The Orthodox Study Bible: Liturgy

The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

Purchased from my employer, the Canadian Bible Society @ Cafe Logos, Vancouver.

This text review continues...

Five sources of Christian tradition (iv)

2. Liturgy

After Scripture, the second source within Orthodoxy, according to this text is liturgy. (v). From the Greek it means 'common work'. (v).The liturgy guides the people of God, in the Church, to worship together. This includes common worship, other services for the various hours and days of the week, feasts, seasons of the Church and the sacraments, baptism, Holy Eucharist, marriage and others. (v).

Within Orthodoxy, there is a 'rule of faith' (v), that standard of what is believed. (v). This is done through prayer. (v). The Latin example is noted in the text. (v). Liturgy is a form of public prayer.

The liturgy serves as theological education.

This is reasonable.

The text makes the claim 'Anybody who exposes himself or herself intensely to the Church's common worship will have a better course in Orthodox Faith, doctrine, and practice than any book could give, and nothing can take the place of that.' (v).

I am not in a position to challenge the claim.

For myself, having grown up in a limited liturgical, evangelical church setting, now a member at a Mennonite Brethren/evangelical church, I certainly have learned more from study within my own four degrees and writing academic websites, than in the Church, but I will grant that learning and fellowshipping within the Christian Church is essential for spiritual growth in the Church, as a Christian.

Scholars and non-scholars alike have noted the lack of theological training and learning for many evangelicals outside of the weekly sermon and perhaps a weekly home group/bible study. This is a legitimate critique. Some critics have claimed that overall the evangelical church is too reliant on popular pastors to spoon feed members and attenders.

I agree.

I also reason that overall, evangelical church members and attenders are too reliant on rather emotionally charged  modern worship music, within the Christian walk, as opposed to as well, learning significant bible and theology.

Reformed and Protestant churches within mainline Christianity, even if evangelical, may in some cases use a significant amount of liturgy.

I would add that whether Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant or other, liturgy should not be a complete replacement for one's own personal biblical and theological study, using professional tools when useful.

The Orthodox Study Bible: Orthodox Tradition & The Scriptures (Brief)

The Orthodox Study Bible: Orthodox Tradition & The Scriptures (Brief)

Preface

Originally published 20181009, revised on Blogger for an entry on academia.edu, 20250126.

The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

Purchased from my former employer, the Canadian Bible Society @ Cafe Logos, Vancouver.

This text review continues...

Five sources of Christian tradition (iv)

In this entry I will deal with the first (1) 

Five sources of Christian tradition (iv): 1. The Holy Scriptures 

Paraphrased:

The Old Testament and New Testament are viewed as the written record and experience of God's people via God's revelation to them. (iv).

I agree.

It is understood that the Church, therefore, wrote the bible. (iv).

I agree, but I hold to the view that the Holy Spirit, guided human writers to produce inspired, inerrant (without error) scripture. Admittedly, with the original autographs which are not extant. But thousands of copied manuscripts of biblical books in whole, or in part, are extant.

Houston Christian University: Dunham Bible Museum 

Cited 

'What is a Manuscript? 

A manuscript is a hand-written document. The word has its origin in Latin: manu (hand) and scriptum (written). There are approximately 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. In addition, there are 10,000 Latin manuscripts, and 9,300 manuscripts in other languages. The New Testament autographa, the manuscripts written by the original authors, are unavailable, but manuscripts have been discovered that are dated as early as the 2nd century. 

Parchment: writing material made from animal skin (might be lamb, goat, deer, or cow), or Papyrus: a reed plant that grows along the banks of the Nile. There are 1,276 New Testament papyri, the earliest copies of portions of the New Testament. 

Different Formats of Early Scripture

Scroll: a rolled piece of papyrus or parchment. All of the original scriptures were written on scrolls. 

Codex: a book made up of paper, parchment, or papyrus, with one end bound. 

Palimpsest: a manuscript page that has been washed off so that it can be reused./

End citation

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Basically, my Reformed view agrees with Orthodoxy in a denial of dictation theory, in regard to biblical inspiration.

How Many Complete Greek New Testament Manuscripts Do We Have? 

Cited

'Bob Wilkin (ThM, PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is the Founder and Executive Director of Grace Evangelical Society and co-host of Grace in Focus Radio. He lives in Highland Village, TX with his wife, Sharon. His latest books are Faith Alone in One Hundred Verses and Turn and Live: The Power of Repentance.'

