An ancient convent. Monasteries of Russia

1 (Mark 8:11; Luke 11:29; 11:16 ) U Mark 8:11-13 the story is somewhat shorter than Matthew 16:1-4. Already the ancient interpreters noticed some incongruity and unnaturalness of the connection between the Pharisees and Sadducees indicated here in the Gospels. This was explained by the fact that although the Pharisees and Sadducees differed in their dogmas, they acted in agreement against Christ. The unification of the Pharisees and Sadducees can and does indicate a further and ominous development of hostility towards Christ. More and more alarming news about the movement in Galilee is reaching the capital, and this is causing concern both among the ruling religious classes and among the zealots. Psychologically this is quite understandable. There is a constant tendency among people to adhere to established religious forms, and they are hostile to innovation, especially when their material interests are affected. Therefore, hostility against teachings that were completely outside the scope of these general provisions was natural. Mark speaks only of the Pharisees ( Mark 8:11); but Matthew's Sadducees could also be Herodians. The Pharisees and Sadducees are mentioned here in Matthew five times ( Art. 1,6,11,12).

What sign did the Pharisees and Sadducees want? According to Chrysostom, these enemies of Christ asked Him to stop the sun, or to make the moon immovable ( τὴν σελὴνην χαλινω̃σαι ), or bring down lightning, or make a change in the air, or do something similar. According to Theophylact, the Pharisees and Sadducees asked Christ to stop only the sun or the moon. But Euthymius Zigabenus says that they wanted to see a miracle over the sun, or the moon, or over the stars. The Pharisees and Sadducees, says Theophylact, thought that signs on earth were performed by the devil’s power and Beelzebub. The foolish ones did not know that Moses also did many signs on the earth in Egypt; The fire that came down from heaven onto Nov’s property was from the devil. Therefore, not everything that is from heaven is from God, and not everything that happens on earth is from demons. The thoughts are correct and characterize the Pharisees and Sadducees.

This story seems to some interpreters to be a repetition of the story Matthew 12:33 et seq., and identical with it. But if Matthew tells almost the same thing a second time and under different circumstances, then can we assume that he forgot what he said before? It was completely natural if the Savior’s enemies responded several times to His miracles by demanding a sign from heaven. Since in Jewish tradition there was an opinion that demons and false gods could perform signs on earth and only the true God shows signs from heaven, the Pharisees and Sadducees now asked Christ for this, fully assuming that He would not be able to satisfy their requests . If the miracles performed by Christ on earth were unconvincing for the enemies of Christ, then the heavenly miracles would be convincing for them. For the custom of the Jews to demand a sign, see 1 Cor 1:22 .

2-3 This text is found in this connection only in Matthew. (Similar expressions, but in a completely different connection, are found in Luke 12:54-56.) The words of Christ contain an extremely subtle and richly meaningful denunciation of His enemies. He makes the error of their thinking and request clear to them. They asked for some earthly, extraordinary sign, and specifically from heaven. Christ points them to things that are completely ordinary and known to them, that happen in heaven, about which they know how to reason. But being experienced in meteorological observations, why cannot or do not want to understand and be convinced of the truth of the messianic dignity of Christ when He reveals great signs? " In the lower region, says Tsang, they are as clairvoyant as the prophets, in the highest - they are so blind that they do not see the banner of what has already begun καίρος (of time) and do not consider them signs. These signs are those that the Savior already pointed out to John and the people, 11:4-14 ».

4 (Matthew 12:39; Mark 8:12; Luke 11:29) Literal repetition Matthew 12:39. U Mark 8:12 this speech is preceded by the words: “and He sighed deeply and said,” which is not found in the other evangelists. The harsh words of rebuke were, therefore, spoken with an expression of deep regret and deep sorrow at the blindness and error of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Chrysostom expresses this very well: “ although such a question should have aroused anger and indignation, the humane and merciful Lord is not angry, but regrets and grieves for them, as for the unhealed sick who, after so many proofs of His power, still tempted Him. They asked Him not in order to believe, but in order to catch him.” “Since they did not ask for a sign in order to believe, the Savior calls them in another place hypocrites because they said one thing and did another" Euthymius Zigaben adds to this that He called them hypocrites not only because they said one thing and did another, but because they considered themselves wise, being fools (ἀσάφους). Church writers think that the sign of Jonah was a sign from heaven because at the time of the death of Christ the sun was darkened and all creation changed. In the words “having left them, he departed” they correctly find the designation of “righteous severity” and note that the Savior “never left the people like that.”

6 (Mark 8:15) By leaven we should generally understand the entire way of thinking, direction, spirit of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees and their activities. Both evil and good develop, although in opposite directions. Driving force in this case the leaven is used. The connection between these words of Christ and the previous question of the Pharisees and Sadducees about a sign from heaven is not obvious. It could be that their request only gave rise to a speech about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and this speech was of a general nature, not actually related to what was stated at the beginning of the 16th chapter. Christ, in His words, wanted to indicate the corrupting influence on the people of the teachings and activities of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

7 (Mark 8:16) The Savior thought about one thing, the disciples about another. He thought and spoke about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the disciples - about the loaves that they forgot to take. The word διελογίζοντο (thought) shows that the disciples did not say out loud that they had no loaves.

9 (Mark 8:17-19) The expression “how many boxes did you pick up” (like the similar one in the next verse) is elliptical instead of: how many boxes of bread did you pick up - because the disciples, of course, did not collect boxes or baskets, but the bread in them.

10 (Mark 8:20) The use of various words: κοφίνοι (box) and σπυρίδας (basket) exactly corresponds to the terms used in the very stories about the two miraculous feedings ( Matthew 14:20 And 15:37 ).

11 U Mark 8:17-21 the story is much more detailed than Matthew's. But further verses 11-12 are not found in other evangelists except Matthew.

13 (Mark 8:27; Luke 9:18) Mark 8:22-26 inserts here a story about the healing of a blind man and says that it was in Bethsaida, apparently Julia, on the north-eastern side of Lake Galilee, and that it was from there that the Savior went with His disciples “to the villages of Caesarea Philippi” (v. 27). Mark does not indicate which villages these were. The conversation with the disciples, according to Mark, took place when they were walking with the Savior along this road. Thus, we are able to determine with reasonable accuracy the place where the conversation took place; but how soon it was upon arrival on the northeastern coast is difficult to say. Beginning their discourse on the confession of Peter, Matthew and Mark ( Mark 8:22) converge with each other, and then Luka joins them ( Luke 9:18), so that further events are told by all three weather forecasters with slight differences. Matthew tells us in more detail here, from the end of verse 16 to 19 there is a story that is not found in other evangelists.

Caesarea is called Philippi, probably to distinguish it from Caesarea Palestine or Strato; The Savior asked the disciples about Himself, far from the Jewish world, hostile to Him. According to Jerome, Philip, the brother of Herod (Antipas), tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitida, built (construit) Caesarea in honor of Tiberius Caesar and himself, and in the time of Jerome it was called Panea. Whether Kefaria was located in the province of Phoenicia, as Jerome claims, is difficult to say. Here the Jordan begins at the spurs of Lebanon from the confluence of two small rivers, of which, according to Jerome, one was called Jor, and the other was Dan, which is where the name of the river came from - Jordan. The city was located at the foot of Lebanon, near the so-called "upper" source of the Jordan, a day's journey from Sidon, and was once called Lais ( Judges 18:7,29), and after Dan (ibid.), but in Latin times - Panea or Panias, from Mount Pania, at the foot of which he was located (Josephus XV, 10, §3; Φιλίππου Καισαρέας, ἣν Πανιάδα φοίνικες προσαγορεύουσι , Eusebius. Church history Mark 8:27 VII, 17). Currently, Caesarea is called Banias. The city and its surroundings were predominantly inhabited by pagans (Josephus. Life, 2, cf. War of Judas III, 9, §7; VII, 2, §1). According to Mark (τὰς κώμας = Matthew τὰ μέρη), Jesus Christ, apparently, did not enter it. Christ did not ask who the scribes and Pharisees thought He was, although they often came to Him and talked with Him. By Euthymius Zigabena

16 , He asked the disciples not as if they were ignorant, but edifyingly, so that Peter would tell what was revealed to him. Mark 8:29 - simply: “You are Christ.”: “for Christ of God.” Theophylact notes that Peter did not say: “You are the Christ, the Son (υἱòς) of God,” that is, without a member ὁ, but with a member - the true ὁ υἱòς, i.e. He Himself, the One and Only Son, not by grace , but from the very essence of the Father, born, for there were many Christs (χριστοί): all the Old Testament kings and priests, but the true Christ (ὁ χριστòς) is one.” The placement of a member in Greek before the word Christ was almost equivalent to the fact that this word turned into given name Christ, as it became in the original church. All other Christs were, therefore, only nominal ones. The only Savior was actually and truly Christ. This is the meaning of Peter's confession. Christ is the Son of the Living God; God is called this way in the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament (e.g. Numbers 14:21; Tue 32:40; 1 Kings 17:1; Psalm 40:3; 83:3 ; Isaiah 37:4,17 etc.) and often in the New (e.g. Matthew 26:63; John 6:57; Acts 14:15; Rom 9:26; 14:11 etc.). According to Chrysostom, Peter at that time was, as it were, the mouth of the apostles and not only from himself, but from all of them gave his answer. Peter's words were a testimony to the true humanity of Christ and His true Divinity, on the recognition of which the entire life of the church is based.

17 Son of Jonah - Hebrew Bar-Jonah, rendered literally in Greek. Simon Peter's father was called John (Greek, Tischendorf), as can be seen from John 1:42; 21:15-17 . In the Gospel of Matthew he is called the son of Jonah (only here), which actually means “dove.” As a shortened form of the word John, it is not found anywhere else. The word “revealed” (ἀπεκάλυψέν) indicates not the revelation received by all the disciples when they first followed Christ, but the revelation specifically given to Peter. “Flesh and blood” corresponds to the Jewish beshar vedam (among the rabbis), a descriptive expression instead of “man”, denoting his weakness due to the bodily side human organization. In the Talmud, this expression often denotes human nature as opposed to divine nature.

18 " Since Peter confessed Christ as the Son of God, He says: this confession which you have confessed will be the foundation of those who believe, so that everyone who intends to build the building of faith will lay this confession as the foundation"(Theophylact). In two cases, two different words are used in Greek: in the first case, πέτρος and in the second, πέτρα. Πέτρος, of course, is not the same as πέτρα. There has been enormous controversy about this saying, especially since the Reformation. Some (Catholics) said that Christ intended to create His Church in the person of Peter, and this gave rise to the well-known doctrine of the primacy of the Popes over the Church as Peter’s successors. Others have argued that the expression "thou art Peter" corresponds to Peter's words: "thou art the Christ"; that the further πέτρα, in contrast to πέτρος, indicates not the personality of Peter, but his confession, on which Christ had to create His Church. The difference between the practical consequences that emerge from these two interpretations is easily understood. We would deviate from the truth if in such an important saying we began to mean only a play on words. But that Christ really promised to erect His Church not on the person of Peter, this is indicated precisely by the fact that he changed the word πέτρος to πέτρα. Thus, the question is resolved if we focus the interpretation only on the word πέτρα, following the literal meaning of the gospel expression. Rock or petra never meant people in the Old Testament, but this expression was adopted by Jehovah ( Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:32; Ps 61:3; 94:1 ; Isaiah 26:4; 44:8 ). Only God, God in Christ or Christ in God, is the eternal rock on which the Church must be built. In the New Testament πέτρα is never used ordinary people (Matthew 7:24,25; 27:51,60 ; Mark 15:46; Luke 6:48; 8:6,13 ; 1 Peter 2:4-6,7; Rom 9:33; 1 Cor 10:4; Rev 6:15,16), but either about ordinary stones, or about Christ Himself. Thus, the conclusion is natural that Christ, using the name of Peter, pointed here only to Himself, and precisely in the sense in which Peter confessed Him before his disciples (hence - ἐπὶ ταύτη̨ τη̨̃ πέτρα̨ ). The recognition and confession of Him as the Son of the Living God, which came from the mouth of Peter, was to become the foundation of the church. The expression seems to have the closest analogy in John 2:19,21 When Christ pointed to the temple, he was actually talking about Himself.

The word church appears in the Gospels only here and Matthew 18:17, but often in Acts, in the Apostle Paul, four times a conciliar messages and several times in the Apocalypse, corresponds to the Jewish kahal. Theophylact by the gates of hell means murder and adultery. But the expression πύλαι ἅ̨δου (gates of hell) is based on the figurative representation of hell as a building with strong gates ( Wed 16:13; 3 Macc 5:36). Often found among classics. The form “gate” is now preserved in the expression “Ottoman porta”, which means “Ottoman gate”. Our word hell means a place of eternal torment. But the Jewish Sheol or Greek hell had a broader meaning then. They signified the realm of death in general and thus the region of death or destruction. Anyone who died or was destroyed was in hell. The church in Christ's expression is compared to a building; so hell is compared with it. It is clear that one building cannot fight against another. It is conducted by the people who are and live in the building. The expression πύλαι ἅ̨δου is, therefore, figurative, and was used because the struggle of the forces of hell against the church is waged from its gates. The last word“it” can be referred to (in Greek) either to the “rock” (τη̨̃ πέτρα̨), or to the church (ἐκκλησίαν), and this gave Origen the opportunity to offer an explanation that both are possible. But the relation of “her” to the word “church” is indicated by the closest position of “her” to this word, and mainly by the fact that, according to the meaning of Christ’s words, the hostile attacks of the forces of hell are directed not at one stone in the foundation, but at the entire building.

19 If earlier the church was presented under the guise of a building, now the image changes: speech about the building is replaced by speech about the Kingdom of Heaven. The image of the keys, obviously taken from the building, is now applied to the Kingdom of Heaven. The latter, therefore, appears again under the guise of a building, which is entered through doors that are locked and unlocked. The expression “Kingdom of Heaven” means the same as the previous one - “church”. Only the latter points more to the church from its visible side, while the “Kingdom of Heaven” points to the invisible and eternal side of the church. The keys of hell are mentioned in Rev 1:18; Wed 9:1 ; 20:1 . “The writer depicts the risen Christ as having the keys of hell, that is, power over it, the power to enter it and free it from it or cast it into it. Likewise, the Kingdom of Heaven is equated to a fortress with locked gates. Whoever has the keys can enter it, admit or exclude. By Rev 3:7, this power belongs to Christ Himself. The image has an analogy with Isa 22:22 and expresses supreme authority. To have keys means to have an absolute right, not disputed by anyone. It is possible that the words “keys” originally expressed the idea of Peter’s penetration into divine truth. His thought that Jesus is the Son of the Living God was the key with which Peter was admitted into the Kingdom of Christ. By leading others to the same faith, he could also open the Kingdom to them, in contrast to the scribes and Pharisees, who locked it up before the eyes of those who wanted to enter it ( 23:13 )". This place is usually understood in the sense of the right of clergy to absolve people or retain their sins.

20 (Mark 8:30; Luke 9:21) Mark and Luke, skipping what is stated in Matthew in vv. 17-19 and tying Mark 8:30 And Luke 9:21 with their previous speech, they talk about the same thing as Matthew, but express themselves completely differently than he does. If Matthew had only repeated the words of Mark and Luke here, then the evangelist’s speech would have referred to the prohibition of speaking about what Christ said to Peter. But since Christ forbade talking not about this, but about the fact that He is Christ, Matthew changes the expressions περὶ αὐτου̃ - “about Him” (Mark) and του̃το - him (Luke) and says exactly: ἵνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός (so that no one would be told that He is Christ), which is not the case with other synoptics, whose expressions, however, are as accurate as those of Matthew. This verse constitutes a transition to further teaching about what is the true meaning of the dignity attributed to Christ by Peter and, no doubt, by other disciples. That Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, this could still be clear to both the disciples and the people. But that the sufferings predetermined for Christ were connected with such names was incomprehensible even to the disciples themselves. If the disciples had prematurely revealed to the people the idea of the suffering Christ, this could have interfered with the fulfillment of the divine plans for suffering and, thus, made the true and correct implementation of the messianic idea seem incomplete. Therefore, the Savior, as can be seen from the expressions of the evangelists, persistently and strictly forbids the disciples to talk about what was revealed to them not by flesh and blood, but by His Heavenly Father.

21 (Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22) Christ's Galilean ministry to the common people is now over.

The word "elders" or "presbyters" was originally applied to such old people as could be fit representatives of the rest of the population in the council. But long before the time of Christ, the title ceased to mean age and became the title of a position. It meant persons who were considered suitable, due to their high or influential position in society, to enter the Senate. The elders of the Sanhedrin were, without a doubt, the main persons in the state. They were like the sheikhs of the people. The word "sheikh" means "old man".

22 Mark 8:32 only one adds the words: “and spoke openly about this.”

Mark does not include the words spoken by Peter, and they are found only in Matthew. Peter's objection was based on the fact that his confession was completely contrary to Christ's actual speech about His suffering.

23 (Mark 8:33) Peter's objection indicates that neither he nor the other disciples sufficiently understood Christ's speech about His true messianic greatness. " Peter, concluding the matter according to human and carnal reasoning, thought that the suffering of Christ was shameful and uncharacteristic of Him."(John Chrysostom). Answering Peter, Christ, according to Chrysostom, said that hindering Him and lamenting His suffering is not only harmful and destructive for Peter, but that he himself cannot be saved unless he is always ready to die. Some interpreters thought that it was not Peter who was now being blamed, but the evil spirit that inspired such speeches in the apostle. The same expression is used here as the Savior used in 4:10 . And, without a doubt, He expressed it regarding the same tempter. He looked for a moment through Peter and saw behind him His former enemy, who skillfully took advantage of the prejudices, temper and honesty of the undeveloped apostle. In reality, it was the former temptation that was now made through Peter - to avoid suffering, persecution, evil hatred, contempt and death and instead establish earthly dominion with with full power above earthly thrones.

24 (Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23) Matthew says that this speech was spoken only to the disciples; Mark - to the disciples and the people; Luke - everyone. It is very difficult to explain where the people here came from. The speech of the evangelists shows that events did not happen as quickly as they imagine.

Chrysostom explains the verse this way: “ I (says the Savior) do not force, I do not force; but I leave this to everyone’s own will. That's why I say: if anyone wants. I invite you to a good deed, and not to an evil and painful one, not to execution and torment, which I would need to force. The matter itself is such that it may attract you. By saying this, Christ only attracted more people to follow Him." The cross cannot mean violent death here.

