Category: Christianity

By prof. A.P. Lopukhin

Acts of the Apostles, chapter 14. The preaching of Paul and Barnabas in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (1 – 7). The healing of the crippled man in Lystra and the attempt of the Gentiles to offer sacrifices to the apostles (8 – 18). The persecution of the apostles, the return journey through the newly founded communities, and the return to Syrian Antioch (19 – 28)

Acts 14:1. In Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed.

The “Greeks” who believed were undoubtedly proselytes—Gentiles converted to Judaism, in contrast to the “Gentiles” mentioned later (v. 2), who joined the unbelieving Jews against the apostles.

Acts 14:2. And the unbelieving Jews stirred up and hardened the hearts of the Gentiles against the brethren.

“stirred up and hardened,” i.e., they slandered the apostles, accused them of many things, “represented the simple-hearted as treacherous” (St. John Chrysostom).

“against the brethren,” i.e., not only against the apostles, but also against the newly converted followers of Christ in general, the greater part of whom were Jews by birth, therefore brothers by the flesh to the persecutors (Rom. 9:3).

Acts 14:3. But they remained here for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

“speaking boldly for the Lord.” Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid writes: “This boldness arose from the apostles’ devotion to the work of preaching, and the fact that those who heard them believed was a consequence of the miracles, but to some extent the boldness of the apostles also contributed to this.”

Acts 14:4. And the people in the city were divided: some were with the Jews, and others with the apostles.

“the people in the city were divided.” In this division, it seems, lies the reason why the incitement of the Gentiles by the Jews remained fruitless for some time.

Acts 14:5. When the Gentiles and the Jews with their leaders, excited, were preparing to blaspheme and stone them to death,

“the Jews with their leaders” – cf. Acts 13. Probably with the archsynagogue and the elders who formed the council under him.

“they stoned them to death.” The desire to “stone them” reveals both the fact that the main leaders of the attack on the apostles were the Jews, and that the apostles’ guilt was formulated as blasphemy, for which the Jews had a similar punishment.

Acts 14:6. when they learned of it, they fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and their surroundings,

“to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe.” Lycaonia was not so much a political as an ethnographic region in Asia Minor with the cities of Lystra southeast of Iconium, and Derbe southeast of Lystra.

Acts 14:7. and there they preached the gospel.

Acts 14:8. In Lystra there sat a certain man lame in his feet, who had been lame from his mother’s womb; he had never walked.

Acts 14:9. He listened as Paul spoke; and Paul, looking intently at him and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

“perceived that he had faith”—seeing with the discernment of a divinely enlightened apostle.

Acts 14:10. said to him with a loud voice, “I say to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, stand on your feet!” And immediately he leaped up and walked.

Acts 14:11. And the crowds, seeing what Paul had done, lifted up their voices and said in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form.”

“They spoke in the Lycaonian language.” It is difficult to say what this Lycaonian dialect is: some consider it a dialect close to Assyrian, others to be identical with Cappadocian, and still others to be a corrupted Greek.

Acts 14:12. And they called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

“they called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes.” Why people saw these gods in Barnabas and Paul is partly explained by a local Phrygian tale about the appearance of these gods in human form (Ovid, Metamorphoses VIII), as well as by the fact that near the city there was a temple or idol of Zeus, and Hermes (Hermes), as an eloquent interpreter of the gods, was considered an obligatory companion of Zeus when he descended from Olympus to mortals. A hint of the latter is given by the historian himself, according to whom Paul was considered Hermes, “because he excelled in speaking”…. It is possible that the very appearance of the apostles had its own significance: Paul, as a young man (Acts 7:58), distinguished by an energetic character, reflected in all his speeches and actions, could easily be identified with Hermes, who was presented as a gentle, lively, good-looking youth, while Barnabas, with his seriousness, could remind the pagans of Zeus. Regarding the appearance of the apostles, St. John Chrysostom writes: “It seems to me that Barnabas had a dignified appearance.”

Acts 14:13. And the priest of Zeus, whose idol was before their city, having brought bulls to the gate and brought garlands, wanted to perform a sacrifice together with the people.

“brought garlands” – to decorate the sacrificial bulls with them, which was usually done to please the gods more.

Acts 14:14. But the apostles Barnabas and Paul, hearing about this, tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out:

“They have torn their clothes” in sign of deep sorrow and contrition at such blindness of the people.

The apostles prove the absurdity of their deification by the pagans, they assure them of the falsehood of the pagan gods. They point out to them the One living God, the Creator of all things, who, although He has allowed all nations to follow false paths, has not deprived them of the opportunity to know the true path (cf. Rom. 1:20, 11:13-36).

Acts 14:15. Men, why are you doing these things? And we are men subject to you and preach to you that you should turn from these false gods to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,

Acts 14:16. Who in past generations suffered all nations to walk in their own ways,

Acts 14:17. although He did not leave Himself without witness in good works, giving us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

“Without forcing free will,” says Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid, “the Lord allowed all people to act according to their own discretion; but He Himself constantly performed such works from which they, as rational beings, could understand the Creator.”

Acts 14:18. And saying this, they hardly persuaded the people not to offer sacrifice to them, but to go each to his own house. While they remained there and taught,

“they hardly persuaded.” So greatly were the people moved by what had happened, and so firmly were they convinced that before their eyes they were gods, and not men.

Acts 14:19. Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when the apostles were speaking boldly, they persuaded the people to leave them, saying: You speak nothing true, but everything is false; having persuaded the people, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking him dead.

“some Jews came” from among the unbelievers and hostile to Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:50 and 14:5).

“they stoned Paul,” not Barnabas – perhaps because he, as the leader in speaking (Acts 14:12), seemed to the Jews the most dangerous and hated enemy. Probably the apostle mentions the same stoning in 2 Cor. 11:25. Such is the amazing fickleness of the crowd, which easily succumbs to the evil speech of the instigators. Only recently they were ready to honor the apostles as gods, and now they were capable of dealing with the most hardened villains. The ability of the instigators to effect such a turn in the mood of the masses is undoubtedly impressive.

Acts 14:20. And when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city, and the next day he withdrew with Barnabas to Derbe.

