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The Whole Counsel of God: An Introduction to Your Bible
In The Whole Counsel of God, popular writer and podcaster Fr. Stephen De Young gives an overview of what the Bible is and what is its place in the life of an Orthodox Christian, correcting many Protestant misconceptions along the way. Issues covered include inspiration, inerrancy, the formation of the biblical canon, the various texts and their provenance, the place of Scripture within Orthodox Tradition, and how an Orthodox Christian should read, study, and interpret the Bible.
116 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 28, 2023
How do you know that Bible you have on your bookshelf, see in the book store, or are looking at buying online is THE Bible, the one you can rely upon for inerrancy and spiritual guidance? Which translation and/or version of the Bible should you get? How should we study the Bible? Where did the Bible --- and its various book within -- we have today come from?
Fr. Stephen explores all these aspects in this book, and answers these questions. Particularly, with the development of the Old and New Testaments, their different histories, the methodologies of how they were written, translated, preserved, transmitted, and interpreted --- there's a real possibility to end up with a book that's academic, verbose, and too out of touch to be of much use to the ordinary believer or inquirer. Nevertheless, Fr. Stephen does a fantastic job in covering these aspects of the Bible in a way that's understandable and interesting. Moreover, he is candid --- he avoids the tendency to bias this topic in a way favorable to one group or the other, but covers what could be a controversial matter evenhandedly.
Having accomplished, he then covers the merits and limitations of the various Bible translations available today. Following this, he covers the proper way in which to read and study the Bible.
One mistake that novice readers often make with the Bible is reading it as they would any modern novel --- from the beginning to the end, perhaps not understanding that the order of the books was never set universally or chronologically in antiquity --- with the result they often find themselves frustrated or confused thoroughly by the time they get into books of the Mosaic Law such as Leviticus, for example. In the life of the Church, the Bible and its various books were seen in terms of how they related to directing the believer to the life in Christ and in worship --- as opposed to merely a historical narrative or chronology, or as a sole source giving the answer to all life's questions or issues a believer may face.
To that end, Fr. Stephen provides some helpful guidance to avoid that mistake as well as the one of misinterpretation of scripture.
An excellent book. I recommend it for Christians of any tradition as well as for inquirers interested in learning more about the origins and development of the Bible we have today.
Fr. Stephen explores all these aspects in this book, and answers these questions. Particularly, with the development of the Old and New Testaments, their different histories, the methodologies of how they were written, translated, preserved, transmitted, and interpreted --- there's a real possibility to end up with a book that's academic, verbose, and too out of touch to be of much use to the ordinary believer or inquirer. Nevertheless, Fr. Stephen does a fantastic job in covering these aspects of the Bible in a way that's understandable and interesting. Moreover, he is candid --- he avoids the tendency to bias this topic in a way favorable to one group or the other, but covers what could be a controversial matter evenhandedly.
Having accomplished, he then covers the merits and limitations of the various Bible translations available today. Following this, he covers the proper way in which to read and study the Bible.
One mistake that novice readers often make with the Bible is reading it as they would any modern novel --- from the beginning to the end, perhaps not understanding that the order of the books was never set universally or chronologically in antiquity --- with the result they often find themselves frustrated or confused thoroughly by the time they get into books of the Mosaic Law such as Leviticus, for example. In the life of the Church, the Bible and its various books were seen in terms of how they related to directing the believer to the life in Christ and in worship --- as opposed to merely a historical narrative or chronology, or as a sole source giving the answer to all life's questions or issues a believer may face.
To that end, Fr. Stephen provides some helpful guidance to avoid that mistake as well as the one of misinterpretation of scripture.
An excellent book. I recommend it for Christians of any tradition as well as for inquirers interested in learning more about the origins and development of the Bible we have today.
January 19, 2023
Quotes:
Rather than saying that the Orthodox Church “rejects” the position of sola scriptura, it is more correct to say that the Orthodox Church does not hold to the definition of God’s revelation - of separate, competing authorities in the Church - that makes sola scriptura possible.
The New Testament canon can be seen to have developed in the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church, the shared life of the Christian people, which the Orthodox Church calls Holy Tradition. It was neither the decision of certain authoritative men nor the recognition, based on a series of criteria, of a group of learned men. The Fathers treated as authoritative those texts they had received as authoritative, just as we do today.