25 (Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24) Nefesh (soul) in a later Hebrew text means person. Therefore Luke 9:25 expression of the first two evangelists ( Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36) “to his soul” is replaced by the pronoun “to himself”. Same with LXX and Job 32:2; Proverbs 1:18; 19:8 ; Am 6:8. This means that the meaning of the Savior’s words is this: whoever wants to save himself will lose himself, etc. Here is one of the paradoxes that are generally rich in New Testament. It indicates life as a result of self-denial, extending to the complete loss of this very life.

26 (Mark 8:36,37; Luke 9:25) The word ransom (ἀντάλλαγμα) in the LXX and in the Hebrew text is designated differently ( Ruth 4:7; 1 Kings 21:2; Job 28:15; Jeremiah 15:13; Am 5:12; Sir 6:15; 26:17 ). The meaning of Christ's words is clear. The human soul has such value that the entire outside world is not worth it. If a person really, and not imaginary, destroys his soul or himself, then such destruction for him is unrewarded by anything. Therefore, a person must take care to save his soul, and such salvation is completely dependent only on following Christ and imitating Him.

27 (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26- with the additions that “who will be ashamed,” etc., which Matthew does not have.) The connection between this verse and the previous one is not clear enough. It must be found in verse 24, placing it in close relation with Art. 27, and consider the intervening verses 25 and 26 as an interpolated explanation of Art. 24. Thus, the train of thought is this: salvation is obtained from the Son of Man; only the one who follows Him, denying himself, is saved (24). Such self-denial is necessary, because whoever does not renounce himself can destroy his soul and will not be able to redeem it with anything (25, 26). The Son of Man will be the Judge of man at His second coming, during which it will be revealed who followed and did not follow Him, who denied themselves for His sake and who did not deny. Then He will reward everyone according to his deeds. Since the words “who will be ashamed”, etc. ( Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26), defining and expressing the connection closer and more specifically, were already given by Matthew earlier ( 10:33 ), then he does not repeat them now, but adds the expression omitted by other evangelists: “and then he will reward everyone according to his deeds.” Similar expressions are found in Job 34:11; Psalm 61:13; Proverbs 24:12; Jer 32:19; Eze 33:20 .

28 (Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27) In Mark and Matthew the expressions are almost similar; Luke's is somewhat different. The meaning of the sayings is clear. Not as an earthly king, but as a heavenly one, after persecution, suffering and death, Christ will enter His glory. Some of those who listened to Him will live to see this, will witness His suffering, death and resurrection. There is no need to say how this prediction of Christ was fulfilled, and, moreover, with literal accuracy.

Gospel

The word “Gospel” (τὸ εὐαγγέλιον) in classical Greek was used to designate: a) a reward that is given to the messenger of joy (τῷ εὐαγγέλῳ), b) a sacrifice sacrificed on the occasion of receiving some good news or a holiday celebrated on the same occasion and c) this good news itself. In the New Testament this expression means:

a) the good news that Christ reconciled people with God and brought us the greatest benefits - mainly founded the Kingdom of God on earth ( Mf. 4:23),

b) the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, preached by Himself and His Apostles about Him as the King of this Kingdom, the Messiah and the Son of God ( 2 Cor. 4:4),

c) all New Testament or Christian teaching in general, primarily the narration of the most important events from the life of Christ ( 1 Cor. 15:1-4), and then an explanation of the meaning of these events ( Rome. 1:16).

e) Finally, the word “Gospel” is sometimes used to designate the process of preaching itself Christian teaching (Rome. 1:1).

Sometimes the word “Gospel” is accompanied by a designation and its content. There are, for example, phrases: Gospel of the kingdom ( Mf. 4:23), i.e. good news of the kingdom of God, the gospel of peace ( Eph. 6:15), i.e. about peace, the gospel of salvation ( Eph. 1:13), i.e. about salvation, etc. Sometimes following the word "Gospel" Genitive means the author or source of the good news ( Rome. 1:1, 15:16 ; 2 Cor. 11:7; 1 Thess. 2:8) or the personality of the preacher ( Rome. 2:16).

For quite a long time, stories about the life of the Lord Jesus Christ were transmitted only orally. The Lord Himself did not leave any records of His speeches and deeds. In the same way, the 12 apostles were not born writers: they were “unlearned and simple people” ( Acts 4:13), although literate. Among the Christians of the apostolic time there were also very few “wise according to the flesh, strong” and “noble” ( 1 Cor. 1:26), and for most believers much higher value had oral stories about Christ than written ones. In this way, the apostles and preachers or evangelists “transmitted” (παραδιδόναι) the stories about the deeds and speeches of Christ, and the believers “received” (παραλαμβάνειν) - but, of course, not mechanically, only by memory, as can be said about the students of rabbinical schools, but with all my soul, as if something living and life-giving. But this period of oral tradition was soon to end. On the one hand, Christians should have felt the need for a written presentation of the Gospel in their disputes with the Jews, who, as we know, denied the reality of Christ’s miracles and even argued that Christ did not declare Himself the Messiah. It was necessary to show the Jews that Christians have genuine stories about Christ from those persons who were either among His apostles or who were in close communication with eyewitnesses of the deeds of Christ. On the other hand, the need for a written presentation of the history of Christ began to be felt because the generation of the first disciples was gradually dying out and the ranks of direct witnesses to the miracles of Christ were thinning. Therefore, it was necessary to secure in writing individual sayings of the Lord and His entire speeches, as well as the stories of the apostles about Him. It was then that separate records began to appear here and there of what was reported in the oral tradition about Christ. The words of Christ, which contained the rules of Christian life, were most carefully recorded, and they were much more free to convey various events from the life of Christ, preserving only their general impression. Thus, one thing in these records, due to its originality, was transmitted everywhere in the same way, while the other was modified. These initial recordings did not think about the completeness of the story. Even our Gospels, as can be seen from the conclusion of the Gospel of John ( In. 21:25), did not intend to report all the speeches and deeds of Christ. This is evident, by the way, from the fact that they do not contain, for example, the following saying of Christ: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” ( Acts 20:35). The Evangelist Luke reports about such records, saying that many before him had already begun to compile narratives about the life of Christ, but that they lacked proper completeness and that therefore they did not provide sufficient “affirmation” in the faith ( OK. 1:1-4).

Our canonical Gospels apparently arose from the same motives. The period of their appearance can be determined to be approximately thirty years - from 60 to 90 (the last was the Gospel of John). The first three Gospels are usually called synoptic in biblical scholarship, because they depict the life of Christ in such a way that their three narratives can be viewed in one without much difficulty and combined into one coherent narrative (synoptics - from Greek - looking together). They began to be called Gospels individually, perhaps as early as the end of the 1st century, but from church writing we have information that such a name began to be given to the entire composition of the Gospels only in the second half of the 2nd century. As for the names: “Gospel of Matthew”, “Gospel of Mark”, etc., then more correctly these very ancient names from Greek should be translated as follows: “Gospel according to Matthew”, “Gospel according to Mark” (κατὰ Ματθαῖον, κατὰ Μᾶρκον). By this the Church wanted to say that in all the Gospels there is a single Christian gospel about Christ the Savior, but according to the images of different writers: one image belongs to Matthew, another to Mark, etc.

Four Gospels

Thus, the ancient Church looked upon the portrayal of the life of Christ in our four Gospels, not as different Gospels or narratives, but as one Gospel, one book in four types. That is why in the Church the name Four Gospels was established for our Gospels. Saint Irenaeus called them the “fourfold Gospel” (τετράμορφον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον - see Irenaeus Lugdunensis, Adversus haereses liber 3, ed. A. Rousseau and L. Doutreleaü Irenée Lyon. Contre les hé résies, livre 3, vol. 2. Paris, 1974, 11, 11).

The Fathers of the Church dwell on the question: why exactly did the Church accept not one Gospel, but four? So St. John Chrysostom says: “Couldn’t one evangelist write everything that was needed. Of course, he could, but when four people wrote, they wrote not at the same time, not in the same place, without communicating or conspiring with each other, and for all that they wrote in such a way that everything seemed to be uttered by one mouth, then this is the strongest proof of the truth. You will say: “What happened, however, was the opposite, for the four Gospels are often found to be in disagreement.” This very thing is a sure sign of truth. For if the Gospels had exactly agreed with each other in everything, even regarding the words themselves, then none of the enemies would have believed that the Gospels were not written according to ordinary mutual agreement. Now the slight disagreement between them frees them from all suspicion. For what they say differently regarding time or place does not in the least harm the truth of their narrative. In the main thing, which forms the basis of our life and the essence of preaching, not one of them disagrees with the other in anything or anywhere - that God became a man, worked miracles, was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven.” (“Conversations on the Gospel of Matthew”, 1).

