That with one mind and with one mouth you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
ινα ομοθυμαδον εν ενι στοματι δοξαζητε τον θεον και πατερα του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου
9 Church Fathers comment on this verse
He did not simply say, "with one mouth," but commanded that this also be done with one soul. Do you see how he united the whole body, and how he again enclosed his speech with a doxology? By this he most of all persuades them to concord and agreement. Then he continues the same exhortation again, saying...
What, then, is the fruit of concord? The glorification of God not only with one mouth, but also with one soul, for this is what "with one mind" means. Here the word "God" should be separated and referred to what precedes. Then one should read from a new beginning: "and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Yet it will not be improper to read these words without separation, understanding "God and Father" in relation to one and the same Christ. For God the Father is the God of Christ according to His humanity, and Father according to His divinity.
So that we, with one mind, forming one Christian family as members of the Body of Christ, may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Head, our Lord Jesus Christ. How good and how beautiful it is when all the brethren dwell together in one mind! There the Lord commands the blessing and life forever (Ps 132:1-3). Indeed, look at the divisions of speech and belief among Christians. How many different heterodox sects and different opinions now exist in our unfortunate and pitiable Russian schism! With each year new and ever newer branches of falsehood are born and appear in the world. Such is the usual course of falsehood. Once a man steps away from the straight road somewhere to the side, he then seems to go straight along this new road.
He thinks that he is going straight to the goal. Meanwhile, with every step he moves farther and farther from the way of truth. Along the path he has willfully laid out, he enters a wilderness and thicket, where he may become lost and perish. History and contemporary life confirm this for us through the multitude of heresies and sects that have grown up. It is so also in the plant kingdom. A branch departs from the straight trunk, and as it lengthens with time, its top already looks in a completely different direction. On this branch several new shoots appear, and these in turn develop in their own way. Yet in trees, at least, one vital force acts both in the trunk and in the branches. But among people who think differently, among free beings who are nevertheless called Christians, it is not evident in all that they live by Christ and in Christ. Grieving for those who err and have fallen away from the truth of Christ, we Orthodox will firmly preserve faith, hope, and love toward the Lord, and especially toward those of our own faith.
The Apostle called God our God, but the Father of the Lord Jesus, because the God of us all is His Father.
The all-praised Apostle of the Lord wishes for the Romans, to whom he wrote this epistle, and in their person for all believers in Christ, that the God of patience and consolation send down to them the gift of being of one mind. Then all, with one heart and one mouth, may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But why did he call God the God of patience and consolation? Either because He is the giver of patience and consolation, or because He dwells in those people who are patient and who find true consolation in Holy Scripture amid all their sorrowful circumstances. We are of one mind when our thoughts agree and have one and the same aim.
To the words "to be of one mind" the Apostle added, "in Christ Jesus." This is because people often agree not in what the will of Jesus Christ requires, but in what is contrary to His will. Thus unbelievers agree in unbelief, heretics in their heretical opinions, schismatics in schismatic opinions, and robbers in their resolve to seize and plunder. The Apostle removed all this from unity of mind by saying, "in Christ Jesus." For whoever has thoughts and reflections pleasing to Jesus Christ has a mind free and pure from every impiety. His deeds are undefiled and pure from every sin. But how can many, each having his own mouth, glorify God with one mouth? When many think and reflect one and the same thing, their glorification also has the same thoughts. Judging by this sameness, it is said to be uttered with one mouth, though in fact it proceeds from many. After this wish, the Apostle again begins to speak about condescension toward the failings of one's neighbor and care for his salvation.
"The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." This is the Apostle Paul's usual form of invocation, ascribed to the first Person of the Most Holy Trinity (2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3; Col 1:3, and others). It concerns His relation to Jesus Christ as the Son of God. This may be considered the Apostle's indication of the Divinity of Jesus Christ. For this invocation differs from the expression, "God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." With the Apostle the word "our" was often added: "our God and Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:2, and others). Through this, Jesus Christ was, as it were, placed in one rank with other men. The Arians saw in this latter expression a thought favorable to their errors concerning the Person of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, even in the expressions "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," they tried to erase the particle "and." This particle shows that the first Person of the Most Holy Trinity is not only God, but also the Father of Jesus Christ, of course according to His Divinity.
Finally, justice itself requires that the strong adapt themselves to the weak, and not the reverse (Rom 15:1-13). "We who are strong," that is, who understand the true meaning of food and drink, "ought to bear the infirmities of the weak," that is, of those not raised to such understanding, "and not to please ourselves. For Christ also did not please Himself." Therefore Christians from the Jews, still weakened by attachment to Old Testament ritual, and Christians from the Gentiles, free from this attachment, must receive one another. They must do this "that with one mind and one mouth they may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." They must not estrange themselves, but have communion with one another, "as Christ also received" both groups "to the glory of God." "I mean.
" the Apostle adds, "that Jesus Christ became a minister to the circumcised, for the truth of God, to fulfill the promises made to the fathers, and to the Gentiles, out of mercy, that they might glorify God," as the prophets foretold. The Apostle Paul himself gave a living example of how one should bear the infirmities of the weak. As Chrysostom observes, "he himself circumcised, cut his hair, offered a Jewish sacrifice, and so on." Or, as the Apostle says of himself: "I became all things to all men," certainly in indifferent matters, "that by all means I might save some" (1 Cor 9:22).
To his persuasion the Apostle adds a prayer, in which he asks the Lord to strengthen Christians in oneness of mind. Then they may harmoniously, with one mouth, glorify God the Father. According to the well-known teaching of the Lord, it is impossible to pray while one is in disagreement and strife (Mt 8:4). Chrysostom says: "God is especially glorified when we are fenced about by one another. Therefore, if you are grieved by disagreement with you and begin a quarrel with your brother, consider that by laying aside anger you will glorify your Master. Be reconciled with your brother, if not for his own sake, then for the glory of God. Christ Himself repeated this continually. When speaking with the Father, He said: By this all will know that Thou hast sent Me, if My disciples are one (Jn 17:21)."
He asks for oneness of mind and unity of thought so that, when you gather to pray and glorify God, you may glorify Him not with lips alone by singing the same hymns of praise, but also with one soul. This means holding in the soul the same thoughts and convictions. That God must be glorified precisely in this way is accepted as an undoubted principle. All are one body, and there must also be one soul. There is no need even to persuade anyone of this. The Apostle prays only for the means to it. You must glorify God not only with one mouth, but also with one soul. Since unity of thought is the indispensable condition for this, I pray God to grant you to be of one mind. Unity of convictions will produce unity of feelings and disposition, and there will be one soul.
With it you will glorify God as is fitting. "Do you see what unity the Apostle gave to the whole Body of Christ, and how he concluded the speech with doxology? By this above all he persuades them to oneness of mind and concord" (Chrysostom). "That you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." "The Apostle called God our God, but the Father of the Lord Jesus, because the God of us all is His Father" (blessed Theodoret). "Here the word 'God' should be separated and referred to what precedes. Then one should read from a new beginning: 'and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Yet it is not improper to read these words without separating them, understanding God and Father in relation to one and the same Christ. For God the Father is the God of Christ according to His humanity, and Father according to His Divinity" (blessed Theophylact).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 15 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS