Gospel read online in full. Full text of the Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament. The Gospel of Matthew belongs to the canonical gospels. The New Testament begins with the four gospels, the lives of Jesus Christ. The first three Gospels are similar to each other, therefore they are called synoptic (from the Greek "synopticos" - to see together).

Read the Gospel of Matthew.

The Gospel of Matthew has 28 chapters.

Church tradition calls the author Matthew, the tax collector who followed Christ. However, modern researchers believe that the Gospel was not written by a direct eyewitness of the event, and, therefore, the Apostle Matthew cannot be the author of the first Gospel. It is believed that this text was written somewhat later, and the unknown author relied on the Gospel of Mark and on the source Q that has not come down to us.

The theme of the Gospel of Matthew

The main theme of the Gospel of Matthew is the life and work of Jesus Christ. The book was intended for a Jewish audience. The Gospel of Matthew is replete with references to messianic Old Testament prophecies. The purpose of the author is to show that messianic prophecies come true in the coming of the Son of God.

The Gospel describes in detail the genealogy of the Savior, starting from Abraham and ending with Joseph the Betrothed, the husband of the Virgin Mary.

Features of the Gospel of Matthew.

The Gospel of Matthew is the only book in the New Testament that was not written in Greek. The Aramaic original of the Gospel was lost, and the Greek translation was included in the canon.

The activity of the Messiah is considered in the Gospel from three points of view:

• like a prophet
• as legislator,
• as the High Priest.

This book focuses on the teachings of Christ.

The Gospel of Matthew repeats many of the other synoptic gospels, but there are a few points that are not covered in any other book of the New Testament:

• The story of the healing of two blind men,
• The story of the healing of the dumb demoniac,
• The story of the coin in the fish's mouth.

There are also several original parables in this Gospel:

• parable of the tares,
• parable of the treasure in the field,
• parable of the precious pearl,
• parable of the net,
• the parable of the merciless creditor,
• the parable of the laborers in the vineyard,
• parable of two sons
• parable of the marriage feast,
• parable of the ten virgins
• parable of talents.

Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew

In addition to describing the birth, life and death of Jesus, the gospel also reveals themes about the Second Coming of Christ, about the eschatological revelation of the Kingdom and in the daily spiritual life of the Church.

The book was written for 2 purposes:

1. Tell the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah.
2. To encourage those who believed in Jesus as the Messiah and feared that God would turn away from His people after His Son was crucified. Matthew said that God had not given up on the people and that the Kingdom promised earlier would come in the future.

The Gospel of Matthew testifies that Jesus is the Messiah. The author answers the question "If Jesus is indeed the Messiah, why didn't He establish the promised Kingdom?" The author says that this Kingdom has taken on a different form and that Jesus will return to earth again to establish His authority over it. The Savior came with good news to the people, but in accordance with God's plan, His message was rejected in order to sound later to all nations throughout the world.

Chapter 1. Pedigree of the Savior. Birth of the Messiah.

Chapter 2 Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. Return of the Holy Family to Nazareth.

Chapter 3. Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.

Chapter 4 The beginning of the preaching work of Jesus Christ in Galilee. The first disciples of Christ.

Chapters 5 - 7. Sermon on the Mount.

Chapters 8 - 9. Sermons in Galilee. Miracles of Christ. The power of the savior over disease, the forces of evil, nature, over death. The ability of the Savior to forgive. The ability to turn darkness into light and cast out demons.

Chapter 10. The call of the 12 apostles

Chapter 11. A challenge to the authority of the Son of God.

Chapter 12 Disputes about the power of the new Tsar.

Chapters 13 - 18. Miracles and parables of Christ. Sermon in Galilee and nearby lands.

Chapters 19 - 20. Jesus goes from Galilee to Judea.

Chapters 21 - 22. Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and preaching there.

Chapter 23 Jesus' denunciation of the Pharisees.

Chapter 24 Jesus predicts his Second Coming after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Chapter 25 New parables. Explanation of future events.

Chapter 26 The anointing of Jesus with peace. The Last Supper. Arrest of the Messiah and trial.

Chapter 27 Jesus Christ before Pilate. Crucifixion and burial of the Savior.

Chapter 28 Resurrection of Jesus.

Genealogy of Jesus Christ () and His birth ().

. Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham.

"Genealogy": the calculus of ancestors in succession descending, as here in ev. Matthew, or ascending, as in Ev. Luke (and gave.), OK. It was customary among Eastern writers in general and among Jewish writers in particular, when describing the life of a famous person, to indicate his genealogical table, as can be seen from the books of Moses, Ruth, Kings and Chronicles. But the evangelist Matthew, placing the genealogy of the Lord, no doubt, had a particularly important goal - to show that he descended precisely from those persons to whom the promise of the descent of the Messiah from them was given in ancient times, as can be seen from the further words of the evangelist. And placed at the beginning of the first Gospel, and with it the entire composition of the New Testament books, the genealogy of the Lord constitutes a wonderful transition from the Old Testament to the New.

- “Jesus Christ”: Jesus (in Greek Ἰησjῦς, in Hebrew - Yeshua, shortened from Yehoshua) means the Savior or simply the Savior (see Athan. V. 4, 513), - the name is quite common among the Jews. But here, in its application to Christ, it had a special meaning, expressing the concepts of the work He had done for the salvation of the human race (cf. note, k). - Christ is a Greek word and means anointed - the same as the Jewish Mashiach - the Messiah, which is why Jesus is called either Christ or Messiah, which is all the same (cf.). Among the Jews, kings and high priests, and sometimes prophets, were anointed with oil, which is why they were called anointed (Mashiach - . . . . (cf. ;). Anointing meant the same as the consecration of the elect to a special service to God or the Church of God on earth. It was an external sign of the pouring out of the special gifts of God on the anointed one.In these meanings, the name of Christ - the Messiah - the Anointed One is assimilated primarily to the Lord Jesus, as the king, high priest and prophet, to whom the gifts of the spirit are communicated beyond measure, moreover, His communicant (.). - " Son of David": the word son among the Jews was used in different meanings: it meant a son in the proper sense (cf., etc.), then - an adopted person (.), then - a descendant in general (., etc.), and had other non-own meanings. Here the word means descendant David, a later member of the house of David. For the evangelist, who originally wrote his gospel for Jewish believers, it was very important to point to Jesus as a descendant of Davidova because, according to the promise given to this king-prophet (and gave.; and gave.; and gave.; and gave.), it was from his kind that the Messiah was to come; and this confidence was so strong in the Jews that they could not have been persuaded that Jesus was the Messiah, unless it had been proved to them that he was descended from the line of David (cf. . . . and others). - "Son of Abraham": even before David, Abraham, the forefather of the Jewish people, was given a promise by God that the Messiah (Christ) Savior would come from his offspring (, cf. .), and for the same reasons it was very important for the evangelist to show that Christ comes from the kind of father believers - Abraham. Thus, born in humiliation, Jesus, the son of Mary and the imaginary father of his Joseph, was, according to the promises, the descendant of the father of the believers, Abraham, and the greatest of the kings of the Jews, David. “But why didn’t the evangelist first name Abraham’s son, and then David’s? - Because David was especially famous among the Jews both for the fame of his deeds and for the time of his life, for he died long after Abraham. Although he made a promise to both, little was said about the promise given to Abraham, as of old, and the promise given to David, as recent and new, was repeated by everyone (cf.). And no one called Christ the son of Abraham, but everyone called the son of David. Therefore, the evangelist first mentions David, as the most famous, and then turns to Abraham, as the ancestor, and Poelik says to the Jews, he considers it superfluous to start the genealogy from the most ancient generations ”( Gold., cf. Feof.).