There was never a time in the history of the Church, despite certain conspiracy theories, in which one central authority had control over the Greek text of the New Testament. This means that at no point in time could the text have been systematically altered or corrupted at the behest of some individual or group. An alteration of the text in one place at one time could be countered by copies of the text from earlier times and other places.
For most of its history in most of the world, Christianity was not a primarily text-based religion. The focus of Christianity was the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist and the moral life. This is not to say that the text of Scripture was irrelevant, but rather that the public reading and preaching of Scripture served these other two ends. The Scriptures were preached to build up believers in their lives of virtue and prayer, and the reading of Scripture was a central liturgical and ritual act in the Eucharistic gathering.
Every translation is an interpretation. There is a tendency to think, based on experience with dictionaries, that a word in one language “equals” a word in another language, such that all languages essentially parallel one another. This, however, is simply not the case, especially when speaking about ancient languages in comparison to a modern language.
While the Textus Receptus is based on a particular small set of manuscripts, the Majority Text is based on giving every manuscript a vote, as it were, and so they do not match each other. While this approach may appeal to democratic sensibilities, it is skewed toward more recent texts and away from more ancient ones, simply because more recent texts survive. Further, the text assembled by majority vote does not actually match any manuscript which we possess. This means it represents a hypothetical text rather than a real one.
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September 30, 2022Thanks to two popular podcasts through Ancient Faith (“The Whole Counsel of God” and “Lord of Spirits”), many people have come to know and appreciate Father Stephen DeYoung and his extensive knowledge. Father DeYoung’s latest book “The Whole Counsel of God: An Introduction to Your Bible” is another hit for Orthodoxy. He is not only extremely well-educated, but he has a knack for translating this knowledge to the layperson in a concise and understandable way.
“The Whole Counsel of God” is a short book at 128 pages, yet it is packed with valuable information. Father DeYoung delves into the various translations of both the Old Testament and New Testament and offers practical advice on what that means to the reader – what translation best suits the everyday reader, as well as what translation best suits the academic. He goes on to discuss textual differences, their origins, and how it all plays into the preservation of our Scriptures. I personally appreciate the historical breakdown and how it beautifully points to the richness and essential nature of our Holy Traditions. More importantly, Father DeYoung addresses HOW to read your Bible: a question that all readers have yet may feel sheepish asking their priest.
Father DeYoung has a rare gift – his thorough understanding of the Bible, its history, and its origin languages has not left the layperson in the dark, but rather enlightened.
*Disclaimer: I received a promotional copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
“The Whole Counsel of God” is a short book at 128 pages, yet it is packed with valuable information. Father DeYoung delves into the various translations of both the Old Testament and New Testament and offers practical advice on what that means to the reader – what translation best suits the everyday reader, as well as what translation best suits the academic. He goes on to discuss textual differences, their origins, and how it all plays into the preservation of our Scriptures. I personally appreciate the historical breakdown and how it beautifully points to the richness and essential nature of our Holy Traditions. More importantly, Father DeYoung addresses HOW to read your Bible: a question that all readers have yet may feel sheepish asking their priest.
Father DeYoung has a rare gift – his thorough understanding of the Bible, its history, and its origin languages has not left the layperson in the dark, but rather enlightened.
*Disclaimer: I received a promotional copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 24, 2022
“All these sources allow access to the depth and riches of the biblical tradition, as these manuscripts represent just that: a tradition. The preservation of the text of the Scriptures is the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church… For Orthodox Christians, all these manuscripts represent a part of our shared scriptural heritage, and their study increases our appreciation of that heritage.”
For those converting to the Faith from Protestantism and Papal Protestantism; and for those in the Faith who have wondered what difference it makes between the Biblical translations: The Whole Counsel of God is a good, short handbook to guide one towards and appropriate approach to the Holy Scriptures.
I shared recently that I used to get hung up on “what the Greek says” or “what the Hebrew” is, making claims based on my study. This is so common among studious heterodox - with or without a degree - and is a symptom of hyper-individualism as Protestantism allows one to become an arbiter of truth and discernment concerning the Holy Scriptures.
