Voices and influences
Theophylact of Ohrid
He wrote clear, useful Gospel commentaries while stuck serving a difficult Balkan diocese he never wanted.
Summary
This site quotes Theophylact of Ohrid 461 times across 25 books, and lists 0 works.
- Lived died 1107.
- Quoted here most in Acts: 176 of 461.
Theophylact of Ohrid
- Lived
- died 1107
- Tradition
- Patristic
5 of 461 quotations
Own words
Quoted at 50 words or fewer, because Theophylact of Ohrid's works are in copyright.
As the Lord promised the covetous ruler a treasure in heaven, he nevertheless did not heed, for he was a slave to his treasures, and therefore "became sorrowful" upon hearing the Lord urge him to part with his possessions, since he desired eternal life precisely …
Luke 18:23 But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy. BSB
For that day will not come with observation, but unexpectedly, secretly, like a net capturing those who are inattentive to themselves. Another person might perhaps investigate in detail the expression: "dwelling (sitting) upon the face of all the earth." That day will capture in its …
Luke 21:35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth. BSB
Everywhere alongside virtue there is vice. Some marveled, others reviled. The former were truly devout; they lived in Jerusalem precisely because the law permitted them to appear three times a year at the temple in Jerusalem.
Acts 2:7 Astounded and amazed, they asked, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? BSB
Because the words "pray to the Lord for me" Simon said not because he repented and converted, but only for the sake of appearances. For otherwise, where is the weeping? Where is the remorse and confession of sins?
Acts 8:24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” BSB
"Having called the saints and widows, he presented her before them alive" – to the former as a consolation, and to the latter as a protectress.
Acts 9:41 Peter took her by the hand and helped her up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her to them alive. BSB
Influence, on the record
This site quotes Theophylact of Ohrid 461 times across 25 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
Theophylact was born about 1050 on the island of Euboea, came to Constantinople, and studied under Michael Psellos, the outstanding scholar of eleventh-century Byzantium. He did well in the capital: he was a deacon of Hagia Sophia, held the post of maistor ton rhetoron — master of the rhetors, the senior teaching chair of the church — and was made tutor to Constantine Doukas, the young heir to the throne. Then, some time in the 1080s or early 1090s, he was appointed archbishop of Ohrid, the head of the Bulgarian church, and sent to the Balkans. His letters make no secret of what he thought about it. He was a Greek intellectual dropped into a Slavic province he found rough, poor, and provincial; he complains about the food, the smell, the mud, the tax collectors who bled his people, and the isolation. He calls himself an exile. He served there for something over twenty years — he was still writing after 1107, and the date of his death is not known. He was also, by the evidence of the same letters, a real pastor. He defended his flock against imperial tax officials, intervened for the poor, argued with governors, and stayed. He learned to respect the Bulgarians he had complained about, and he wrote a life of Clement of Ohrid, the disciple of Cyril and Methodius who had brought Slavic Christianity to that region, honouring the local tradition rather than replacing it. His commentaries are why he is on this wall. He wrote on all four Gospels, on Acts, on the epistles of Paul, on the catholic epistles, and on several minor prophets. They are not original, and he never claimed they were. They are largely a distillation of John Chrysostom, compressed, simplified, and made continuous — Chrysostom's exegesis without Chrysostom's length. That turned out to be exactly what people needed. Theophylact's Gospel commentary became the most widely used handbook on the Gospels in the Greek-speaking church, and it was read in the West too: Erasmus used it, Aquinas used it, and Calvin cites him. He also wrote a temperate treatise on the errors of the Latins, notable in a polemical age for how much of the quarrel he was willing to call a matter of custom rather than heresy. A man who wanted a chair in the capital, got sent to the mountains instead, and spent his exile writing the plainest commentaries in Byzantium. Sources: Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on the Gospels (Migne, Patrologia Graeca, vols. 123–126); Theophylact, Letters; Margaret Mullett, Theophylact of Ochrid: Reading the Letters of a Byzantine Archbishop; The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913).
461 quotations across 25 books
Where this voice is quoted
And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
“Again the excessive scrupulousness of the Jews is revealed: they did not object to killing him, but they objected to doing it at such a time.”
On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the…
“Peter was neither confused nor afraid, but on that very night, when they intended to bring him out of the prison, he slept, having entrusted everything to the will of the Lord.”
So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision.