. Abraham begat Isaac; Isaac begat Jacob; Jacob begat Judah and his brothers;

The genealogy of Christ from Abraham is as follows: "Abraham begat Isaac"; about this is narrated in the book of Genesis - and gave. The evangelist's genealogy includes only chapters generations from which the Messiah was to come, and not all members of the family. Therefore the birth of Isaac alone is here spoken of, and not the other children of Abraham; further, the birth of Isaac only Jacob is spoken of; of Jacob's children, only Judas is named by name, and so on. - "Isaac begat Jacob": . - "Jacob - Judas" and his brothers: cf. etc. “Why does the evangelist, having mentioned Abraham and said that he begat Isaac, and Isaac of Jacob, does not mention the brother of the latter, whereas after Jacob he mentions Judas and his brothers? The reason for this is given by some to Esau's wickedness, saying the same about some other ancestors. But I will not say this: for if this were so, then why is there a mention of malevolent wives a little after? The reason is that the Saracens and the Ishmaelites, the Arabs and all who descended from those ancestors, had nothing to do with the people of Israel. Therefore, he kept silent about them, and refers directly to the ancestors of Jesus and the people of the Jews ”( Gold.).

. Judah begat Perez and Zerah by Tamar; Perez begat Esrom; Esrom begat Aram; Aram begat Aminadab; Aminadab begat Nahshon; Nahshon begat Salmon; Salmon begat Boaz by Rahava; Boaz begat Obed by Ruth; Obed begat Jesse;

"Judah - Perez and Zara from Tamar": . "Fares - Esroma": . "Esrom - Arama": . "Aram - Aminadava": . "Aminadav - Naassona": . Between Perez (), who moved to Egypt with the family of Jacob, and Nahsson (), who, when the Jews left Egypt, after 430 years of their stay there, was the ancestor of the tribe of Judah (), only three members of the genealogy are named here; it seems - some are omitted, like . There are omissions below, as we will see, made for special purposes (see note to). "Nahsson - Salmona": . "Salmon - Boaz from Rahava": . . "Boaz - Obida from Ruth": . "Ovid - Jesse": .

. Jesse begat David the king; David the king gave birth to Solomon from the former after Uriah;

"Jesse begat David the king": . and d. "David - Solomon from the former for Uriah": . In verses 3, 5 and 6, contrary to the custom of Eastern writers ( Euph. Zig.), are entered into the genealogical table of a woman, and, moreover, as St. Chrysostom, "malicious". In explanation of this he, in the words of the 3rd verse: "Judah begat Perez and Zerah by Tamar", remarks: “What are you doing, inspired man, reminding us of the history of lawless incest? And why is he saying this? - If we began to list the genus of any ordinary person, then it would be decent to keep silent about that matter. But in the genealogy of the incarnate God, not only should not be silent, but it should also be publicly announced about this in order to show His providence and power. For He did not come to avoid our disgrace, but to destroy it ... Christ should be surprised not only because he took on the flesh and became a man, but also because he deigned vicious people to be his relatives, not being ashamed none of our vices; moreover, He also wants to show that everyone, even the forefathers themselves, are guilty of sins. Thus, the patriarch, from whom the very name the Jewish people received, turns out to be a no small sinner: for Tamar denounces him. And David by an adulterous wife gave birth to Solomon. But if these great men have not kept the law, how much more those who are inferior to them. And if they didn’t, then everyone sinned, and the coming of Christ was necessary. Do you see that it is not for a few and unimportant reasons that the evangelist mentioned the whole story of Judas? For the same reason, Ruth and Rahab are mentioned, of whom one was a foreigner, and the other a harlot, i.e. in order to teach you that the Savior came to destroy all our sins, came as a doctor, and not as a judge ... So, the evangelist compiled a genealogy and placed these wives in it in order to shame the Jews with such examples and teach them not to be arrogant ”(cf. . Theophilus.).

. Solomon begat Rehoboam; Rehoboam begat Abijah; Abijah begat Asa; Asa begat Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat begat Jehoram; Jehoram begat Uzziah; Uzziah begat Jotham; Jotham begat Ahaz; Ahaz begat Hezekiah; Hezekiah begat Manasseh; Manasseh begat Amon; Amon begat Josiah;

"Solomon begat Rehoboam": . . "Rehoboam - Abijah": . "Avia - Asu":. "Asa begat Jehoshaphat": . "Josaphat-Jorama": . "Joram to Uzziah": . . . Actually, Jehoram begat Ahaziah, Ahaziah - Jehoash, Jehoash - Amaziah, and Amassiah - Uzziah - three kings are omitted (see note to). - "Uzziah begat Jotham": . "Joatham - Ahaz": . Ahaz to Hezekiah: . . "Hezekiah begat Manasseh": . . "Manasseh - Amun": . . "Amon - Josiah": .

. Josiah begat Joachim; Joachim begat Jeconiah and his brothers before moving to Babylon.

"Josiah begat Jeconiah and his brothers". Josiah begat Joachim, Joachim begat Jeconiah: . ; again one member of the genealogy is omitted. However, in some ancient manuscripts it is not omitted and, on the basis of them, it is included in our Slavic translation: (on a breze) and in Russian (in the text). "Before Migration to Babylon": under the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar around 588 BC. Chr. (). Babylon - the capital city of the Babylonian kingdom, vast and powerful then - stood on the Euphrates, a river that flows into the Persian Gulf; now they are looking for the ruins of this magnificent and once rich city. The Jews spent 70 years in captivity, according to the prophecy of the prophet Jeremiah ().

