إنجيل القدّيس يوحنّا01/من29حتى34/هذَا هُوَ الَّذي قُلْتُ فِيه: يَأْتِي ورَائِي رَجُلٌ قَدْ صَارَ قُدَّامِي، لأَنَّهُ كَانَ قَبْلي
“في الغَدِ (بعد شهادة المعمدان) رأَى يُوحَنَّا يَسُوعَ مُقْبِلاً إِلَيْهِ فَقَال: «هَا هُوَ حَمَلُ اللهِ الَّذي يَرْفَعُ خَطِيئَةَ العَالَم. هذَا هُوَ الَّذي قُلْتُ فِيه: يَأْتِي ورَائِي رَجُلٌ قَدْ صَارَ قُدَّامِي، لأَنَّهُ كَانَ قَبْلي. وأَنَا مَا كُنْتُ أَعْرِفُهُ، لكِنِّي جِئْتُ أُعَمِّدُ بِٱلمَاء ِ لِكَي يَظْهَرَ هُوَ لإِسْرَائِيل». وشَهِدَ يُوحَنَّا قَائِلاً: «رَأَيْتُ الرُّوحَ نَازِلاً كَحَمَامَةٍ مِنَ السَّمَاء، ثُمَّ ٱسْتَقَرَّ عَلَيْه. وأَنَا مَا كُنْتُ أَعْرِفُهُ، لكِنَّ الَّذي أَرْسَلَنِي أُعَمِّدُ بِٱلمَاءِ هُوَ قَالَ لي: مَنْ تَرَى الرُّوحَ يَنْزِلُ ويَسْتَقِرُّ عَلَيْه، هُوَ الَّذي يُعَمِّدُ بِٱلرُّوحِ القُدُس. وأَنَا رَأَيْتُ وشَهِدْتُ أَنَّ هذَا هُوَ ٱبْنُ ٱلله».
رسالة القدّيس بولس الثانية إلى أهل قورنتس10/من01حتى11/نَحْيَا في الجَسَد، ولكِنَّنا لا نُحَارِبُ كَأُنَاسٍ جَسَدِيِّين؛لأَنَّ أَسْلِحَةَ جِهَادِنا لَيْسَتْ جَسَدِيَّة، بَلْ هيَ قَادِرَةٌ بِٱللهِ عَلى هَدْمِ الحُصُونِ المَنِيعَة
“يا إخوَتِي، أَنَا بُولُسُ نَفْسي أُنَاشِدُكُم بِوَدَاعَةِ المَسِيحِ وَحِلْمِهِ، أَنَا المُتَواضِعُ بَيْنَكُم عِنْدَمَا أَكُونُ حَاضِرًا، والجَريءُ عَلَيْكُم عِنْدَما أَكُونُ غَائِبًا. وأَرْجُو أَلاَّ أُجْبَرَ عِنْدَ حُضُورِي أَنْ أَكُونَ جَريئًا، بِالثِّقَةِ الَّتي لي بِكُم، والَّتي أَنْوِي أَنْ أَجْرُؤَ بِهَا عَلى الَّذينَ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّنا نَسْلُكُ كَأُنَاسٍ جَسَدِيِّين. أَجَل، إِنَّنا نَحْيَا في الجَسَد، ولكِنَّنا لا نُحَارِبُ كَأُنَاسٍ جَسَدِيِّين؛لأَنَّ أَسْلِحَةَ جِهَادِنا لَيْسَتْ جَسَدِيَّة، بَلْ هيَ قَادِرَةٌ بِٱللهِ عَلى هَدْمِ الحُصُونِ المَنِيعَة؛ فإِنَّنا نَهْدِمُ الأَفْكَارَ الخَاطِئَة، وكُلَّ شُمُوخٍ يَرْتَفِعُ ضِدَّ مَعْرِفَةِ ٱلله، ونَأْسُرُ كُلَّ فِكْرٍ لِطَاعَةِ المَسِيح. ونَحْنُ مُسْتَعِدُّونَ أَنْ نُعَاقِبَ كُلَّ عُصْيَان، مَتى كَمُلَتْ طَاعَتُكُم. إِنَّكُم تَحْكُمُونَ عَلى المَظَاهِر! إِنْ كَانَ أَحَدٌ وَاثِقًا بِنَفْسِهِ أَنَّهُ لِلمَسيح، فَلْيُفَكِّرْ في نَفْسِهِ أَنَّهُ كَمَا هوَ لِلمَسيحِ كَذلِكَ نَحْنُ أَيْضًا. فَأَنا لا أَخْجَلُ إِنْ بَالَغْتُ بَعْضَ المُبَالَغَةِ في الٱفْتِخَارِ بِالسُّلْطَانِ الَّذي وَهَبَهُ الرَّبُّ لَنا لِبُنْيَانِكُم لا لِهَدْمِكُم. ولا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَظْهَرَ كأَنِّي أُخَوِّفُكُم بِرَسَائِلي؛ لأَنَّ بَعْضًا مِنْكُم يَقُولُون: «رَسَائِلُهُ شَدِيدَةُ اللَّهْجَةِ وقَوِيَّة، أَمَّا حُضُورُهُ الشَّخْصِيُّ فَهَزِيل، وكَلامُهُ سَخِيف!». فَلْيَعْلَم مِثْلُ هذَا القَائِلِ أَنَّنا كَما نَحْنُ بِالكَلامِ في الرَّسَائِل، عِنْدَما نَكُونُ غَائِبين، كَذلِكَ نَحْنُ أَيْضًا بِالفِعْل، عِنْدما نَكُونُ حَاضِرين”.
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 01/29-34: “The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’”
we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds.
Second Letter to the Corinthians 10/01-11: “I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold towards you when I am away! I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards. Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete. Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we. Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters. For they say, ‘His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.’ Let such people understand that what we say by letter when absent, we will also do when present.”