Cited

'It has been well publicized that there are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the NT. The manuscripts we have today were created between AD 125 and AD 1516. Scribes copied by hand the books of the NT. The first copies were made directly from the original manuscripts. Then those copies were copied. 

The number of available copied manuscripts has grown as new copies are discovered every year. It is now commonly reported that there are about 5,800 manuscripts of the NT. In addition, there are 10,000 ancient Latin manuscripts (translations of the early Greek manuscripts) and 9,300 ancient manuscripts in other languages (e.g., Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopic). And the church fathers quoted nearly every verse in the NT in their writings.

The time between the writing of the original manuscripts of the NT and their earliest copies is between 100 and 200 years. Compare that to other major works of antiquity, whose earliest copies date to over 1,000 years after the books were written. 

One fact that has not been published widely is the number of individual books for which we have complete Greek manuscripts. We do not have 5,800 complete manuscripts of any book in the NT. Many manuscripts–such as the Gospels or Paul’s letters–contain only a portion of the book. 

I asked Dr. Wilbur Pickering, an expert on the text of the NT, how many manuscripts we have for the various portions of the NT. Here is his answer: 

There are around 2,000 manuscripts (MSS) containing the Gospels; because of fragments and lacunae, for any given verse (e.g., John 3:16) there are around 1,700. 

There are around 800 MSS containing the Pauline corpus. 

There are around 650 MSS containing Acts. 

There are around 600 MSS containing the General Epistles. 

There are around 300 MSS containing the Apocalypse.i

i Personal correspondence (email) from Dr. Pickering on December 25, 2022.'

The Orthodox Bible states that the scripture was inspired by God, but was not written directly by God. (iv).

This disagrees with segments of Christian fundamentalism and dictation theory. A dictation theory reasoning the scribe/writer merely writes/transmits what God has dictated; but the denial of dictation theory is very reasonable considering the human aspects in writing the scripture. For example, the Apostle Paul, as a Hebrew Bible scholar, was chosen to write many of the more theological sections and books of the New Testament, such as Romans. Reasonably, even as Paul was guided by the triune God, including God the Holy Spirit, to write certain New Testament letters, Paul's mind was used in the writing process.

God verbally inspires all Scripture Erickson (1994: 219). Each human writer (or his scribe) had a distinctive human style. Erickson (1994: 217). But this does not make Biblical vocabulary and content, therefore exclusively human. Erickson (1994: 218). God inspires a certain author to write certain things, but as Erickson points out, God had been influencing and working on that author for a long period of time. Erickson (1994: 218). God definitely directed the writing of the author, but it is not dictation as if God was bypassing the education and thoughts of the author. The writers of Scripture were not persons without individuality. 

Thiessen states the dictation theory ignores the stylistic difference in authors. Thiessen (1956: 106). The stylistic differences are apparent with scriptural analysis of biblical languages. Thiessen dismisses the idea of a dictation theory of Scriptural inspiration, as the writers of Scripture were not persons that merely had divine information dictated to them. Thiessen (1956: 106). The writers of Scripture were not ‘mere secretaries’ that wrote words dictated to them by the Holy Spirit. Lindsell (1976: 32). It can therefore be reasoned it is not the Holy Spirit’s grammar being used. Thiessen (1956: 106). People were not robotically inspired to write Scripture. The distinctive style of Biblical writers based on the study of original languages makes the dictation theory quite unlikely. Erickson (1994: 207). 

The concept of Biblical inspiration, with the Holy Spirit serving as guidance for the Biblical writer, seems both orthodox and reasonable. Thiessen (1956: 106). Lindsell (1976: 30). The Biblical authors had full use of their intellect and used their own grammar, but were guided to write God’s word without error and omission. Thiessen (1956: 106). The Scripture was presented accurately via inspiration, states Erickson. Erickson (1994: 199). J.I. Packer reasons God and Christ sent the Holy Spirit to teach his people the truth and to save them from error. Packer (1973: 61). The Holy Spirit guided the thoughts of Biblical writers. Erickson (1994: 215). Shedd names this basic theory of Biblical inspiration as ‘plenary inspiration’ meaning writers were moved by the Holy Spirit in respect to thought and language and were kept from error. Shedd (1874-1890)(1980: 72 Volume 1).

The Orthodox Study Bible explains that the scriptures did not fall from heaven, completed. (iv).

Agreed. Nor are the original autographs maintained supernaturally, but the scripture is maintained, reasonably via copying and scholarship.

They were written by human beings that were inspired by God. (iv).

Agreed.

The scriptures were written by God's people. (iv).