Saint Irenaeus also finds a special symbolic meaning in the fourfold number of our Gospels. “Since there are four countries of the world in which we live, and since the Church is scattered throughout the entire earth and has its confirmation in the Gospel, it was necessary for it to have four pillars, spreading incorruptibility from everywhere and reviving the human race. The All-Ordering Word, seated on the Cherubim, gave us the Gospel in four forms, but permeated with one spirit. For David, praying for His appearance, says: “He who sits on the Cherubim, show Yourself” ( Ps. 79:2). But the Cherubim (in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel and the Apocalypse) have four faces, and their faces are images of the activity of the Son of God.” Saint Irenaeus finds it possible to attach the symbol of a lion to the Gospel of John, since this Gospel depicts Christ as the eternal King, and the lion is the king in the animal world; to the Gospel of Luke - the symbol of a calf, since Luke begins his Gospel with the image of the priestly service of Zechariah, who slaughtered the calves; to the Gospel of Matthew - a symbol of a man, since this Gospel mainly depicts the human birth of Christ, and, finally, to the Gospel of Mark - a symbol of an eagle, because Mark begins his Gospel with a mention of the prophets, to whom the Holy Spirit flew, like an eagle on wings "(Irenaeus Lugdunensis, Adversus haereses, liber 3, 11, 11-22). Among the other Fathers of the Church, the symbols of the lion and the calf were moved and the first was given to Mark, and the second to John. Since the 5th century. in this form, the symbols of the evangelists began to be added to the images of the four evangelists in church painting.

Reciprocity of the Gospels

Each of the four Gospels has its own characteristics, and most of all - the Gospel of John. But the first three, as mentioned above, have extremely much in common with each other, and this similarity involuntarily catches the eye even when reading them briefly. Let us first of all talk about the similarity of the Synoptic Gospels and the reasons for this phenomenon.

Even Eusebius of Caesarea, in his “canons,” divided the Gospel of Matthew into 355 parts and noted that 111 of them were found in all three weather forecasters. In modern times, exegetes have developed an even more precise numerical formula for determining the similarity of the Gospels and calculated that the total number of verses common to all weather forecasters rises to 350. In Matthew, then, 350 verses are unique to him, in Mark there are 68 such verses, in Luke - 541. Similarities are mainly noticed in the rendering of the sayings of Christ, and differences - in the narrative part. When Matthew and Luke literally agree with each other in their Gospels, Mark always agrees with them. The similarity between Luke and Mark is much closer than between Luke and Matthew (Lopukhin - in the Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia. T. V. P. 173). It is also remarkable that some passages in all three evangelists follow the same sequence, for example, the temptation and the speech in Galilee, the calling of Matthew and the conversation about fasting, the plucking of ears of corn and the healing of the withered man, the calming of the storm and the healing of the Gadarene demoniac, etc. The similarity sometimes even extends to the construction of sentences and expressions (for example, in the presentation of a prophecy Small 3:1).

As for the differences observed among weather forecasters, there are quite a few of them. Some things are reported by only two evangelists, others even by one. Thus, only Matthew and Luke cite the conversation on the mount of the Lord Jesus Christ and report the story of the birth and first years of Christ’s life. Luke alone speaks of the birth of John the Baptist. Some things one evangelist conveys in a more abbreviated form than another, or in a different connection than another. The details of the events in each Gospel are different, as are the expressions.

This phenomenon of similarities and differences in the Synoptic Gospels has long attracted the attention of interpreters of Scripture, and various assumptions have long been made to explain this fact. It seems more correct to believe that our three evangelists used a common oral source for their narrative of the life of Christ. At that time, evangelists or preachers about Christ went everywhere preaching and repeated in different places in a more or less extensive form what was considered necessary to offer to those entering the Church. Thus, a well-known specific type was formed oral gospel, and this is the type we have in writing in our Synoptic Gospels. Of course, at the same time, depending on the goal that this or that evangelist had, his Gospel took on some special features, only to his work characteristic features. At the same time, we cannot exclude the assumption that an older Gospel could have been known to the evangelist who wrote later. Moreover, the difference between the weather forecasters should be explained by the different goals that each of them had in mind when writing his Gospel.

As we have already said, the Synoptic Gospels differ in very many ways from the Gospel of John the Theologian. So they depict almost exclusively the activity of Christ in Galilee, and the Apostle John depicts mainly the sojourn of Christ in Judea. In terms of content, the Synoptic Gospels also differ significantly from the Gospel of John. They give, so to speak, a more external image of the life, deeds and teachings of Christ and from the speeches of Christ they cite only those that were accessible to the understanding of the entire people. John, on the contrary, omits a lot from the activities of Christ, for example, he cites only six miracles of Christ, but those speeches and miracles that he cites have a special deep meaning and extreme importance about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, while the Synoptics portray Christ primarily as the founder of the Kingdom of God and therefore direct the attention of their readers to the Kingdom founded by Him, John draws our attention to the central point of this Kingdom, from which life flows along the peripheries of the Kingdom, i.e. on the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, whom John portrays as the Only Begotten Son of God and as the Light for all mankind. That is why the ancient interpreters called the Gospel of John primarily spiritual (πνευματικόν), in contrast to the synoptic ones, as depicting primarily the human side in the person of Christ (εὐαγγέλιον σωματικόν), i.e. The gospel is physical.

However, it must be said that the weather forecasters also have passages that indicate that the weather forecasters knew the activity of Christ in Judea ( Mf. 23:37, 27:57 ; OK. 10:38-42), and John also has indications of the continued activity of Christ in Galilee. In the same way, weather forecasters convey such sayings of Christ that testify to His Divine dignity ( Mf. 11:27), and John, for his part, also in places depicts Christ as a true man ( In. 2 etc.; John 8 and etc.). Therefore, one cannot speak of any contradiction between the weather forecasters and John in their depiction of the face and work of Christ.

The Reliability of the Gospels

Although criticism has long been expressed against the reliability of the Gospels, and recently these attacks of criticism have especially intensified (the theory of myths, especially the theory of Drews, who does not recognize the existence of Christ at all), however, all the objections of criticism are so insignificant that they are broken at the slightest collision with Christian apologetics . Here, however, we will not cite the objections of negative criticism and analyze these objections: this will be done when interpreting the text of the Gospels itself. We will only talk about the most important general reasons for which we recognize the Gospels as completely reliable documents. This is, firstly, the existence of a tradition of eyewitnesses, many of whom lived to the era when our Gospels appeared. Why on earth would we refuse to trust these sources of our Gospels? Could they have made up everything in our Gospels? No, all the Gospels are purely historical. Secondly, it is not clear why the Christian consciousness would want - as the mythical theory claims - to crown the head of a simple Rabbi Jesus with the crown of the Messiah and Son of God? Why, for example, is it not said about the Baptist that he performed miracles? Obviously because he didn't create them. And from here it follows that if Christ is said to be the Great Wonderworker, then it means that He really was like that. And why would it be possible to deny the authenticity of Christ’s miracles, since the highest miracle - His Resurrection - is witnessed like no other event in ancient history (see. 1 Cor. 15)?

Bibliography of foreign works on the Four Gospels

Bengel - Bengel J. Al. Gnomon Novi Testamentï in quo ex nativa verborum VI simplicitas, profunditas, concinnitas, salubritas sensuum coelestium indicatur. Berolini, 1860.

Blass, Gram. - Blass F. Grammatik des neutestamentlichen Griechisch. Gottingen, 1911.

Westcott - The New Testament in Original Greek the text rev. by Brooke Foss Westcott. New York, 1882.

B. Weiss - Weiss B. Die Evangelien des Markus und Lukas. Gottingen, 1901.

Yog. Weiss (1907) - Die Schriften des Neuen Testaments, von Otto Baumgarten; Wilhelm Bousset. Hrsg. von Johannes Weis_s, Bd. 1: Die drei älteren Evangelien. Die Apostelgeschichte, Matthaeus Apostolus; Marcus Evangelista; Lucas Evangelista. . 2. Aufl. Gottingen, 1907.

Godet - Godet F. Commentar zu dem Evangelium des Johannes. Hanover, 1903.

De Wette W.M.L. Kurze Erklärung des Evangeliums Matthäi / Kurzgefasstes exegetisches Handbuch zum Neuen Testament, Band 1, Teil 1. Leipzig, 1857.

Keil (1879) - Keil C.F. Commentar über die Evangelien des Markus und Lukas. Leipzig, 1879.

Keil (1881) - Keil C.F. Commentar über das Evangelium des Johannes. Leipzig, 1881.

Klostermann - Klostermann A. Das Markusevangelium nach seinem Quellenwerthe für die evangelische Geschichte. Gottingen, 1867.

Cornelius a Lapide - Cornelius a Lapide. In SS Matthaeum et Marcum / Commentaria in scripturam sacram, t. 15. Parisiis, 1857.

Lagrange - Lagrange M.-J. Etudes bibliques: Evangile selon St. Marc. Paris, 1911.

Lange - Lange J.P. Das Evangelium nach Matthäus. Bielefeld, 1861.

Loisy (1903) - Loisy A.F. Le quatrième èvangile. Paris, 1903.

Loisy (1907-1908) - Loisy A.F. Les èvangiles synoptiques, 1-2. : Ceffonds, près Montier-en-Der, 1907-1908.

Luthardt - Luthardt Ch.E. Das johanneische Evangelium nach seiner Eigenthümlichkeit geschildert und erklärt. Nürnberg, 1876.

Meyer (1864) - Meyer H.A.W. Kritisch exegetisches Commentar über das Neue Testament, Abteilung 1, Hälfte 1: Handbuch über das Evangelium des Matthäus. Gottingen, 1864.

Meyer (1885) - Kritisch-exegetischer Commentar über das Neue Testament hrsg. von Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer, Abteilung 1, Hälfte 2: Bernhard Weiss B. Kritisch exegetisches Handbuch über die Evangelien des Markus und Lukas. Göttingen, 1885. Meyer (1902) - Meyer H.A.W. Das Johannes-Evangelium 9. Auflage, bearbeitet von B. Weiss. Gottingen, 1902.

