Book Review
Blessed Theophylact's Explanation of the New Testament
A Series of Four Volumes
This is not a real Book Review since I have not read the whole series, but I've read all I'm going to read. Last night I pulled Volume II off of a shelf in my own library, and I got a shock. -jh September 18, 2010
St. Matthew Volume I
St. Mark Volume II, 1993
St. Luke Volume III, 1997
St. John Volume IV
Chrysostom Press
House Springs, Missouri
Printed with the blessing of Abp. Alypy of Chicago RocorMP
my notes taken from the Introduction, Vol II:
√ Bl. Theophylact - 11th c. Byzantine churchman
√ served in Constantinople as a royal tutor
√ archdeacon
√ renowned preacher
√ assistant to the Patriarch
√ in 1090 became Abp. and chief hierarch of Bulgarian Church
√ A year after Vol. I was published, Hieromonk Kallistos reposed, who from the start had encouraged the undertaking of translating and publishing these works in English.
Excepts from Vol. II and Vol. III
Blessed Theophylact's words are in asparagus green:
St. Mark 3:31-35
There came then His brethren and His mother, and standing without, sent unto Him calling Him. And the multitude sat about Him, and they said unto Him, Behold, Thy mother and Thy brethren without seek for Thee. And He answered them saying Who is My mother, or My brethren? And He looked round about on them which sat about Him and said, Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God , the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother.
The brothers of the Lord out of envy approached to lay hold of Him as one who was "beside himself" and demon-possessed. Vainglory perhaps had taken hold of His mother, and she came to draw Him away from His teaching, thus showing the multitude that she could lead around the One at Whom they marveled, and even make Him leave His teaching. The Lord therefore replies, "My mother will derive no benefit from being my mother unless she has the other virtues as well; likewise, neither will kinship of the flesh benefit My brothers." For Christ's true kin are they who do the will of God. By saying these things, the Lord is not thereby denying His mother, but He is showing that she will not be worthy of honor only because she gave Him birth, but because she also possesses every other virtue. And if she does not have these virtues, others will be shown greater honor for their true kinship to Him.
St. Mark 4:1-2
And He began again to teach by the sea side: and there. And there was gathered unto Him a great multitude, so that He entered into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine.
Although He seemed to have dismissed His mother, He is again obedient to her. For it is for her sake that He left the house and went out along the sea. He sat in the boat so that, facing everyone, He could speak and all could hear, and no one would be behind His back.
In Volume III, Explanation of St. Luke, Blessed Theophylact contradicts himself commenting on Luke 1:46-50:
...And from henceforth, not only Elizabeth, but all generations of believers shall bless me. Why shall they bless me? Because of my virtue? No, but rather because God hath done to me great things...
Another place in Volume III commentary on Luke 11:27-32 Blessed Theophylact comments on the woman who raised up her voice and said "blessed are the paps that gave Thee suck":
...Where are those who say that Christ appeared on earth in imagination only? Behold, even the breasts which he suckled as an infant bear witness. He blesses those who keep the word of God, not excluding His mother from that blessing -- far from it ! -- but showing that even she would have received no benefit from giving birth to Him and suckling Him if she did not also possess every virtue...
In this comment on the blessed paps there is a gross understating of the worthiness of Theotokos. She was not merely included in with the ones who hear the word and keep it. She was and is the Prime Example. Through a proper translation and by the Church's teachings, here's how I would understand Christ's answer to the woman of the company who lifted up her voice:
Yes, indeed blessed is My Mother's womb and Her paps. Furthermore, She is even further blessed as the Archangel Gabriel announced. She had always kept God's word. Already she had found favor with God even before She heard the word from My angel and kept it by responding, "be it unto me according to thy word." Anyone who hears the word of God and keeps it is My kin, and I give you My Mother as the perfect example of how to do this perfectly, without any errors. With Her humility and obedience She annulled the curse of Eve. She is My Mother, My Bride, and My Church, the Queen of Heaven higher than the angels. Through Her I came to you today, and through Her I come to all future generations. This is both a physical mystery [My Incarnation] and spiritual mystery [My Bride, the Church]. This is My Body, flesh from the Holy Virgin. This is My Body, the Church, which I establish on earth for all who love Truth, that we may be members of One Body, My Body, of which I am the Head and you are the members, if you so choose to keep My words. You, too can be my Mothers, Brothers, and Sisters by being obedient to God's word.
Now I want to go back to the first commentary I cited [on Mark 3:31-35] and make some serious contradictions:
Vainglory perhaps had taken hold of His mother, and she came to draw Him away from His teaching, thus showing the multitude that she could lead around the One at Whom they marveled, and even make Him leave His teaching. This is unthinkable. What mind could imagine this?
How can B.T. think Christ really could have incarnated via the womb of one capable of such betrayal? This would betray not just Christ, but the people He came to save, as well. What, our Mother the show-off? How can a show-off help us and save us? This commentary alone causes me to reject B.T. I trust nothing else he writes after seeing this.
I can't consider anyone to be enlightened who would imagine that the Theotokos would even HAVE a vainglorious thought, let alone ACT on it!
How can B.T. think Christ really could have incarnated via the womb of one capable of such betrayal? This would betray not just Christ, but the people He came to save, as well. What, our Mother the show-off? How can a show-off help us and save us? This commentary alone causes me to reject B.T. I trust nothing else he writes after seeing this.
But let me go back one more sentence in this same commentary, before I stop:
And if she does not have these virtues, others will be shown greater honor for their true kinship to Him. Of course, this did not happen. It could not happen. Theotokos was born of a miracle conception, raised in the inner temple from age 3, and fed manna by an angel. The only life that might be similar to this is St. John the Baptist. Does Blessed Theophylact teach that She only obtained virtue AFTER a giving a virgin birth? That's what it sounds like he's trying to say.
And that is absurd.
She assisted Christ in His ministry, Her virtues were sealed as was Her virginity, Her fruits are the many saved souls - and this continues after the Ascension - after the Ascension the Apostles looked to Her as their guide. Nobody ever out-shines Her in virtue. She did not sin. She was not above temptation, but in every temptation She always chose to serve the Word of God.
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The RocorMP Church in House Springs, associated with the Chrysostom Press, which published this series, went with the RocorMP union.
Who is the hieromonk Kallistos who encouraged this? Is he that same Timothy Kallistos Ware, the renovationist, who is at the top of world Orthodoxy?
Bishop Alypy also went with the RocorMP union, and some suspect him of being a KGB collaborator.
Blessed Theophylact is "blessed" and not glorified [not canonized as a saint].
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See St. Cyril's commentary on St. Luke:
"...Now let not any one imagine that Christ spurned the honour due to His mother, or contemptuously disregarded the love owed to His brethren... In order then that Christ may win us all unto obedience, He promises us surpassing honours, and deigns us the highest love, saying, "My mother and My brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it." For who among men is so obdurate and ungentle, as to refuse to honour, and accord the most complete love to his mother and brethren? For the all-powerful law of nature, even without our will, obliges us to this. When therefore, bowing our neck to the Saviour's commands, we become His followers, and so are in the relation of a mother and brethren to Him, ..."
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