No Other Foundation
Losing Your Name, Losing Your Soul
It occurred to me recently that it is significant that the invisible enemy of our souls is called “the Evil One” in both the Lord’s Prayer and in such passages as 1 John 5:19. That is, our adversary is never named, but only referred to obliquely. He is also referred to as “the Adversary” from the Hebrew word for adversary “satan” (see e.g. the curse in Psalm 109:6 which reads “Appoint a wicked man over him and let a satan stand at his right hand”). This Hebrew word was transliterated into the Greek as Σατάν/ Satan and used as a title in such passages as 1 Thessalonians 2:18. He is also referred to as “the Slanderer” (Greek δίαβολος/ diabololos), usually rendered in English as “the Devil”. Note: all these words are titles, not names; they are in fact verbal circumlocutions used to avoid mentioning his actual name.
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 8 mins
Listen now Download audio
Support podcasts like this and more!
Donate Now
Transcript

Transcripts can be commissioned for most episodes at $1.25 per audio minute. Sponsor this episode’s transcript to help make it available to everyone.

Sponsor this transcript
About
Fr. Lawrence Farley offers brief commentary and analysis on topics related to Orthodoxy, theology, morality, the Scriptures, and contemporary culture.
English Talk
The Gift of Forgiveness: Healing the Heart After Tragedy