Merx (1902) - Merx A. Erläuterung: Matthaeus / Die vier kanonischen Evangelien nach ihrem ältesten bekannten Texte, Teil 2, Hälfte 1. Berlin, 1902.

Merx (1905) - Merx A. Erläuterung: Markus und Lukas / Die vier kanonischen Evangelien nach ihrem ältesten bekannten Texte. Teil 2, Hälfte 2. Berlin, 1905.

Morison - Morison J. A practical commentary on the Gospel according to St. Matthew. London, 1902.

Stanton - Stanton V.H. The Synoptic Gospels / The Gospels as historical documents, Part 2. Cambridge, 1903. Tholuck (1856) - Tholuck A. Die Bergpredigt. Gotha, 1856.

Tholuck (1857) - Tholuck A. Commentar zum Evangelium Johannis. Gotha, 1857.

Heitmüller - see Yog. Weiss (1907).

Holtzmann (1901) - Holtzmann H.J. Die Synoptiker. Tubingen, 1901.

Holtzmann (1908) - Holtzmann H.J. Evangelium, Briefe und Offenbarung des Johannes / Hand-Commentar zum Neuen Testament bearbeitet von H. J. Holtzmann, R. A. Lipsius etc. Bd. 4. Freiburg im Breisgau, 1908.

Zahn (1905) - Zahn Th. Das Evangelium des Matthäus / Commentar zum Neuen Testament, Teil 1. Leipzig, 1905.

Zahn (1908) - Zahn Th. Das Evangelium des Johannes ausgelegt / Commentar zum Neuen Testament, Teil 4. Leipzig, 1908.

Schanz (1881) - Schanz P. Commentar über das Evangelium des heiligen Marcus. Freiburg im Breisgau, 1881.

Schanz (1885) - Schanz P. Commentar über das Evangelium des heiligen Johannes. Tubingen, 1885.

Schlatter - Schlatter A. Das Evangelium des Johannes: ausgelegt für Bibelleser. Stuttgart, 1903.

Schürer, Geschichte - Schürer E., Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu Christi. Bd. 1-4. Leipzig, 1901-1911.

Edersheim (1901) - Edersheim A. The life and times of Jesus the Messiah. 2 Vols. London, 1901.

Ellen - Allen W.C. A critical and exegetical commentary of the Gospel according to st. Matthew. Edinburgh, 1907.

Alford - Alford N. The Greek Testament in four volumes, vol. 1. London, 1863.

How to use the data interpretation of the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew?

The title number is the number of the verse or verses that will be discussed.
The Scriptures follow in logical order.
After reflecting on them and connecting it into a logical chain, you will understand the essence of the place under discussion, its true meaning.

Matthew 16:1,3,4

1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, tempting Him, and asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. 3 and in the morning: today there is bad weather, because the sky is purple. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. And, leaving them, he went away.

The Lord called these believing leaders and priests hypocrites - and this is justified for at least two reasons: 1) The Prophet Daniel pointed to the relatively exact time of the appearance of the Messiah. So, when John began to testify eloquently, these Jews came to him to be baptized, as if ready to accept Christ, thinking that it was He. 2) The signs of the Lord that had already been created clearly testified about Him, so that the Jews had no justification for seeing them (Rom. 1:18-20.).
25(a) Therefore know and understand: from the time the commandment goes out to restore Jerusalem until Christ the Ruler there are seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; ((Dan 9:25(a)))
15 And while the people were waiting, and all were wondering in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ (Luke 3:15)
7 When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!” who inspired you to flee from future wrath? 8 Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:7,8)
19(b) But people loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil; 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed, because they are evil (John 3:19(b), 20)
31 But many of the people believed in Him and said: When Christ comes, will He really do more signs than He has done? (John 7:31)

Matthew 16:4

4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. And, leaving them, he went away.

In other words, the Lord said: “The only thing you deserve is: by killing Me, you will become rejected by the Almighty and bring a curse upon yourself.” It is worth paying attention to the prophetic sign that happened to Elisha (a prototype of Christ), who was the successor of Elijah (a prototype of John the Baptist): “As he walked along the road, little children came out of the city and mocked him and said to him: go, you bald man! go, baldhead! He looked around and saw them and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she bears came out of the forest and tore to pieces forty-two children among them” (2 Kings 2:23,24).
Matthew 1:17 indicates that from Abraham (the father of Israel) to Christ, there are forty-two generations. The figurative “Elisha”-Christ spoke to the forty-second generation: “...you are the sons of those who beat the prophets; complete the measure of your fathers. May all the righteous blood shed on earth come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Barachi, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation” (Matt. 23:31,3235,36). For their rejection of the Son (Matt. 21:33-44.) and malice, they were condemned (figuratively “torn to pieces”) by two witnesses: Elijah and Moses. The prophet Malachi wrote on this occasion: “Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel, as well as the rules and regulations. Behold, I will send Elijah the prophet to you before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Mal.4:4-6. Also, see: Luke 9:27,30,31.).
52(a,b) Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One (Acts 7:52(a,b))
14(b) And [Pilate] said to the Jews: Behold, your King! 15(c) The chief priests answered: We have no king except Caesar. 16(a) Then at last he handed Him over to them to be crucified. (John 19:14(b),15(c),16(a))
32 So fill up the measure of your fathers. (Matthew 23:32)
40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. (Matt 12:40)
35 May all the righteous blood shed on earth come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachi, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. (Matthew 23:35,36)

Matthew 16:6-12

6 Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 But they thought within themselves and said: [this means] that we did not take the loaves. 8 When Jesus realized this, he said to them, “Why do you think to yourself, you of little faith, that you did not take the loaves? 9 Do you still not understand and remember the five loaves of bread for the five thousand [people], and how many baskets you collected? 10 nor about seven loaves for four thousand, and how many baskets did you take up? 11 How do you not understand that I did not tell you about bread: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? 12 Then they realized that He was telling them not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

19 When I broke five loaves for five thousand [people], how many baskets full did you pick up of pieces? They say to Him: twelve. 20 And when there are seven for four thousand, how many baskets did you take up of the remaining fragments? They said seven. ((see Mark 8:19,20))
1(c) Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (Luke 12:1(c))
14 Strive to have peace with everyone and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness arise and cause harm, and lest many become defiled by it; (Heb 12:14,15)
6(b) Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (1 Cor 5:6(b))
11(b) a is described for the instruction of us who have reached the last ages. (1 Cor 10:11(b))
1 There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and, denying the Lord who bought them, bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Pet 2:1)
4 and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers began to die, from the beginning of creation, everything remains the same. 17 Therefore, beloved, being forewarned of these things, take heed lest you be carried away by the error of the wicked, and fall from your own conviction (2 Peter 3:4,17)
16(b) for they will increase in wickedness even more, 17(a) and their word will spread like cancer. (2 Tim 2:16(b),17(a))

Matthew 16:13-15

13 Having come to the countries of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples: Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am? 14 They said: some for John the Baptist, others for Elijah, and others for Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. 15 He says to them: Who do you say that I am?

This is the sequence of questions: 1) “Who do people say that I am?” 2) “Who do you say that I am?” was placed intentionally. This was done so that, against the background of the opinions of others, the apostles would express THEIR opinion.
4(a) But whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction (Rom 15:4(a))
1 (a) Do not listen to empty rumors, 2 Do not follow the majority to evil, and do not resolve litigation by deviating from the truth for the majority; (Exodus 23:1(a),2)
5(a) Test yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; examine yourselves. (2 Cor 13:5(a))

Matthew 16:16,17

16 Simon Peter answered and said: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 Then Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven;

In order to follow the opinion of the majority, it is not necessary to have thinking abilities and faith.
But the apostles of Christ, in those circumstances, required a lot of effort in order, contrary to generally accepted views and traditions, to follow the Teacher, who was bringing something “new” to the people. In this case, the statement of the Apostle Paul is appropriate: “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for [His] good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Christ often said in his sermons: “if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” And this spiritual hearing (and sight) was revealed to Peter by God - see: Deut.29:2-4. Isaiah 35:4-6.
9(a) So, what? do we have an advantage? Not at all. 12 They have all turned aside from the way, even one of them is worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. 11 there is no one who understands; no one seeks God; (Rom 3:9(a),12,11)
9(a) The heart [of man] is deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9(a))
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law within them, and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. 34(a,b) And they will no longer teach one another, brother to brother, and say, “Know the Lord,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, (Jer 31:33,34(a, b))
65 And he said: For this reason I told you, that no one can come to Me unless it is given to him from My Father. 45(b) Everyone who has heard from the Father and learned comes to Me. (John 6:65,45(b))

