Református Szemle 116.1 (2023)

Suffering is a mystery. Both the blasphemer and the righteous suffer. Jesus himself did not reveal the reason why the man in Jerusalem was born blind (Jn 9). But he did reveal, and gave countless examples, of what to do with those who were suffering. And whoever takes up any person who has fallen into misery, in him the power of God is at work. Our embracing of others is the same act of comforting and healing of body and soul miracle that God has done and is doing. This paper, which is an expanded and edited version of a lecture, discusses the disease known as scolecobrothos (σκωληκόβρωτος) in the biblical and some extra-biblical sources (2 Maccabees, the writings of Josephus Flavius, Rabbinic sources and the Apocryphal book of the Testament of Job).

The study was prepared for the 360th anniversary of the publication of the so-called Várad-Bible. In the context of the Hungarian New Testament translations of the 20th century, it examines the unique interpretations of László Ravasz’s translation published in 1971, as well as the in his commentaries to the New Testament given in Bible study groups within the church. The present research focuses mainly on chapters 17–18 of the Book of Revelation.

In this paper we confront a provocative issue. Is Christianity responsible for the worsening environmental crisis? How can we interpret the dominium terrae mandate from the perspective of creation care? A contextual reading of the creation narratives reveals that the exercise of the dominion that God has given to man is subject to certain conditions and circumstances. Humanity is called to fulfil this mandate as the image of God, as part of the community of creation, living in the shadow of sin, but under God’s rule and with responsibility towards God. One possible metaphor for this multifaceted relationship is the stewardship, of which Jesus Christ himself is the source and example. The goal of dominion thus becomes responsible service rather than tyranny.

Man has always had the desire to unravel the mysteries of the universe. But in formulating his answers, he was confronted with the impossibility of defining everything through language. By secularising the myths, people have lost their connection with the poetic language, which can provide access to states beyond language. The solution may lie in rediscovering the power of the mystery. This could be done through the existential metaphor, and then man can become capable of experiencing the mystery of God again.