Fr Stephen says, to the benefit of studious converts, that “language study is not even necessary for the average layperson to read the Bible seriously. In fact, a little language knowledge can be a dangerous thing… Many people choose to dabble in the biblical languages in order to help them understand the Scriptures. While their intent is good, they often over-interpret and over-apply the bits and pieces of Hebrew or Greek that they learn, yielding false insights. It is much better to read an English translation and live with an imperfect or less-than-detailed understanding of the text them to become confident in bad interpretations.”
He also discusses the various translations of Scripture, their development, and potential benefit. In case you’re wondering, he says, “[The Living Bible or the Message are] not suitable for the study of the Scriptures by Orthodox Christians. In many cases, in attempting to simplify, they distort important theological points concerning, for example, the Holy Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ.”
The Orthodox Church has preserved Tradition with Scripture, as a circular icon for our lives and praxis. With lots of well-written information, I recommend this book for those who have a propensity for ‘headiness’ approaching Scripture, and for the simple-minded simply wanting to better understand what there is to be found in our Holy Scriptures.
For those converting to the Faith from Protestantism and Papal Protestantism; and for those in the Faith who have wondered what difference it makes between the Biblical translations: The Whole Counsel of God is a good, short handbook to guide one towards and appropriate approach to the Holy Scriptures.
I shared recently that I used to get hung up on “what the Greek says” or “what the Hebrew” is, making claims based on my study. This is so common among studious heterodox - with or without a degree - and is a symptom of hyper-individualism as Protestantism allows one to become an arbiter of truth and discernment concerning the Holy Scriptures.
Fr Stephen says, to the benefit of studious converts, that “language study is not even necessary for the average layperson to read the Bible seriously. In fact, a little language knowledge can be a dangerous thing… Many people choose to dabble in the biblical languages in order to help them understand the Scriptures. While their intent is good, they often over-interpret and over-apply the bits and pieces of Hebrew or Greek that they learn, yielding false insights. It is much better to read an English translation and live with an imperfect or less-than-detailed understanding of the text them to become confident in bad interpretations.”
He also discusses the various translations of Scripture, their development, and potential benefit. In case you’re wondering, he says, “[The Living Bible or the Message are] not suitable for the study of the Scriptures by Orthodox Christians. In many cases, in attempting to simplify, they distort important theological points concerning, for example, the Holy Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ.”
The Orthodox Church has preserved Tradition with Scripture, as a circular icon for our lives and praxis. With lots of well-written information, I recommend this book for those who have a propensity for ‘headiness’ approaching Scripture, and for the simple-minded simply wanting to better understand what there is to be found in our Holy Scriptures.
October 24, 2023
I loved this book. I read "The Text of the New Testament" by Bruce M. Metzger, and it covers some of the information that is in this book, just from a different perspective. Metzger's book is very dry and technical. It focuses mostly on how Scribes copied manuscripts and where some manuscripts came from. It also gets into textual criticism methodology and explains a few others, with his preference being one that is after an "eclectic" text.
Young, however, is not dry but is also not absent of technicality. He does a great job of explaining the history of Old Testament manuscripts, authorship, dating, and ancient Jewish perspectives of the Scriptures and the various manuscript traditions that were present. He addresses many misconceptions, such as each of the words of the Torah that we read today being literally penned by Moses, apart from any and all redactions, and ancient Jewish culture consisting of only one uniform worldview. These ideas are simply not the case, and Young does a great job showing that. It's surprisingly effortless to prove.
He shines light on the dead sea scrolls, what manuscript traditions the Jewish people were using at the time of Christ, and how the New Testament came to be recognized as Christian canon. He also gives some information about the formation of the Old Testament Christian canon and why some hold to different books than others.
This is a great introduction to the history of the formation of the Bible as we know it today and how ancient Jewish people, as well as Christians for centuries, viewed the Scriptures. As Christians, we hold the Scriptures in high regard, and rightfully so. But let us not forget that even though the Scriptures contain a divine message from a divine origin, similar to the Incarnation, they have a human history too, and that "human nature" is just as fascinating.
