New Testament Textual Criticism

The discovery of the Bar Kokhba letters in the Judean Desert has provided invaluable insights into the structural, organizational, and administrative aspects of the shortlived state under the leadership of Shimʿon Bar Kosiba (132-135/6 ce). Numerous documents in this collection address the observance of religious commandments; two letters, P.Yadin 50 (= 5/6Ḥev 50) and Mur 44, specifically emphasize the observance of the Sabbath. The purpose of this study is to show that these letters not only underscore the meticulousness of Bar Kosiba and his followers concerning religious matters associated with the Sabbath, but also shed light on the difficulties of adhering to its observance amidst wartime circumstances. Drawing on an analysis of these letters, alongside literary sources and archaeological discoveries related to the Second Revolt, the article also investigates the likely position of Bar Kosiba's adherents on this complex issue.

Hebrews uses the exact form Paul identifies in 2 Thessalonians.-3. Addressing Style Objections Critics argue Hebrews' style is more polished than Paul's other letters and lacks a personal introduction. Possible explanations: Paul may have used a skilled secretary (amanuensis). Hebrews was written for Jewish Christians, requiring a different style.

This paper presents a critical analysis of a 2016 debate featuring Muslim apologist Dr. Zakir Naik, focusing on his arguments against the divinity of Jesus Christ. The study examines Dr. Naik's specific claims, including the alleged interpolation of the prologue of John's Gospel (John 1:1-18) by the philosopher Philo and his subsequent interpretation of John 1:1.

The paper refutes these assertions through a two-fold approach. First, it addresses the historical claim of interpolation by demonstrating the chronological inconsistencies between Philo's life and the established dating of the Gospel. Second, it conducts a grammatical and exegetical analysis of the original Greek text of John 1:1 to reveal the errors in Dr. Naik's translation and interpretation.

Furthermore, the paper evaluates Dr. Naik's apologetical methodology during the debate. As a counter-position, it defends the doctrine of Christ's divinity by citing and explaining key passages from the Gospel of John. The analysis concludes that Dr. Naik's arguments are factually and linguistically unsound, thereby reaffirming the biblical basis for the divinity of Christ as presented in the Johannine literature.

ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი ჰუმანიტარულ მეცნიერებათა ფაკულტეტი ილია ცეცხლაძე ათანასე ალექსანდრიელის ჰომილიის -"აღწერისათჳს ღმრთისმშობელისა და იოსებისა" -ძველი ქართული თარგმანი (ტექსტი, გამოკვლევა და ლექსიკონი) სამაგისტრო პროგრამა: ბერძნულ-რომაული ფილოლოგია ნაშრომი შესრულებულია ბიზანტიური ფილოლოგიის მაგისტრის აკადემიური ხარისხის მოსაპოვებლად ნაშრომის ხელმძღვანელები: თინათინ დოლიძე თსუ პროფესორი თამარ ოთხმეზური ფილოლოგიის მეცნიერებათა დოქტორი თბილისი 2022 ანოტაცია სამაგისტრო ნაშრომი ეძღვნება წმიდა ათანასე ალექსანრიელის ერთ-ერთი ეგზეგეტიკური ხასიათის ჰომილიის -"აღწერისათვის ღმრთისმშობელისა და იოსებისა" -კვლევას, მასთან დაკავშირებულ ისტორიულ-ტექსტოლოგიურ, შინაარსობრივ პრობლემატიკას, ბერძნულ დედანთან შედარებასა და საღმრთისმეტყველო საკითხების ანალიზს. აღნიშნულ ჰომილიაში ლუკას სახარების მეორე თავის 1-7 მუხლებია განმარტებული და ლიტურგიკულად ქრისტეშობის წინა დღის საკითხავს წარმოადგენს. ეს მაღალმხატვრული ჰომილია ქართულად ეფრემ მცირეს გადმოუღია. თარგმანმა ჩვენამდე ოცი ნუსხით მოაღწია. წინამდებარე ნაშრომში ტექსტი დადგენილია ექვი უძველესი ხელნაწერის მიხედვით, რომელთაგან S-1276 უძველესია (XI საუკუნის მეორე ნახევარი) და ეფრემ მცირის ავტოგრაფს შეიცავს. ნაშრომის ორი ნაწილისგან შედგება: პირველ თავში წარმოდგენილია ჰომილიასთან დაკავშირებული ისტორიულ ტექსტოლოგიური საკითხების კვლევა, ხოლო მეორეში ქართული თარგმანის ბერძნულთან შედარების შედეგებია ასახული. გამოკვლევის ბოლოს, ექვსი ხელნაწერისა და მათი ბერძნულთან შედერების შედეგად კრიტიკულად დადგენილი, სამეცნიერო აპარატის მქონე ტექსტი და ძირითადი ტერმინოლოგიის ამსახველი ძველბერძნულ-ძველქართული ლექსიკონია წარმოდგენილი.