Matthew 16:18,19

18 And I say to you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Unlike the destroyed temple of Solomon, which was only an image of the spiritual temple of Christ (Isaiah 66:1,2,22.) - this church consists of “living stones,” the sons of God, who have received the pledge of the Holy Spirit to eternal life. The Apostle Peter would later write to his brethren: “to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you... Coming to Him, a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen and precious by God, you also, like living stones, are building yourselves into a spiritual house … For it is written in the Scripture: Behold, I lay in Zion a corner stone, chosen, precious; and he who believes in Him will not be put to shame” (1 Pet. 1:4; 2:4-6).
The expression: “the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven,” “you will bind” and “you will loose” do not mean that Peter will act according to some kind of his own will. The Scriptures state: “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for [His] good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Being born and moved by the Holy Spirit, the apostle had power and acted according to the will of the Most High. The Scriptures below show what these keys of the Kingdom of Heaven meant - there were three of them: Judea, Samaria and other nations.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord together. 14 Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and cried to them: Men of Judah, and all who dwell in Jerusalem! Let this be known to you, and give heed to my words: 38 And Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 41 So those who gladly accepted his word were baptized, and that day about three thousand souls were added. 42(a) And they continued constantly in the teaching of the Apostles. (
14 The Apostles who were in Jerusalem, hearing that the Samaritans had received the word of God, sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they came, prayed for them that they would receive the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14,15)
6(a) Jesus spoke this parable to them; 16 I have other sheep which are not of this fold, and these I must bring, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:6(a),16)
21(a) Peter, going down to the people sent to him from Cornelius, said: 28 And he said to them: You know that it is forbidden for a Jew to associate or become intimate with a foreigner; but God revealed to me that I should not consider any person base or unclean. 36 He sent word to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ; This is the Lord of all. 43(b) everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through His name. 44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. (Acts 10:21(a),28,36,43(b),44)
19 So you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 in which you also are being built into a habitation of God through the Spirit. (Eph 2:19-22)

Matthew 16:20

20 Then Jesus commanded his disciples that they should not tell anyone that he was Jesus Christ.

16 and forbade them to announce Him, 17 so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, who says: 19 He will not contradict, He will not cry, and no one will hear His voice in the streets; 20(c) until the court achieves victory; 21 And the nations will trust in His name. (Matthew 12:16,17,19,20(c),21)
28 Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. ((see Mat 16:28))
9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus rebuked them, saying, Tell no one about this vision until the Son of Man rises from the dead. ((Matt 17:9))

Matthew 16:21,22

21 From that time Jesus began to reveal to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day rise again. 22 And having called Him away, Peter began to rebuke Him: Be merciful to Yourself, O Lord! may this not happen to you!

Peter had already been with the Redeemer for quite some time - but he still did not understand that the Lord came for this purpose, to save humanity through His atoning death. The apostles will not understand this until His death; quite fully, they realize the price of the Lord’s death only at Pentecost, at the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2).
27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, which were Moses and Elijah; 31 Having appeared in glory, they spoke of His exodus, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. 32 (a) Peter and those who were with him were burdened with sleep; 44 Put these words in your ears: The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. 45(a-c) But they did not understand the word, and it was hidden from them, so that they did not understand it (Luke 9:27,30-32(a),44,45(a-c))
19 Now I tell you before it comes to pass, so that when it comes to pass, you may believe that it is I. (John 13:19)

Matthew 16:23

23 He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” you are a temptation to me! because you think not about what is God, but about what is human.

33(a) And when they came to the place called Skull, they crucified Him and the evildoers there, 35 And the people stood and watched. The leaders also mocked them, saying: He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ, God's chosen one. (Luke 23:33(a),35)
5(a) And you know that He appeared to take away our sins, 8(b) For this reason the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil. (1John 3:5(a),8(b))
9 But as it is written, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 14 The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, because he considers them foolishness; and cannot understand, because this [must] be judged spiritually. ((1 Cor 2:9,14))
7 But I tell you the truth: it is better for you that I go; for if I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you; and if I go, I will send Him to you, 13(a) And when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth: ((John 16:7,13(a)))

Matthew 16:24,25,27

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” ; 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward everyone according to his deeds.

Some may believe that the concept: “one’s cross” is any kind of illness, trouble in family relationships with spouses, in business. However, the 24th and 25th verses indicate Christian activity, and the subsequent problems associated with this as a disciple of the Lord. So, for example, Matthew 5:11,12 says: “Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you unjustly because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven: so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11,12. Also see: Matt. 10:18,22,25,38. Luke 12 :32-40.).
11 This is a true saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny, He will deny us; (2 Tim 2:11,12)
35 Some of the wise will suffer, to test them, to purify them, and to make them white for the time of the end; for there is still time before the deadline. 33 And the wise among the people will admonish many, although they will suffer for a while from sword and fire, from captivity and robbery; (Dan 11:35,33)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps. 12 And lead a virtuous life among the Gentiles, so that for the reasons why they revile you as evildoers, when they see your good deeds, they may glorify God on the day of visitation.
3 And those who have understanding will shine like the lights in the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars, forever and ever. (Dan 12:3)

Matthew 16:26,27

26 What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? or what ransom will a man give for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward everyone according to his deeds.

20 But God said to him: You fool! this night your soul will be taken from you; who will get what you have prepared? 21 So [happens to those] who lay up treasures for themselves, and are not rich in God. (Luke 12:20,21)
6(b) And they will have no part forever more in anything that is done under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your strength; because in the grave where you go there is no work, no reflection, no knowledge, no wisdom. (Eccl 9:6(b),10)
12 I learned that there is nothing better for them than to have fun and do good in their lives. (Eccl 3:12)
11 Everyone sees that the wise die, just as the ignorant and senseless perish and leave their wealth to others. 8 A man will in no way redeem his brother and will not give God a ransom for him: 9 (a) the price of the ransom of their soul is dear (Ps 49:11,8,9 (a))
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
25 Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life; He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. (John 11:25)

Matthew 16:28

28 Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

The words: “they will not taste death until they have seen...” make it clear that the vision on the mountain (Matthew 17:1-8.) has a prophetic meaning, also pointing to the second coming of the Lord (Dan.7:9-14. Mark 13:26).
It is worth paying attention to the prophecy of Malachi: “Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel, as well as the rules and regulations. Behold, I will send Elijah the prophet to you before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Mal. 4:4-6).
In the past, Elijah and Moses already existed. In the first century, the figurative Elijah and Moses were: John the Baptist and Jesus Christ (Luke 1:13,17. Heb.3:1,2.). However, approximately sixty-six years later, the Apostle John again saw a vision with Elijah and Moses (compare: 2 Cor. 13:1.); and it points to last days wicked world and a sign of the coming of the Lord (see below: Rev. 11:3-8.). This will be the final testimony of the Most High and His Son Christ.
30 And behold, two men talked with Him, which were Moses and Elijah; 31 Having appeared in glory, they spoke of His exodus, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. (Luke 9:30,31)
1(b) In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word will be established. (2 Cor 13:1(b))
17(a) This is a shadow of the future (Col 2:17(a))
14 But now I have come to tell you what will happen to your people in the last times, since the vision concerns the distant days." (Dan 10:14)
10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, because the accuser of our brethren is cast out, who slandered them before our God day and night. 12(b,c) Woe to those who live on earth and on the sea! because the devil has come down to you in great rage, knowing that he has little time left. (Rev 12:10,12(b,c))
3 And I will give to My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. 6 They have power to shut the heavens, so that no rain falls on the earth in the days of their prophecy, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague whenever they please. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes out of the abyss will fight with them and defeat them and kill them, 8 and leave their corpses in the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified. 11(a) But after three and a half days the spirit of life from God came into them, and they both stood on their feet; 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven on a cloud; and their enemies looked at them. (Rev 11:3,6-8,11(a),12)
9 He who has an ear, let him hear. ((Rev 13:9))

The article indicates holy places in Russia that heal people and help them live with faith, hope and love.

Orthodox believers worship miraculous icons and ask for them speedy recovery and solving everyday problems. The holy springs in the Krasnodar region are famous for their healing properties.

It’s not for nothing that in Rus' they say: “A holy place is never empty!” In every region of the Russian Federation - in Sverdlovsk, and in Novgorod, and in Yaroslavl, and in Tver, and in Rostov, and in Saratov ... and many more places, there are active holy places of prayer - temples and monasteries that you can visit. Orthodox people have somewhere to turn in times of adversity - there are many places on the map of our country where you can pray, go on excursions, or even live as a worker or pilgrim, if the monastery accepts accommodation. And sometimes God’s grace can be found not in a huge temple, but in a small chapel, like the one in the Smolensk cemetery in St. Petersburg, where the relics rest and the icon of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg is located. About holy places native land Anton and Vika Makarsky have been telling very interesting stories since 2018 in the educational television project “Shrines of Russia.”

In contact with

List of Holy Springs

Source of Seraphim of Sarov in Diveevo

Seraphim of Sarov is the founder of the Diveyevo Monastery, where the Sarov Spring is located. Healing water Helps with various ailments and also improves health.

In the monastery you can pray and venerate the icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov. It is also recommended to come to the morning Liturgy, which takes place every Sunday. You can stay in a monastery or in a hotel.

Women who want to get pregnant and have children, the suffering, those without their own home and the weak come to Saint Seraphim. The elder never refused help, especially to those who keep the word of God, constantly go to Church and live according to the commandments.

Source of St. Sergius of Radonezh (Gremyachiy Klyuch waterfall)

The source is located in the village of Vzglyadnevo, and the Orthodox call this place “Malinniki”.

The Venerable Wonderworker Sergius of Radonezh is the intercessor of Rus', a defender from the misfortunes and treachery of enemies.

Many believers make a pilgrimage to him, asking for intercession and help, as well as protection from witchcraft.

It is important to know: He should pray when a relative is in prison, hospital or on the road. Also, Sergius of Radonezh heals those possessed by demons and gives them the strength to fight their passions.

The monk heals from illnesses, admonishes children and protects them from evil people, and helps during childbirth.