“the disciples gathered around him” probably with the intention of seeing what was happening to him, in what condition he was, or even to bury him if he was dead.

“he rose up and went into the city”. There is no doubt that this strengthening of Paul’s physical strength was a miraculous action, although the author only hints at it – with the short and strong expression – “he rose up and went”! Here the firmness of the apostle’s spirit, who fearlessly returns to the city where he had just been in mortal danger, deserves attention.

Acts 14:21. After preaching the Gospel in this city and gaining quite a few disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,

Acts. 14:22. confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and teaching that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

From Derbe, after a successful sermon, the apostles set out on a return journey to Syrian Antioch, through all the places they had previously visited (Acts 13, etc.), strengthening the believers so that they would be ready to keep the faith of Christ, despite all the persecutions, tribulations, and trials, which represent for believers the surest way to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 7:14).

Acts 14:23. And when they had ordained elders for them in each church, they prayed with fasting and commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

“they ordained elders” – leaders and leaders of each community, which in this way receives a stable external organization. The ordination, i.e. the laying on of hands (Acts 6:2-6) shows the importance of the ministry of the elders, as well as the gracious nature of this consecration (cf. Acts 11:30).

“they prayed with fasting” – as they do on all important occasions (Acts 13, etc.)

“they committed them” – i.e. the newly converted Christians, together with their newly appointed leaders

“to the Lord”, i.e. to His grace, favor and protection.

Acts 14:24. And when they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia;

Acts 14:25. and when they had spoken the word of the Lord in Perga, they went down to Attalia;

Through Pisidia and Pamphylia the apostles returned to Perga, the first city they came to after arriving on the coast of Asia Minor (Acts 13:13).

“they went down to Attalia” – a seaside city in Pamphylia, southeast of Perga, where the Cataract River flows into the sea. The city is named after Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamum, by whom it was built.

Acts 14:26. ​​and from there they sailed to Antioch, from where they were commended to the grace of God for the work which they had accomplished.

From Perga the apostles traveled through Seleucia to Syrian Antioch, from where, guided by the grace of God, they began their first apostolic journey.

Acts 14:27. When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

“they gathered the church together,” that is, the Christian community in Antioch, and “they reported all that God had done with them.” The apostles humbly confess that the power of God had been at work in them all this time, and not they alone.

“opened the door of faith.” A figurative expression of the acceptance of the Gentiles into the bosom of the Church of Christ (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3). St. John Chrysostom recalls that the Jews forbade even speaking to Gentiles.

Acts 14:28. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

Thus ends the account of the first apostolic journey to the Gentiles of the great apostles Paul and Barnabas.

How long this first journey of Paul lasted, the author does not say. It is assumed that it lasted about two years.

Source in Russian: Explanatory Bible, or Commentaries on all the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments: In 7 volumes / Ed. prof. A.P. Lopukhin. – Ed. 4th. – Moscow: Dar, 2009, 1232 pp.

An Italian teenager will be the first saint canonized in the millennium by the Catholic Church, Pope Francis announced at his weekly audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.

Carlo Akutis, 15, who died of leukemia, will be canonized in April after being beatified in 2020. The church recognized two miracles performed by the deceased in 2006. young man

The teenager, who has been dubbed “God’s influencer”, was a devout Catholic and used his computer coding skills to create a website detailing Catholic miracles and visions. His body wrapped in wax, wearing jeans and sneakers, is on display in a tomb in Assisi, Politico writes.

A toxic holiday that revives paganism, the spiritual leader believes

In a speech, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church warned against what he called attempts to “revive paganism,” saying neo-paganism had infiltrated certain “military circles” in Russia.

Patriarch Kirill criticized the former chief prosecutor of Crimea and member of the State Duma Nataliya Poklonskaya, who posted on her Telegram channel photos of herself dressed in Celtic clothing and face paint to celebrate the Gaelic festival of Samhain.

The Orthodox high priest also complained that Russian schools continue to celebrate Halloween, with some even disguising the “toxic” Western holiday with another Slavic name.

“This replacement of values, the falsification of national history and the belittling of the role of Christianity in the construction of our nation’s statehood is, in a sense, a challenge to the true values ​​of the Russian world,” Patriarch Kirill said.

By prof. A. P. Lopukhin

Acts of the Apostles, chapter 12. 1 – 18. Herod persecutes the Church: the killing of James, the imprisonment of Peter and his miraculous release. 19 – 23. Death of Herod in Caesarea. 24 – 25. The return of Barnabas and Saul to Antioch.

Acts 12:1. At that time king Herod laid his hand on some of the church to do them evil,

“At that time,”–i.e. while Barnabas and Saul carried out the commission of the Antiochians (Acts 11:25, 30).

“King Herod”. This is Herod Agrippa I, son of Aristobulus and Veronica, grandson of Herod (called the Great), who sought to kill the Lord after His birth and killed the Bethlehem infants instead of Him (Matt. 2:1, 13), nephew of Herod Antipas of Galilee, the murderer of John the Baptist (Matt. 14ff.). Such was this family of murderers, who bloodied their hands with the most precious blood for Christians…

King Herod was born around 10 before Christ and grew up in Rome. After the accession of Emperor Caligula to the throne, he received the tetrarchy of his deceased uncle Philip (Matt. 2:22; Luke 3:1) and the tetrarchy of Lysanius (Luke 3:1) with the title of king. Soon he united under his authority the tetrarchy of his other uncle – Herod Antipas. Finally, the emperor Claudius, the successor of Caligula, added Judea to his dominions together with Samaria, so that he, like his grandfather, ruled all Palestine (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, XVIII, 7, 2; XIX, 5, 1; 6, 1 ; the Jewish War II, 9, 6; 11, 5), in which there was no longer a separate Roman procurator over Palestine. Died in 44 sl. R. A.D., reigning no more than four years, after which Judea was again made a Roman province.

“He lifted up his hands… to do evil” – either by imprisonment, or by corporal punishment, or by other cruel measures, including murder, an example of which is given further on.

Acts 12:2. and killed Jacob the brother of John with the sword.

