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Explanation for:
Matthew
23
:
33
You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?
12
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"John the Baptist expressed a similar sentiment; indeed, just as venomous serpents produce venomous offspring, so from the lineage of murderers you emerged as murderers."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The reference to the serpent, offspring of the echidna, conveys that just as echidnas are associated with their lethal venom, you too inherit the traits of your forebears through acts of violence. Aware of their motives, which remain hidden from many, He affirms His message through their impending bold actions, of which all will ultimately become aware.\\n\\n*****\\n\\nThe serpents, offspring of Echidna, represent the malevolent descendants of malevolent ancestors, exhibiting even greater depravity. Christ reveals their propensity for far graver wickedness, showing how their cruelty exceeds that of their forefathers, despite their claims to the contrary. They have not only perpetuated the sins of their lineage but have also brought about the culmination of these atrocities. They murdered the messengers who entered the vineyard, and they ultimately executed the Son Himself, as well as those who called for the wedding feast. By this declaration, Christ disentangles them from any connection to Abraham, illustrating that such lineage holds no true value unless they emulate his righteous deeds. Thus, He challenges them, asking how they expect to evade the judgment of Gehenna while following in the footsteps of their ancestors in such shameless conduct. Here, He also recalls John’s scathing sermon, as John similarly labeled them and warned them of the impending judgment."},{"author-name":"Anonymous Commentary (Opus Imperfectum)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The serpent is regarded as the most astute of creatures, yet its wisdom is malevolent: it perpetually seeks to strike and, once it has done so, schemes to conceal its actions. In a similar manner, hypocrites among humanity exhibit this cunning; appearing to live in sincerity, they remain intent on causing harm to others, and once they have inflicted pain, they act as though no wrongdoing has occurred."},{"author-name":"Cyrill of Alexandria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a8ea5c988a4fc073480_Cyrill%20of%20Alexandria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"How will the retribution for all blood befall the final generation of murderers, as indicated in Matthew 23:35-36, considering that God declared through His prophet that parents are not to be executed for the sins of their children, but rather each individual shall die for his own iniquity (Deuteronomy 24:16)? What can we conclude? Why will those whom Christ addressed be held responsible for the deaths of others? Will Cain escape consequence for Abel’s murder? Lamech proclaimed, \\"I have slain a man for injuring me, and a young man for wounding me\\" (Genesis 4:23). Thus, as each person carries the weight of his own transgressions, how then can these evildoers be punished for all? For God is not unjust (Hebrews 6:10); rather, He is a righteous Judge—strong and patient, in alignment with scripture. Therefore, it is reasonable to interpret the matter this way. \\n\\nConsider a scenario: suppose bandits invaded this nation, raiding nearby villages and killing the residents. The ruler did not immediately retaliate but instead sought to reform them through warnings. Yet their cruelty persisted unabated. Ultimately, to protect against further aggression, he captured some, showed no mercy, and subjected them to severe punishments, expressing his anger not only toward those bandits but even more towards those who, innocent of malice, had suffered due to their brutality. Some might argue that the latter's harsh punishment equates them to all sins, as the ruler’s wrath descended upon them. A similar thought applies to God’s judgment. In times past, He considered that the measure of cruelty should be applied to the present, allowing His divine wrath to be directed at these individuals. They have sinned against fellow humans, but these have crucified the Sovereign of all. Hence, His discipline is not out of severity but rather a reflection of His remarkable patience up until this time."},{"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 referred to them as serpents, indicating their wickedness, deceit, and harmful nature, likening them to the offspring of echidnas who carry the same venom of evil and propensity for violence as their forebears. In the third chapter, John the Baptist also refers to them as echidnas, albeit with a distinct meaning. He describes the judgment of Gehenna as both the condemnation and the punishment within Gehenna, or the act of being cast down into Gehenna."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"You will complete the entirety of wrongdoing through murder, which your ancestors did not achieve. Yet, if you are so depraved, how can you hope to evade judgment?"},{"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":"‘Serpents, the offspring of echidna,’ refers to those who are truly wicked, demonstrating an even greater depravity than their malevolent ancestors. Christ reveals that they commit far graver sins, exhibiting cruelty that exceeds that of their forebears, despite their claims that they would never engage in such actions. They ultimately fulfill and escalate the evil deeds. For it was those who exterminated the servants sent into the vineyard, and it is these same ones who have slain the Son Himself, as well as those who were summoned to the wedding."},{"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":"You offspring of serpents! You proudly declare, “Our father is Abraham,” but truly, Abraham is not your father. Instead, you are the children of malevolent ancestors, even more despicable than they! How will you avoid judgment in Gehenna? There is no salvation for you, you who are corrupt and thirst for the blood of the innocent! If neither judgment nor the reality of Gehenna strikes fear in your hearts, if your downfall is near and you must face the consequences of all bloodshed, then..."},{"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":"But, you sinful offspring of deceitful parents, you snakes, the progeny of darkness. When you act in this manner, have you reflected on the consequences that lie ahead for you? Do you believe that you can escape the judgment of everlasting suffering that is destined for you?"},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"These creatures, which evoke fear and revulsion in all, can be understood as cunning, wicked adversaries of the Lord, infecting the hearts of the faithful with the venom of false teachings. How will you escape the judgment of the fiery abyss? By following in the footsteps of your forebears and mimicking their actions, you will endure the same treacherous fate."},{"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":"The final and eighth woe that the Lord announces to the Pharisees addresses their murderous inclinations and their actions against God's messengers. The Pharisees claim they do not share in this guilt; they honor the prophets of old by building monuments to them and insist that they would never align themselves with their forefathers in the unjust killing of the righteous if they had lived in ancient times. However, by voicing such claims, they are, in fact, confessing their own culpability as they identify themselves as spiritual descendants of those who persecuted the prophets. Christ declares, \\"But complete the measure of your fathers,\\" urging them to bring to fruition the acts their ancestors started by killing the Messiah, who is the fulfillment of the prophets' messages, along with His new messengers, the apostles. This will lead to their certain judgment in Gehenna."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Following these events, the Lord departed from the temple, delivering a solemn condemnation towards the Pharisees and the temple priests, who were the architects of the people's corruption, accompanied by forewarnings of divine judgment. As He concluded His earthly mission, He proclaimed that He would persist in His works through His emissaries; however, the Pharisees would also persecute them, just as they had done to previous witnesses of the truth. In doing so, they would further fill the cup of their ancestors' transgressions, leading to the unveiling of God's judgment upon the wickedness of Jerusalem."}]}
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