The Roman general Vespasian is regarded as a military genius of low origins who put down the revolt in Judea to bring a measure of peace to the Roman Empire. But evidence has been provided by the late Guy Edward Farquhar Chilver, Professor of Classical Studies, showing Vespasian’s revolt and rise did not begin with undisciplined and dissatisfied soldiers, as claimed in The Jewish War, but was orchestrated from the top.  A large part of his success was due to the support he received from members of the Herodian royal family (Agrippa II and his sister Berenice) and a man called Tiberius Julius Alexander. The investigation here expands on the above argument and the evidence will show that Vespasian was not of low origins but was in fact of royal Herodian blood.

2. Even this is changing, as online collections like the Internet Archive <archive.org> continually add digitized versions of these resources, which are available for users to rent or download freely. In this essay, rather than printing full URL links to the various sources, the shortest possible reference to the site is given within angle brackets "< >" and excludes the typical "". Where clarification is needed, the title of the subpage will be specified.

Die Behandlung der griechischen Konjunk5on ὅτι in den ältesten lateinischen Übersetzungen des Markusevangeliums. Ein Beitrag zur Frage der altlateinischen Übersetzungstechnik" ["The Treatment of the Greek Conjunc9on ὅτι in the earliest La9n Transla9ons of the Gospel of Mark. A Contribu9on to the Ques9on of Old La9n Transla9on Technique"]

In recent years, discussions regarding the historical accuracy and textual integrity of scripture have transcended academic discussions and permeated the daily life of the church. This article aims to investigate significant passages in the Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles that have prompted such inquiries due to textual discrepancies and manuscript inconsistencies. By examining four particular texts: the healing at the pool of Bethsaida (John 5:1-18), the story of the Adulterous Woman (John 7:53-8:11), the Post-Resurrection Narratives, which include the Miraculous Catch of Fish and Peter’s Reinstatement (John 21:1-25), and the Johannine Comma (1 John 5:7-8), the article delves into the historical, literacy, and theological justifications for the exclusion or inclusion in various manuscript traditions.

Particular emphasis is placed on how these textual discrepancies may have emerged, considering factors such as scribal practices, theological motivations and the socio-religious environments of early Christianity. The study also assesses the Christian response, both historical and modern, to these variants, contemplating the implications for biblical authority and doctrinal development. Ultimately, the article seeks to educate and empower believers and church leaders to engage thoughtfully with these challenges, promoting a responsible and faith-driven approach to scripture.

Este estudio informa y analiza la evidencia que apoya la interpolación de la Perícopa de la Adúltera en los Evangelios, especialmente en Juan 7:53-8:11, por parte de escribas anónimos, basándose en la Ciencia de la Crítica Textual. Por lo tanto, se trata de una selección de la evidencia más convincente encontrada hasta la fecha, basada en evidencia externa e interna en los manuscritos que la incluyen y excluyen, especialmente los más antiguos. Por lo tanto, se deja de lado la gran cantidad de teorías especulativas, que representan la mayor parte de la literatura sobre el tema, para explicar la exclusión e inclusión, dejando al lector la opción de aprender más sobre ellas a través de los estudios citados y los de la bibliografía.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" The Apostle Paul, having finished the glorious words that make up the "golden chain of salvation" in Romans 8:29-30, reaches a final climax that is a triumphant declaration that "nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). These questions, of course, are rhetorical. When considering God's everlasting plan of salvation, where nothing can ultimately prevent His children from entering eternal life, we see that the Christian has everything needed to trust in, rest upon, and rejoice in God's love and purpose. In other words, Paul's powerful questions stem from the foundation already laid in his letter to the Romans, culminating in chapter eight, and offer a wonderful assurance of the believer's eternal security. This opening question, "What then shall we say to these things?", is in many ways a declaration of God's supremacy and grace toward all who are in Christ. If the Almighty Sovereign God is for the believer, no adversary, whether human or spiritual, can succeed in their destruction. Even death itself, the enemy of us all, has been defeated in Christ and cannot separate us from God's great love. To the glory of God, in all these things the believer is "more than a conqueror through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).

This paper examines the concept of spiritual resistance as exemplified in the biblical narrative of Jesus, with particular focus on his confrontation with Satan as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew. Through an eschatological lens, this study explores the theological implications of remaining "unbowed" in the face of spiritual adversity, drawing parallels between contemporary geopolitical conflicts and ancient spiritual warfare narratives. The analysis encompasses perspectives from Yahwehist, Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions, examining how the figure of Jesus (known as Yeshua in Hebrew and Isa in Arabic) represents unwavering monotheistic devotion in the face of temptation and persecution.

An ancient controversy between the Catholics and the orthodox that dates to the 10th century. The Catholics believe that Covenant Thursday was the feast of passover, in which only unleavened bread is consumed, so Christ must have used unleavened bread in instituting the Eucharist, The orthodox believe that Saturday was the day of Passover and accordingly Christ used leavened bread in the first Eucharist. Here is the argument!

This paper argues that the Gospel story of Barabbas preserves a suppressed memory of Jesus as a militant figure, later reworked into the peaceful Christ of Christian theology. Early manuscripts of Matthew record the crowd choosing between “Jesus Barabbas” and “Jesus called Messiah,” presenting two Jesuses side by side—both “sons of the father.” Barabbas, described as a lēstēs (a term Josephus applies to zealots), embodies the revolutionary messiah type dominant in first-century Judea. The later Jesus, reinterpreted after the Jewish War, is constructed as innocent, nonviolent, and submissive. In the Barabbas episode, these two traditions take on flesh: the Christ of faith stares into the eyes of his earlier zealot double. The implausible Passover amnesty is a literary device, but the doubling of Jesus is a textual residue of suppressed memory. Barabbas thus functions as the ghost of Jesus’ past, a haunting reminder that Christian origins were born not out of harmony but out of the collision of competing traditions—Jesus the Zealot versus Jesus the Messiah, forty years apart.

The Lord's Prayer in the 1537 Munster, the 1551 Cinquarbres, the 1555 DuTillet/1879 Herbst, the new Garza-Trimm/MS Or150, Howard’s Shem Tov editions (printed and A-G), the Hebrew manuscript Vat.ebr.100, and the Hebrew manuscript MS Oo.1.32

This work surveys the "Third Quest" (TQ) of the historical Jesus with a focus on the various portraits of Jesus within the first century using the historical-critical method. It argues that such studies and portraits of Jesus have overlooked a significant portrait of Jesus, which sets Jesus in the first-century socioeconomic context as being helpless, an additional portrait to the various existing portraits of Jesus. A search for the true historical Jesus should recognize Jesus being a helpless Jew as revealed in the Gospels, for such a portrait stands a chance of redefining the entire life of the critical historical Jesus and still places Jesus within the confines of the Gospels.

Theme: The Power of Truth in the Face of Self-Deception: The Witness of St. John the Baptist "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen. O Lord, open our hearts and minds to receive the word of truth, that we may be transformed by the example of Your righteous and holy prophet, John the Baptist. We ask through the intercessions of the Theotokos, St. Mary. Amen.

Jesus’ statement to the criminal on the cross recorded in Luke 23:43 has often been cited as evidence that the criminal went to Paradise that day. However, the correct reading hinges on the placement of the comma, either before or after the word “today,” rendering the statement either “I tell you today, … ” or “I tell you, today…” However, a misplaced comma can hardly displace the mountain of biblical evidence in favor of a future entry into paradise for the forgiven criminal alongside all believers at the Second Coming of Christ.

