text, it surpasses all other texts (for details, see "The Hidden Treasures and new life”, Archaeological Discoveries and the Gospel, Bruges, 1959, pp. 34 ff.). The text of the NT as a whole is fixed quite irrefutably.
The New Testament consists of 27 books. They are subdivided by the publishers into 260 chapters of unequal length for the purpose of providing references and citations. The original text does not contain this division. The modern division into chapters in the New Testament, as in the whole Bible, has often been ascribed to the Dominican Cardinal Hugh (1263), who elaborated it in his symphony to the Latin Vulgate, but it is now thought with great reason that this division goes back to Stephen the Archbishop of Canterbury. Langton, who died in 1228. As for the division into verses now accepted in all editions of the New Testament, it goes back to the publisher of the Greek New Testament text, Robert Stephen, and was introduced by him into his edition in 1551.
The sacred books of the New Testament are usually divided into statutory (Four Gospels), historical (Acts of the Apostles), teaching (seven conciliar epistles and fourteen epistles of the Apostle Paul) and prophetic: the Apocalypse or Revelation of St. John the Theologian (see the Long Catechism of St. Philaret of Moscow).
However, modern experts consider this distribution outdated: in fact, all the books of the New Testament are law-positive, historical, and instructive, and there is prophecy not only in the Apocalypse. New Testament Science Converts great attention on the exact establishment of the chronology of the gospel and other New Testament events. Scientific chronology allows the reader to follow the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles and the original Church according to the New Testament with sufficient accuracy (see Appendixes).
The books of the New Testament can be distributed as follows:
1) Three so-called Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and, separately, the fourth: the Gospel of John. New Testament scholarship devotes much attention to the study of the relationship of the first three Gospels and their relation to the Gospel of John (the synoptic problem).
2) The Book of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of the Apostle Paul ("Corpus Paulinum"), which are usually divided into:
a) Early Epistles: 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
b) Greater Epistles: Galatians, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Romans.
c) Messages from bonds, i.e. written from Rome, where ap. Paul was in prison: Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon.
d) Pastoral Epistles: 1st to Timothy, to Titus, 2nd to Timothy.
e) The Epistle to the Hebrews.
3) Catholic Epistles ("Corpus Catholicum").
4) Revelation of John the Theologian. (Sometimes in the NT they single out "Corpus Joannicum", i.e. everything that ap Ying wrote for a comparative study of his Gospel in connection with his epistles and the book of Rev.).
FOUR GOSPEL
1. The word "gospel" (ευανγελιον) in Greek means "good news". This is how our Lord Jesus Christ Himself called His teaching (Mt 24:14; Mt 26:13; Mk 1:15; Mk 13:10; Mk 14:9; Mk 16:15). Therefore, for us, the "gospel" is inextricably linked with Him: it is the "good news" of salvation given to the world through the incarnate Son of God.
Christ and His apostles preached the gospel without writing it down. By the middle of the 1st century, this sermon had been fixed by the Church in a strong oral tradition. The Eastern custom of memorizing sayings, stories, and even large texts by heart helped the Christians of the apostolic age to accurately preserve the unwritten First Gospel. After the 1950s, when eyewitnesses to Christ's earthly ministry began to pass away one by one, the need arose to record the gospel (Luke 1:1). Thus, the “gospel” began to denote the narrative recorded by the apostles about the life and teachings of the Savior. It was read at prayer meetings and in preparing people for baptism.
2. The most important Christian centers of the 1st century (Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Ephesus, etc.) had their own gospels. Of these, only four (Mt, Mk, Lk, Jn) are recognized by the Church as inspired by God, i.e. written under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit. They are called "from Matthew", "from Mark", etc. (Greek “kata” corresponds to Russian “according to Matthew”, “according to Mark”, etc.), for the life and teachings of Christ are set forth in these books by these four priests. Their gospels were not brought together in one book, which made it possible to see the gospel story from different points of view. In the 2nd century, St. Irenaeus of Lyon calls the evangelists by name and points to their gospels as the only canonical ones (Against Heresies 2, 28, 2). Tatian, a contemporary of Irenaeus, made the first attempt to create a unified gospel story, compiled from various texts of the four gospels, "Diatessaron", i.e. gospel of four.