Jacob, the brother of John (Theologian) Zebedee became the second Christian martyr, on whom the Lord’s prediction was exactly fulfilled (Matt. 20:23). Complementing the short notice of the de-writer about his martyrdom, the church tradition tells that the one who accused the apostle was himself converted to Christ by the accused and was martyred together with him (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History. II, 9). This is how Saint John Chrysostom exclaims: “no longer the Jews and not the Sanhedrin, but the king raises his hands to do evil. This is the highest authority, the most difficult bran, all the more so because it was in favor of the Jews”.

Acts 12:3. And when he saw that this pleased the Jews, he also seized Peter – then were the days of unleavened bread –

“Then were the days of unleavened bread” – the days of unleavened bread began on the day of the Passover and lasted for 7 days. If Herod usually resided in Caesarea, the residence of the Jewish rulers at the time, the mention of the days of unleavened bread makes it clear that Herod took advantage of his stay in Jerusalem for the Passover to persecute the Christians and imprison Peter to satisfy the Jews . The base calculation that guided him was to please as many people as possible with his actions: quite Herodian and worthy of those for whose sake the evil was done.

Acts 12:4. and, seizing him, cast him into prison, and delivered him to four quarters of soldiers to guard him, thinking after the Passover to bring him before the people.

“four quadruple soldiers,” i. four shifts of four people. Such increased security was placed only for particularly important criminals, and in the given case it did not fulfill its duties quite as expected, for “the more careful the guard, the more amazing was the revelation of God’s power…” ( blessed Theophylact of Ohrid).

“thinking after Passover.” On a festival as great as the Passover, no sentence of death or execution was allowed, and so Herod Agrippa wanted to condemn Peter after the festival was over.

“to bring him before the people” – for a solemn public trial, condemnation and capital punishment. A lover of spectacles, brought up by the bloody Roman spectacles, the king wanted to make a public spectacle out of the condemnation and execution of the first supreme apostle.

Acts 12:5. And so Peter was kept in prison; and at that time the church was constantly praying to God for him.

“And at that time the church was constantly praying to God for him.” From the remark it is clear that the miraculous deliverance of the apostle was granted mainly through the prayer of the Church for him. “They (i.e. the believers) were now in the most dangerous position. They were horrified both by the fact that he (Jacob) was killed and by the fact that he (Peter) was thrown into prison… But they did not get angry, did not raise a commotion, but turned to prayer, resorted to this invincible champion…” (Saint John Chrysostom).

Acts 12:6. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter slept between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards at the door guarded the dungeon.

“Through that night,” i. before the day when Herod wanted to try Peter “Peter was sleeping between two soldiers”, chained to them with two chains, as was the rule under a strong guard (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, XVIII, 6, 7; Pliny, Er. X, 65 ).

Acts 12:7. And behold, an Angel of the Lord stood, and a light shone in the dungeon. The angel, pushing Peter in the side, woke him up and said: get up quickly! And the chains fell from his hands.

“A light shone in the dungeon” – φῶς ἔλαμψεν ἐν τῷ οἰκήματι. In the Slavic translation: “the world shines in xpamine” – perhaps not in the entire dungeon, but in that part of it where Peter slept.

“as he pushed Petra”. Peter’s sleep in those anxious minutes was so deep that only a movement could wake him. “You see,” says St. John Chrysostom, “Peter is asleep, he does not give in to despondency or fear.” That night, when they wanted to lead him to death, he slept, surrendering everything to God.”

Acts 12:8. Then the Angel said to him: gird up your tail and put on your shoes. So he did. Then he says to him: put on your clothes and follow me!

“Shut up and put on your shoes.” “Therefore he ordered him to gird himself and put on his shoes, to show him that he was not an apparition, so that Peter would wake up from his sleep and be convinced that it was true. Therefore at that moment the chains fell from his hands and he was told, “get up quickly.” These are words whose purpose is not to disturb, but to convince not to delay…” (Saint John Chrysostom).

Acts 12:9. Peter went out and followed him, and he did not know that what the Angel was doing was true, but thought he was seeing a vision.

Acts 12:10. When they had passed the first and second watch, they came to the iron enemy, who were leading into the city, and who opened themselves to them: they went out and crossed a street, and presently the Angel withdrew from him.

Acts 12:11 Then Peter, coming to himself, said: now I truly understood that the Lord sent His Angel and delivered me from the hands of Herod and from everything that the Jewish people expected.

Acts 12:12. And looking around, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, called Mark, where many were gathered and praying.

“John, called Mark”, who then accompanied Barnabas and Saul to Antioch (Acts 12:25). There are several different traditions about this John-Mark: according to some, he is the same person as the evangelist Mark and Mark, the nephew of Barnabas (Col. 4:10). Others distinguish it from St. Mark and the nephew of Barnabas. Third, distinguishing it from St. the apostle Mark, consider him a nephew of Barnabas. This disagreement, of course, cannot speak against the historical veracity of this account in the book of Acts.

Acts 12:13. When Peter knocked on the road enemy, a servant girl named Rhoda went to eavesdrop.

Acts 12:14. And, recognizing Peter’s voice, he did not open the door for joy, but ran and called that Peter was standing at the door.

Acts 12:15. And they told her: you are out of your mind! But she claimed it was. And they said: this is his Angel.

“You are out of your mind!” In Greek: μαίνῃ. In the Slavic translation: “are you mad?”, i.e. are you crazy So strange and incredible seemed the reported.

“This is his Angel.” As often happens when a person gets confused, faced with something improbable and inexplicable, he finds an explanation of what is happening that is no less difficult and wonderful, and just as little to explain the possibility of the incredible. The teaching about the guardian angel and the director of the salvation of every person could be based on and confirmed by the teaching of the Lord about the angels of infants. This teaching was also known to the apostle Paul (Hebrews 1:14).

Acts 12:16. At that time, Peter kept knocking. And when they opened it, they saw it and were amazed.

“when they opened” – no longer only the maidservant, but everyone gathered rushes to the newcomer and opens the door for him.

Acts 12:17. And he, making a sign with his hand to be silent, told them how the Lord had brought him out of the dungeon, and said: call Jacob and the brothers about this. And going out, he went to another place.