Agreed. As I have noted in my writings, the scriptures were written by those within the Christian Church community.

These scriptures need to be interpreted within the context of the Christian Church. (v).

Agreed. This same principle was taught to me with my Bachelor of Arts, degree in Biblical Studies at Columbia Bible College, within the Mennonite Brethren tradition.

For Orthodoxy, the Bible is the first source within the Christian tradition. (v). For example, Many conservative, Protestant traditions would also see the Bible as the first source, and final authority of religious truth, but would not generally emphasize tradition to the same extent as the Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church.

Tradition, in my view, is especially downplayed in many modern, evangelical, charismatic and non-denominational contexts, that attempt to not be 'religious'. As if philosophically, the gospel cannot be presented within a religion, that is the true religion.

As I have noted online, I prefer the designation of Christianity as a religion as it provides credibility to Christianity within Religious Studies as an academic discipline. An academic discipline as is Philosophy of Religion, Theology, the Sciences, etcetera.

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ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House. 

ERICKSON, MILLARD (2003) What Does God Know and When Does He Know It?, Grand Rapids, Zondervan. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1975) Philosophy of Religion, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1978) The Roots of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1986) Predestination and Free Will, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1996) ‘Freedom, Free Will, and Determinism’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books. 

GEISLER, NORMAN, L (1999) ‘The Problem of Evil’, in Baker Encyclopedia of Apologetics, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

LEIBNIZ, G.W. (1710)(1998) Theodicy, Translated by E.M. Huggard Chicago, Open Court Classics. 

LINDSELL, HAROLD (1976) The Battle for the Bible, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House. 

PACKER, J.I. (1996) ‘Regeneration’ in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books. 

PACKER, J.I. (1973) Knowing God, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press. 

SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T. (1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology, Volume 1, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T. (1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology, Volume 2, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers. 

The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

THIESSEN, HENRY C. (1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

The Orthodox Study Bible: The Bible and the Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Study Bible: The Bible and the Orthodox Church

Preface

October 6 2018 article revised for an entry on academia.edu on January 14 2024.

The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

Purchased from my former employer, the Canadian Bible Society @ the former Cafe Logos, Vancouver.

This text review continues...

Most citations paraphrased, in my own words, using British thesis academic standards. A British tutor of mine taught me that it was more academic to cite sources in my words and I have stayed with that approach. An American academic that unofficially reviewed my PhD thesis, opined that my thesis lacked word for word citations. But my work was reviewed in Wales...

The Bible and the Orthodox Church 

Section I: The Bible and the Orthodox Church (i)

This Orthodox Study Bible explains that outwardly the Holy Scriptures occupy a position of great prominence (i). It is then noted that the 'Gospel Book' rests on the Holy Alter throughout the week. (i).

Immediately, the ceremonial nature of Orthodox worship (as with the Roman Catholic Church) is differentiated from less formal evangelical (movement not a church) and evangelical/Reformed churches. Mainline Christianity perhaps can generally be considered less formal than Orthodox or Roman Catholic and more formal than evangelical or evangelical/Reformed? There is variance within these church movements. I am not being exhaustive here in evaluation, but for example, typically in an evangelical church there is no 'Holy Alter' as part of a church service.

Within Orthodoxy the Gospel Book and icons may be venerated. This is spiritual, reverence and respect shown toward the saint depicted on an icon. The Gospel Book can also be venerated showing reverence and respect for those within the biblical text, based on the same theology. As an academic, seeking a significant level of objectivity, I can grant the Orthodox premise that veneration is not worship.

From the Orthodox Study Bible

Do the icons of Orthodoxy border on idolatry? (xvi).

I can accept the Orthodox claim the icons are never worshipped, only venerated, as in historical characters depicted, shown respect. (xvi). The text explains its view that Orthodoxy is very serious in regards to obeying the second commandment from the Hebrew Bible that (paraphrased) prohibits forms of idolatry, such as the worship of a craved image. (xvi). In regards to reverence, related to prayer, it is my theological, biblical view that Jesus Christ, as God-man, via the Trinity, within the Christian Church, is our source of applied atonement and resurrection for those in Jesus Christ, and this eliminates the need for any human, finite mode of veneration. Granted, the incarnate Christ is humanly finite, but is also the fullness of deity in bodily form. Paraphrased from Colossians 2:9-10 (NASB).

New American Standard Bible (NASB) 

Hebrews 9: 15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 

Hebrews 12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. 

