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Explanation for:
Matthew
23
:
20
He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it:
7
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"He does not permit oaths because He endorses swearing; rather, in chapter five, He prohibited all forms of oaths. Instead, He highlights that the Jews made oaths by it."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"He who makes an oath by the altar demonstrates that such a promise is more sacred and binding than one made by the offering on the altar, as swearing by the altar also encompasses the sacrifices intended for it. Furthermore, it is clear that an oath taken by the temple carries greater weight and holiness than one made by the altar, since swearing by the temple implies an affirmation of Him who resides within it, namely God. The temple serves as the locus of His unique presence among His people. \\n\\nIn Solomon's initial temple, God's distinct presence was revealed above the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies, which was visually signified by a cloud (3 Kings 8:10-13, Psalm 81:1). In the second temple, despite the absence of the mercy seat, the Lord still disclosed His presence there in a remarkable way. It was for this reason that only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies once every year, bringing with him the blood of the atoning sacrifice (Hebrews 9:7). Swearing by the temple aligns with swearing by heaven (cf. Matthew 5:34-35), which is described as swearing by the throne of God; heaven is likewise the domain of God's specific presence, where His glory is fully manifested. It is stated that there resides the throne of God, where He reigns in majesty, glory, and unapproachable light. \\n\\nThrough these statements, the Lord communicates that to swear by any entity is to invoke God's name, as an oath devoid of this reference lacks significance. The crux of an oath lies in invoking God as the witness to the truthfulness and integrity of the swearer; absent this invocation, the oath carries no weight."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The sacrifice receives its consecration from the altar, which means the altar holds greater significance and holiness than the offering it sanctifies. Why, then, do you categorize vows into significant and minor ones? This classification serves your own interests. Due to your self-serving assessments, you have misinterpreted the essence of every promise, losing sight of what is most crucial: it is not merely the object of the vow that matters, but the One to whom it is devoted. People invoke God as a witness to their integrity and truthfulness. Thus, every commitment, irrespective of how sacred it may seem, carries equal weight. Those who take an oath by the sacrifice do so by it and everything associated with it. Likewise, those who swear by the temple are not only invoking it but also the Lord God who resides within it; in swearing by the temple, one swears by heaven itself."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Woe to you, leaders who are spiritually blind, guiding the people toward the Kingdom of Heaven while failing to discern the genuine path from the false one. In your ignorance, you instruct the people that they can disregard oaths at will, relying solely on which oath they select for this purpose. You believe you can mislead others by invoking the temple and its altar, as if fulfilling such an oath is merely a matter of choice. Yet, you demand compliance when an individual swears by the golden vessels and sacred items of the temple or by the offerings presented at the altar. How misguided and blind you are! The temple holds greater sanctity than the gold contained within, which derives its holiness from the temple itself; likewise, the altar, which sanctifies the offerings upon it, surpasses the offerings in greatness. How can you fail to realize that swearing by the altar encompasses all that is upon it? Furthermore, he who swears by the temple binds himself not only to the gold within but also to God, who resides invisibly within it, just as swearing by heaven implicates its ever-present Creator. Blessed Theophylact has noted that anyone who swore by a golden vessel or a sacrificial animal and subsequently broke that oath was required to consecrate to the temple what they had sworn by. The Pharisees prioritized the gold and sacrifices over the temple itself for their personal gain. Because it was unfeasible to demand restitution from someone who swore by the temple and broke their vow—there being no profit in such a breach—they permitted the violation of these oaths."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The fourth woe addresses the spiritual blindness and distortion of the true significance of oaths. The scribes and Pharisees, by permitting oaths based on created entities—such as heaven, earth, the sun, Jerusalem, the temple, and so forth—categorized them into more and less significant oaths. Fueled by self-interest, they included the temple's treasures and sacrificial offerings among the most sacred and absolute oaths. Previously, Jesus Christ had made it clear that these misguided interpreters of the law placed sacrificial vows above God’s unchangeable command to honor one’s father and mother (Matthew 15:4-6). At this moment, He sharply criticized the deliberate irrationality that the blind leaders of the people had succumbed to: “Woe unto you, ye leaders of the blind, who claim that whoever swears by the church is nothing, while whoever swears by the gold of the church is bound.” He then challenged them: “You blind guides, which is greater: the gold, or the sanctuary that sanctifies the gold? And whoever swears by the altar is under no obligation, but whoever swears by the offering on it is bound.” Again, He pressed them, “You blind guides, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?” According to the understanding of the Pharisees, as explained by the blessed Theophylact, “He who swore by a golden vessel, or an ox, or a sheep designated for sacrifice, and subsequently broke his oath had to offer what he had sworn by to the temple; they valued the gift more than the altar due to the profit from the sacrifices.” The essence of an oath lies in calling upon the all-knowing and ever-present God as a witness to the truth. Thus, restoring the true significance of an oath, the Lord declared, “If anyone swears by the altar, he swears by it and by Him who is upon it; if anyone swears by the church, he swears by it and by Him who dwells in it; if anyone swears by heaven, he swears by the Throne of God and by Him who is seated upon it.”"},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"One of the primary issues is the distortion of the law through overly intricate interpretations."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"After all that had transpired, the Lord departed from the temple, issuing a stern condemnation towards the Pharisees and the temple priests, who were accountable for leading the people astray, along with forewarnings of impending divine judgment. As He completed His earthly mission, He declared that He would persist in His work among them through His ministers. However, the Pharisees would also pursue these messengers, as well as the previous bearers of the truth, thereby compounding the sins of their ancestors. Consequently, the judgment of God would be made manifest against the wickedness of Jerusalem."}]}
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