“call Jacob,” i. to the superior of the Jerusalem church, brother of the Lord “and to the brothers”, i.e. to the rest of the believers – to calm down.

“went to another place”, thereby showing prudent caution, which fully corresponded to the Lord’s instruction (Matt. 10:23). “He did not tempt God and did not put himself in danger, because they did this only when they were commanded…” (Saint John Chrysostom). There is an ancient tradition that Peter was in Rome during the first years of the reign of Claudius (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, II, 14–15). If this is so, then the most convenient time for Peter to make such a journey was precisely that. In all probability the journey took place in AD 44, after the Jewish Passover, in the fourth year of Claudius’ reign. After that, the writer does not speak about Peter again until the apostolic council (Acts 15).

During this time (several years) he was quite able to make the supposed journey – both for greater safety and because of his zeal to preach Christ in the very center of the life of the world at that time.

Acts 12:18. As he doubted, there was no small confusion among the soldiers, what had become of Peter.

Acts 12:19. And Herod, looking for him and not finding him, investigated the guards and ordered them to be put to death. After that he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and there he lived.

“He went down to Caesarea.” It was the then usual residence of the Roman governors of Judea. The Passover was over and Herod could leave Jerusalem. Moreover, it was now inconvenient for him to remain in the city, because he was ashamed of that part of the people, headed by the Sanhedrin, to whom he had promised a gratuitous spectacle of the apostle’s execution.

Acts 12:20. Herod was angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians; and they talked together, came to him and, having persuaded the king’s bed-bearer Vlasta to their side, begged for peace, because their country was fed from the king’s territory.

By describing Herod’s death immediately after the story of Peter’s release, the scribe wants to present this death as God’s punishment for Herod because of the persecution against Christ’s church.

“Herod was enraged” – for what reason is unknown.

“the king’s bedspread Power” – τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ κοῦῶνος τοῦ βασιλέως. This is the chief servant of the king, the guardian of his life and treasures. Such officials very often became high dignitaries of the state, enjoying great influence over the king and state affairs (cf. Acts 8:27).

“begged for peace”. Friendly relations were especially necessary given the danger of starvation (St. John Chrysostom). The Phoenicians obtained most of their grain wheat from Palestine, as they themselves were primarily a trading rather than an agricultural people. Therefore, without war, Herod could do them too much harm, which forced them to beg him for peace.

Acts 12:21. On the appointed day, Herod put on a royal robe, sat on the throne, and spoke to them;

The reception of the envoys took place on a specially designated day of a solemn public audience.

“clothed himself in a royal garment” – according to Josephus’ account “woven of silver”.

Acts 12:22. and the people shouted: this is the voice of God, and not of man.

Acts 12:23. But suddenly an Angel of the Lord smote him, because he did not give glory to God; and he, eaten by worms, died.

The Jewish historian Josephus tells in sufficient detail about the circumstances of Agrippa’s death, with some details and differences (Jewish Antiquities, XIX, 8, 2; cf. Acts 18:6, 7) with a general similarity to the writer. According to Josephus, the king was present in Caesarea at the games in honor of Caesar; on one of these days, the reception of the king’s envoys could have taken place. His magnificent, silver-woven robes shone in the sun with dazzling brilliance; this gave reason also to the flatterers for the most immeasurable praises, in which they called him a god and entrusted themselves to his favor. The king, it seems, was heartened by such flattery, which immediately drew upon him the wrath of God: seeing an owl above him, he fell into a superstitious fear, and at the same time felt such a sharp pain in his stomach that he was immediately carried in his arms into the palace, where after five days of agony he died.

Agrippa’s fear of the owl is explained by the fact that in Rome a soothsayer predicted that he would die when he saw an owl above him for the second time. When this happened, Agrippa fell ill, remembering with horror the prediction. This explanation does not exclude the other, more serious, one of the writer, who says that the cause and beginning of the disease is the invisible defeat of Herod by an angel. The two narrators also do not contradict each other in indicating the duration of Herod’s torments – Josephus directly states five days, and Luke is less definite, saying: “eaten by worms, he died.”

The account of Herod’s death is important because of its chronological date (44), which allows us to determine the time of previous and subsequent events in the life of the church.

Acts 12:24. And the word of God grew and spread.

Acts 12:25. Barnabas and Saul, having fulfilled the commission, returned from Jerusalem (to Antioch), taking with them John, called Mark. Cf. Acts 11:28–30.

Source in Russian: Explanatory Bible, or Commentaries on all the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments: In 7 volumes / Ed. prof. A. P. Lopukhin. – Ed. 4th. – Moscow: Dar, 2009, 1232 pp.

Illustration: A rare icon of oil-painted St. Peter on gilt background with intricate tooling and decorated with a border of stippled flowers. Oil and gilt on wood panel. 48.2 x 38.3 cm (19 x 15 1/8 in.). Guilded wooden frame, 19th century.

What is the place of women in the church and in life in general? After all, the Orthodox view is a special view. And the opinions of different priests can differ greatly from each other (even if we do not take into account the misogynist Tkachev) – someone sees Delilah and Herodias in women, someone – myrrh-bearers.

In the world created by God, a man and a woman are two absolutely equal parts of a single whole: the world simply could not exist if they did not complement each other.

It is this unity that the Apostle Paul emphasizes, speaking about the earthly segment of human history: “the two will become one flesh.”

If we talk about eternity, then in it, according to the words of the same Paul: “there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” And this is the same unity, but in its exclusive fullness (“marriage is only a prophetic image of the future century, of humanity in slalu naturae integrae [in a state of integral nature]” – Pavel Evdokimov).

As for the role of women… There is an interesting moment in the Gospel, which for some reason is traditionally ignored by Orthodox (and perhaps other Christian) preachers.

We know that Christ was born of Mary. She became the focus in which the thousand-year history of the Jewish people converged. All the prophets, patriarchs and kings of the people of Israel lived so that at some point this young girl would agree to become the mother of God and give Him the opportunity to save us all.