Spring ring in Ivanovo region

The healing spring is named after St. Alexander Nevsky, who was famous for his purity of thoughts and righteous life. Nearby is a Temple containing Holy Relics.

The source saved people from terrible misfortunes, cholera epidemics and plague. Alexander Nevsky protects and covers entire settlements of Orthodox Christians, helps them in difficult work, and intercedes before God for the sick.

You can come to the spring at any time and swim in the font. Many parishioners take clean bathing clothes (nightgowns, long T-shirts) with them to take with them.

Water from the source has healing properties, relieves stomach diseases, gastritis, and duodenal ulcers. But we must remember that everything is given according to the Orthodox faith.

Spring of St. David in the village of Telezh

The source is located 30 km from the village of Novy Byt in the Moscow region, in a monastery.

On the territory of the monastery there is a small chapel named after the Monk David, who helps people and prays to God for the sins of others.

He lived for many years in a monastery, leading an ascetic and secluded lifestyle. Reverend David pray for children and ask for help in raising them. You can also pray to wives for their husbands, for the restoration of the family.

Visiting the source is allowed from 8 am to 9 pm. Those who want to get married or baptize a child come here.

Source of Healer Panteleimon in the village of Kalozhitsy

Healer Panteleimon heals demoniacs, possessed people, as well as those who practice magic, the occult, or resort to the help of sorcerers.

You can take a dip in the spring and take some water with you. The water flows freely and has a pleasant taste.

Arriving home, you should sprinkle the corners of the apartment with water from the source and place the Icon of Panteleimon on the iconostasis.

Source in honor of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” (Vologda region)

The source is located in the direction of the Vologda–Kirillov highway.

There is a chapel on site where you can light candles and venerate the icon. Next to the spring there is a plunge pool where you can take a deep dive.

Also, the Miraculous Stone, located near the source, is considered a shrine. Smolensk Mother of God one should pray for healing from illnesses and intercession. She is the patroness of all Orthodox families and orphans.

People pray to her and ask for children, and she also heals women’s diseases. The Mother of God “Hodegetria” is the patroness of the entire Vologda region.

Holy spring of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh

Saint Mitrophan of Voronezh spent a lot of time in solitary prayer. Now at this place there is a source - a sacred place.

Many believers received healing there from chronic and inflammatory diseases. Also, Saint Mitrofan treats infertile couples who do not have children.

Headaches, back pain and joint pain - everything goes away, you just need to plunge into holy water.

Saint Mitrofan cures pneumonia, colds and even relieves fever. It is necessary to give the sick person some water from the source and wipe his body with a cloth soaked in it.

Holy key (Lozhok) in the city of Iskitim

In the small village of Lozhok, Novosibirsk region, there is a Holy Spring. During the war there was a camp with prisoners there, and a spring opened at its location.

They say that the prisoners “discovered” it with their prayers. Now many believers from different cities and villages make pilgrimage trips here to gain strength.

Those who come with faith receive healing. The holy key helps people with skin diseases, gives strength, strengthens faith, and heals diseases associated with the stomach.

Miraculous spring in the village of Aleshnya

Is in Bryansk region, water heals purulent, open, incised wounds, postoperative sutures, and has an anti-inflammatory effect.

You can wash your face with holy water if you have problems with your facial skin, or, for example, make homemade ointments based on natural herbs.

The holy spring also has a strong bactericidal effect on trophic ulcers caused by diabetes.

Also, water lowers cholesterol levels in the blood and reduces blood pressure. Families with sick children often visit here.

List of Orthodox churches and monasteries (miraculous icons and relics of saints)

Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Stogovo

One day, an icon of St. Nicholas miraculously appeared right in a haystack. The area and the village began to be called Stogovo. In the 17th century, a Temple was built, to which believers flock daily to venerate the miraculous icon.

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, like Seraphim of Sarov, led a hermit life for many years. The Lord gave Saint Nicholas the gift of helping people. And now the Saint, hearing the prayers of the Orthodox, intercedes before God and asks for intercession for the entire Russian people.

Note: You should pray to Saint Nicholas if you have problems buying a home, before a long trip, or during a protracted illness. The saint helps orphans, mothers raising children alone, and gives consolation to the terminally ill.

The Wonderworker protects people from witchcraft and sudden death, families from divorce and children from evil eyes and intent. The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is truly a place of prayer; here you can venerate the relics and venerate the icon. It is located at the address: Moscow region, Sergiev Posad district, Malinniki village.

Holy Mountain Pyukhtitsa (Crane Mountain)

Although this is not Russia, but Estonia, it is still a very popular place for pilgrims.

Even the guidebooks mention this great place. On the Holy Mountain, which was called Crane, there is a Temple named in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

The miraculous appearance of the image of the Mother of God converted many to the Orthodox faith and gave strength to fight unclean spirits. Now Orthodox parishioners pray before the miraculous image in the Pyukhtinsky Assumption Monastery and ask her for deliverance from illnesses, help with childlessness and help in difficult life circumstances.

Also, unmarried girls they ask for a good groom and a successful marriage. In this Temple they get married and venerate the icon of the Assumption Mother of God as their intercessor.

Monastery of Alexander-Svirsky

The monastery, located in the Leningrad region, near the town of Lodeynoye Pole, is the monastery of St. Alexander-Svirsky.

The saint of God, the Monk Alexander, lived almost his entire life in the monastery and always helped people. He, by the will of God, built a Temple in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. Now pilgrims visit holy places and venerate the relics of the Holy Elder.

The Monk Alexander of Svirsky possessed the gift of admonition and instruction. People came to him for advice and simple people, and the clergy - he never refused to help anyone. They pray to him when there is unresolved problems or difficult life circumstances when a person does not know what to do in this or that matter.

Assumption Cathedral in Moscow

The Assumption Cathedral is located in the Moscow Kremlin. Today, services are held there on certain days. But for those who want to venerate the shrines, the entrance is always open.

In the Assumption Cathedral there is Vladimir Icon The Mother of God, who helps the peasants grow a good harvest, is an intercessor for those who work on the land, and protects Orthodox Christians from infidels and persecution.

Also, in the Cathedral there is the Nail of the Lord and the staff of St. Peter. Saint Peter protects people from hunger and poverty, helps them find work and buy housing. Saint Peter should be prayed to during Lent - it helps to cope with temptations and gives strength to resist evil.

Alexander-Oshevensky Monastery

The monastery is located in the village of Oshevenskoye, Arkhangelsk region. On the territory of the monastery there are many Shrines: stones with the footprints of St. Alexander, a Holy spring and a lake, as well as the Khaluy river, which goes underground in one place and comes out in another.

There is also a well dug by Alexander Oshevensky himself.

They pray to Saint Alexander during the onset of war, as well as for safe trips and travels. Alexander Oshevensky heals people with blood diseases.

“Quick to Hear” icon of the Mother of God

Located on Holy Mount Athos in the Dohiar Monastery.

The miraculous power of the icon heals the blind and puts cripples back on their feet, helps with difficult childbirths, relieves cancer, saves them from captivity and covers children during war.

Women pray to the holy icon of the Mother of God to restore peace in the family, prosperity and resolve internecine strife.

The Holy “Quick to Hear” intercedes before God for the weak and sick, lonely old people, and the disabled. Also, “Quick to Hear” helps with natural disasters

, floods, fires. She covers with her Grace and saves from sudden death.

Savva Storozhevsky (Savva Zvenigorodsky)

Everyone who prays to the Wonderworker receives healing: he helps with cancer, chronic pain, kidney and liver disease.

In addition, Savva Storozhevsky should pray for resolution of any conflict situations. The seer-elder always helped people and gave advice, and was a mentor to all sinful parishioners.

The Monk Sergei of Radonezh often communicated with the Wonderworker and shared his spiritual experience with him.

Matrona of Moscow

Saint Matronushka is the patroness of all women who want to have children. They pray to her, asking her to protect the family from ruin, to be healed of an illness, to get rid of an addiction - Elder Matrona always answers prayer!

They often pray to her that the child would do well at school, asking for help and admonition before entering university.

In front of the icon, you can ask for blessings for marriage or divorce, for buying a home or car. Apply to Miraculous icon

should also apply to small children - Matronushka protects against sudden illnesses and early death.

Temple of the Matrona of Moscow, located on Taganka, in Moscow. There are always long queues here, and sometimes pilgrims wait for 5-6 hours to venerate the Shrine. You can come and pray at the Temple from 6 am to 8 pm.

Church of St. Panteleimon

A small Temple, named in honor of St. Panteleimon, is located in Moscow, on Nikolskaya Street, but the relics of the Healer are located in the Penza Intercession Cathedral. Saint Panteleimon was a true companion, the patron saint of all the sick and needy.

Having sold all his property, he began to help people, treated them and set them on the right path.

The Great Martyr Panteleimon heals incurable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, restores after a stroke or accident, protects pregnant women from premature birth, and protects babies from sudden death.

Intercession-Tervenichesky Convent

Located in the Leningrad region, in the small village of Tervenichi. The patroness of the convent are the Holy Martyrs - Faith, Hope and Love.

Monasteries are an integral part of the culture and history of Russia. In any ancient Russian city, you can climb a high hill, where you will see a stunning picture - the domes of Orthodox churches, cathedrals and monasteries. Now it will even be difficult to count how many monasteries there are in Russia. According to data for last year, 804 monasteries belong to the Russian Orthodox Church alone.

