ومَنْ حَلَفَ بِالسَّمَاء، فَقَدْ حَلَفَ بِعَرْشِ اللهِ وبِالجَالِسِ عَلَيه
إنجيل القدّيس متّى23/من16حتى22/:”قالَ الربُّ يَسوع: «أَلوَيلُ لَكُم، أَيُّهَا القَادَةُ العُمْيَان! لأَنَّكُم تَقُولُون: مَنْ حَلَفَ بِالمَقْدِس، فَلا قِيمَةَ لِحَلَفِهِ، أَمَّا مَنْ حَلَفَ بِذَهَبِ المَقْدِس، فَحَلَفُهُ مُلْزِم. أَيُّهَا الجُهَّالُ والعُمْيَان، مَا الأَعْظَم؟ الذَّهَبُ أَمِ المَقْدِسُ الَّذي يُقَدِّسُ الذَّهَب؟! وتَقُولُون أَيضًا: مَنْ حَلَفَ بِالمَذْبَح، فلا قِيمَةَ لِحَلَفِهِ، أَمَّا مَنْ حَلَفَ بِالتَّقْدِمَةِ الَّتي عَلَيه، فَحَلَفُهُ مُلْزِم. أَيُّهَا العُمْيَان! مَا الأَعْظَم؟ التَّقْدِمَةُ أَمِ ٱلمَذْبَحُ الَّذي يُقَدِّسُ التَّقْدِمَة؟! فَمَنْ حَلَفَ بِالمَذْبَح، فَقَدْ حَلَفَ بِهِ وَبِكُلِّ مَا عَلَيْه. ومَنْ حَلَفَ بِالمَقْدِس، فَقَدْ حَلَفَ بِهِ وبِٱللهِ السَّاكنِ فِيهِ. ومَنْ حَلَفَ بِالسَّمَاء، فَقَدْ حَلَفَ بِعَرْشِ اللهِ وبِالجَالِسِ عَلَيه”.
وفي ٱليَومِ ٱلتَّالي، أَخَذَ بُولُسُ ٱلرِّجَالَ وتَطَهَّرَ مَعَهُم، وَدَخَلَ ٱلهَيْكَل، وأَعْلَنَ ٱلمَوعِدَ ٱلَّذِي تَنْتَهي فيهِ أَيَّامُ ٱلتَّطْهير، لِيُقَرِّبَ ٱلقُرْبَانَ عَنْ كُلٍّ مِنْهُم”
سفر أعمال الرسل21/من15حتى26/:”يا إخوَتي: وبَعْدَ تِلْكَ ٱلأَيَّام، تأَهَّبْنَا لِلسَّفَر، وصَعِدْنَا إِلى أُورَشَليم. ورَافَقَنَا بَعْضُ ٱلتَّلامِيذِ مِنْ قَيْصَرِيَّة، وذَهَبُوا بِنَا إِلى مَنَاسُونَ ٱلقُبْرُسِيّ، أَحَدِ ٱلتَّلامِيذِ ٱلأَوَائِل، فَنَزَلْنَا عِنْدَهُ ضُيُوفًا. ولَدَى وصُولِنَا إِلى أُورَشَليم، ٱسْتَقْبَلَنَا ٱلإِخْوَةُ بَفَرَح. وفي ٱلغَد، دَخَلَ بُولُسُ مَعَنَا إِلى يَعْقُوب، وحَضَرَ ٱلكَهَنَةُ كُلُّهُم. فسَلَّمَ بُولُسُ عَلَيْهِم، وأَخَذَ يَشْرَحُ لَهُم بِٱلتَّفْصِيلِ كُلَّ مَا فعَلَهُ ٱللهُ بَيْنَ ٱلأُمَمِ بِواسِطَةِ خِدْمَتِهِ. فلَمَّا سَمِعُوا، مَجَّدُوا ٱللهَ وقَالُوا لِبُولُس: «أَيُّها ٱلأَخ، أَنْتَ تَرَى أَنَّ عَشَرَاتِ ٱلآلافِ مِنَ اليَهُودِ قَدْ آمَنُوا، وكُلُّهُم ذَوُو غَيْرَةٍ عَلى ٱلشَّريعَة. وقَدْ أُخْبِرُوا أَنَّكَ تُعَلِّمُ جَمِيعَ ٱليَهُودِ ٱلمُنْتَشِرِينَ بَيْنَ ٱلأُمَم، أَنْ يَرْتَدُّوا عَنْ مُوسَى، وتَقُولُ بأَلاَّ يَخْتُنُوا بَنِيهِم، ولا يَسْلُكُوا بِحَسَبِ ٱلتَّقَاليد. فمَا ٱلعَمَلُ إِذًا؟ إِنَّهُم ولا بُدَّ سَيَسْمَعُونَ بِقُدُومِكَ. فَٱعْمَلْ بِمَا نَقُولُهُ لَكَ: عِنْدَنَا أَرْبَعَةُ رِجَالٍ عَلَيْهِم نَذْر. فخُذْهُم، وتَطَهَّرْ مَعَهُم، وأَنْفِقْ عَلَيْهِم لِيَحْلُقُوا رُؤُوسَهُم، فيَعْلَمَ جَميعُ ٱليَهُودِ أَنَّ مَا أُخْبِرُوا بِهِ عَنْكَ بَاطِل، بَلْ إِنَّكَ تَسْلُكُ سُلُوكَهُم مُحَافِظًا عَلى ٱلشَّريعَة. أَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنَ ٱلوَثَنِيِّينَ فأَرْسَلْنَا نَحْنُ إِلَيْهِم، وحَكَمْنَا أَنْ يَصُونُوا أَنْفُسَهُم مِنْ ذَبَائِحِ ٱلأَصْنَام، وٱلدَّم، ولَحْمِ ٱلحيَوَانِ ٱلمَخْنُوق، وٱلفُجُور». وفي ٱليَومِ ٱلتَّالي، أَخَذَ بُولُسُ ٱلرِّجَالَ وتَطَهَّرَ مَعَهُم، وَدَخَلَ ٱلهَيْكَل، وأَعْلَنَ ٱلمَوعِدَ ٱلَّذِي تَنْتَهي فيهِ أَيَّامُ ٱلتَّطْهير، لِيُقَرِّبَ ٱلقُرْبَانَ عَنْ كُلٍّ مِنْهُم”.
Whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 23/16-22/:”‘Woe to you, blind guides, who say, “Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.” You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred? And you say, “Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.” How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it; and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.”
Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified himself, he entered the temple with them, making public the completion of the days of purification
Acts of the Apostles 21/15-26:”After these days we got ready and started to go up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came along and brought us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay. When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us warmly. The next day Paul went with us to visit James; and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard it, they praised God. Then they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealous for the law. They have been told about you that you teach all the Jews living among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, and that you tell them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow. Join these men, go through the rite of purification with them, and pay for the shaving of their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself observe and guard the law. But as for the Gentiles who have become believers, we have sent a letter with our judgement that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.’ Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified himself, he entered the temple with them, making public the completion of the days of purification when the sacrifice would be made for each of them.”