My deduction is veneration to the Saints is also a supposed form of mediation in some cases, within Orthodoxy, at least. But mediation is presented in the book of Hebrews, and theologically I view it as taking place through Jesus Christ that is both infinite, eternal, holy, God and incarnated perfect man. Mediation should be directed toward God. Further, as well as God the Son, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are also worthy of prayer, veneration and for mediation, this also eliminates the need for Saints in this process. 

My examples from Hebrews and New Testament Greek

Bible Hub: μεσίτης, ου, ὁ 

Cited 

Strong's Concordance

'mesités: an arbitrator, a mediator 

Original Word: μεσίτης, ου, ὁ 

Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: mesités 

Phonetic Spelling: (mes-ee'-tace) 

Definition: an arbitrator, a mediator 

Usage: (a) a mediator, intermediary, (b) a go-between, arbiter, agent of something good.' 

Cited 

Englishman's Concordance

My Hebrews references

'Hebrews 9:15 (Noun, nominative, masculine, singular)

GRK: διαθήκης καινῆς μεσίτης ἐστίν ὅπως 

NAS: reason He is the mediator of a new 

KJV: he is the mediator of the new 

INT: of a covenant new mediator he is so that 

Hebrews 12:24 (Noun, dative, masculine, singular)

GRK: διαθήκης νέας μεσίτῃ Ἰησοῦ καὶ 

NAS: and to Jesus, the mediator of a new 

KJV: to Jesus the mediator of the new 

INT: of a covenant new mediator to Jesus and'

End citations

God the Holy Spirit also mediates in a sense...

New American Standard Bible (NASB) 

Romans 8:26-27

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the [a]saints according to the will of God. Footnotes: Romans 8:27 Or holy ones 

Within the Orthodox Study Bible, Bishop Kallistos Ware states (paraphrased) that the Christian Church is a scriptural church and that Orthodoxy believes this as firmly if not more firmly than the Protestantism. (i). Interesting how this text uses this quote from Bishop Ware to contrast Orthodoxy with Protestantism as opposed to the Roman Catholic Church. 

My non-exhaustive take?

In contrast to some on the more fundamentalist wing of evangelicalism, that would often reason that the Orthodox Church is false Christianity, I, within the Reformed tradition, deduce with my limited (and now increasing) understanding of Orthodoxy, that indeed even with the importance of tradition, that scripture is taken as key and central within the Orthodox, Christian faith. Theological issues, between biblical evangelical, evangelical/Reformed and Protestant and Orthodoxy often have much to do with different interpretations of biblical scripture. This leads some to believe that one side is trusting in the scripture, more than the other. I will admit the extreme liberal wing of Protestantism has in many cases abandoned scripture in context as the final authority in spiritual matters; this can often be a sell-out of the gospel for modern secular worldviews, social causes, political causes, and being politically correct. There are those that call themselves Christians, within Protestantism and all Christian movements, that love the world and the world system, and attempt to mould the biblical God into a false reality.

Parked for work in Vancouver in October 2018

Bible Intro (2018), Canadian Bible Society, Toronto. 

BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 

ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House. 

GRENZ, STANLEY J., DAVID GURETZKI and CHERITH FEE NORDLING (1999) Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press. 

GUNDRY, ROBERT (1981) A Survey of the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Zondervan. 

HAMILTON, VICTOR P. (1988) Handbook on the Pentateuch, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

KLEIN, WILLIAM W., CRAIG, C. BLOMBERG, AND ROBERT L. HUBBARD, JR. (1993) Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, London, Word Publishing. 

LA SOR, WILLIAM SANFORD, DAVID ALLAN HUBBARD, AND FREDERIC WILLIAM BUSH. (1987) Old Testament Survey, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

SCHRECK, ALAN (1984) Catholic and Christian, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Servant Books.

STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Burlington, Welch Publishing Company.

The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

WHALE, J.S. (1958) Christian Doctrine, Glasgow, Fontana Books.

The Orthodox Study Bible: Introduction

The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

I am firmly, through years of work on academic degrees, and years of blogging within theology, philosophy of religion and bible, and as well by prayer, within the Reformed theological umbrella.

However, I do find academically, the Orthodox tradition (Eastern Orthodox) theologically impressive and interesting. Admittedly as well, according to my adoption papers, paternally, my biological father was Irish Roman Catholic and maternally, my biological mother was Ukrainian Greek Orthodox.

Of course I have closer ties with my adoptive family heritage, which would include Reformed Churches. My views were academically accomplished by study and not by being tied to any European background.

This will be my latest book review.