Preaching has historically occupied a central place in the life and mission of the church, functioning as both a theological proclamation and a pastoral responsibility. Within the African evangelical context, however, questions have emerged regarding the effectiveness of preaching in shaping Christian discipleship and societal transformation. Despite the centrality of biblical proclamation in both the Old and New Testaments and its continued emphasis in African churches, many congregations remain spiritually malnourished, doctrinally unstable, and susceptible to shallow or sensational forms of teaching. This paper examines the reasons why “good preaching” appears not to be producing its intended results within evangelical churches in Africa. Drawing insights from Old and New Testament foundations, the role of preaching in the church, and the dynamics of contemporary Nigerian homiletics, the study highlights key challenges such as inadequate expository preaching, cultural influences, prosperity-driven messages, and a lack of Spirit-led application. Furthermore, the paper considers the implications for the contemporary church, arguing that authentic expository preaching—rooted in Scripture, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and contextualized to African communication patterns—remains the most effective means of nurturing discipleship, fostering transformation, and sustaining revival in Africa. The study concludes that while preaching in itself is indispensable, its power lies in faithful biblical exposition and practical application that aligns with God’s redemptive purposes for the church and society.

Do not cling to me" (Μή μου ἅπτου). These are the mysterious words that the risen Jesus tells Mary Magdalene in the Gospel of John 20:17. "The force of the saying is not clearly visible to many, for a mystery is hidden in it," declares Cyril of Alexandria in his voluminous commentary on the fourth gospel. 1 The fact that these are the very first words uttered by Christ after his resurrection only further adds to their weight. They are suspended in the air, which means that they are open to multiple interpretations. Is Christ pronouncing here a warning or a prohibition of contact? In this case, is he forbidding the physical, maybe sensual, touch, or does he rather allude metaphorically to the search for the sacred, to the ungraspable which always escapes? Or, perhaps, it is not a prohibition at all, but simply the humble request of someone who wants to leave and is not allowed. Later, when the New Testament was translated into the Latin of the Vulgate, the Greek verb ἅπτω was rendered by tango, but this is already a restriction of meaning. Be that as it may, the Johannine motif of Noli me tangere ("Do not touch me"), as it is known in Western arts, has charmed theologians, historians, and artists alike, capturing their imagination over the centuries. The present article -a tale of three traditions -explores the way some Greek, Syriac, and Coptic literary sources substituted Mary Magdalene with Jesus' mother in the Noli me tangere scene. Coursing through the writings of various Christian authors, I will survey the most relevant attempts to underline the role of the Virgin Mary during the resurrection appearance in late antique Greek, Syriac, and Coptic sources. As we will have the opportunity to see, during the first four Christian centuries, no Greek patristic source refers to the Virgin as an eyewitness to Christ's resurrection. However, the evidence slowly increases during the 5th and 6th centuries, like a climbing plant curling luxuriantly upon the wall, resulting in a more sizeable attestation in the later Byzantine period, in both liturgical and patristic texts. But it is Syriac Christianity that remains paramount in the vanguard of the speculations regarding the not inconsiderable role played by the Virgin Mary during the resurrection of Christ. I will argue that the origins of this line of interpretation in Syriac literature must probably be associated with the 4th-century exegetical school of Ephrem at Edessa. Last but not least, part of the ambition of the present paper is to reveal that, after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE, Coptic-speaking Christians of Upper Egypt were particularly keen to incorporate the Virgin into the resurrection account of the Gospel of John, making her -not Mary Magdalene -the first who saw the risen Christ. This article on the most celebrated woman in all of Christian history is dedicated to my dear colleague, Heike Behlmer, who has extensively written on the role of female figures in Coptic literature. 2 It is the mark of my gratitude for everything she has done for us in her discreet and unassuming manner. When writers want to confuse their readers, they conceive characters bearing the same name. For instance, in the splendid novel of Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude, the genealogical tree of the Buendía family includes a host of men called Arcadio and Aureliano. The recurring names and the labyrinthine plot are meant to disconcert and leave readers with the impression that history, not just in its micro scale, but also in its longue durée, perpetually repeats itself. For their part, the New Testament gospels bring on stage different female figures called Mary. The confusing information supplied by the evangelists about these women has perplexed Christian authors over the centuries. Perhaps the bestknown example is provided by the unnamed sinful woman who anoints Jesus' feet in the Gospel of Luke 7:36-50. Particularly in the Latin West, the sinful woman was first superimposed on the figure of Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha, and then finally assimilated to Mary Magdalene, who came thus to be regarded as a prostitute. 3 Furthermore, the four canonical gospels display a fair amount of ambiguity regarding the succession of events between Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. For all that, the women in the apostolic circle emerge as significant actors during this period, when the apostles were hiding for fear that they would be killed (cf. John 20:19). According to the gospel accounts, unlike the male disciples who fled, the women remained with Christ until his very end. Among the women who followed and ministered to Jesus, the gospels mention several that are named Mary, but the distinction among them is nothing short of confusing. The Gospel of Matthew 27:55-56 brings to the scene a group of women who witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus from a distance, which included "Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons." The parallel testimony from the Gospel of Mark 15:40 says that "some women were watching from a distance," but when it gets more specific, the second gospel refers to Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James the Younger and of Joses, and Salome. Luke does not provide any name, recounting instead that "all those who knew him and the women who followed him (i.e., Jesus) from Galilee" were watching from afar (Luke 23:49). Finally, in the Gospel of John 19:25, the group of women is placed next to the cross, but the list of Marys differs here: 2 See, e.g., Behlmer, The Study of Women and Gender; Behlmer, Women and the Holy; Behlmer, Female Figures; Behlmer, Heilige Frauen. 3 On the various early Christian traditions -Greek, Latin, and Syriac -concerning these figures, see especially Lagrange, Jésus a-t-il été oint plusieurs fois?; Holzmeister, Die Magdalenenfrage. Unlike in the West, Eastern Christians distinguished the anonymous sinful woman from Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene, see Saxer, Les Saintes Marie Madeleine et Marie de Béthanie and Harvey, Why the Perfume Mattered.