Young, however, is not dry but is also not absent of technicality. He does a great job of explaining the history of Old Testament manuscripts, authorship, dating, and ancient Jewish perspectives of the Scriptures and the various manuscript traditions that were present. He addresses many misconceptions, such as each of the words of the Torah that we read today being literally penned by Moses, apart from any and all redactions, and ancient Jewish culture consisting of only one uniform worldview. These ideas are simply not the case, and Young does a great job showing that. It's surprisingly effortless to prove.
He shines light on the dead sea scrolls, what manuscript traditions the Jewish people were using at the time of Christ, and how the New Testament came to be recognized as Christian canon. He also gives some information about the formation of the Old Testament Christian canon and why some hold to different books than others.
This is a great introduction to the history of the formation of the Bible as we know it today and how ancient Jewish people, as well as Christians for centuries, viewed the Scriptures. As Christians, we hold the Scriptures in high regard, and rightfully so. But let us not forget that even though the Scriptures contain a divine message from a divine origin, similar to the Incarnation, they have a human history too, and that "human nature" is just as fascinating.
June 12, 2024
Approachable and enlightening.
September 4, 2023
Good book for those interested in understanding the manuscript history and translation of the Bible into English. It is a good work for those struggling with understanding Christianity from a sola scriptura point of view.
August 6, 2022
The Scriptures, the Spirit, and the Savior
This brief and well-written book by an Orthodox Christian priest is an excellent introduction to reading and understanding the Bible. Fr Stephen describes the textual history of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures as well as the value of reading multiple English translations of the same. He also explains why the Christian's confidence should be less in the "original manuscripts" and more in the Holy Spirit guiding and preserving the Church in the truth of Jesus Christ, to whom both the Scriptures and the Saints bear witness. Highly recommended.
This brief and well-written book by an Orthodox Christian priest is an excellent introduction to reading and understanding the Bible. Fr Stephen describes the textual history of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures as well as the value of reading multiple English translations of the same. He also explains why the Christian's confidence should be less in the "original manuscripts" and more in the Holy Spirit guiding and preserving the Church in the truth of Jesus Christ, to whom both the Scriptures and the Saints bear witness. Highly recommended.
August 13, 2024
Wow! Where do I even begin? This book gives a quick overview of where the Bible comes from and why different branches of Christianity (Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic) all have different canons. He then provides an in depth look at some of the major English translations of the Bible and the pros and cons to them. When I got to the last chapter: "How Should I Read my Bible?" I really thought I wasn't going to learn anything I didn't already know. Boy was I wrong! Some of my favorite quotes from this entire book were all in this one chapter! Even though it was written by an Orthodox scholar, this book is beneficial for people from all traditions if you just want to know how we got our Holy Scriptures. I can't wait to read more from Fr. Stephen.
Favorite Quotes:
"The Bible is not a "how-to" manual with techniques to become more like Christ or achieve salvation. At the same time, if we do not apply what we read there then we become like those who hear the word but do not do what it says."
"Generations of saints have lived as Christians, found salvation, and become like Christ in their lives. Part of this process for them was hearing the Scriptures and putting them into practice."
"If my understanding of how a portion of Scripture should be applied is found nowhere among the saints and holy Fathers who came before us, then I am wrong."
"A Christian does not come to read the Scriptures alone and isolated, left to his or her own devices to try to come to the right conclusions that will allow him/her to do what is needed to find salvation. A Christian comes to the Scriptures with the aid and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. But merely asserting the presence of the Holy Spirit is a nebulous thing. Anyone can make any interpretation and claim to have been guided by the Holy Spirit. Multiple readers can come to contradictory interpretations, yet all make that same claim...the Spirit is not a Spirit of division, but of good order...The church is our best, and, in truth, a infallible guide to following the way through this world that leads to salvation in Christ, including the reading, understanding, and application of the Holy Scriptures."
"The Bible is what we inhale and exhale to breathe and spiritually live....The more deeply we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, the more we become able to breathe them....Through the Scriptures, Christ reveals himself to us, and we come to know Him"
Favorite Quotes:
"The Bible is not a "how-to" manual with techniques to become more like Christ or achieve salvation. At the same time, if we do not apply what we read there then we become like those who hear the word but do not do what it says."