. After moving to Babylon, Jehoiachin gave birth to Salafiel; Salafiel begat Zerubbabel;

"Jehoniah begat Salaphiel": . Jeconiah did not have children according to the flesh: for when he was taken into captivity in Babylon, he was childless (. cf.), but during the captivity in prison and after the captivity in old age he could not have children, and the word of God, spoken through Jeremiah , should have been carried out on it - and it came. Therefore, if several sons of Jeconiah are mentioned: these were his children by adoption or law zhizchistvo(from the word uzik, which means relative). According to this law (. . cf. etc.), the brother or closest relative of the deceased childless had to marry his widow and restore his seed; the children born of this were considered the children of the deceased, although according to the flesh they belonged to the one who restored the seed, and thus had two fathers, one according to the flesh, the other (who died) according to the law. Such were the children of Jeconiah, and moreover, the regenerator of the seed was not a member of the offspring of Solomon, but of the offspring of his brother Nathan by mother, since the brothers and closest relatives of Jeconiah and Zedekiah - last kings before captivity, they were put to death. Thus, Niri (from the descendants of Nathan) is a member of the genealogy, because his son Salathiel was adopted by Jeconiah (cf. and). - "Salafiel begat Zerubbabel": Salafiel, according to the testimony of the 1st book, was childless, but his brother Thedaiia (according to the law of widowhood, bore him children, of which the eldest - Zerubbabel - was revered as the legitimate son of Salafiel.

. Zerubbabel begat Abihu; Abihu begat Eliakim; Eliakim begat Azor; Azor begat Zadok; Zadok begat Achim; Achim begat Elihu; Elihu begat Eleazar; Eleazar begat Matthan; Matthan begat Jacob; James begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom Jesus, called Christ, was born.

"Zerubbabel begat Abihu... Matthan begat Jacob": all names from history are unknown: probably, all these members of the genealogy were preserved in family records or in legend, in any case, the genealogy in this part, no doubt, is reliable. - "Jacob begat Joseph, husband of Mary"“What shows that Christ is descended from David? He was born not from a husband, but from one wife, and the evangelist does not have the genealogy of a virgin; so, why can we know that Christ was a descendant of David? .. Gabriel commands to go to the virgin betrothed to her husband, named Joseph, from the house of David (). What do you desire more clearly than this when you hear that the virgin was from the house of David? This shows that Joseph also came from the same generation. For there was a law that commanded to take a wife not from another, but from the same tribe ... The Jews are not allowed to take a wife not only from another tribe, but from another clan or tribe. And so the words: from the house of David, whether we refer to the virgin, what was said above will remain undoubted, or if we apply it to Joseph, what was said about him will also apply to the virgin. If Joseph was from the house of David, then he took a wife not from a different kind, but from the same one from which he himself came ”( Gold., cf. Theophilus.). - “Husband of Mary”: husband only by betrothal (see note to). - "From whom he was born": cf. .– "Jesus called Christ": cf. approx. to .

. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the migration to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the migration to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations.

"Fourteen Generations": the evangelist divides the genealogy into three periods and names 2 * 7 = 14 genera in each of them. Although in some periods there were more than 14 births, the superfluous ones are omitted. Probably, this was done to facilitate memory, so that it would be more convenient to remember the pedigree table. According to the explanation of St. 3latoust, “the evangelist divided the entire genealogy into three parts, wishing to show that the Jews did not become better with the change of government, but in the days of the aristocracy, and under the kings, and during the oligarchy, they indulged in the same vices; under the rule of judges, priests and kings, they had no particular success in virtue" (as some of the names in each part testify to this). Periods:

1	2	3
From Abraham to David	From David to Captivity	From captivity to Christ
1. Abraham	1. Solomon	1. Jeconiah
Isaac	Rehoboam	Salafiel
Jacob	Avia	Zerubbabel
Judas	Asa	Aviud
5. Fares	5. Jehoshaphat	5. Eliakim
Esrom	Joram	Azor
Aram	Ozziah	sadok
Aminadav	Jotham	Achim
Nahsson	Ahaz	Eliud
10. Salmon	10. Hezekiah	10. Eleazar
Boaz	Manasia	matfan
Ovid	Ammon	Jacob
Jesse	Josiah	Joseph
David	Joachim	Christ
14	14	14

"The Evangelist ranks Christ himself among the generations, everywhere copulating Him with us" ( Gold.).

. The Nativity of Jesus Christ was like this: after the betrothal of His Mother Mary to Joseph, before they were combined, it turned out that She was pregnant with the Holy Spirit.

“After betrothal”: betrothal among the Jews consisted in an agreement that was concluded between the father of the bride and the father of the groom or, for their fathers, the closest relatives of the groom and bride, and the price of the bride, or gifts, was also given. - “With Joseph”: he was from the family of David (), at that time humiliated; craft - carpenter (cf.). According to legend, he was at that time already elderly and widowed. A distant relative of Mary, he became engaged to her only to be the guardian of her vow of virginity (Chet Min March 25, and December 25–27). - "Before they were combined": between the day of betrothal and the day of marriage, several times passed, sometimes several months, during which the bride, staying in the house of relatives, was already considered the wife of the betrothed; however ("it seems" Gold.) it also happened that the betrothed lived together, but did not have marital communication. Tradition, according to the indication of Ev. Luke, says that the betrothed Mary lived in the house of Joseph in Nazareth. - After the betrothal of Mary to Joseph, before they were combined, it turned out that She had in the womb "from the Holy Spirit". “Very expressively said the evangelist: "it turned out that she had in the womb", - as they usually say about special incidents that happen beyond all expectation and unexpected "( Gold., cf. Euph. Zig.: said - it turned out due to surprise). “Therefore, do not prostrate further, do not demand anything more than what has been said, and do not ask how the Spirit formed the child in the virgin. For if it is impossible to explain the method of this formation during natural action, then how can this be explained when the Spirit worked miraculously? ( Gold.).

. Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to publicize her, wanted to secretly let her go.

"Her husband": only still betrothed. - "Being Righteous": δι'χαιος, 1) just, such a person who gives everyone their due; 2) kind (), loving, who softens the severity of the law with mercy, love, kindness. Joseph showed his justice in the fact that, suspecting his betrothed of infidelity, he did not want, contrary to the law, to combine with her, but intended to let her go; but his kindness lies in the fact that he wanted to secretly let her go, without publicly disclosing her. - "Not wanting to publicize it": according to the law of Moses, the betrothed, who violated fidelity before the time of marriage, was stoned before the gates of the city (), i.e. suffered the most shameful and painful death. Then the law granted the husband the right to release his wife from himself by giving her a letter of divorce (). It was customary in this divorce letter to indicate the reasons for the divorce, and there had to be witnesses, which was in any case shameful for the wife. Joseph, out of his kindness, not only did not want to subject his betrothed to legal execution, but did not even want to disgrace her by giving her a letter of divorce with the formalities prescribed by the law, but thought, without disclosing the reasons for the divorce, secretly, without dishonor, let her go Push. Joseph, apparently, did not know at all until now about the annunciation and the seedless conception of a baby in the womb of Mary.

. But when he thought this, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: Joseph, son of David! do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for what is born in her is from the Holy Spirit; she will give birth to a Son, and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

"When He Thought It": Why didn't the angel tell Joseph before he was embarrassed? Lest Joseph discover unbelief, and the same thing happen to him as to Zechariah. It is not difficult to believe a deed when it is already before one's eyes; and when there is no beginning of it, then the words will not be accepted so easily ... For the same reason, the maiden was also silent. For she thought that she would not assure the bridegroom by talking about an unusual deed, but, on the contrary, would upset him by giving the idea that she was covering up the crime that had been committed. If she herself, hearing about the bit of grace bestowed upon her, judges humanly and says: how “This will happen when I don’t know my husband”(); then Joseph would have doubted much more, especially when he heard about this from a suspected wife ”( Gold.). – Angel of the Lord: Angel means messenger; by this name in the Holy Scriptures proper spiritual-intelligent beings are called, who stood in goodness when the devils fell; they dwell in heaven and are sent by God to proclaim and do His will, and they use various means appearing in a dream, in a vision, in reality, taking on a human form. - “In a dream”: a way of revealing the will of God, not uncommon in the Old Testament: . and gave. . etc. - “Son of David”: The angel calls Joseph a descendant of David, a reminder of him, arousing faith in his words about his promised descendant to David - the Messiah. - “Do not be afraid” that by accepting your non-idle betrothed, you will break the law and offend God; "Do not be afraid", do not doubt her purity and innocence. - "Accept": to keep her in his house, since in thought Joseph had already let her go. - “What is born in her is from the Holy Spirit”: cf. .- “She will give birth to a son”: eliminating Joseph’s doubt and revealing the secret that confused him, the Angel assures that Mary will give birth to a son and predicts his name; from the explanation of this name, as well as from the instructions of the angel to conceive a son from the Holy Spirit, Joseph could notice that we are talking about the Messiah. - "He will save": the name Jesus means Savior, and He, according to this name, really saved people with his redemptive . - "His people": all those whom the Father gave Him (). The people or people of God were actually called the Jews, because they were especially chosen and generous as his especially beloved people, and they sent the Messiah Jesus to redeem all people through Him. All who turn to Christ from all nations and at all times are people of God and Christ (cf. Gold.). - "From their sins": there is a reason for the separation between God and man and the reason for all evil; therefore, to save from sins means to reconcile people with God and grant them the blessed union with God lost through sin, in which those who truly believe in Christ and stand in spiritual communion with Him are found.

. And all this happened, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would come true, who says: behold, the Virgin in the womb will receive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel, which means: God is with us.

“And all this happened, so that what was said will come true” etc.: the evangelist Matthew, assigning his gospel initially to believers among the Jews, is therefore in the habit, predominantly before other evangelists, in the events of the life of Christ, to indicate the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, which was especially important for the Jews (see and many others. ). So here, in the birth of Christ from a virgin, the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy about this is indicated (St. Golden, Theophilus. And Euph. Zig. the words of verses 22 and 23 are taken as a continuation of the Angel's speech). - May it come true: to be fulfilled. These words (as well as other similar ones) must be understood not so that the Messiah was born in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled, but so that the prophecy was given because the Messiah was to be born, and therefore it came to pass, came true.

"Through the prophet": Isaiah - more than 700 years before the birth of Christ. It was uttered on the occasion of the invasion then under Ahaz of the combined troops of the kings of Israel and Syria on Judah in order to dethrone the house of David, with which the promises of the Messiah were connected. The prophet assures that the plans of these kings will not come true, and in confirmation of this a sign is given as follows: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son" etc. (). The meaning of the prophecy is this: the house of David will not be deprived of the kingdom, for from it the Messiah from a virgin must be born in due time; Until then, the reigning lineage of David will not cease, and the enemies who now threaten him will not succeed in anything. The distant future event is presented by the prophet as a sign or proof of the near future, just as Moses pointed out the future worship of the people on the mountain, as proof that the people will indeed soon leave Egypt ().

"Emmanuel - God is with us": appeared on earth and dwells among men in human form, connecting the deity with humanity (). Why is His name not Immanuel, but Jesus? Because it's not said call, but - they will call, i.e. peoples and the event itself. Here the name is borrowed from the incident, as it is characteristic of Scripture to use incidents instead of names. So the words: "His name will be called Immanuel" mean the very thing that they will see God with people. For although he has always been with people, he has never been so clearly" ( Gold., cf. Theophilus.).

. Rising from sleep, Joseph did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him, and accepted his wife, and did not know Her, how at last She gave birth to her firstborn Son, and he called His name: Jesus.

"I took my wife": only betrothed to him, accepted as a wife to his house, or left her to live in his house (cf. note to); The Jewish bride was called wife. - “Didn't know her. How I finally gave birth: actually - until she gave birth: the doctrine of the ever-virginity of the Most Holy Theotokos. The evangelist used his how long, but you do not suspect from the fact that Joseph later knew her. The Evangelist only lets them know that the virgin before birth was completely inviolable; what happened after birth, that leaves you to judge for yourself. What you need to know from him, he said, i.e. that the virgin was inviolable before birth, and what is self-evident from what has been said as a true consequence, then leaves it to your own reflection, i.e., that such a righteous man (like Joseph) did not want to know the virgin after she had so miraculously become a mother and merited to give birth in an unheard-of way and to bring forth an extraordinary fruit" ( Gold. God commands to sanctify to himself every firstborn, regardless of whether there will be children after him or not, and the only begotten was the firstborn. “She calls him the firstborn, not because she had any other son, but simply because he was the first born, and, moreover, the only one: for Christ is both the firstborn, as he was born first, and the only begotten, as he has no brother” ( Theophilus.). If the Gospels mention the brothers of Jesus Christ (. etc.) and they are even called by their names (; . - James, Josiah, Simon and Judas): then they were not relatives, but His named brothers - the children of Joseph the betrothed from the first his marriage Grieg. B., Epith., Kiril. Alexander., Hilary, Eusebius, Theophilus. and others. Cf. Thu Min December 26). Less likely is the opinion that the mentioned persons were cousins ​​of Jesus Christ - the children of Cleopas, brother of Joseph, and Mary, sister of the Mother of God, although they hold this opinion bl. Jerome, Theodoret And Augustine.

The Gospel of Matthew was written at the end of the first century. The main leitmotif is the preaching and life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The text contains a huge number of references to the Scriptures of the Old Testament.

The story begins by listing the genealogy of the Lord. Thus, the writer shows the reader that the Lord is a descendant of Abraham and King David. The time of all prophecies has come, and they have been fulfilled.

Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew

In Orthodox theology there are various methods bible interpretations. The most famous theological schools are Alexandrian and Antioch. Many Holy Fathers interpreted the inspired text.

Among the famous interpreters: John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Maxim the Confessor, Gregory the Theologian, Theodoret of Cyrus, Theophylact of Bulgaria.

Each of them found amazing things in Scripture and, inspired by the Holy Spirit, interpreted the text according to Orthodox theology and Holy Tradition.

In the fifth century, the text was divided into chapters to make it easier to navigate through it. The Gospel of Matthew has 28 chapters. Very summary each chapter in the form of abstracts is presented below.

