Voices and influences
Oecumenius
The Greek writer who left the oldest surviving commentary on the book of Revelation.
Summary
This site quotes Oecumenius 105 times across 12 books, and lists 0 works.
- Lived died 550.
- Quoted here most in Acts: 55 of 105.
Oecumenius
- Lived
- died 550
- Tradition
- Patristic
- Portrait
- None held under a licence this site can print
5 of 105 quotations
Own words
Quoted at 50 words or fewer, because Oecumenius's works are in copyright.
With the common ordination of the seven having taken place, Stephen obtained the greater grace of choice for the one more suitable for selection. For he who before ordination did not perform marvels, when it was not evident what he was, and when by ordination …
Acts 6:8 Now Stephen, who was full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. BSB
Therefore, he confirms Christ's resurrection by the fact that they ate with him after the resurrection. For he did not make any sign from the resurrection; for the resurrection itself was a great sign, and there was no such sign of a resurrection as eating …
Acts 10:41–42 not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead. BSB
He says that it shone so that they could both see and hear Peter and not think it a vision. The phrase "quickly [ἐν τάχει]" does not mean making a noise, but persuading not to delay. [CHRYSOSTOM]
Acts 12:7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. BSB
"was stirred within him." Here he does not say anger, nor indignation; for anger and indignation are far from grace. What then is this, "was stirred within him"? Instead of "he was aroused," he does not bear it, but is softened, as elsewhere he says, …
Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols. BSB
"by night in a vision." It should be noted that Paul saw the Lord Jesus by a dream. Therefore, he himself said: Did I not see Jesus our Lord? Whether he saw Jesus in a dream, or saw him while awake, there is no difference; …
Acts 18:9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent. BSB
Influence, on the record
This site quotes Oecumenius 105 times across 12 books.
This site’s own count of what it does with the voice
The life, in order
The life told as one accountfrom this site's record
Oecumenius wrote the earliest Greek commentary on the book of Revelation that has come down to us. He wrote it in the first half of the sixth century, most likely in the 530s or 540s. The man himself is hard to see. For a long time the name was attached to a tenth-century compiler of biblical catenae, and older reference books call the commentator 'Oecumenius of Trikka,' a bishop in Thessaly. That identification does not hold. The best current view is that the author was a layman, a rhetorician of high education writing in the reign of Justinian, probably the same Oecumenius who corresponded with Severus of Antioch — which would put him among the Christians who could not accept the Council of Chalcedon. His commentary treats the person of Christ in ways that fit that setting. The text itself was lost for centuries. It survived only inside later Greek compilations and was not recovered as a whole work until 1901, when the American scholar Franz Hoskier identified and published it from manuscripts. Before that, the oldest Greek commentary on Revelation anyone could read was that of Andrew of Caesarea, written a little later and partly in response to it. What Oecumenius does with Revelation is worth knowing. He is not a literalist about the millennium; he reads much of the book as an account of what Christ has already accomplished and of the church's life between the first and second comings, using allegory freely. The seals, the trumpets, the woman clothed with the sun — he takes them as pictures of the incarnation, the church, and the trials of the present age rather than as a timetable of things yet to come. The thousand years he understands as the period from the incarnation onward, not as a coming earthly reign. Where a modern premillennial reader will disagree with him at nearly every turn, the value of the book is that it shows how one educated Greek Christian of the sixth century actually handled the last book of the Bible — and how contested its reading already was. He also shows how hard-won Revelation's place in the canon was in the East. The Greek church had argued about the book for centuries; the Syriac churches largely left it out; and Oecumenius writes as a man defending its worth as well as explaining it. Andrew of Caesarea, writing his own commentary at Caesarea in Cappadocia shortly afterward, pushed back on Oecumenius's readings at many points, and it was Andrew's work — not this one — that the Byzantine world went on to copy and read. Oecumenius survives as the older witness, brought back into the light after fourteen hundred years. Sources: Oecumenius, Commentary on the Apocalypse (Greek text ed. Marc De Groote; English translation by John N. Suggit, Fathers of the Church, volume 112); H. C. Hoskier, The Complete Commentary of Oecumenius on the Apocalypse (1928); Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse.
105 quotations across 12 books
Where this voice is quoted
Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.
“He can help those who are being tempted, thus it must be understood. For when, he says, the Evil One attacked the sinless body of the Lord and attempted to surround it with temptations (Matt.”
For Jesus has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.
“"For this one has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses." Saying the equality of Christ with Moses, he now gently speaks of the superiority, "this one has been counted worthy of more." Who?”