God did not use her as a “walking incubator” (which is what Orthodox pastors seriously see as the purpose of women), did not deceive her, as Zeus did with Alcmene, Leda or Danae, He chose her as the mother of His Son and gave her the right to freely respond with consent or refusal.

All this is common knowledge. But few people pay attention to the fact that there is no place for a man in this story.

There is God and a woman who save the world. There is Christ, who, dying on the cross, conquers death and redeems humanity with his blood. And there is Mary, standing at the cross of her Divine Son, whose “weapon pierces the soul.”

And all the men are somewhere out there – feasting in palaces, judging, making sacrifices, betraying, shaking with hatred or fear, preaching, fighting, teaching.

They have their own role in this “divine tragedy”, but at this culmination of human history, the main role is played by two – God and Woman.

And true Christianity by no means reduced the entire role of a woman to the birth of children and household chores.

For example, St. Paula, a highly educated woman, helped Blessed Jerome in his work on translating the Bible.

The monasteries of England and Ireland in the 6th and 7th centuries became centers for the training of erudite women who were knowledgeable in theology, canon law, and wrote Latin poetry. St. Gertrude translated the Holy Scriptures from Greek. Female monastic orders in Catholicism carried out a wide variety of social services.

From an Orthodox perspective on the matter, a useful synthesis is provided by a document from the year 2000 – “Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church”, approved by the Holy Synod of Bishops, in the year of the Great Jubilee, at the border between the millennia.

The foundations of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church are intended to serve as a guide for synodal institutions, dioceses, monasteries, parishes and other canonical church institutions in their relations with state power, with various secular organizations, with non-church mass media. On the basis of this document, the ecclesiastical Hierarchy adopts decisions on various issues, the relevance of which is limited within the boundaries of individual countries or to some short period of time, as well as when the subject of consideration is sufficiently private. The document is included in the educational process of the spiritual schools of the Moscow Patriarchate. In accordance with the changes in state and social life, the emergence of new problems in this area, which are important for the Church, the foundations of its social concept can be developed and improved. The results of this process are confirmed by the Holy Synod, by Local or Bishops’ Councils:

X. 5. In the pre-Christian world there existed the idea of woman as an inferior being compared to man. The Church of Christ revealed the dignity and vocation of women in all their fullness by giving them a deep religious justification, which found its peak in the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to Orthodox teaching, the blessed Mary, blessed among women (Luke 1:28), manifested in herself that highest degree of moral purity, spiritual perfection and holiness to which man can rise and which surpasses in dignity the ranks of angels. In her person, motherhood is sanctified and the importance of the feminine is affirmed. The mystery of the Incarnation takes place with the participation of the Mother of God, as she participates in the work of salvation and rebirth of man. The Church deeply honors the evangelical myrrh-bearing women, as well as the numerous Christian figures glorified by the feats of martyrdom, confession and righteousness. From the very beginning of the existence of the ecclesiastical community, women actively participated in its organization, liturgical life, missionary work, preaching, education and charity.

Valuing highly the social role of women and welcoming their political, cultural and social equality with men, at the same time the Church opposes tendencies to belittle the role of women as wife and mother. The fundamental equality of dignity of the sexes does not eliminate their natural differences and does not mean the identification of their vocation both in the family and in society. In particular, the Church cannot misinterpret the words of St. app. Paul about the special responsibility of the man who is called to be “head of the woman” and to love her as Christ loves His Church or about the call of the woman to submit to the man as the Church submits to Christ (Eph. 5 :22-33; Col. 3:18). Here, of course, we are not talking about the despotism of the man or the fortification of the woman, but about the primacy of responsibility, care and love; it should also not be forgotten that all Christians are called to obey “one another in the fear of God” (Eph. 5:21). Therefore, “neither a man without a woman, nor a woman without a man, is in the Lord.” For as the woman is from the man, so the man is through the woman, and everything is from God” (I Cor. 11:11-12).

Representatives of some social currents tend to downplay, and sometimes even deny the importance of marriage and the institution of the family, paying attention mainly to the social importance of women, including activities that are slightly compatible or even incompatible with female nature (such as for example work involving heavy physical labor). The frequent calls for an artificial equalization of the participation of men and women in all spheres of human activity. The Church sees the purpose of woman not simply in imitating man or competing with him, but in developing her God-given abilities, which are inherent only in her nature. By not emphasizing only the system of distribution of social functions, Christian anthropology places women in a much higher place than modern non-religious ideas. The desire to destroy or minimize natural division in the public sphere is not inherent in ecclesiastical reason. Gender differences, as well as social and ethical ones, do not hinder access to the salvation that Christ has brought to all people: “There is no longer Jew, nor Greek; there is no longer slave, nor free; neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). At the same time, this sotiological statement does not imply the artificial unification of human diversity and should not be mechanically applied to all public relations.

By prof. A.P. Lopukhin

Acts of the Apostles, chapter 10. The centurion Cornelius, the appearance of the angel, his ambassadorship to Peter (1-8). Peter’s vision and his meeting with the messengers of Cornelius (9-22). Peter’s journey to Cornelius, preaching in his house, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the hearers and their baptism (23-48)

Acts. 10:1. There was in Caesarea a man named Cornelius, a centurion of a regiment called Italian,

“in Caesarea.” See for this city the interpretation to Acts. 8:40.

“of a regiment called Italian.” This regiment consisted really of Italians, not of soldiers recruited from the natives. Caesarea was the residence of the Roman procurators of Palestine, and therefore they had a special regiment of natural Romans or Italians, as more reliable and skilful warriors. It is probable that Cornelius, the centurion of this regiment, was also a natural Roman or Italian. He was not even a Jewish proselyte, but a Gentile with a good soul and natural piety (cf. Acts 10:28, 34 and before that Acts 10:11, 1, 18, 15:7). The incorporation of such a person into the Church of Christ, and that directly, without any mediation on the part of the Jews, even in the form of proselytism at the gate, is an event of great importance, an epoch in the history of the apostolic Church.

This particular importance of the event of the first conversion of a pagan to Christ also speaks of the fact that it took place through the mediation of the first apostle of Christ – Peter, who was deliberately called by God from another city, although at that time in Caesarea there was the famous evangelist and baptizer of the Ethiopian noble Philip.