Near the end of the Apostle Paul’s life, in his second letter to Timothy, he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). These metaphors were likely familiar to Timothy. It was common in Paul’s letters to use images of fighting, running, and other athletic activities to describe the importance of perseverance in the Christian life. When writing to the church at Corinth, he combined these ideas in one statement, saying, “Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air” (1 Corinthians 9:26). To correct the churches in Galatia for trying to justify themselves by obeying the Law of God, he wrote, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7). One last example, and many more could be cited, is again found in the letter Paul wrote to his beloved brother in Christ, Timothy: “Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5).

Background-Contemporary pulpits and lecture halls often echo with swelling honorifics-Major Prophet, His Holiness, Doctor-Apostle-that polish the speaker's nameplate while the lamp of humble witness sputters. This paper interrogates whether such honorific inflation betrays the "spirit of antichrist," a prideful current that displaces Christ's supremacy with human vanity. Aim-Anchored in Sola Scriptura, the study seeks to forge a biblically coherent, philosophically rigorous critique of exalted titulature, exposing its theological, ethical, and socioeconomic distortions. Methodology-Employing canonical-biblical exegesis (e.g., Matthew 23, Mark 10), historical-theological analysis from Gregory the Great to modern celebrity pastors, and a critical-realist engagement with empirical cases across the Global South, the essay measures contemporary practices against four antichrist criteria: self-exaltation, usurpation of divine honor, pious deception, and exploitation of the flock. Findings-Scripture presents an unbroken kenotic thread: Christ emptied Himself; the apostles counted titles as refuse; authentic authority is cruciform. Conversely, honorific inflation breeds factions, nurtures narcissism, and commodifies spiritual offices. Like a pilgrim who polishes his brass nameplate until the lamp's oil runs dry, leaders who burn fuel on self-promotion leave congregations stranded in darkness. Conclusions-Grandiose titulature is not a harmless cultural flourish but a theological Trojan horse, smuggling an antichrist ethos into the Church's bloodstream. The paper therefore calls for linguistic repentance, structural accountability, and a radical re-centering on the only Name worthy of elevation. Until pulpits trade gilded prefixes for the towel and basin, the Church risks singing hosannas to its own reflection while the true King stands unrecognized at the door.