3. The apostles did not set themselves the goal of creating a historical work in the modern sense of the word. They sought to spread the teachings of Jesus Christ, helped people to believe in Him, correctly understand and fulfill His commandments. The testimonies of the evangelists do not coincide in all details, which proves their independence from each other: the testimonies of eyewitnesses are always individual in color. The Holy Spirit does not certify the accuracy of the details of the facts described in the gospel, but the spiritual meaning contained in them.
The insignificant contradictions encountered in the presentation of the evangelists are explained by the fact that God gave the clergymen complete freedom in the transfer of certain concrete facts in relation to different categories of listeners, which further emphasizes the unity of meaning and direction of all four gospels (see also General Introduction, pp. 13 and 14).
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33 (Luke 13:20,21) It is usually thought - and this opinion is correct - that in the previous parables the external growth of the Kingdom of Heaven is depicted - under the images of the seed, and the obstacles to its spread - under the image of the tares. In the parable, verse 33 and later, the internal strength and influence on the people of the kingdom, its internal growth, are depicted. First of all, this is depicted as leaven, which a woman, in order to bake bread, put in three measures of flour. The image is so ordinary and familiar to everyone that it does not need an explanation. "Three measures" = three sats (σάτα τρία). Sata is a Jewish measure (otherwise cea), constituting one Jewish efu, equal to one and a half Roman modia \u003d fourfold, according to the old Talmudic definition, such a measure in which 432 eggs could be put.
34 (Mark 4:33,34) In Mark it is stated as follows: “and with such many parables he preached the word to them, as much as they could hear. He did not speak to them without a parable; but he explained everything to his disciples in private. Instead of "didn't tell them", as in Russian (οὐκ ἐλάλει), some, on the basis of the advantages. Syn. and B, read: did not say anything to them (οὐδὲν ἐλάλει). Even if we accept this last reading, then in this case the denial can be considered not absolute, but relative, and it means that at that time, or usually, Jesus Christ did not say anything without a parable, but not always. If anyone would like to accept this negation in an absolute sense, then he would have to understand by παραβολή, in a broader sense, generally mysterious, enigmatic speech. To the crowd, impervious to higher truths, Jesus Christ always spoke enigmatically. He was never completely clear to her.
35 In the inscription of the 77th psalm, from which this testimony is taken, the name of Asaph appears. Both Asaph and others, along with David, were called prophets. IN 2 Chronicles 29:30 Asaph in Hebrew is called ha-hoze, and LXX translate this word through ὁ προφήτης: according to the best readings in the original, instead of "prophet" - "prophet Isaiah" (erroneously?).
Gospel
The word "Gospel" (τὸ εὐαγγέλιον) in classical Greek was used to designate: a) the reward given to the messenger of joy (τῷ εὐαγγέλῳ), b) the sacrifice sacrificed on the occasion of receiving some kind of good news or a holiday made on the same occasion and c) the good news itself. In the New Testament, this expression means:
a) the good news that Christ accomplished the reconciliation of people with God and brought us the greatest blessings - mainly establishing the Kingdom of God on earth ( Matt. 4:23),
b) the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, preached by Himself and His apostles about Him as the King of this Kingdom, the Messiah and the Son of God ( 2 Cor. 4:4),
c) all New Testament or Christian teaching in general, primarily the narrative of events from the life of Christ, the most important ( 1 Cor. 15:1-4), and then an explanation of the meaning of these events ( Rome. 1:16).
e) Finally, the word "Gospel" is sometimes used to refer to the very process of preaching the Christian doctrine ( Rome. 1:1).
Sometimes the designation and content of it is attached to the word "Gospel". There are, for example, phrases: the gospel of the kingdom ( Matt. 4:23), i.e. joyful tidings of the kingdom of God, the gospel of peace ( Eph. 6:15), i.e. about the world, the gospel of salvation ( Eph. 1:13), i.e. about salvation, etc. Sometimes the genitive following the word "Gospel" means the originator or source of the good news ( Rome. 1:1, 15:16 ; 2 Cor. 11:7; 1 Thess. 2:8) or the identity of the preacher ( Rome. 2:16).