"Generations of saints have lived as Christians, found salvation, and become like Christ in their lives. Part of this process for them was hearing the Scriptures and putting them into practice."
"If my understanding of how a portion of Scripture should be applied is found nowhere among the saints and holy Fathers who came before us, then I am wrong."
"A Christian does not come to read the Scriptures alone and isolated, left to his or her own devices to try to come to the right conclusions that will allow him/her to do what is needed to find salvation. A Christian comes to the Scriptures with the aid and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. But merely asserting the presence of the Holy Spirit is a nebulous thing. Anyone can make any interpretation and claim to have been guided by the Holy Spirit. Multiple readers can come to contradictory interpretations, yet all make that same claim...the Spirit is not a Spirit of division, but of good order...The church is our best, and, in truth, a infallible guide to following the way through this world that leads to salvation in Christ, including the reading, understanding, and application of the Holy Scriptures."
"The Bible is what we inhale and exhale to breathe and spiritually live....The more deeply we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, the more we become able to breathe them....Through the Scriptures, Christ reveals himself to us, and we come to know Him"
January 2, 2023
Fr. Stephen De Young, Biblical scholar and pastor of an Orthodox parish, provides modern Christians with the tools to better understand the written tradition of Scripture we possess today.
Going into an impressive amount of detail for such a short read, only 120 pages front to back, Fr. Stephen walks the reader through different paradigms used to approach Scripture, the structure and formation of Biblical cannon(s), translations and methodologies, as well as a solid foundation for Scriptural interpretation and application.
If you are wanting a deeper understanding of how the Bible we read today came to be, this book is an excellent introduction.
I was extremely intrigued by the historical information Fr. Stephen introduced that I had only a vague understanding of prior to reading. Each chapter is jam-packed with information and presented in a very digestible way. However, because there is so much information, much of which was new to me, I found it necessary to read in shorter sessions and give myself time to absorb the content, or else be overwhelmed. Would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about the Bible, especially from an Eastern Orthodox perspective.
Going into an impressive amount of detail for such a short read, only 120 pages front to back, Fr. Stephen walks the reader through different paradigms used to approach Scripture, the structure and formation of Biblical cannon(s), translations and methodologies, as well as a solid foundation for Scriptural interpretation and application.
If you are wanting a deeper understanding of how the Bible we read today came to be, this book is an excellent introduction.
I was extremely intrigued by the historical information Fr. Stephen introduced that I had only a vague understanding of prior to reading. Each chapter is jam-packed with information and presented in a very digestible way. However, because there is so much information, much of which was new to me, I found it necessary to read in shorter sessions and give myself time to absorb the content, or else be overwhelmed. Would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about the Bible, especially from an Eastern Orthodox perspective.
February 17, 2024
I found Dr. De Young's book very interesting and helpful. It was interesting to read about the sources for the Bible which had been translated from the Hebrew and Greek (as well as Aramaic, Syriac etc) by both highly skilled individuals and committees of scholars--from ancient times, to recent finds (like the Dead Sea Scrolls) and by persons who were not just "holy" scholars or prophets, but also Orthodox, Roman Catholic, all varieties of Protestants, and skilled atheists.
What was particularly helpful to me were the last two chapters: Which Bible should I read? and How Should I Read My Bible? I gained much insight and direction as well as specific recommendations for my personal study and Christian practice.
I would recommend this resource to those individuals who wish to study more deeply for spiritual growth, knowledge/understanding of what is actually in this book, how the content "made the cut," , and how to use the different English translations of the Bible for different purposes. Great overview and readable.
What was particularly helpful to me were the last two chapters: Which Bible should I read? and How Should I Read My Bible? I gained much insight and direction as well as specific recommendations for my personal study and Christian practice.
I would recommend this resource to those individuals who wish to study more deeply for spiritual growth, knowledge/understanding of what is actually in this book, how the content "made the cut," , and how to use the different English translations of the Bible for different purposes. Great overview and readable.
March 13, 2023
This is a short but interesting book about the Bible. It is explicitly written from an Orthodox perspective, but I didn’t notice anything that would bother a non-Orthodox Christian, or a non-militant secular person, for that matter. (Of course, lots of people get bothered by all sorts of things!).