Acts 16 presents a Spirit-led expansion of the Gospel through strategic mission, personal sacrifice, divine redirection, and supernatural intervention. The chapter underscores the apostolic commitment to doctrinal clarity, cultural accommodation without compromise, and reliance on God's sovereign work in salvation. From Timothy's circumcision to the jailer's conversion, every episode demonstrates that the kingdom of God advances through obedient vessels who walk by faith and not by sight. This passage serves as a powerful model for Spirit-filled, postmillennial kingdom work in hostile and transitional cultural climates.

This paper examines what I call The Damon Richardson Effect—a manifestation of hypocrisy and a lying tongue within modern church leadership, revealed through the contradictory actions and public statements of Damon Richardson. Drawing from Matthew 7:16 (“By their fruits you will recognize them”), this work argues that Richardson’s own timeline of posts—January 12, 2019, June 5, 2025, and September 10, 2025—exposes the inconsistency of his fruit. In 2019 he admonished leaders to avoid arrogance and reckless speech, yet in 2025 he publicly mocked Prophetess Tiphani Montgomery for observing Paul’s confessed pride (1 Timothy 1:13). Months later, he reposted his earlier warnings on humility, seemingly blind to his own violation of them.

By comparing Richardson’s behavior with Paul’s confession of arrogance before his transformation, this paper contends that Richardson functions not as a defender of truth but as a modern Saul: zealous yet blind, accusatory yet unrepentant. Scripture consistently links such patterns to the antichrist spirit (1 John 2:18–19), the lying tongue (Proverbs 26:28), and the hypocrisy Jesus condemned in Matthew 23.

The Damon Richardson Effect thus serves as both diagnosis and warning. It exposes the danger of leaders who wield Scripture as a weapon of scorn rather than a tool of life, who fear exposure more than God, and who persecute women prophets rather than testing their words with humility. The call is urgent: like Saul, Richardson must allow the scales of pride to fall, or else remain a cautionary tale of hypocrisy in the pulpit. This paper challenges the Church to discern fruit, confront hypocrisy, and reclaim integrity in its prophetic witness.

Philippians 1:12-18 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. {ESV} Scripture is a theology of the cross. Philippians, however, is one of the books where the theology of the cross is particularly dominant and pervasive. The theology of the cross is the polar opposite of the thinking of this unbelieving world. Unbelief says "God helps those who help themselves." The theology of the cross says God gives grace to the humble. The world tells you "Cry, and you cry alone." The theology of the cross tells you God is near to those brokenhearted over their sin. Man proclaims "Survival of the fittest." The theology of the cross proclaims that the meek shall inherit the earth. Man tells you that he comes first and that you need to be number one. The theology of the cross assures you the first will be last and the last will be first. The world claims they deserve the best because they are good. The theology of the cross pronounces blessed are those who mourn for their sin. The theology of glory says trust in yourself, assert yourself, esteem yourself. The theology of the cross says to boast in the Lord and to deny yourself. A theology of glory (unbelief) says glory now. A theology of the cross (Christian theology) promises suffering now, glory in the age to come. This self-sacrifice runs all through this letter. It begins with Christ who denied himself his own place of glory and humbled himself in love to the point of sacrificing himself on the cross to save us from God's wrath and cleanse us from our sins. And then this humility and selflessness is manifested in Christ's servants who are committed to the truth of the gospel and the church Christ died for. In vv.12-14, as soon as Paul finishes his thanksgiving and prayer for the church at Philippi, he demonstrates this theology of the cross with three benefits/gifts Christ is accomplishing through his imprisonment. I. Paul's Imprisonment for Christ, vv.12-14 a. The gospel is being advanced, vv.12-13 The priority for Paul is the gospel. The church at Philippi knew Paul was in prison 1 awaiting trial. They were concerned about him (4:10) and the first thing Paul tells them about himself directs them to that which held first place for Paul -the gospel. 2 How so? v.13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ For Paul's guards to have learned why he was imprisoned would not be what it is for the gospel to be advanced. Paul didn't care about his guards knowing about him; he was after the message about Christ being spread. And that's what he used his imprisonment for -to tell these soldiers inside the Roman empire who would otherwise not heard the gospel Paul used his imprisonment as an opportunity to spread the gospel to soldiers inside the Roman empire who would otherwise not heard the gospel. Word even spread beyond the guards to those whom Paul refers to as all the rest meaning other Roman officials, that he was in chains for preaching Christ crucified and risen. Paul's union with Christ was such that news about him was news about Christ. According to God's providence, it was by him being confined that the gospel was to advance throughout the Roman military. So Paul's chains were no setback to his ministry; they were a means of the gospel's progress. And you know what? Some of those in the Roman empire were elect -they came to faith in Christ. Look over at Phil 4:22 and how Paul closes the letter: "All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household." Even in captivity, the Lord is bearing fruit through Paul. We see the same focus in Rom 1:5 when he says the aim of his apostleship is the obedience of 1 faith among the nations for the sake of Christ's name and in his summary of the gospel: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received" (1 Cor 15:3 cf. his view of the gospel's primacy and authority in Gal 1:6-9). As he would say to the elders at Ephesus, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. {ESV} Titus 2 is a critical passage for at least two reasons. One, it tells us how the Lord wants his people to conduct themselves in all the settings we live in: the home, the world, and the church. In other words, it's a picture of godliness. Two, it insists that this godliness is rooted in the work of Christ. That is, we cannot think about life in Christ or live as Christians as something separate from the gospel. I am not saying we "live the gospel" -speaking in such terms is not helpful -rather, our growth in Christ is as much by grace as is our salvation for our sanctification is in fact part of our salvation broadly conceived. What Paul will say in vv.11-14 is the our new life in Christ is as much by grace as is our forgiveness of sin is by grace. This is Christ's vision for the people he redeemed -the church -and the way he ordains that it be brought to fruition is through the ministry of the word.