Acts. 10:2. a pious and God-fearing man with all his household; he gave many alms to the people and always prayed to God.

“God-fearing … and always prayed to God.” These words show that Cornelius was a worshiper of the One true God, of whom he had probably learned from intercourse with the Jews and their worship, but who worshiped Him in his own way, as his pious heart prompted him, independently and independently of the forms of Jewish worship. worship.

Acts. 10:3. About the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw in a vision an Angel of God, who came to him and said to him: Cornelius!

“saw clearly in a vision” – εἶδεν ἐν ὁράματι φανερῶς. In the Slavic translation: “saw in visions appeared”. This means that the vision was in a waking state, not in a dream (St. John Chrysostom). It happened about the ninth hour of the day (corresponding to 3:00 p.m.), which was the usual time for prayer among the Jews. Cornelius also prayed at this time, having fasted until that hour (Acts 10:30).

Acts. 10:4. And he looked at him and fearfully said: what, Lord? The angel answered him: your prayers and your alms have gone up as a memorial before God.

“scared”. St. John Chrysostom explains this fear to Cornelius as follows: “The vision created fear in him, but a moderate fear, so that it only made him cautious. The angel’s words dispelled this fear, or more precisely, the praise contained in them softened the unpleasant feeling of fear…”.

“went up as a memorial to God” – a human description of God’s favor to Cornelius because of his prayers and good works.

Acts. 10:5. And now, send men to Joppa and call Simon, who is called Peter:

Acts. 10:6. he is on a visit to a certain Simona, whose house is by the sea; he will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.

“he will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.” In the Slavic translation: “he speaks to you, you and your entire home will be saved in them.” However, the Greek text is quite different: “οὗτος λαλήσει σοι τί σε δεῖ ποιεῖν”, which means: he will tell you what to do.

With this vision, the Lord discovered that good works and piety are not enough by themselves – they must be sanctified through faith in the Savior Christ, which gives value and foundation to the good disposition of man.

Acts. 10:7. When the Angel who had spoken to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his servants and a pious soldier from among those who were constantly with him,

“two of his servants” – δύο τῶν οἰκετῶν αὐτοῦ. Literally, it means “his household,” that is, people who are closer to the master of the house than ordinary servants. They were distinguished by the same piety as Cornelius himself (Acts 10:2).

Acts. 10:8. and, having told them all, sent them to Joppa.

“told them all.” The purpose of the servants is to persuade Peter to go with them to their master (Acts 10:22). Blessed Theophylact writes: “He told them everything in order to persuade Peter to come to him, because he considered it indecent to call him to him because of his authority (of a centurion).”

Acts. 10:9. The next day, as they were traveling and approaching the city, Peter, about the sixth hour, went up on the flat roof of the house to pray.

“The next day … about six o’clock.” The distance from Caesarea to Joppa is about 40-45 versts (1 verst – 1066.8 m.). Those sent by Cornelius after the ninth hour (after 3 p.m., Acts 10:3) probably left the same day in the evening. So they could arrive in Joppa the next day at noon (about six o’clock).

“went up to the flat roof of the house to pray.” The flat roofs of houses in the East are very comfortable places for prayer. This is where Peter also goes up to pray at the appointed hour.

Acts. 10:10. And being hungry, he asked to eat; while they were preparing him, he drifted off,

“he came into rapture” – ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ἔκστασις (lit. fell into ecstasy). In the Slavic translation: “horror struck me”. According to Blessed Theophylact, this is a state in which “a person has no control over his senses, being drawn into the spiritual world.” Saint John Chrysostom writes the same.

Acts. 10:11. and – he sees heaven opened, and a vessel descending to him, as it were a great cloth tied at the four ends and let down to the earth;

Acts. 10:12. in it were all the quadrupeds of the earth, beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.

“in it were all the quadrupeds of the earth” – πάντα τὰ τετράποδα τῆς γῆς. Literally: all the four-legged creatures of the earth. In the Slavic translation: “all four-legged land”. As one interpreter justly remarks, “This contemplation cannot be measured humanly, for the ecstasy gave Peter other eyes…”.

Acts. 10:13. And a voice was heard to him: get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!

“get up, Peter” – ἀναστάς, Πέτρε, θῦσον καὶ φάγε. In the Slavic translation: rise up Petre, slaughter and eat! The participle ἀναστάς is used, which here means incitement to the action commanded, as in Acts. 9:11, 39 and elsewhere.

“slaughter and eat”. The vision accommodates the hunger experienced by Peter at that moment, and suggests the most ordinary preparation of food, but with unusual consumption.

Acts. 10:14. And Peter said: No, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unclean or unclean.

Although in the descending cloth Peter may find clean animals to be eaten, yet he answers the invitation with a definite negative – μηδαμῶς, Κύριες· Literally: “by no means, Lord!” He answers in this way because of the unusual for he indifference with which the voice treats the unclean animals prohibited for use according to the law, and it is precisely them that he has in mind.

“Lord.” Since the voice came from the open sky, Peter answered it with the usual address “Lord!”, feeling in his heart that the vision came from the Lord Jesus Christ.

The meaning and purpose of this vision is as follows: all the animals in the canvas symbolically represent all mankind: the clean animals mean the Jewish people, and the unclean animals the Gentiles. With the death of Christ the Savior on the Cross, as a sacrifice to God, offered for the whole world, purification is given to all, not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, who together must enter the Church of Christ, into the kingdom of the Messiah, alien to every vice and defilement, being washed and continually washed by the blood of the Lamb of God.

Acts. 10:15. And again a voice came to him: what God has cleansed, you do not consider unclean.

It is also understood that the purification of the Gentiles and their entry into the Church of Christ did not require the mediation of Jewish external rites and regulations, which for Judaism itself had a temporary and transitory character. The right of this entrance is given only because of the all-encompassing significance of the sacrifice of God’s Son on the Cross.

Acts. 10:16. This happened three times, and the judgment went up to heaven again.

“It shall be three times.” I.e. the vision, the conversation with Peter was repeated three times, as a sign of the undoubted truth of what was seen and heard, and to assure Peter of the immutability of the Divine decision.

