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
On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
“There is yet another passage similar to this: "By grace you have been saved" (Eph. 2:5). Thus, formerly the law saved those who kept everything written in the law, but now the grace of the Lord, even without observance of the law, saves through faith.”
It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
“"Therefore I judge not to trouble." That is, not to upset matters, because if God called them, and these impositions upset the calling, then we are opposing God. He speaks with authority: I "judge."”
So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
“He says that "we, having gathered, unanimously decided," because all so determined and write this after careful deliberation. It is remarkable that neither Peter nor James dared, without the whole church, to establish a decree concerning circumcision, although they recognized it as necessary.”
And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
“Before going to other cities, he visits those which had already received the word of God. We do the same: we first instruct the earliest people, so that they do not become an obstacle to the instruction of those who come after.”
As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
“It should be noted that in these cities Luke was also with Paul. This is evident from the fact that the latter unites his own person with the former, when he says: "we resolved to set out... we sailed a straight course... we stayed."”
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer.
“There, because of the small number of Jews, there was no synagogue, and the especially devout among them gathered secretly outside the city "by the river."”
She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come…
“"Paul, having become indignant," that is, being aroused and agitated. By shutting her mouth, even though she was speaking the truth, he teaches us not to admit demons to ourselves, even if they take on the appearance of defending the truth, but to block every…”
When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.
“"Her masters, seeing that the hope of their profit was gone." Everywhere the cause of evil is money. For the sake of enrichment, the woman's masters wanted her to be possessed by a demon.”
At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized.
“"Having taken them at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds." The jailer washed their wounds, but he himself was washed from his sins.”
Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.
“"And he rejoiced with all his house, that he believed in God," though he had received nothing except good words and good hopes.”
After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.
“"Having departed from the prison, they came to Lydia and, having seen the brethren, instructed them, and departed."”
When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
“They pass by the small cities "Amphipolis and Apollonia" and hurry to the large ones, since from the latter the word of God was to spread to the neighboring cities. "They came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue."”
Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women.
“"Of the Greeks that worshipped God a great multitude." By Greeks he means Jews who spoke Greek, or else he means proselytes numbered among the Jews, from among the Greeks. He calls them worshippers of God because they observed the Law.”
The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.
“"Then the brethren immediately sent Paul away… to Athens." The apostles avoided dangers not out of fear, but by divine inspiration, because in this instance, for example, they had already ceased preaching and were no longer provoking their enemies.”
Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
“"He does not require… He Himself giving to all life and breath and all things." Two proofs of Divinity, namely: that God needs nothing and grants all things to all.”
From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.
“"Having appointed predetermined times." He appointed so that they "would seek God," but not forever, rather for "predetermined times." Paul shows that, even without having found the Lord, they obtained Him.”
After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
“Paul was led by the Spirit to Corinth; and in Corinth he had to remain, because the Athenians, despite the fact that they loved to hear news, did not heed the truth, since they cared not about the essence of the matter, but about always…”
While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews coordinated an attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat.
“How then, someone will ask, "did the Jews attack Paul with one accord?" By seizing him suddenly. And yet they dared do nothing, but brought him to the proconsul. And he drove them away from the judgment seat.”
Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
“What does "boldly" mean? He exposed himself to dangers or began to speak even more clearly, without obscuring his teaching. Look: everywhere Paul enters the synagogues and always comes out the same way, since everywhere he wished to take advantage of the opportunity.”
God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits…
“Not only at the time when Paul wore "handkerchiefs and aprons" did people touch them, but they also took them away and laid them on the sick. But pay attention to the hardness of heart of the Jews.”
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.
“By silver temples are perhaps meant small shrines. Notice: everywhere idol-worship was defended on account of money. And this Demetrius was agitating on account of money.”
Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity.
“He drew their attention to the danger: we, he says, are in danger of falling into hunger from our trade. However, what he said could have led them to true worship of God.”
When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Soon the whole city was in disarray.
“They became enraged upon hearing about Artemis and the undermining of their craft, because it is characteristic of the rabble to become agitated and inflamed by any matter, even a trivial one.”
Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him.
“The disciples did not allow Paul to rush into the agitated crowd — so much did all the believers love him. And Paul listens to them, since he was not ambitious.”
Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not even know why they were there.
“"Most of those who had gathered did not know why they had gathered." Such is the nature of a crowd: it rushes here or there without reason, like fire thrown into a forest.”