Byzantine monks had close relationships with time, and they were intimately aware of how it was measured. Using both textual and material sources, this article examines the different ways the designated "timekeepers" of monasteries used time to signal prayer throughout the day and night. Concentrating on Middle Byzantine monasteries from Constantinople, it illustrates the different methods of telling time that would have been available to Byzantine monks and the objects they may have used, and it investigates the complications that came with the changing length of days, nights, and hours throughout the year, as well as the complicated liturgical organization of days and years laid out in typika and horologia. These aspects monastic life demonstrate that the monks understood how to work with time and manipulate it in order to conform to their liturgical and ascetic obligations.

The Hebrew root ‫דבר‬ (d-b-r) encompasses meanings ranging from "word" and "speech" to "commandment," "story," and "event." This article explores the philological breadth of ‫דבר‬ in the Hebrew Bible, situating it within its pictographic-symbolic origins as "what a human delivers from the heart." Particular attention is given to the theological trajectory that leads from the ‫דבר-יהוה‬ ("word of YHWH") to the Λόγος (Logos) in the Gospel of John.

In the Christian tradition, fourteen letters of the New Testament have been attributed to the Apostle Paul. However, for seven of these letters-1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, and Hebrews-the attribution to Paul has been the subject of scholarly debate. This study aims to develop a bidirectional long shortterm memory (BiLSTM) network to classify chunks of these disputed letters, each approximately 100 words long, as either authored by Paul or not. Two model variants-a plaintext variant and a lemmatized text variant-were trained on undisputed Pauline letters and 'impostor letters' which serve as negative examples of Paul's writing. The plaintext variant achieved 84% accuracy and the lemmatized text variant 83% accuracy. Both variants classify the majority of text chunks from Colossians and 2 Thessalonians as Pauline and the majority of chunks from Hebrews and 1 Timothy as non-Pauline, although caution is warranted in drawing strong conclusions from these results. For the remaining disputed Pauline letters-Titus, 2 Timothy, and Ephesians-the majority classification varies between the model variants, further emphasizing the need for caution. Nevertheless, this study introduces a deep learning approach to the authorship verification problem of the disputed Pauline letters, potentially serving as a model for future research.