“and the judgment went up again to heaven.” In the pure and holy realm, where even the impure is made pure and preserved as such by God, together with that which has always been pure.

Acts. 10:17. And when Peter was at a loss as to what the vision which he saw meant, behold, the men sent by Cornelia, inquiring about Simon’s house, stopped at the door

“Peter was perplexed.” Peter does not immediately realize what this vision means, but further events explain it.

Acts. 10:18. and, having called one, they asked: Is Simon, who is called Peter, staying here?

“they called one, they asked”. It is not clear from the narrative whether Peter heard this exclamation. It is further said that the Holy Spirit, through a new inner revelation, communicated to him the messengers of Cornelius.

Acts. 10:19. And while Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him: behold, three people are looking for you.

Acts. 10:20. Get up, get down, and go with them without the least hesitation; for I sent them.

“Arise, come down, and go with them” – ἀναστὰς κατάβηθι καὶ πορεύου. See the interpretation on Acts. 10:13.

“without hesitating in the least” – μηδὲν διακρινόμενος. That means without any hesitation. Was this prescient warning given in view of the well-known strict views of the apostle, which must have put him in difficulty whether to follow the invitation to go to Gentiles, with whom intercourse was forbidden by the Jewish law (Acts 10:28)?

Acts. 10:21. When he went down to the men sent by Cornelius to him, Peter said: I am the one you are looking for; what job did you come for?

“for what business did you come?” In the Russian translation (“For what purpose did you come?”) again, an inaccuracy was admitted, as the Slavic translation is closer to the original: “kaya есть vina, ее же ради приидосте?”. In Greek: τίς ἡ αἰτία δι᾿ ἣν πάρεστε; That is, the literal translation is: What is the reason why you have come?

Acts. 10:22. And they answered: the centurion Cornelius, a virtuous and God-fearing man, with a good name among all the Jewish people, received a revelation from a holy angel to call you to his house and listen to your speeches.

“with a good name among all the Jewish people.” From these words, it becomes clear that a large part of Cornelius’ benefactions were precisely among the Jews, who in this respect resembled the other famous evangelical centurion – the one from Capernaum.

“to listen to your speeches” – ἀκοῦσαι ῥήματα παρὰ σοῦ. I.e. to hear your words, your sermon, which should teach me what I need to do for my salvation.

Acts. 10:23. Then Peter invited them in and gave them a feast. And the next day he arose and went with them; and some of the Joppian brothers went with him.

“some of the brothers of Joppa” – i.e. of the believers at Joppa, who were six, as appears from the further account (Acts 11:12).

Peter entertained the messengers of Cornelius, and as they needed rest, they did not set out until the next day, and probably not very early. They did not arrive at Caesarea until the next day, the fourth day after the vision received by Cornelius (Acts 10:30).

Acts. 10:24. The next day they entered Caesarea. And Cornelius was waiting for them, having summoned his relatives and close friends.

“had called together his relatives and close friends”, who were quite a large group of people (Acts 10:27), of one mind with Cornelius and ready with him to believe in Christ according to the word of Peter. It was the first community of pure pagans to join Christianity without the mediation of Jewish cultic institutions.

Acts. 10:25. As Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshiped him.

Acts. 10:26. And Peter lifted him up and said: get up, I am also a man!

Peter refused Cornelius’s obeisance, not only out of humility, but because he felt in this act that Cornelius was honoring him as some embodiment of a higher power, which was so characteristic of the heathen conception of gods in human form (Acts 14:11).

Acts. 10:27. And conversing with him, he entered and found many assembled.

Acts. 10:28. And he said to them: you know that it is not forgiven for a Jew to gather or get close to another tribe; but God revealed to me not to consider any person dirty or impure.

There is no prohibition in the Mosaic Law for a Jew to communicate with foreigners (Gentiles); it is the petty severity of the later rabbinate, which, under the influence of Pharisaism, developed the idea of ​​the holiness of the chosen people to an excessive degree.

Thanks to the well-known influence of the Pharisaic teachings on the people, this view of relations with the pagans immediately acquired the meaning of a general custom and a firmly established rule – a law, which was also reflected in the way of action of the first supreme apostle.

“not to consider any person dirty or impure” – in the sense of the above-mentioned Pharisaic views, as the impossibility of a pagan to be purified and sanctified through faith in Christ, regardless of Judaism.

Acts. 10:29. Therefore, being invited, I came without objection. Now, I ask, on what business did you send for me?

“on what errand didst thou send for me.” Peter already knew in part what the purpose of his coming was. But now he wants to hear this once more from the mouth of Cornelius and the others present, “so that they themselves may confess and be corrected in the faith.” (Blessed Theophylact, Saint John Chrysostom).

The apostle addresses not only Cornelius, but also the rest of the assembled people, assuming in them the same intention and perceiving the invitation of Cornelius as addressed on behalf of all of them.

Acts. 10:30. Cornelius answered: from four days until this hour I fasted, and at the ninth hour I prayed at home; and behold, there stood before me a man in a bright garment

Acts. 10:31. and said: Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms have been remembered before God.

Acts. 10:32. So send to Joppa and call for Simon, who is called Peter; he is a guest at Simona Usmarya’s, by the sea; he will come and talk to you.

Acts. 10:33. I sent for you at once, and you did well to come. Now, therefore, we all stand before God to hear everything that God has commanded you.

“we all stand before God.” These words are a reverent expression of faith in an omnipresent and omniscient God, and show a readiness to fulfill His will, which they expect to be revealed to them by Peter.

Acts. 10:34. Peter spoke and said: truly, I confess that God does not look on faces;

“Peter spoke and said” – Ἀνοίξας δὲ Πέτρος τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εἶπεν. In the Slavic translation: otverz ze Peter usta said. Literally: Peter opened his mouth and said. See Acts. 8:35.

“indeed, I admit” – ἐπ᾿ ἀληθειας καταλαμβάνομαι. Literally: I really understand. These words show the greatest degree of certainty and confidence.

Acts. 10:35. but in every nation the one who fears Him and walks in righteousness is acceptable to Him.

