The Early Christian Church constantly dwelt in spirit in the
Heavenly City, seeking the things to come, but she also organized the
earthly aspect of her existence; in particular, she accumulated and took great
care of the material treasures of the Faith. First among these treasures were
the written documents concerning the Faith. The most important of the
Scriptures were the Gospels, the sacred record of the earthly life and the
teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Next came all the other
writings of the Apostles. After them came the holy books of the Hebrews. The
Church also treasures them as sacred writings.
What makes the Old Testament Scriptures valuable
to the Church? The fact that a) they teach belief in the one, true God, and the
fulfillment of God's commandments and b) they speak about the Saviour. Christ
Himself points this out. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life and they are they which testify of Me, He said to the Jewish
scribes. In the parable about the Rich Man and Lazarus, the Saviour puts these
words about the Rich Man's brothers into the mouth of Abraham: They have
Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. "Moses" means the
first five books of the Old Testament; "the prophets" — the last
sixteen books. Speaking with His disciples, the Saviour mentioned the Psalter
in addition to these books: ... all things must be fulfilled, which were
written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning
Me. After the Mystical Supper, when they chanted a hymn, they went out into the
Mount of Olives, says the Evangelist
Matthew. This refers to the chanting of psalms. The Saviour's words and
examples are sufficient to make the Church esteem these books — the Law of
Moses, the prophets and the psalms — to make her preserve them and learn from
them.
In the Hebrew canon, the cycle of books recognized
as sacred by the Hebrews, there were and still remain two more categories of
books besides the Law and the Prophets: the didactic books, of which only the
Psalter has been mentioned, and the historical books. The Church has accepted
them, because the Apostles so ordained. Saint Paul writes to Timothy: From a child thou hast known the holy
scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which
is in Christ Jesus. This means: if one reads them wisely, then one will
find in them the path which leads to strengthening in Christianity. The Apostle
had in mind all the books of the Old Testament, as is evident from what he says
next: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2
Tim. 3:16).
The Church has received the sacred Hebrew books in
the Greek translation of the Septuagint, which was made long before the
Nativity of Christ. This translation was used by the Apostles, as they wrote
their own epistles in Greek. The canon also contained sacred books of Hebraic
origin, which however were extant only in Greek. The Orthodox Christian Church
includes them in the collection of Old Testament books (in the biblical science
of the West they are called the "deuterocanonical" books). From the
time of their Council in Jamnia in 90 A.D., the Jews ceased to make use of
these books in their religious life.
In accepting the Old Testament sacred scriptures,
the Church has shown that she is the heir of the Old Testament Church — not of
the national aspect of Judaism, but of the religious content of the Old
Testament. In this heritage, some things have an eternal significance and
value, but others have ceased to exist and are significant only as
recollections of the past and for edification as prototypes, as, for example,
the regulations concerning the tabernacle and the sacrifices, and the
prescriptions for the Israelites' daily conduct. Therefore, the Church makes
use of her Old Testament heritage quite authoritatively, in accordance with her
understanding of the world, which is more complete than and superior to that of
ancient Israel.
Return to the first page
