Why the Holy Scriptures are so dear to us
The aim of this and the following booklets about the Bible is to provide the Orthodox reader
with fundamental information regarding how, when and by whom the books of the
Holy Scripture were written, as well as briefly explaining their contents.
The
Holy Scripture is dear to the Orthodox faithful because it contains the basis of our faith. Despite this, one has
to acknowledge that, at a time when many Christians of different denominations
are ardently studying the Bible, Orthodox Christians — apart from the some
exception — rarely read it, especially the Old Testament. Naturally, since
thousands of years separate us from the times when the Holy Books were being
written, it is difficult for the contemporary reader to transport himself into
that environment. However, once the reader becomes familiar with the historical
context of the era and the peculiarities of the biblical language, he will
begin to appreciate its spiritual richness. The link between the Old and the
New Books will become quite evident to the reader. At the same time,
religious-moral questions worrying the reader and modern society as a whole, will
become apparent as not problems specific of the 20th century, but a
never-ending conflict between good and evil, between faith and unbelief that
has always troubled the human society.
The
historical pages of the Bible are also dear to us because they not only truthfully describe events of the past,
but place them in a correct religious
perspective. In this regard, there is no secular book — old or contemporary
— that can match the Bible. This is because the appraisal of events described
in the Bible had been given not by man, but by God. Therefore, in the light of
God’s word, mistakes or correct resolutions of moral problems by generations
gone by can serve as guides in resolving contemporary problems on both personal
and societal levels. By familiarizing oneself with the substance and meaning of
the Holy Books, the reader will gradually develop a love for them, as repeated
readings will unearth new gems of God’s wisdom.
Consequently,
the Holy Scripture is a lifetime study —
not only for the youthful student but for the greatest theologian; not only
for the layman or the newly converted but for the highest ecclesiastical
spiritual rank and wisest man. The Lord bequeaths to Joshua, leader of the
Israelites and a disciple of Moses: “This
book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate
therein day and night” (Joshua 1:8); while Apostle Paul writes to his
student Timothy “And that from a child
thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15).
For
more than four hundred years the Bible has been the best-selling book in the
world. An unknown author summed the case for the Bible many years ago when he
wrote: “This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the doom of
sinners, the happiness of believers... Read it to be
wise; believe it to be safe; and practice it to be holy. It contains light to
direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. Christ is its grand
object; our good, its design; and the glory of God its end.
Among
all the books ever published, the Bible remains unique. Available in languages
understood by at least 97 per cent of the world’s population, the whole Bible
has been published in 237 tongues, and parts of the Bible appear in more then
1250 languages and dialects. Even the blind may read Bible in Braille. The
Bible is the most universally available publication in the history of mankind.
The
culture of Western man is derived in large measure from the message of the
Bible. Western man’s views of reality, of nature and destiny of man, of
marriage and the family, of organized society, of the structure of the Church,
of standards personal morality, all bear the stamp of the Bible. In most
Western nations civil law is based primarily upon the Ten Commandments of the
Old Testament. Human personality is of supreme value, we say, because of man’s having been created in the image of God, a direct
teaching of Scripture. The sense of dignity and worth of man is rooted in the
teaching of the Bible that man has an immortal soul with an eternal destiny.
The prompting to heal the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked and house the
homeless comes from the Biblical message that God loves the entire human race,
and all men are brothers. The objective of a more perfect society for which
Western man strives comes essentially from the Biblical concept of the Kingdom
of God. The public philosophy of
democratic societies derives from the Biblical truth that individual man is of
supreme worth, and that he must be expected to place the common needs of others
above his own personal desires.
How to Read the Bible by Archimandrite Justin Popovich
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