For quite a long time, stories about the life of the Lord Jesus Christ were transmitted only orally. The Lord Himself left no record of His words and deeds. In the same way, the 12 apostles were not born writers: they were "unlearned and simple people" ( Acts. 4:13), although they are literate. Among the Christians of the apostolic time there were also very few "wise according to the flesh, strong" and "noble" ( 1 Cor. 1:26), and for the majority of believers, oral stories about Christ were much more important than written ones. Thus the apostles and preachers or evangelists "transmitted" (παραδιδόναι) stories about the deeds and speeches of Christ, while the believers "received" (παραλαμβάνειν), but, of course, not mechanically, only by memory, as can be said about the students of rabbinic schools, but whole soul, as if something living and giving life. But soon this period of oral tradition was to end. On the one hand, Christians must have felt the need for a written presentation of the Gospel in their disputes with the Jews, who, as is known, denied the reality of the miracles of Christ and even claimed that Christ did not declare Himself the Messiah. It was necessary to show the Jews that Christians have authentic stories about Christ of those persons who were either among His apostles, or who were in close communion with eyewitnesses of Christ's deeds. On the other hand, the need for a written presentation of the history of Christ began to be felt because the generation of the first disciples was gradually dying out and the ranks of direct witnesses of the miracles of Christ were thinning out. Therefore, it was necessary to fix in writing individual sayings of the Lord and His whole speeches, as well as the stories about Him of the apostles. It was then that separate records of what was reported in the oral tradition about Christ began to appear here and there. Most carefully they wrote down the words of Christ, which contained the rules of the Christian life, and were much freer in the transfer of various events from the life of Christ, retaining only their general impression. Thus, one thing in these records, due to its originality, was transmitted everywhere in the same way, while the other was modified. These initial notes did not think about the completeness of the narrative. Even our Gospels, as can be seen from the conclusion of the Gospel of John ( In. 21:25), did not intend to report all the words and deeds of Christ. This is evident, among other things, from what is not included in them, for example, such a saying of Christ: “it is more blessed to give than to receive” ( Acts. 20:35). The Evangelist Luke reports such records, saying that many before him had already begun to compose narratives about the life of Christ, but that they did not have the proper fullness and that therefore they did not give sufficient "confirmation" in the faith ( OK. 1:1-4).
Evidently, our canonical gospels arose from the same motives. The period of their appearance can be determined at about thirty years - from 60 to 90 (the last was the Gospel of John). The first three gospels are usually called synoptic in biblical science, because they depict the life of Christ in such a way that their three narratives can be easily viewed in one and combined into one whole narrative (forecasters - from Greek - looking together). They began to be called gospels each separately, perhaps as early as the end of the 1st century, but from church writing we have information that such a name was given to the entire composition of the gospels only in the second half of the 2nd century. As for the names: “The Gospel of Matthew”, “The Gospel of Mark”, etc., then these very ancient names from Greek should be translated as follows: “The Gospel according to Matthew”, “The Gospel according to Mark” (κατὰ Ματθαῖον, κατὰ Μᾶρκον). By this, the Church wanted to say that in all the Gospels there is a single Christian gospel about Christ the Savior, but according to the images of different writers: one image belongs to Matthew, the other to Mark, etc.
four gospel
Thus the ancient Church looked upon the depiction of the life of Christ in our four gospels, not as different gospels or narratives, but as one gospel, one book in four forms. That is why in the Church the name of the Four Gospels was established behind our Gospels. Saint Irenaeus called them "the fourfold Gospel" (τετράμορφον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον - see Irenaeus Lugdunensis, Adversus haereses liber 3, ed. A. Rousseau and L. Doutreleaü Irenée Lyon. Contre les hérésies, livre 3, vol 2, Paris, 1974, 11, 11).
The Fathers of the Church dwell on the question: why did the Church accept not one gospel, but four? So St. John Chrysostom says: “Is it really impossible for one evangelist to write everything that is needed. Of course, he could, but when four people wrote, they did not write at the same time, not in the same place, without communicating or conspiring among themselves, and for all that they wrote in such a way that everything seemed to be pronounced by one mouth, then this is the strongest proof of the truth. You will say: "However, the opposite happened, for the four Gospels are often convicted in disagreement." This is the very sign of truth. For if the Gospels were exactly in agreement with each other in everything, even regarding the very words, then none of the enemies would believe that the Gospels were not written by ordinary mutual agreement. Now, a slight disagreement between them frees them from all suspicion. For what they say differently about time or place does not in the least impair the truth of their narration. In the main thing, which is the foundation of our life and the essence of preaching, not one of them disagrees with the other in anything and nowhere - that God became a man, worked miracles, was crucified, resurrected, ascended into heaven. ("Conversations on the Gospel of Matthew", 1).