And every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
“Since he had called the people and also Moses, he remained in the figure of speech and said, These are the creations and servants. For there is no house unless something has been constructed. But all things have been constructed, including the house by Christ.”
where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works.
“"On the day of testing." And what is this rebellion that occurred on that day? When, distrusting God, they tested Him. "Will He be able," he says, "to give bread, or prepare a table for His people?" (Ps. 77:19)”
So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’”
“"as I swore in my wrath." To such an extent, he says, they did not know my ways, until they brought me to this point, so that I swore they shall not enter my rest, that is, the land of promise, in which having entered…”
As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.”
“"As in the rebellion." Hyperbaton [ὑπερβατὸν] is: for we must understand it as "Let us fear." The surpassing thing; in what is said: Today, if you hear the voice, and the things following, let us fear, lest, a promise being left behind, and the things…”
For who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?
“For some, having heard the promises of God, just as we hear them, provoked God to anger through unbelief. For He desires to save them just as He saves those who have heard, and they are of no benefit from merely hearing the promise.”
And again, as He says in the passage above: “They shall never enter My rest.”
“Indeed, he says, "the third rest is the kingdom of heaven. And there again, "If they shall enter into my rest." Behold, therefore, two works, the other indeed of which David said: "If they shall enter into my rest."”
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
“"we have as an anchor," which stabilizes the wavering ships, and hope makes those who are shaken by temptations brave, committed, and patient. "safe and committed." Not simply an anchor, but also safe and secure.”
Above the ark were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
“"overshadowing the mercy seat." For above the ark, as if a square golden table, which was called the mercy seat, typifying Christ (Jn. 2:2), who is called to us the propitiation and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).”
They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.
“"only." By hyperbaton [ὑπερβατὸν], the word imposed is to be joined: "in foods and drinks." The sacrifices and worship offered, he says, could not render anyone perfect concerning the soul, but only had power regarding the flesh and carnal matters: and in this, they satisfied…”
so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who…
“"so Christ." Since he was a man as well as being God, he himself, he says, endured the common lot of humanity. For just as men die once, so Christ, having been offered once, offered himself.”
Since that time, He waits for His enemies to be made a footstool for His feet,
“"from that time onward." And for what reason were his enemies not immediately placed under his feet? For the sake of those who are to become and give birth to believers.”
You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.
“"For you have need of endurance." I seek not increase, but patience, so that you may persevere in the same things.”
even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
“"to whom it was said." Thus, it is said, as to the apparent, God seems to command the opposite of what He promised. And yet Abraham did not waver. For how could Isaac be called his seed, when he was commanded to sacrifice Isaac?”
Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.
“"considering that God was able even to raise him from the dead." Do you see how by faith Abraham did everything? For he believed that God could even raise him from the dead after he was sacrificed. "from which, figuratively speaking."”
who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
“"through faith." All these did what they did by faith: Abraham, Moses, Joshua. "they conquered." They defeated, they destroyed whom? Abraham defeated the kings who had taken his nephew Lot captive, and the king of Gerar. Moses defeated the king of Egypt, and many others.”
quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.
“"quenched the power of fire." The three boys, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael. "escaped the edge of the sword," For example, Elijah, from Jezebel, and David himself, from Saul. "were made strong out of weakness."”
Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.
“"to what seemed right to them."What seems good to the father does not always benefit the son: for often they teach even disgraceful arts. "however, here for our benefit." Moreover, God always seeks our effectiveness.”
For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm;
“There is fire, for this reason, that God may appear more fearsome to those who were delivering the law. "And to darkness and gloom." Darkness and gloom signify the shadow of the Old Testament.”
to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken.
“And the trumpet, however, as if in the presence of the king; for this will be in the second coming. "and the voice of words." For Moses spoke, and God answered. Indeed, it was necessary for the voice of God to be formed (Ex.”
Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them.
“"as bound." For he who is bound to someone, even if he wishes to forget, cannot. "and those who suffer adversity." Of those who are suffering either in prisons, or in famine, or in another affliction.”
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
“"Do not forget the good deeds and the fellowship." Paul speaks of good deeds and fellowship as the same. "God is pleased." That is, He is pleased; for the term "is pleased" [εὐαρεστεῖται] indicates to be well-pleased.”
Pray for us; we are convinced that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.
“"Pray for us." Because some were slandering the apostle, as teaching apostasy from the law, many of the Hebrews had a strong distaste toward him; therefore, Paul did not even place his name at the beginning of the letter, so that they would not find…”