In
the Bible God has said absolutely everything that was necessary to be said to
men. The biography of every man everyone without exception is found in the
Bible.
In
it each of us can find himself portrayed and thoroughly described in detail;
all those virtues and vices which you have and can have and cannot have.
You
will find the paths on which your own soul and everyone elses journey from sin
to sinlessness, and the entire path from man to God
and from man to satan. You will find the means to free yourself from sin.
In
short, you will find the complete history of sin and sinfulness, and the
complete history of righteousness and the righteous.
If
you are mournful, you will find consolation in the Bible; if you are sad, you
will find joy; if you are angry tranquility; if you are lustful continence;
if you are foolish wisdom; if you are bad goodness; if you are a criminal
mercy and righteousness; if you hate your fellow man love.
In
it you will find a remedy for all your vices and weak points, and nourishment
for all your virtues and accomplishments.
If
you are good, the Bible will teach you how to become better and best; if you
are kind, it will teach you angelic tenderness; if you are intelligent, it will
teach you wisdom.
If
you appreciate the beauty and music of literary style, there is nothing more
beautiful or more moving than what is contained in Job, Isaiah, Solomon, David,
John the Theologian and the Apostle Paul. Here music the angelic music of the
eternal truth of God is clothed in human words.
The
more one reads and studies the Bible, the more he finds reasons to study it as
often and as frequently as he can. According to St. John Chrysostom, it is like
an aromatic root, which produces more and more aroma the more it is rubbed.
How to Read the Bible by Archimandrite Justin Popovich
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