Jewish priests carried weapons not only as a means to defend the Temple but also because carrying them had a sacred significance. The protection of the holy place was considered an integral part of their service, and the weapon became a kind of sacred possession—not intended for everyday military use, but for fulfilling ritual duties and guarding the cultic space.
Icons depicting male and female figures in the traditional sense carry a deep symbolic charge that helps create a unique atmosphere of sacred space. For instance, the female figure, rendered in the style of "Maria Oranta," is traditionally perceived as a symbol of maternal protection and patronage, as well as a sign of a prayerful state for the medieval viewer. On the other hand, the male figure, presented, for example, in the form of a crucified image, symbolizes human suffering and serves as a sign of a redemptive deed through the sacrifice of the Theanthropos.
Sacred Scripture is understood as a collection of diverse texts because each work within it reflects its own historical, cultural, and theological context. This diversity appears in the variations of literary genres, traditions of transmission, and thematic emphases, which on one hand allows for a complete picture of the fall of man and the need for human salvation, and on the other, demands a special approach to its interpretation. In this context, the authority of Scripture depends directly on how the Church and those who interpret it bring these disparate texts together into a single doctrine. In other words, the authority is not derived solely from the internal coherence of the texts, but is largely determined by the authority of the Church itself, which confirms spiritual truth through Sacred Tradition and the works of the holy fathers.
True understanding of a sacred text is connected with the cleansing of the soul, as only through inner purity can one see their sinful stains and, by acknowledging them, renounce them. Without this inner vision, reading Scripture becomes superficial because the mind is obscured by the weight of unpurified passions and justifications.
The absence of inner spiritual jealousy (i.e., a sincere desire to maintain spiritual purity and mindfulness in spiritual exercises) weakens the mind, because without it the spiritual practice becomes mechanical and is unable to fill the heart and mind with life-sustaining gentle emotion. In this context, if a person does not experience inner jealousy for their spirituality, they do not pay proper attention and care when observing prayer rules and reading sacred texts, which results in an insufficient strengthening of the mind’s spiritual state. This, in turn, makes the mind more vulnerable to negative influences and temptations, as it fails to develop the necessary resilience and “defense mechanisms” through attentive and deliberate spiritual practice.