The Four Gospels (Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the) by Archbishop Averky (Taushev)

Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament #1

by Averky Taushev

Writing in the tradition of biblical exegetes such as St John Chrysostom and Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, Archbishop Averky (Taushev) provides a commentary that is firmly grounded in the teaching of the Church, manifested in its liturgical hymnography and the works of the Holy Fathers. Analyzing all four Gospels chronologically and simultaneously, he allows readers to see the life of Christ as an unfolding narrative in accessible, direct language. Using the best of prerevolutionary Russian sources, these writings also remained abreast of developments in Western biblical scholarship, engaging with it directly and honestly. He approaches the Gospels first and foremost not as a literary work of antiquity, but as the revelation of Jesus Christ as God in the flesh. Archbishop Averky’s commentaries on the New Testament have become standard textbooks in Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary and have been published in Russia to widespread acclaim. This present volume is the first translation of these texts into English and it is an indispensable addition to the library of every student of the Gospels.

Genres: Christianity, Christian

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Archbishop Averky (Taushev) (1906–1976) was the fourth abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, NY). He was born in Imperial Russia, but had to leave the country with his family in the wake of the Russian Revolution. Living in Bulgaria, he was drawn to the monastic life, and soon became a monk and a priest. He taught and ministered in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Germany, before being assigned in 1951 to teach at the Holy Trinity Seminary. He was consecrated a bishop, and after the death of Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko) became the abbot of the monastery. As abbot, he was also the rector of Holy Trinity Seminary and was heavily involved in the formation of its curriculum and daily life. He was also praised by converts to the Orthodox faith such as Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) for being a steadfast defender of traditional Orthodoxy. He wrote many commentaries on scripture and other works which are extensively read both in Russia and in the diaspora. He is best known in the English-speaking world for his commentary on the Book of Revelations, The Apocalypse in the Teachings of Ancient Christianity.

Reviews

[Dcn Peter Markevich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basic, concise, patristic. There is no deep scholarly discussion of hermeneutics to be found in Archbishop Averky's harmonized commentary on the Four Gospels. In fact, the author's hermeneutic is clearly laid out in his preface: he presents the timeless Truth of Christ's Gospel as it has been preserved and taught from the beginning by the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

For decades, this has been the primary textbook for Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary's course on the Gospel. It is therefore fitting that one of the first titles released by the newly-minted Holy Trinity Seminary Press will be The Four Gospels, the English translation of this same work. No doubt there are more sophisticated commentaries available and one would be well served by reading in their entirety the commentaries of John Chrysostom, Theophylact of Ohrid, and the other exegetes on whom Averky relies. But as our professor of New Testament Studies often repeated, "Averky is enough for salvation". In other words, to read, interpret, and above all live the Gospel as Archbishop Averky calls us to places one directly on the Royal Path, the Way of Life.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently, I received the book The Four Gospels in the mail to review. I knew the author's name, Archbishop Averky (Tasushev) by name, but I didn't know much about him. However, I have a great love for Scriptural commentaries, so I knew I wanted to read this work. Before I tell you about it though, let me tell you about Archbishop Averky (Taushev). He was born in 1906 to a noble family, and had a deep desire for monasticism at an early age. In 1931, he was tonsured a monk and ordained a deacon. The following year he was ordained a hieromonk. In 1951, he began teaching at Holy Trinity Seminary, and in 1960 he was elected the fourth abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery.

The Four Gospels is a beautiful, purple hardcover book that is billed as Volume I of the series "Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament." For some foolish reason, I thought this volume meant that there were individual volumes for each of the four Gospels, and that Volume I just covered Matthew. However, it instead encompasses all four Gospels in one and weaves them together to arrange the sections chronologically. The volume begins with an impressive 40 page introduction, which covers the New Testament canon, language of the New Testament, when the New Testament was written, why there are four Gospels, and the characteristics of each Gospel. This is one of the best introductions I have read to the New Testament and worth the price of the book alone. At the end of the introduction, Archbishop Averky (Tasushev) tells us about others who have attempted to synthesize the Gospels and the three part natural division of the Gospels - 1. The coming into the world of Jesus, 2. the preaching of Jesus, and the last days of the earthly life of Jesus. The book itself is divided (fittingly) into seven sections:

1. The Coming into the World of the Lord Jesus Christ
2. The Public Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ: Events of His Life Before the First Passover
3. The First Passover of the Public Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ
4. The Second Passover of the Public Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ
5. The Third Passover of the Public Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ
6. The Last Days of the Earthly Life of the Lord Jesus Christ
7. The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ

At the end of this work are sources, notes, a subject index, and a Scripture index. The two indices prove to be exceedingly helpful. Reading through this volume, you can see the immense knowledge of Scripture that Archbishop Averky (Taushev). For example, we all know that Jesus' ministry was three years, but more light was shed on Jesus' ministry by dividing it into Passovers and proved a useful framework. Some sections are found in all four Gospels, and where this happens Archbishop Averky (Taushev) points out little details that a certain Evangelist noted that the others didn't. Though this book was written by an archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, I find it suitable for Catholics and Protestants as well. So whether you have never read the Gospels or read them hundreds of times, you will be spiritually enriched with your reading of this commentary. I cannot wait for Volume II on The Epistles to be released.

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is often just a review of what one can read in the Gospels, plus an overlay of standard Orthodox lessons learned from the Gospel (many of which are simply repeating what earlier saints had said). For me it didn't offer much in terms of fresh insight but is more another restating of what Orthodox leaders claim our understanding of the scripture lessons to be.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besides the commentaries of Blessed Theophylact, this is my favorite commentary on the Holy Gospels. Vladyka Averky, of blessed memory, presents us an erudite, spirtually rich, and informative view on both the historical, theological, and spiritual aspects of the Holy Gospels - most excellently summarizing many different sources in the Orthodox Christian tradition.

[Maksim Pupavac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for those that are getting into the New Testament and for those who want to understand it a little deeper. God bless!