Chapter 1

The reader is introduced to the genealogy of the Lord. Further, the evangelist tells about the reaction of Joseph when the righteous elder found out that the Blessed Virgin was pregnant. His desire to let go of the Pure One was stopped by an Angel. Having to go to Bethlehem for the census. Birth of the Divine Infant.

Chapter 2

The Magi discovered a star in the sky that foreshadowed the birth of the Savior of the world. It is described how they came with congratulations to Herod. The ruler of Judea wants to kill the born King.

Magi bring gifts to the Divine Infant. The Lord reveals to the magi the plan of the wicked ruler of Judea. Herod destroys children in Nazareth. Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt.

Chapter 3

Sermon of John the Baptist. Last Old Testament prophet calls to repentance. He points out to the Pharisees and Sadducees the need for moral purification. Repentance is not just a rite, but a holistic change in the entire inner state. The Lord comes to John. The Forerunner tries to refuse the Baptism of the Savior Himself. The word that Jesus Himself will baptize with fire and the Spirit.

Chapter 4

After Baptism, the Lord retires to the desert, where he arrives in fasting and prayer. A forty-day fast in the desert, which ends with the incredible exhaustion of the Savior. There are temptations from the Devil, who is trying to tempt Christ with the power of this world. The call of the apostles. The first miracles, healing of the sick, blind people.

Chapter 5

Pronunciation of the Sermon on the Mount. Perfection of the new moral law. Parable about the salt of the earth. The Lord calls not to be angry, to live in peace, try not to offend and not be offended. Try to pray for your enemies. Never swear by heaven or earth or by the name of God.

Chapter 6

Continuation of the Sermon on the Mount. The giving of the prayer "Our Father". Teaching about the need for fasting and forgiveness of offenses.

A word about the birds of the air, which neither sow nor reap, but the Heavenly Father feeds them. The true treasure is not on earth, but in heaven. It is necessary to make a choice between earthly goods and faith in God.

Chapter 7

Continuation of the Sermon on the Mount. The Lord reveals to the hearers the perfect law expressed in the Beatitudes. He says Christians are the salt of the earth. A word about a log in one's own eye. Pronunciation of parables that had a huge impact on people.

Chapter 8

Many miracles of the Lord were performed by Him and described in the sacred text. This chapter tells about the healing of a leper, it talks about the faith of a Roman soldier. Management of earth elements, wind and sea. Jesus has nowhere to sleep, not a single house sheltered Him. Healing of the possessed Capernaum, the expulsion of Christ from the city.

Chapter 9

Temptation by the Pharisees and Sadducees, the healing of a paralyzed man. Forgiveness of sins. Various parables. Sharing food with sinners is the answer to the lawyers. Resurrection of a dead girl. Healing of a woman who suffered from an unknown disease for 40 years.

Chapter 10

The Lord gives his disciples power and sends them to preach. Indicates that they should preach everywhere and not be afraid to go anywhere. The gospel message is special labor which should not be paid.

All labor will be rewarded in heaven. The Lord also repeatedly says that the apostles will suffer much for preaching his teachings.

Chapter 11

John the Baptist sends his disciples to the Lord. Jesus Christ calls John a true prophet. After that, the Lord convicts the proud. Reveals the doctrine of the heavenly Jerusalem, that babies and people who are struggling with their passions, sins and lust can get there. Proud people deprived of the opportunity to go to heaven.

Chapter 12

God the Father does not need a sacrifice. Instead, love and mercy should dominate. Sabbath teaching. Parables and denunciations of lawyers and other Jews. It is necessary to live not according to the law, but according to the call of the heart, according to the law of God's love. He talks about the sign of the prophet Jonah. The Lord says that the disciple John the Theologian will be taken to heaven, just like the Most Holy Theotokos.

Chapter 13

Parables need to be understood simply, because they talk about very complex things, in a language understandable to all the people around. A cycle of parables about wheat: tares, sowers, weeds. The doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven is revealed. The Lord compares the word of the gospel to a grain that has fallen into the ground and begins to sprout.

Chapter 14

Herod seizes the prophet John the Baptist, puts him in prison, and then executes him. The Lord feeds many people with five loaves.

Jesus Christ walks on the sea, the apostle Peter wants to move on the sea on foot. However, after leaving the boat, Peter begins to sink. The Apostles' Rebuke of Unbelief.

Chapter 15

Rebuking the Jews of hardness of heart and deviation from the instructions of God. The Lord intercedes for the Gentiles. Repeatedly He points out that for the Pharisees and Sadducees the law became just a set of rules. It is necessary to fulfill the will of God not only externally, but also internally. He feeds 4,000 people and then performs many signs and wonders. Healing the Blind from Birth.

Chapter 16

He begins to warn the apostles that soon He will be betrayed and crucified on the cross. The ardor of the Apostle Peter and praise from the Lord. The Apostle Peter will be the new foundation of the Church. The disciples need to remember about the deceit of the Pharisees. Only those who follow the Savior to the end will be able to save the soul.

Chapter 17

Casting out demons is possible only through fasting and prayer. Journey of Jesus Christ to Mount Tabor. Transformation. The apostles witness a miracle and flee in fear. The Lord forbids them to speak about what they saw and heard, but they still tell people, the rumor quickly spreads throughout Judea.

Chapter 18

It is better to lose a part of your body than to seduce someone. It is necessary to forgive a person who has sinned many times. The story of the king and the debtor. God the Father cares about every person. Nothing bad will ever happen to those who love God and follow Him. Salvation of the soul is the main goal of human life.

Chapter 19

Teaching about the life of the righteous. Blessing people to create families. Husband and wife are one flesh. Divorce is possible only in case of infidelity of one of the spouses. The material well-being of people makes the path to God difficult. The people who follow Christ will be judged with Him in heaven.

Chapter 20

The Lord tells a parable about the workers of the vinedresser who came to different time but received the same salary. He tells his followers directly that he will be put to death on the cross. Seeing the vacillation in the disciples, He convicts them of their lack of faith.

After that, Jesus Christ heals two blind people.

Chapter 21

Solemn entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. The joy of the people and the bitterness of the Savior. Teaching about the need not only to speak, but also to do pious deeds. The story of the evil workers of the vinedresser. The answer to the question - what is the main stone of God? It is necessary to fulfill the law not in words, but by doing good deeds.

Chapter 22

Jesus Christ tells the apostles about the Kingdom in heaven. It is necessary to separate the duties of a believer and a citizen of the country. The answer to the question: to Caesar - Caesar's, to God - God's. Man has a mortal nature and therefore must always be ready to stand before the judgment of God. People don't come to weddings dirty clothes, you also need to prepare the soul, cleansing it, in order to stand before the Lord.

Chapter 23

All the apostles are brothers, there is no need to try to stand out from everyone and then command. It is necessary to have a righteous judgment, distribute alms and believe in God. Inner beauty is more important. The Jews should not be proud and proud that they were chosen by God the Father, because they have the blood of the prophets, whom they mercilessly killed.