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." 9 In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. {ESV} So ends the reading of the word of God. How do you know a man is called to the ministry? It is one of the most important questions we can ask within the life of the church. There are a few different ways we can go about formulating an answer, but this passage enables us to answer the question in one word. You know a man is called to the ministry because Christ's body sees him and his work -especially his labor in the word -as a gift. He's a man whom Christ has gifted to build up his people in the faith through the ministry of the word so that we are united by our faith in Christ. There have been a few men of God I've had the joy of sitting under or at least reading, who when I think of them, I can only say, "They are such a gift!" From the bottom of my heart, I am so thankful that God has given a gift to me in the form of these men imparting the knowledge of Christ to the church. 1 They did not set out with the hope of people praising them for being such a gift. They proved to be a gift 1 because they so loved God that they studied his word to know him and spread that knowledge of him to the church. A man who wants to be loved by the church or a man who does not labor in the word to know the mind of God is not a gift to the church. A man who pushes himself upon the church and uses the church to serve himself is a curse (see 3 Jn 9-12; Mk 10:42-45). This difference is evidenced by 1 Cor 12 and Rom 12 ascribing the gifts as coming from the Spirit while 2 Eph 4 ascribes these gifts (= men) as from Christ. As head of the church (5:23), Christ appoints men to the ministry.

Lucrarea de față face o trecere în revistă a meritelor Mitropolitului Dosoftei ca mare cărturar și traducător al spațiului românesc. Cuvinte-cheie: Dosoftei, traducător, cărturar, "perioada slavă", Așa cum cărţile și scrierile duc, peste generaţii, informaţii, idei, documente, traducerile și folosirea, timp de peste trei sute de ani pentru scrierea limbii române a alfabetului chirilic, și-au lăsat amprenta în cultura română, limba slavonă fiind limbă de cult și limba utiliztă în cancelariile domneşti şi în mănăstiri până la sfârşitul secolului al XVII-lea. Contactul slavilor cu poporul român a dus la introducerea în spațiul românesc a unor elemente ale limbii slavone și culturii slave, formând "perioadă slavă", când au luat fiinţă în mănăstirile din Transilvania, Moldova şi Oltenia şcoli de caligrafie, "şcoli voievodale" şi școli de traduceri, datorită cărora din slavonă s-au copiat şi reprodus primele cărţi religioase româneşti, îndeosebi cele necesare oficierii slujbelor bisericeşti (evanghelii, trioduri, molitvelnice, octoihuri, liturghiere etc.). Dezvoltarea artei caligrafierii și a artei traducerilor în Ţările Române s-a manifestat îndeosebi: pentru Ţara Românească -la mănăstirea Bistriţa, în Moldova -celebrele şcoli de caligrafi şi miniaturişti de la mănăstirile Neamţ, Putna, Moldoviţa, Suceviţa și Dragomirna, iar pentru românii din Maramureş principalul focar de cultură şi spiritualitate l-a reprezentat mănăstirea "Sfântul Arhanghel Mihail" de la Perii Maramureşului. În timpul în care aceasta a fost sediul central al Episcopiei Ortodoxe Române, aici au fost traduse mai multe scrieri în limba română: Psaltirea, Evanghelia, Legenda Duminicii, Codicele Voroțean și Faptele Apostolilor. În acest sens vom menționa două nume: egumenul Pahomie și Iosif Stoica, care avea să fie canonizat cu numele de Sfantul Ierarh Iosif Mărturisitorul din Maramureș, prăznuit de biserica română la 24 aprilie.

This article explores the inscription placed above the crucified Jesus, traditionally abbreviated as “INRI” (Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum). While the four canonical Gospels transmit the wording of the titulus crucis in slightly different forms, the Johannine account emphasizes its trilingual character and theological depth. The study considers the historical practice of posting the charge against the condemned, the significance of the phrase “King of the Jews,” and the symbolism of the three languages used in the inscription. Special attention is given to the relic of the titulus crucis preserved in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, including its paleographic features, carbon dating results, and ongoing debates about its authenticity. Finally, the article presents an interpretative hypothesis suggesting that the Hebrew wording of the inscription may have formed the tetragrammaton YHWH, thereby subtly proclaiming both the royal and divine identity of Jesus.

Within the Textus Receptus, no book has provoked more textual scrutiny than Revelation, in part because several of its readings appear scarcely, if at all, in surviving Greek manuscripts. One such passage is found in Revelation 21:24, a reading that has been the subject of considerable debate regarding its authenticity. In this research the author presents the available data as well as offers interpretations for accepting the questioned phrase as canonical.