“is pleasing to Him” – δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστι, i.e. they are accepted by Him, they are not rejected, they are not deprived of the right to participate in the gracious kingdom of Christ. This does not mean that a person can believe whatever he wants and thus be pleasing to God, as long as he acts according to natural justice. Such an understanding would mean that the Christian faith is not necessary for salvation and pleasing God and would allow religious indifference, which is impossible. As it is impossible to be blessed without Christ, outside Christ’s church.

Peter’s point is not that faith does not matter, but that nationality does not matter in bringing to Christ: he who is pleasing to God in any nation on earth can be brought to Christ and joined to His church where he becomes righteous before God. In such a spirit is the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom: “”How? Is he who is of the Persians pleasing to Him? If he is worthy, he will be liked in such a way as to merit faith. Therefore He did not despise even the Ethiopian eunuch. But what, say some, are we to think of men who fear God and yet are neglected? No, no godly man is neglected, for such a man can never be despised.’

Acts. 10:36. He sent the children of Israel the word, announcing peace through Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of all.

“send . . . the word,” i.e. The Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, the Son of God, who preaches the kingdom of God, the kingdom of peace and salvation on earth.

“Who is Lord of all.” These words are great for both Jews and Gentiles, because here for the first time in front of Gentiles Jesus Christ is clearly called the Lord “of all” – i.e. both Jews and Gentiles. He calls all men into His kingdom, and all have an equal right to enter it.

Acts. 10:37. You know about the events that took place throughout Judea, which began in Galilee after the baptism preached by John:

“you know about the events that happened”. The apostle supposes that his hearers had heard of these events, at least of the most important ones of the life of Jesus Christ, because they lived not far from these places, and also because, being well disposed to the Jewish faith, they could not fail to be interested in the events, the rumor of which also circulated in the surrounding lands of Palestine.

“they started from Galilee”- τὸ γενόμενον ῥῆμα … ἀρξάμενον ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας. In the Slavic translation: vy veste verb, which was throughout Judea, beginning with Galilee. The word “ῥῆμα” means a verb, a word, a word, and then that which causes them.

“from Galilee”. There the Lord begins His public ministry after baptism (John 2ff.)

Acts. 10:38. how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went out into Judea, doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

“anointed … Jesus.” Of course, in terms of humanity – as the blessed Theophylact of Ohrid interpreted this place: “since He humbled Himself and accepted our flesh and blood (Heb. 2:14), it is said of Him that He, as a man, accepts what is in a nature like God’. This anointing took place at the baptism of Jesus Christ.

“God was with Him.” This is a careful expression of the thought of the divinity of Jesus Christ. The apostle expresses himself in such a way as not to give rise to pagan ideas about the divinity of Jesus, whom the pagans could easily take for the incarnation of one or another pagan deity. Because of the weakness of the listeners, the apostle spoke less about the Person of Christ than he should (St. John Chrysostom).

Acts. 10:39. And we are witnesses of all that He did in the Judean country and in Jerusalem, and how they killed Him by hanging Him on a tree.

Acts. 10:40. God resurrected Him on the third day and gave Him to appear –

Cf. Acts. 1:8, 3:15, 5:30, 2:32.

Acts 10:41. not to all the people, but to us, the pre-chosen witnesses of God, who ate and drank with Him, after His resurrection from the dead.

Cf. John 17:6, 9, 11, 6:37; Rome. 50:1; 1 Cor.1:1; Gal. 1:1, 15; Luke 24:41–43; John 21:12.

Acts. 10:42. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the Judge appointed by God over the living and the dead.

Cf. Acts. 3:24, 2:38; John 3:15; Rome. 3:25, 10:10.

Act. 10:43. Of Him, all the prophets testify that whoever believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through His name.

Acts. 10:44. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came upon all who were listening to the word.

“While Peter was still speaking…” (see Acts chapter 11). This is the only case in the entire apostolic history in which the Holy Spirit descends on those who join the Christian community even before they are baptized. No doubt this was necessary because of the extreme importance of the events – the first accession of Gentiles to the Church of Christ without the mediation of Judaism, after which this mode of accession was to receive an authority of indisputability.

St. John Chrysostom wrote on this occasion: “Look at God’s house-building. Peter had not yet finished his speech, and the baptism was not yet finished, but as they … received the beginning of the teaching and believed … the Spirit came [upon them]. God does this with the intention of giving Peter a strong justification. Not only did they receive the Spirit, but they began to speak in tongues… Why does it happen this way? For the sake of the Jews, for it was too displeasing for them to see this.’

Act. 10:45. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on Gentiles as well;

“the believers of the circumcision . . . were astonished.” This astonishment is explained by the prevailing belief at that time that the Gentiles should be accepted into the Church of Christ only after they become proselytes of Judaism – an opinion with which they continued to comply even after this event, as can be seen from the following events (Acts. 11 et seq.; Acts 15).

Acts. 10:46. for they heard them speak in tongues and glorify God. Then Peter said:

Acts. 10:47. can anyone prevent those who have received the Holy Spirit, as well as we, from being baptized with water?

Peter draws a completely natural conclusion from the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles, namely, that through this descent all obstacles to their inclusion in the Church of Christ, as well as the need for the mediation of the Jewish cult regulations, have been removed. But he thinks that those who have received the Holy Spirit should be baptized, because this is an unchangeable commandment of the Lord (Matt. 28:18).

Acts. 10:48. And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for a few days.

“commanded them to be baptized.” Obviously, he did not baptize them himself, but one of those who came with him (1 Cor. 1:17).

“in the name of Jesus Christ”. Cf. Acts. 2:36.

“he was asked.” Peter certainly granted their request to establish them in the new Christian faith.

The scribe tells nothing more about Cornelius. According to church tradition, he was later bishop of Caesarea, preached Christ in various countries and died a martyr’s death. His memory is celebrated on September 13.

Source in Russian: Explanatory Bible, or Commentaries on all the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments: In 7 volumes / Ed. prof. A.P. Lopukhin. – Ed. 4th. – Moscow: Dar, 2009, 1232 pp.