“This is very natural given the astonishing extraordinariness of what had happened, because the extraordinariness of the signs strikes the beholder. Peter thought he was seeing a vision, yet he was girding himself and putting on his sandals.”
Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish…
“Now, he says, I knew, "now I see truly," and not then. It was pleasing to the Angel that Peter's heart be filled with joy suddenly and that he understand what had happened only after the deliverance.”
And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.
“Upon reflection, he saw that he should not simply continue on his way, but rather give thanks to the Benefactor. This John was perhaps not the one who constantly remained with the apostles.”
When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”
“Notice the reverence of the servant girl: "from joy," it says, "she did not open." But this turned out beautifully, for otherwise the rest, astonished by his unexpected appearance, would perhaps not have believed that it was he, since even as it was they did…”
Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.
“How free from vainglory he is! He did not say "make it known everywhere," but rather "notify... the brethren." He went out and went to another place because he did not want to test God and lead himself into temptations.”
And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”
“The flatterers immediately began calling him a god, adding: "Be gracious; if until now we feared you as a man, from this time we acknowledge that you are above human nature."”
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.
“He mentions Barnabas first, since Paul had not yet become famous and had not yet performed any sign. But it should be noted that both Paul and Barnabas were numbered among the rank of the apostles.”
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
“What does "when they served" mean? It means "preached." And the expression "for the work" is used instead of "for apostleship." By whom is Paul ordained? By Lucius and Manaen, or rather by the Holy Spirit.”
So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.
“They do not stop in Seleucia, knowing that its inhabitants could gain much benefit from the neighboring city, but hasten to fulfill what was urgent.”
Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.”
“"Turning here and there, he sought a guide." This is proof of his blindness. It was necessary through precisely such a punishment to bring to his senses the one who had previously been carried away by magic.”
After setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.
“John, called Mark, accompanied them in their evangelical journey from Palestine to Perga of Pamphylia. Then, when the apostles hastened their journey and with a firm, unyielding spirit began to arm themselves for labors, Mark, being a weak man who did not dare to undertake…”
Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!
“Paul preaches here for the first time, and see with what prudence: those places where the discussion concerns God the Word, he passes over and stops at places that did not mention the seed of David, as he himself says when writing to the Romans…”
From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.
“"From his seed God, according to the promise, raised up for Israel a Savior, Jesus." The name of David was especially beloved by the Jews; therefore it is said that a king reigns from his lineage.”
The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.
“"Not having known Him." He somewhat excuses them: they crucified Him, he says, not knowing who He was; because the crime was committed as a result of ignorance.”
But God raised Him from the dead,
“"But God raised Him from the dead." Let it not trouble you that it is said of Jesus that He was raised by God, because if Jesus is none other than the incarnate Word, and the Word, according to the testimony of Scripture, Christ, the…”
So also, He says in another Psalm: ‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’
“"You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption." The body of the Lord and Savior Christ is called incorruptible and immortal, because it is clear that it possessed the property of incorruption from the time of the incarnation itself, since Christ was sinless.”
But the One whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.
“The One Whom God raised up did not see corruption, but made the place of the tomb a place of incorruption, because Christ, having risen by His own power, truly shone forth as the author of incorruption, so that we too might rise from the…”
As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people urged them to continue this message on the next Sabbath.
“You saw the wise resourcefulness of Paul. In order to attach and endear the Gentiles to himself, and also so as not to scatter their attention by communicating everything to them all at once, he first offered several hints and did not resolve them, and…”
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
“"And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." The teachers were being persecuted, yet they rejoiced: such is the power of the Gospel. The suffering of the teacher does not take away boldness from the disciple, but makes him more courageous.”
The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles.
“What Christ spoke of came to pass: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matt. 10:34).”
When they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
“"Having arrived there" (in Antioch) "and having gathered the church, they reported all that God had done with them." The apostle did not say: "what they had done," but "what God had done with them." "God opened the door of faith to the Gentiles."”
So the apostles and elders met to look into this matter.
“And from this passage also one can conclude that the apostles had a certain special dignity, by which they stood above the elders, otherwise Luke would have designated all of them by one common name together with the elders.”
He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
“Where faith cleanses sins proceeding from the heart, there is no distinction between believers, whether they be Jews or Greeks. And this cleansing replaced circumcision; instead of fleshly circumcision, spiritual circumcision is granted, which through faith in Christ cleanses even secret sins.”