Interpretation of the 1st Epistle of the Holy Apostle John

Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria gained experience in explaining the Holy Scriptures when, as a rhetorician of the Great Church, he instructed the people. Most of his written interpretations arose at the request of the Greek Empress Maria, whom he calls his pious patron. These works became an outstanding synthesis and transposition of the established patristic traditions, primarily the heritage of the Antiochian theological school and St. John Chrysostom. As a rule, the author presents abbreviated versions of extensive interpretations of the ancient Church Fathers, borrowing only what is necessary for understanding the text. The commentary also includes his own explanations, which often concern disputes with heretics, especially later ones, and issues of dialogue with the Latins. Thanks to his clear, concise presentation and clear semantic emphasis, his commentaries were accessible to a wide range of readers, became widespread and had a significant influence on both Byzantine and Western European theology. In the “Commentary on the 1st Epistle of the Holy Apostle John” (5 chapters) the following topics are revealed: the trinity of God and the nature of Christ; love for one's neighbor and the desire for virtue, without which true worship of God is impossible; the problem of attachment to earthly things and desires, leading to distance from God; submission to the will of God as the path to salvation; the fight against heresy and error. Table of Contents of the First Epistle of the Holy Apostle John Evangelical theology about Christ; here it is about confession and keeping oneself from sins and that knowledge of God is confirmed by keeping the commandments. - About love, without which there is no piety, here about grace, characteristic of every age, and about abandoning love for the world. – About false brethren who deny God, about the fact that Christian piety certainly confesses the Father, for the glorification of the Father is conditioned by recognizing the Son as God; here about the divine and spiritual gift in sanctification, in the hope of knowing God, and about the fact that everyone who abides in Christ does not sin, for whoever sins is of the devil. – About love for one’s neighbor and the inclination to help; here about a good conscience, given by faith in Jesus Christ, about the discernment of spirits through the confession of the incarnation of the Lord. - About the necessity of brotherly love for reverence for God. – About the Divinity of the Son in the glory of the Father, and about victory over the devil through faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life. – About helping a brother who sins by praying for him, and about not sinning; here we also talk about moving away from serving demons. Contents of the first letter of the Holy Apostle John The same John who wrote the Gospel also wrote this epistle in order to confirm those who had already believed in the Lord. And both in the Gospel and in this epistle, first of all, he theologizes about the Word, shows that It is always in God, and teaches that the Father is light, so that from here we would know that the Word is, as it were, a reflection of Him. Continuing to theologize, he explains that the mystery of our salvation is not new, but that it has always been from the beginning, and now has only been revealed in the Lord, Who is eternal life and the true God. He also exposes the reason for His coming and appearance, saying that He appeared to destroy the works of the devil, free us from death and teach us the knowledge of the Father and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle writes to people of all ages, children, youth, elders, because God is known, and the power of the devil has been overcome and death has been abolished. Throughout the letter he teaches about love, commands us to love one another, and the duty of mutual love is based on the fact that Christ also loved us. Explains the difference between fear and love, between the children of God and the children of the devil, between mortal and non-mortal sin, and between spirits. Separately explains which spirit is from God and which is the spirit of error; when we are recognized as children of God, and when we are recognized as children of the devil; what sin should we pray for for those who sin and what should we not pray about. He says that whoever does not love his neighbor is not worthy of the title and cannot be called Christ’s. Shows that the Son is one with the Father and that he who renounces the Son does not have the Father. In the same letter he argues that it is common for the Antichrist to say that Jesus Christ is not the true Son in order to show that He lies, calling Himself the Son, but not truly being Him. Through the entire message, he convinces those who believe in the Lord not to be discouraged because the world hates them, but rather to rejoice, because hatred from the world shows that believers have retreated from the world itself and already belong to heavenly citizenship. At the end of the message, he again reminds us that the Son of God is eternal Life and the true God, and that we must serve Him and keep ourselves from idols. You might be interested in: