An Orthodox Christian Approach to Reading the Bible

Bible reading and interpretation within the Orthodox Faith differs greatly from the current Protestant and Catholic methods of interpretation. The Catholic Church building for case offers a very systematic and ordered approach to understanding the Scriptures as enforced by the hierarchy of the church. Evangelical Christians on the other hand have a more liberal view on the interpretation of Scripture, placing accent on a more intimate and personal estimation of the Bible. In contrast to the seemingly divergent approaches of Scriptural interpretation advocated past Catholics and Protestants, the Orthodox Church offers a more centre-of-the-line approach.

The departure in Scriptural interpretation among the Christian denominations goes back to the era of the Protestant Reformers. The Reformers advanced the teaching of sola scriptura, holding that Scripture, above all else determines matters of organized religion and morality. This was largely in opposition to medieval Roman Catholicism which had distinctly separated Scripture and Tradition, giving priority to the latter. These two opposing views on the Christian faith would have a menses-on effect to their distinctive methods of Scriptural interpretation. The Orthodox Church building however, existence detached from the Protestant-Catholic schism, was able to maintain a somewhat moderate and holistic arroyo to Scriptural interpretation.

The five-step approach to reading and interpreting the Holy Bible inside the Orthodox faith is summarized below:

  1. Prepare to receive God's Holy Words.

'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God'[i]. This is what sets the Holy Bible apart from all other texts, and so it must be approached with the reverence and respect it deserves. Before reading through Scripture, 1 must ask for guidance and wisdom in order to profit from the Biblical text. This is why in all Orthodox liturgical services; the reading of the Gospel is preceded by a prayer, entreating the Lord and Author of the sacred text to open up the hearts and minds of the faithful to exist receptive to the Gospel words that follow. One such prayer is:
Prayer before reading Scripture-Chrysostom Orthodox Approach to reading Scripture

  1. Read the passage in its original context.

The Biblical text is ancient and eastern. This is non to imply that the text is no longer applicative to the gimmicky western Christian, on the reverse, the Scriptures are as relevant today as the very mean solar day they were written. However in society to read the text and understand it every bit it was intended, we must ensure that we are reading and interpreting the Bible as it was understood by Christians of the time, the faithful believers belonging to the early church building.

The scriptural passage must therefore be approached with fresh optics, unscathed past the influences of western thoughts and philosophies. The reader must take the necessary steps to draw out (exegesis) the meaning of the passage as intended past the divinely inspired writer, being very careful not to introduce whatever preconceived ideas.

And so how do we do that? Read the passage every bit if you were reading it for the offset time. Outline any unfamiliar phrases, verses, names, locations, etc., and investigate the significance of their inclusion. Be certain to research the context (historical and literary) also equally the purpose for which the text is written.

  1. Sympathize the Bible with the Church in mind.

The Orthodox approach to Scriptural interpretation tin be defined using the parting words of Christ at His ascension.

' But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will ship in My proper name, He volition teach y'all all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you…He volition guide you into all truth… He will glorify Me, for He volition take of what is Mine and declare information technology to you.' – (John 14:26; 16:13-14)

The emphasis in this passage is on the active presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in Christ's church building. This Lordly promise to His Church forms the basis of Holy Tradition. Within Orthodoxy, in that location is a direct and cooperative relationship between Scripture and Tradition. Scripture as written text is built-in of this Holy Tradition. It is through this Tradition of the church that the Bible was compiled and canonized. Consequently it is through the church building that the Scriptures must be properly interpreted and lived out. Ultimately, we must endeavor to preserve the original and ancient Christian faith by adhering to the fashion of idea, estimation, Tradition, teachings and practices of the early church.

The Orthodox liturgy is a prime example of the always present synergy between Tradition and the Bible. The liturgy is instituted by Christ and is above all else biblical. The very language of the liturgy is Biblical, the readings and all the prayers are Biblical. In addition, the rites and practices of the Eucharistic, forth with its established structure are all preserved through the Holy Tradition of the church. This marriage of Tradition and the Bible is present in all the sacraments and worship services within the Orthodox Church.

The early church fathers all agreed that the Bible must exist interpreted and good within and nether the guidance of the church. The fathers defended their lives to the conscientious study of Scripture as well every bit the preservation of the Tradition, and for this very reason their writings are indispensable to agreement the Bible with the Orthodox spirit and listen of the church. Not only that, but their historical proximity to the New Testament church and the apostles places a high value on their Biblical interpretations and teachings. This makes the patristic writings an essential resource for correct Biblical interpretation. In fact, most Orthodox Bible studies offered by local parishes are probable to be based on patristic exegesis.

Note: Many of the writings of the early church fathers are freely available online (see CCEL).

  1. Search the Scriptures for:
  • Christ, the centre of the Bible

The great Alexandrian scholar Origen believed that the goal of the Christian is to exist able to read Scripture with a listen filled with the Spirit of Christ (i Corinthians 2:12-16).[ii] Christ is the creator of all and the Savior of everyone, the author and finisher of our faith[3]. Information technology is through the axis of Christ that we translate the Scripture. It is also through Christ that Scripture is revealed and understood. Every passage of the Old Testament (through typologies and Messianic prophecies) as well every bit the New bears direct or indirect witness to the person and work of Jesus Christ. We must therefore strive to run into Christ in every biblical passage.

'The Old Testament proclaimed the Father openly, and the Son more obscurely. The New manifested the Son, and suggested the deity of the Spirit. Now the Spirit Himself dwells among us…' – St Gregory of Nazianzus

  • A personal message

We run into Christ in the Scriptures, and by these Holy Words we can adjust to His will and be transformed by Him. Through the Bible nosotros enter into a personal dialogue with God; every Word institute in Scripture is spoken past the Lord in an intimate dialogue. Through reading Scripture, the Lord directs the states to the path of righteousness, exposes the snares of the devil, corrects our fallen and deficient nature and ultimately sets us on the path of perfection. Our question here changes from "What does the text mean?" to "What does it mean for me?"

'The Holy Scriptures are our messages from Dwelling house' – St Augustine

  • A deeper meaning

Whilst near evangelicals and western scholars would support the idea that the grammatical-historical (literal) interpretation of Scripture leads to the only valid interpretation every bit intended by the author, the fathers of the early on church building did not. The fathers saw the literal meaning of the text as only one of several layers of interpretation. For these fathers, searching inside the biblical passage could reveal deeper meanings of a moral or spiritual nature. For the Orthodox Christian, the literal interpretation is the shallowest, and more than truths are to be revealed upon digging deeper.

'To get the full flavor of an herb, it must be pressed betwixt the fingers, then it is the aforementioned with the Scriptures; the more familiar they become, the more than the reveal their subconscious treasures and yield their indescribable riches.' – St John Chrysostom

  1. Inscribe the Scripture within the heart (Memorization)

The memorization of Scripture is an aboriginal do also as a Biblical commandment. The Israelites were commanded by God to ' lay upwards these words of mine in your eye and in your soul'[iv]. This do was adopted by the early on church as common practise, and was taken very seriously; demonstrated by the setting of cannon to preclude the ordination of a bishop unless he had demonstrated that he had learnt all 150 Psalms past middle. This practice was not merely out of the scarcity of scriptural scrolls amongst the faithful within the ancient church, but predominantly for the transforming power of the divine message of the Gospel to those who hear it, meditate on it, and apply it.

The Gospel message is notwithstanding as powerful today equally the very day it was written, and must exist treated with the same level of reverence displayed by the true-blue inside the early on church. By memorizing, we inscribe the words of the Bible in our hearts and minds, allowing them to piece of work within the states to bring near a Christ-like change.

Free Printable Orthodox Bible Study Bookmark

Reading Scripture with reverence, in prayer and with a receptive heart is the ultimate goal for whatever Christian. In addition to this, the Holy Bible must be approached with the mind of the Orthodox Church building, the keeper of the faith as preserved by the Christians of the ancient church. The Orthodox Christian must strive to live the Scripture through the church building; within its Holy Sacraments, prayers and services. But then would the believer proceeds a deeper cognition of the life-giving message and brainstorm to be transformed past information technology. Reading the Scripture then becomes a holistic exercise in the life of the Christian, enabling the faithful to find Christ in the Bible and meet Him in the Church.

Endnotes:

[i] 2 Timothy 3:16

[ii] Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers.

[iii] Hebrews 12:2

[iv] Deuteronomy 11:18

Resources:

How to Read the Bible – Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia

Search the Scriptures – Presvytera Dr. Jeannie Constantinou

Coffee Cup Commentaries – Fr. Lawrence R. Farley

Reading the Bible as an Orthodox Christian – Dr Jeannie Constantinou