Saint Irenaeus also finds a special symbolic meaning in the quaternary number of our Gospels. “Since there are four parts of the world in which we live, and since the Church is scattered throughout the earth and has its affirmation in the Gospel, it was necessary for her to have four pillars, from everywhere emanating incorruption and reviving the human race. The all-arranging Word, seated on the Cherubim, gave us the Gospel in four forms, but imbued with one spirit. For David also, praying for His appearance, says: "Seated on the Cherubim, reveal Yourself" ( Ps. 79:2). But the Cherubim (in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel and the Apocalypse) have four faces, and their faces are images of the activity of the Son of God. Saint Irenaeus finds it possible to attach the symbol of a lion to the Gospel of John, since this Gospel depicts Christ as the eternal King, and the lion is the king in the animal world; to the Gospel of Luke - the symbol of the calf, since Luke begins his Gospel with the image of the priestly service of Zechariah, who slaughtered the calves; to the Gospel of Matthew - a symbol of a person, since this Gospel mainly depicts the human birth of Christ, and, finally, to the Gospel of Mark - a symbol of an eagle, because Mark begins his Gospel with a mention of the prophets, to whom the Holy Spirit flew, like an eagle on wings "(Irenaeus Lugdunensis, Adversus haereses, liber 3, 11, 11-22). In other Church Fathers, the symbols of the lion and calf are moved and the first is given to Mark, and the second to John. Starting from the 5th c. in this form, the symbols of the evangelists began to join the images of the four evangelists in church painting.
Reciprocity of the Gospels
Each of the four Gospels has its own characteristics, and most of all - the Gospel of John. But the first three, as already mentioned above, have extremely much in common with each other, and this similarity involuntarily catches the eye even with a cursory reading of them. Let us first of all speak of the similarity of the Synoptic Gospels and the causes of this phenomenon.
Even Eusebius of Caesarea in his "canons" divided the Gospel of Matthew into 355 parts and noted that all three forecasters have 111 of them. IN modern times exegetes worked out an even more precise numerical formula for determining the similarity of the Gospels and calculated that the total number of verses common to all weather forecasters goes up to 350. Matthew then has 350 verses peculiar only to him, Mark has 68 such verses, and Luke has 541. Similarities are mainly seen in the transmission of the sayings of Christ, and differences - in the narrative part. When Matthew and Luke literally converge in their Gospels, Mark always agrees with them. The similarity between Luke and Mark is much closer than between Luke and Matthew (Lopukhin - in the Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia. T. V. C. 173). It is also remarkable that some passages of all three evangelists go in the same sequence, for example, the temptation and speech in Galilee, the calling of Matthew and the conversation about fasting, the plucking of ears and the healing of the withered hand, the calming of the storm and the healing of the demoniac of Gadarene, etc. The similarity sometimes extends even to the construction of sentences and expressions (for example, in the citation of the prophecy Mal. 3:1).
As for the differences observed among weather forecasters, there are quite a few of them. Others are reported only by two evangelists, others even by one. So, only Matthew and Luke cite the conversation on the mount of the Lord Jesus Christ, tell the story of the birth and the first years of Christ's life. One Luke speaks of the birth of John the Baptist. Other things one evangelist conveys in a more abbreviated form than another, or in a different connection than another. The details of the events in each Gospel are different, as well as the expressions.
This phenomenon of similarity and difference in the Synoptic Gospels has long attracted the attention of interpreters of Scripture, and various assumptions have long been put forward to explain this fact. More correct is the opinion that our three evangelists used a common oral source for their narrative of the life of Christ. At that time, evangelists or preachers about Christ went everywhere preaching and repeated in different places in more or less extensive form what it was considered necessary to offer to those who entered the Church. In this way a well-known definite type was formed oral gospel, and this is the type we have in writing in our Synoptic Gospels. Of course, at the same time, depending on the goal that this or that evangelist had, his gospel took on some special features, only characteristic of his work. At the same time, one cannot rule out the possibility that an older gospel might have been known to the evangelist who wrote later. At the same time, the difference between synoptics should be explained by the different goals that each of them had in mind when writing his Gospel.