The Greek word for "mono" (monk, monastery) means one. So that no one would interfere with thinking about the eternal and living according to the laws of God, the ascetics spent a lot of time alone. Such people often met like-minded people and found students. Later, some communities arose with general ideas, interests and lifestyle. They settled down and started running a common household. This is how the first Orthodox monasteries appeared on Russian soil.

The most ancient monasteries in Russia

In the ancient Russian city of Novgorod, which played an important role in the formation and development of our state, the Yuryev Monastery is located. This oldest monastery in Russia is located on the left bank of the Volkhov River. Yuriev Monastery was founded by Yaroslav the Wise. It was built by him wooden church, after which the history of the famous monastery began.

On the territory of Russia, the monastery often served as a fortress. The enemy had to besiege its walls for a long time. Often the monasteries were the first to take the blow, as they were located behind the fortress walls of the cities. For a long time in Russia they were also a center of education. Small schools, libraries and craft workshops were organized within the walls of the monastery. In difficult times, food was distributed here to the needy; needy and sick people found shelter within these walls.

At the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of the revolution, the Russian Empire collapsed, and in its place was formed new country The USSR, in which there was no place for religion. Monasteries were mercilessly ruined and closed. Former monasteries often housed warehouses or clubs. In the early 90s of the 20th century, when communism fell, Russian Orthodox monasteries began to resume their activities. New monasteries are still appearing in Russia.

Famous monasteries in Russia

Novospassky Monastery. One of the ancient Moscow monasteries, which is comfortably located on Peasant Square just behind Taganka. The monastery was founded back in 1490 during the reign of Grand Duke Ivan III. Today it has a completely different look.

Boris and Gleb Monastery. The Boris and Gleb Monastery was founded during the reign of Prince Dmitry Donskoy. It is located in a quiet place on the banks of the Ustye River, surrounded by forest. Sergius of Radonezh helped Dmitry Donskoy in the spiritual and moral revival of Rus'.

Trinity-Sergius Lavra. This is perhaps the largest monastery in Russia. The history of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra is also connected with the name of the remarkable Russian ascetic Sergius of Radonezh. He made a great contribution to the development of Orthodoxy in the Russian state. The monastery is located in the city of Sergiev Posad in the Moscow region.

Another of the large operating monasteries in Russia is Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. It was created in 1473. The monastery will be surrounded by strong walls with towers and loopholes. From the name you can understand that this monastery is located in the city of Pechory. Optina Pustyn. A large and famous monastery in Russia. It is located in the Kaluga region, near the city of Kozelsk.

Suzdal monasteries are the decoration of this small city in the Vladimir region. Many of them have a very ancient history - for example, Rizopolozhensky convent was founded in 1207.

Solovetsky Monastery - an independent monastery of Russian Orthodox Church. It is located in the White Sea on the Solovetsky Islands. The foundation of the monastery dates back to the 40s of the 15th century, when the Monk Zosima and his friend chose Bolshoi Solovetsky Island as their place of residence. He made this choice not by chance - the monk saw a church of unprecedented beauty.

Recognizing his dream as a sign from above, Zosima began building a wooden temple with a chapel and a refectory. With its construction he honored the Transfiguration of the Lord. After a short period of time, Zosima and German built a church. With the appearance of these two buildings, which later became the main ones, the arrangement of the monastery territory began. Subsequently, the Archbishop of Novgorod issued a document to the monastery confirming its eternal ownership of the Solovetsky Islands.

The Holy Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage is stauropegic monastery, whose servants are male monks. Its creator was the robber Opta, or Optia, who at the end of the 14th century. repented of his actions and accepted monasticism. As a clergyman he was known under the name Macarius. In 1821, a monastery was established at the monastery. It was inhabited by the so-called hermits - these are people who spent many years in complete solitude. The mentor of the monastery was the “elder”. Over time, Optina Pustyn turned into one of the leading spiritual centers. Thanks to numerous donations, its territory was replenished with new stone buildings, a mill and land. Today the monastery is considered a historical monument and has a different name - “Museum of Optina Pustyn”. In 1987, it was included in the list of objects of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Novodevichy Convent, built in the 16th century, was at that time located on Samsonov Meadow. Nowadays this area is called the Maiden Field. The cathedral church at the monastery was built in the likeness of the Assumption Cathedral - the “neighbor” of the Moscow Kremlin. The monastery walls and towers were built in the 16th – 17th centuries. In general, the architecture of the monastery conveys the “Moscow Baroque” style. The monastery owes its fame to the Godunov family. Boris Godunov lived here before his election as king with his sister Irina. Irina Godunova took monastic vows with the name Alexander and lived in separate chambers with a wooden tower. At the end of the 16th century. The territory of the monastery was replenished with stone walls and a dozen towers. In appearance, they resembled Kremlin buildings (there were square towers in the walls, and round ones in the corners). Their upper parts were decorated with teeth. Today the Novodevichy Convent combines both a museum and a monastery.

The Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery is located on the shores of Lake Siverskoye. It owes its appearance to St. Cyril, who founded it in 1397. Construction began with the arrangement of a cell-cave and the installation of a wooden cross over it. In the same year, the illumination of the first shrine took place - it was a wooden church built in the name of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. By 1427, there were about 50 monks in the monastery. In the first half of the 16th century. a new life begins at the monastery - all Moscow nobles and kings began to regularly come to it on pilgrimage. Thanks to their rich donations, the monks quickly built up the monastery with stone buildings. Its main attraction is the Assumption Cathedral. Appearing in 1497, it became the first stone building in the North. The monastery complex underwent various architectural changes until 1761.

The Valaam Monastery is a stauropegic institution of the Russian Orthodox Church, which occupied the islands of the Valaam archipelago (Karelia). The first mentions of it are found in chronicles of the 14th century. Thus, “The Legend of the Valaam Monastery” informs about the date of its foundation - 1407. Within a couple of centuries, 600 souls of monks lived in the monastery, however, due to repeated invasions by Swedish troops, the island began to decline. After another 100 years, the territory of the monastery began to be filled with cell buildings and auxiliary premises. But the main buildings of the monastery courtyard were the Assumption Church and the Transfiguration Cathedral. Wanting to create the New Jerusalem from their own monastery, the Valaam ascetics used the names of the New Testament period when arranging its sites. Over the years of its existence, the monastery has undergone many changes, and to this day it remains one of the most attractive historical monuments Russia.

The Alexander Nevsky Lavra was founded in 1710 at the junction of the Monastyrka River with the Neva. The decision to build it was made by Peter I himself, who wished to perpetuate the victory over the Swedes in 1240 and 1704 in this area. In the 13th century. Alexander Nevsky fought against hordes of Swedes, so he was subsequently canonized for good deeds before the Fatherland. The monastery built in his honor was popularly called the Alexander Temple, and with its construction the expansion of the territory of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Monastery, or Lavra, began. It is noteworthy that the monastery buildings were located “at rest”, i.e. in the shape of the letter “P” and were decorated with churches in the corners. The landscaping of the yard consisted of a garden with a flower bed. The main holiday of the Lavra is the day of September 12 - it was on this date, back in 1724, that the holy relics of Alexander Nevsky were transferred.

Trinity-Sergius Lavra

The Trinity-Sergius Lavra was founded in the first half of the 14th century. Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, the son of an impoverished nobleman. According to the clergyman’s plan, the monastery courtyard was arranged in the form of a quadrangle, in the center of which the wooden Trinity Cathedral rose above the cells. The monastery was fenced with a wooden fence. Above the gate there was a small church honoring St. Dmitry Solunsky. Later, this architectural plan was adopted by all other monasteries, which confirmed the opinion that Sergius was “the head and teacher of all monasteries in Rus'.” Over time, the Holy Spirit Church appeared near the Trinity Cathedral, the building of which combined a temple and a bell tower (“like the bells”). Since 1744, the majestic monastery was renamed Lavra.

Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery is a monastic monastery in Murom, founded by the passion-bearer prince Gleb. Having received the city as an inheritance, he did not want to settle among the pagans, so he decided to establish a princely court above the Oka. Having chosen a suitable place, Gleb of Murom built his first temple on it - this is how he immortalized the name of the All-Merciful Savior. Later he added a monastic monastery to it (the premises were used to educate the Murom people). According to the chronicle, the “monastery of the Savior on the forest” appeared in 1096. Since then, many clergy and miracle workers have visited its walls. Over time, the Spassky Cathedral appeared on the territory of the monastery - through its construction, Ivan the Terrible immortalized the date of the capture of Kazan. To furnish the premises of the new temple, the tsar allocated icons, church utensils and literature, and clothing for ministers. The Church of the Intercession with chambers, a bakery, a flour shed and a cookhouse was built in the second half of the 17th century.

Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery is a convent founded in the 2nd half of the 18th century. On own funds Mother Alexandra first laid the foundation of the Kazan Church. Pachomius, a master famous for the construction of the Sarov Desert, was in charge of its consecration as construction was completed. The church premises were equipped with 2 chapels - in the name of Archdeacon Stephen and St. Nicholas. Then the Trinity and Transfiguration Cathedrals appeared in Diveevo. The latter was built with substantial donations, because reinforced concrete was used for the first time in its construction (previously such material had not been used in the construction of shrines). But the main temple here is considered to be the Trinity Cathedral, in which the relics of Seraphim of Sarov rest. Everyone who wants to receive grace-filled help and healing specially gathers at the shrine with the relics of the monk.