Chapter 24

You must always be prepared for death. The Lord reveals to the apostles that the end of the world is near. Soon the earth will plunge into darkness, the sun will fade, there will be epidemics, the earth will cease to bear fruit and yield crops. Animals will die, rivers will dry up. Terrible wars will begin, people will turn into wild animals.

Chapter 25

Parable about smart maidens. Everything kind people will be rewarded. The Lord told the followers a parable about a good and a bad slave. A good, conscientious slave will be rewarded at its true worth, and a dishonest, evading worker will be severely punished.

Chapter 26

Establishment of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Betrayal of Judas. Trip to Garden of Gethsemane and a prayer for the Chalice. The capture of Christ. The Apostle Peter defends Jesus Christ and attacks one of the servants of the High Priest. Christ heals the victim and orders the disciples to lay down their arms.

Chapter 27

Judgment by Pilate. The speech of Pontius and the choice of the people of Barrabas. Flagellation of Jesus Christ. Iscariot comes to the high priests and returns the money, they refuse to take it back. Suicide of Judas.

Crucifixion of the Lord. Two thieves on crosses and repentance of one of them. Burial of Jesus Christ. Security at the tomb.

Chapter 28

Resurrection. The warriors guarding the coffin fled in fear. Myrrh-bearing women go to the burial place to smear the body of the Lord with incense. An angel announces a miracle to Mary. At first, the disciples do not believe in the miraculous resurrection of the Master. The apostles saw the Savior. Unbelieving Thomas. Ascension of the Lord.

Conclusion

The Scriptures indicate the main milestones of the life of Christ. Reading the Good News is possible in Russian thanks to the synodal translation.

You can read online the Gospel of Matthew in Russian here http://www.biblioteka3.ru/biblioteka/biblija/ev_matf/index.html. Reading the Holy Scriptures is very important for every Christian and is obligatory for him.

Kinship book. Why didn't Saint Matthew say "vision" or "word", like the prophets, for they thus wrote: "The vision that Isaiah saw" (Isaiah 1, 1) or "The word that came to Isaiah" (Isaiah 2, one)? Do you want to know why? Because the prophets addressed the hard-hearted and rebellious, and therefore they said that this is a Divine vision and the word of God, so that the people would be afraid and not neglect what they said. Matthew, however, spoke to the faithful, the well-meaning, as well as the obedient, and therefore did not previously say anything similar to the prophets. I also have something else to say: what the prophets saw, they saw with their minds, contemplating it through the Holy Spirit; that's why they called it a vision. Matthew, however, did not mentally see Christ and contemplate Him, but morally abode with Him and sensually listened to Him, contemplating Him in the flesh; therefore he did not say, "the vision which I saw," or "contemplation," but said, "The book of kinship."

Jesus. The name "Jesus" is not Greek, but Hebrew, and in translation means "Savior", for the word "yao" among the Jews refers to salvation.

Christ. Christs ("Christ" in Greek means "anointed one") were called kings and high priests, for they were anointed with holy oil, poured out from a horn, which was placed on their heads. The Lord is called Christ both as King, for He reigned against sin, and as High Priest, for He Himself offered Himself as a sacrifice for us. He was anointed with true oil, the Holy Spirit, and anointed before others, for who else had the Spirit like the Lord? The grace of the Holy Spirit acted in the saints, but in Christ it was not the grace of the Holy Spirit that acted, but Christ Himself, together with the Spirit of the same essence with Him, performed miracles.

Son of David. After Matthew said "Jesus", he added "Son of David" so that you would not think that he was talking about another Jesus, for there was another famous Jesus, the leader of the Jews after Moses. But this one was called the son of Nun, not the son of David. He lived many generations before David, and was not from the tribe of Judah from which David came, but from another.

Son of Abraham. Why did Matthew put David before Abraham? Because David was more famous; he lived later than Abraham, and was a glorious king. Of kings, he was the first to please God and received a promise from God that Christ would rise from his seed, which is why everyone called Christ the Son of David. And David actually retained the image of Christ in himself: just as he reigned in the place of Saul, rejected by God and hated by God, so Christ came in the flesh and reigned over us after Adam lost the kingdom and power that he had over all living things and over demons. .

Abraham begat Isaac. The evangelist begins the genealogy with Abraham because he was the father of the Jews, and because he was the first to receive the promise that "in his seed all nations will be blessed." So, it is fitting to begin the genealogy of Christ from him, for Christ is the seed of Abraham, in whom all of us, who were pagans and were previously under an oath, received a blessing. Abraham in translation means "father of tongues", and Isaac - "joy", "laughter". The Evangelist does not mention the illegitimate children of Abraham, such as Ishmael and others, because the Jews did not come from them, but from Isaac.

Isaac begat Jacob; Jacob begat Judah and his brothers. You see that Matthew mentioned Judas and his brothers because twelve tribes descended from them.

Judah begat Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Judah gave Tamar in marriage to Ira, one of his sons; when this one died childless, he combined her with Ainan, who was also his son. When this one also lost his life for his shame, Judas no longer married her to anyone. But she, desiring strongly to have children from the seed of Abraham, put off her clothes of widowhood, took the form of a harlot, mingled with her father-in-law and conceived two twin children from him. When the time of birth came, the first of the sons showed his hand from the bed, as if he were the first to be born. The midwife immediately marked the child's hand that appeared with a red thread so that one could know who was born first. But the child drew his hand into the womb, and first another baby was born, and then the one who first showed the hand. Therefore, the one who was born first was called Perez, which means "break", because he violated the natural order, and the one who carried away the hand was called Zarah. This story points to some mystery. Just as Zara first showed his hand, and then drew it away again, so also dwelling in Christ: it was revealed in the saints who lived before the law and circumcision, for all of them were not justified by keeping the law and the commandments, but by the life of the gospel. Look at Abraham, who for the sake of God left his father and home and renounced nature. Look at Job, Melchizedek. But when the law came, such a life was hidden, but just as there, after the birth of Perez, later Zara came out of the womb again, so, by the giving of the law, the gospel life later shone forth, sealed with a red thread, that is, the blood of Christ. The Evangelist mentioned these two babies because their birth signified something mysterious. In addition, although Tamar, apparently, does not deserve praise for having mixed with her father-in-law, the evangelist also mentioned her in order to show that Christ, who accepted everything for us, accepted such ancestors. More precisely: that by the fact that He Himself was born of them, to sanctify them, for He did not come "to call the righteous, but sinners."

Peres begat Esrom. Esrom begat Aram, Aram begat Aminadab. Aminadab begat Nahshon. Nahshon begat Salmon. Salmon begat Boaz by Rahava. Some think that Rahab is that Rahab the harlot who received the spies of Joshua: she saved them and she herself was saved. Matthew mentioned her in order to show that just as she was a harlot, so was the whole congregation of the Gentiles, for they committed fornication in their deeds. But those of the Gentiles who received the spies of Jesus, that is, the apostles, and believed in their words, these were all saved.