As we have already said, the synoptic gospels are very different from the gospel of John the Theologian. Thus they depict almost exclusively the activity of Christ in Galilee, while the apostle John depicts mainly the sojourn of Christ in Judea. In regard to content, the synoptic gospels also differ considerably from the gospel of John. They give, so to speak, a more external image of the life, deeds and teachings of Christ, and from the speeches of Christ they cite only those that were accessible to the understanding of the whole people. John, on the contrary, omits a lot of the activities of Christ, for example, he cites only six miracles of Christ, but those speeches and miracles that he cites have a special deep meaning and extreme importance about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, while the synoptics portray Christ primarily as the founder of the kingdom of God and therefore direct their readers' attention to the kingdom he founded, John draws our attention to the central point of this kingdom, from which life flows along the peripheries of the kingdom, i.e. on the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, whom John depicts as the Only Begotten Son of God and as the Light for all mankind. That is why the ancient interpreters called the Gospel of John predominantly spiritual (πνευματικόν), in contrast to synoptic ones, as depicting a predominantly human side in the person of Christ (εὐαγγέλιον σωματικόν), i.e. bodily gospel.
However, it must be said that weather forecasters also have passages that indicate that, as weather forecasters, the activity of Christ in Judea was known ( Matt. 23:37, 27:57 ; OK. 10:38-42), so John has indications of the continuous activity of Christ in Galilee. In the same way, weather forecasters convey such sayings of Christ, which testify to His divine dignity ( Matt. 11:27), and John, for his part, also in places depicts Christ as a true man ( In. 2 etc.; John 8 and etc.). Therefore, one cannot speak of any contradiction between the synoptics and John in the depiction of the face and deed of Christ.
Reliability of the Gospels
Although criticism has long been expressed against the authenticity of the Gospels, and recently these attacks of criticism have become especially intensified (the theory of myths, especially the theory of Drews, who does not at all recognize the existence of Christ), however, all objections of criticism are so insignificant that they are shattered at the slightest collision with Christian apologetics. . Here, however, we will not cite the objections of negative criticism and analyze these objections: this will be done when interpreting the text of the Gospels itself. We will only talk about the most important common grounds according to which we recognize the Gospels as completely reliable documents. This is, firstly, the existence of the tradition of eyewitnesses, of whom many survived until the era when our Gospels appeared. Why should we refuse to trust these sources of our gospels? Could they have made up everything that is in our gospels? No, all the Gospels are purely historical. Secondly, it is incomprehensible why the Christian consciousness would want - so the mythical theory asserts - to crown the head of a simple rabbi Jesus with the crown of the Messiah and the Son of God? Why, for example, is it not said about the Baptist that he performed miracles? Obviously because he did not create them. And from this it follows that if Christ is said to be the Great Wonderworker, then it means that He really was like that. And why could one deny the authenticity of the miracles of Christ, since the highest miracle - His Resurrection - is witnessed like no other event ancient history(cm. 1 Cor. 15)?
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When Jesus happened to speak to wise scribes who thought they knew everything about God, He used the same words and arguments as they did. When did he teach ordinary people then spoke to them in parables, explaining the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Those who give themselves the trouble to think will see how eternal truths are revealed in these parables. Each parable depicts something in a way that helps us learn more about the Kingdom of God.
I'll tell you what it can be likened to, Jesus once said. - The kingdom of God is like the leaven that a woman puts into the dough when she makes bread.
Everyone nodded in understanding. The women who stood in the crowd near Jesus baked bread every day, and the children helped them. Every man in his childhood saw how his mother makes bread.
You certainly know how it is done,” Jesus continued. - The woman takes some leaven and puts it in a large pot of dough. After a while, an amazing thing happens. The dough begins to ferment, and then rises, and it becomes twice as much as it was. The same is true of the Kingdom of God, until a time hidden from people. You may not notice how the Lord is doing, but life will change completely, and the Kingdom of God will grow and rise, driven by the power of God.