Boaz begat Obed by Ruth. This Ruth was a foreigner; nevertheless, she was married to Boaz. So the church of the Gentiles, being a foreigner and outside the covenants, forgot her people and the veneration of idols, and her father the devil, and the Son of God took her as his wife.

Obed gave birth to Jesse. Jesse begat David the king, David the king begat Solomon from the one after Uriah. And Matthew mentions Uriah's wife here with the aim of showing that one should not be ashamed of one's ancestors, but most of all try to glorify them with one's own virtue, and that everyone is pleasing to God, even if they come from a harlot, if only they have virtue.

Solomon begat Rehoboam. Rehoboam begat Abijah. Abiah begat Asa. Asa begat Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat begat Jehoram. Jehoram begat Uzziah. Uzziah begat Jotham. Jotham begat Ahaz. Ahaz begat Hezekiah. Hezekiah begat Manasseh. Manasseh begat Amon. Amon begat Josiah. Josiah begat Joachim. Joachim begat Jeconiah and his brothers before moving to Babylon. The Babylonian Migration is the name given to the captivity that the Jews later endured, who were taken all together to Babylon. The Babylonians also fought with them at other times, but embittered them more moderately, at the same time they completely resettled them from their fatherland.

After moving to Babylon, Jehoiachin gave birth to Salafiel. Salafiel begat Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel begat Abihu. Abihu begat Eliakim. Eliakim begat Azor. Azor begat Zadok. Zadok begat Achim. Achim begat Elihu. Elihu begat Eleazar. Eleazar begat Matthan. Matthan begat Jacob. James begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, called Christ. Why is the genealogy of Joseph, and not the Mother of God, given here? What part of Joseph in that seedless birth? Here Joseph was not the true father of Christ, in order to lead the genealogy of Christ from Joseph. So, listen: indeed, Joseph had no part in the birth of Christ, and therefore had to give the genealogy of the Virgin; but since there was a law - not to conduct a genealogy along the female line (Numbers 36, 6), then Matthew did not give the genealogy of the Virgin. In addition, having given the genealogy of Joseph, he also gave her genealogy, for it was a law not to take wives from another tribe, or from another clan or surname, but from the same tribe and clan. Since there was such a law, it is clear that if the genealogy of Joseph is given, then the genealogy of the Mother of God is also given, for the Mother of God was from the same tribe and the same family; if not, how could she be betrothed to him? Thus, the evangelist kept the law, which forbade the genealogy of the female line, but, nevertheless, gave the genealogy of the Mother of God, giving the genealogy of Joseph. And he called him the husband of Mary, according to the general custom, for we have the custom to call the betrothed the husband of the betrothed, although the marriage has not yet been consummated.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the migration to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the migration to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations. Matthew divided the generations into three parts to show the Jews that whether they were under the control of judges, as it was before David, or under the control of kings, as it was before the resettlement, or under the control of high priests, as it was before the coming of Christ, they they did not receive any benefit from this in relation to virtue and needed a true judge, king and high priest, who is Christ. For when the kings ceased, according to the prophecy of Jacob, Christ came. But how can there be fourteen generations from the Babylonian migration to Christ, when there are only thirteen of them? If a woman could be included in the genealogy, then we would also include Mary and complete the number. But the woman is not included in the genealogy. How can this be resolved? Some say that Matthew counted the migration as a person.

The birth of Jesus Christ was like this: after the betrothal of His Mother Mary to Joseph. Why did God allow Mary to be betrothed, and in general, why did He give people a reason to suspect that Joseph knew her? So that she has a protector in misfortunes. For he took care of her during her flight into Egypt and saved her. However, she was also betrothed in order to hide her from the devil. The devil, having heard what the Virgin would have in the womb, would have watched her. So, in order for the liar to be deceived, the Ever-Virgin betrothed to Joseph. The marriage was only in appearance, but in reality it did not exist.

Before they were combined, it turned out that she was pregnant with the Holy Spirit. The word "combine" here means coition. Before they were combined, Mary conceived, which is why the amazed evangelist exclaims: “it turned out,” as if speaking of something extraordinary.

Joseph, her husband, being righteous and not wanting to publicize her, wanted to secretly let her go. How was Joseph righteous? While the law commands the adulterous woman to be exposed, that is, to announce and punish her, he intended to cover up the sin and transgress the law. The question is resolved first of all in the sense that through this very Joseph was righteous. He did not want to be harsh, but, philanthropic in his great kindness, he shows himself above the law and lives above the commandments of the law. Then, Joseph himself knew that Mary conceived from the Holy Spirit, and therefore did not want to expose and punish the one who conceived from the Holy Spirit, and not from an adulterer. For look what the evangelist says: "it turned out that she was pregnant with the Holy Spirit." For whom "it turned out"? For Joseph, that is, he learned that Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I wanted to secretly let her go, as if not daring to have a wife who was worthy of such great grace.

But when he thought this, lo, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying. When the righteous hesitated, an angel appeared, teaching him what he should do. In a dream, he appears to him, because Joseph had a strong faith. With the shepherds, as rude, the angel spoke in reality, with Joseph, as the righteous and faithful, in a dream. How could he not believe when an angel taught him what he himself reasoned with himself and about which he did not tell anyone? While he was meditating but not telling anyone, an angel appeared to him. Of course, Joseph believed that this was from God, for only God knows the inexpressible.

Joseph, son of David. He called him the son of David, reminding him of the prophecy that Christ would come from the seed of David. Saying this, the angel urged Joseph not to believe, but to think of David, who had received the promise concerning Christ.

Don't be afraid to accept. This shows that Joseph was afraid to have Mary, so as not to offend God by the fact that he patronizes the adulteress. Or in other words: "do not be afraid," that is, be afraid to touch her, as if she had conceived from the Holy Spirit, but "do not be afraid to receive," that is, to have in your home. For in mind and thought Joseph had already let go of Mary.

Mary, your wife. This is the angel speaking: "Perhaps you think that she is an adulteress. I tell you that she is your wife," that is, she is not corrupted by anyone, but your bride.

For what is born in her is from the Holy Spirit. For not only is she far from illegitimate mixing, but she has conceived in some divine way, so that you should rejoice more.

Will give birth to a Son. Lest anyone say: "But why should I believe you that what is born is of the Spirit?", the angel speaks of the future, namely, that the Virgin will give birth to a Son. "If in this case I turn out to be right, then it is clear that this is also true - "from the Holy Spirit." He did not say "will give birth to you", but simply "will give birth." for him alone grace appeared, but it was poured out on all.

And you will call His name Jesus. You will name, of course, as a father and as a patron of the Virgin. For Joseph, having learned that the conception is from the Spirit, did not even think about letting the Virgin go helpless. And you will help Mary in everything.

For He will save His people from their sins. Here it is interpreted what the word "Jesus" means, namely, the Savior, "for He," it is said, "will save His people" - not only the Jewish people, but also the pagan people, who strive to believe and become His people. What will it save you from? Is it not from the war? No, but from "their sins." From this it is clear that the One who will be born is God, for to forgive sins is characteristic of God alone.

And all this happened, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet who speaks would come true. Do not think that this has recently become pleasing to God, long ago, from the beginning. You, Joseph, as one brought up in the law and knowing the prophets, consider what the Lord said. He did not say "what was spoken by Isaiah," but "by the Lord," for it was not man who spoke, but God through the mouth of man, so that the prophecy is quite reliable.

Behold, the Virgin in the womb will receive. The Jews say that the prophet does not have a "virgin", but a "young woman". They need to be told that in the language of the Holy Scriptures, a young woman and a virgin are one and the same, for it calls the uncorrupted a young woman. Then, if it was not a virgin who gave birth, how could it be a sign and a miracle? For listen to Isaiah, who says that "for this reason the Lord Himself will give you a sign" (Isaiah 6:14), and immediately adds "behold, virgin" and so on. Therefore, if the virgin had not given birth, there would have been no sign. So, the Jews, plotting evil, distort the Scriptures and instead of "virgin" they put "young woman." But whether a "young woman" or a "virgin" is worth it, in any case, she who has to give birth must be considered a virgin, so that this is a miracle.

And she will give birth to a Son and will call His name: Immanuel, which means: God is with us. The Jews say: why is He called not Immanuel, but Jesus Christ? It must be said to this that the prophet does not say "you will call", but "they will call", that is, the very deeds will show that He is God, although He lives with us. Divine Scripture gives names from deeds, such as: "call him a name: Mager-shelal-hashbaz" (Is. 8, 3), but where and who is called by such a name? Since at the same time with the birth of the Lord it was plundered and captivated - wandering (idolatry) ceased, therefore it is said that He is called so, having received the name from His work.

Rising from sleep, Joseph did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him. Look at the awakened soul, how quickly it is convinced.

And he took his wife. Matthew constantly calls Mary the wife of Joseph, expelling evil suspicion and teaching that she was the wife of no one else, but precisely him.

And I did not know how she finally gave birth, that is, he never mingled with her, for the word "how" (until) here means not that he did not know her before birth, but then he knew her, but that he never knew her at all. Such is the peculiarity of the language of Scripture; so, the vran did not return to the ark, "until the water dried up from the earth" (Gen. 8, 6), but he did not return even after that; or else: "I am with you all the days until the end of the age" (Mt. 28:20), but after the end, won't it be? How? Then even more so. Similarly, here the words: "as at last she gave birth" understand in the sense that Joseph did not know her either before or after her birth. For how would Joseph have touched this saint when he knew well her unspeakable birth?

Son of His firstborn. She calls Him the firstborn, not because she gave birth to any other son, but simply because He was the first born and the only one: Christ is both the “first-begotten”, as he was born first, and the “only-begotten”, as having no second brother.

And he called his name: Jesus. Joseph shows his obedience here too, because he did what the angel told him.

Bible ("book, composition") - a collection of sacred texts of Christians, consisting of many parts, combined into Old Testament and the New Testament. The Bible has a clear division: before and after the birth of Jesus Christ. Before birth - this is the Old Testament, after birth - the New Testament. The New Testament is called the Gospel.

The Bible is a book containing the sacred writings of the Jewish and Christian religions. The Hebrew Bible, a collection of Hebrew sacred texts, is included in christian bible, forming its first part - the Old Testament. Both Christians and Jews consider it to be a record of an agreement (covenant) concluded by God with man and revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. Christians believe that Jesus Christ announced a new covenant, which is the fulfillment of the Covenant given in Revelation to Moses, but at the same time replaces it. Therefore, the books that tell about the activities of Jesus and his disciples are called the New Testament. The New Testament is the second part of the Christian Bible.

The word "bible" is of ancient Greek origin. In the language of the ancient Greeks, "byblos" meant "books". In our time, we call this word one specific book, consisting of several dozen separate religious works. The Bible is a book containing over a thousand pages. The Bible consists of two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament, which tells about the participation of God in the life of the Jewish people before the coming of Jesus Christ.
The New Testament, which gives information about the life and teachings of Christ in all His truth and beauty. God, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, gave people salvation - this is the main teaching of Christianity. While only the first four books of the New Testament deal directly with the life of Jesus, each of the 27 books seeks in its own way to interpret the meaning of Jesus or show how his teachings apply to the lives of believers.
Gospel (Greek - " good news"") - the biography of Jesus Christ; books revered as sacred in Christianity that tell about the divinity of Jesus Christ, his birth, life, miracles, death, resurrection and ascension. The Gospels are part of the books of the New Testament.

Bible. New Testament. Gospel.

Bible. Old Testament.

The texts of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments presented on this site are taken from the Synodal translation.

Prayer before reading the Holy Gospel

(prayer after the 11th kathisma)

Shine in our hearts, O Lord of mankind, your imperishable light of God's understanding, and open our mental eyes, in your gospel sermons understanding, put in us the fear of your blessed commandments, but carnal lusts, all right, we will go through spiritual life, all even to your pleasing and wise and active. You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we send glory to You, with Your Father without beginning, and the Most Holy and Good, and Your Life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.

“There are three ways to read a book,” writes one wise man, “you can read it in order to subject it to critical evaluation; one can read, seeking in it comforts for one's feelings and imagination, and, finally, one can read with conscience. The first read to judge, the second to have fun, and the third to improve. The gospel, which has no equal among books, must first be read only with simple reason and conscience. Read like this, it will make your conscience tremble on every page before goodness, before high, beautiful morality.

“When reading the Gospel,” inspires Bishop. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), - do not look for pleasure, do not look for delights, do not look for brilliant thoughts: look to see the infallibly holy Truth.
Do not be satisfied with one fruitless reading of the Gospel; try to fulfill his commandments, read his deeds. This is the book of life, and one must read it with life.

The Rule Regarding Reading the Word of God

The reader of the book must do the following:
1) He should not read many sheets and pages, because he who has read a lot cannot comprehend everything and keep it in memory.
2) It is not enough to read and to reason a lot about what is read, because in this way what is read is better understood and deepened in memory, and our mind is enlightened.
3) See what is clear or incomprehensible from what is read in the book. When you understand what you are reading, it's good; and when you don't understand, leave it and read on. What is incomprehensible will either be clarified by the next reading, or by another repeated reading, with the help of God, it will become clear.
4) What the book teaches to evade, what it teaches to seek and do, about that try to fulfill it by the very deed. Avoid evil and do good.
5) When you only sharpen your mind from a book, but do not correct your will, then from reading a book you will be worse than you were; more evil are learned and reasonable fools than simple ignoramuses.
6) Remember that it is better to love in a Christian way than to understand highly; it is better to live red than to say red: "the mind swells, but love creates."
7) Whatever you yourself learn with the help of God, teach it to others lovingly as the occasion arises, so that the seed sown may grow and bear fruit.”