It is largely a history of the Bible. There was nothing particularly surprising to me, but it did add details to my understanding. I think the subtitle is much more descriptive than the main title.
I was a little intrigued by the the author’s (correct, in my opinion) view that “the” Bible doesn’t really exist, and that what we have are “fuzzy” versions. This is in contrast to my (perhaps incorrect) view of the Orthodox Church as very rule and ritual bond. Perhaps another book will clarify that.
If you’re interested in the Bible, especially it’s origins, I recommend it. If you’re interested in orthodoxy, there are probably better introductions.
It is largely a history of the Bible. There was nothing particularly surprising to me, but it did add details to my understanding. I think the subtitle is much more descriptive than the main title.
I was a little intrigued by the the author’s (correct, in my opinion) view that “the” Bible doesn’t really exist, and that what we have are “fuzzy” versions. This is in contrast to my (perhaps incorrect) view of the Orthodox Church as very rule and ritual bond. Perhaps another book will clarify that.
If you’re interested in the Bible, especially it’s origins, I recommend it. If you’re interested in orthodoxy, there are probably better introductions.
November 5, 2022
Fr. Stephen DeYoung provides a concise, clear, and powerful guide to how to approach the reading of the scripture in The Whole Counsel of God. This guide will help readers understand the history of the scriptures, the theological assumptions that go into reading it, an understanding of where western ideologies about the scriptures came from. With all this in mind, Father Stephen shows how one ought to correctly read and understand the scriptures. This work is helpful for all Orthodox Christians, helping to understand where and how the scriptures need to fit into the spiritual life. Highly recommend this concise yet powerful work!!
May 3, 2023
Truly an Introduction, NOT a Study Guide
Fr. De Young provides a relatively concise and readable introduction of the origins of the Bible and its many versions, including a primer on textual criticism of the differing versions. I am glad that I read this book, though I erroneously (my own error, not the author’s) expected more of an instruction on how to read and study the Bible from an Orthodox Christian perspective. The latter portion of the book does address how to “read” the Bible and is a good starting point and also makes suggestions of which versions of the Bible are suitable reading for specific purposes.
Fr. De Young provides a relatively concise and readable introduction of the origins of the Bible and its many versions, including a primer on textual criticism of the differing versions. I am glad that I read this book, though I erroneously (my own error, not the author’s) expected more of an instruction on how to read and study the Bible from an Orthodox Christian perspective. The latter portion of the book does address how to “read” the Bible and is a good starting point and also makes suggestions of which versions of the Bible are suitable reading for specific purposes.
February 28, 2024
Fr Stephen De Young is arguably Orthodox Christianity's preeminent Biblical scholar. The Whole Counsel of God is brief but pithy synopsis of the various textual traditions, translations and fields of textual criticism that have contributed to the Bible as we know it. Needless to say, reading the Bible is a daunting task, and Fr Stephen has provided a useful and concise roadmap for contextualizing the numerous translations, exegetical traditions and schools of textual criticism. While the depth of his academic expertise is apparent, his ultimate goal is to help the reader to discover the living message of Christ in its pages.
November 27, 2024
What a terrific book! This very readable introduction carefully walks readers through the fascinating history of how we came to have the Bible including illuminating discussions about the textual history, the challenges of reconstructing the best representations of the Hebrew and Greek texts, the pros and cons of different approaches to translating the texts, and theological and practical considerations when understanding the text. The most common English translations are assessed and compared. There are also several fine recommendations for diving deeper at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book and anything written by Fr Stephen.
November 9, 2022
The Whole Counsel of God is the ultimate handbook to learn about the Bible, how it was compiled, the different translations (and why you should pick one over the other), and how to read your Bible. Being only 128 pages in the hard copy of the book and a few hours on the audiobook, it is jammed-packed with information. This is not a book to be read through once, but several times over the course of many years (an annual read, per se). Highly recommend!
November 19, 2024
Very helpful for those who might be trying to understand how Christians are supposed to read and interact with Holy scripture, and for those coming out of cultish "Bible-believing" circles into a more traditional Christian church community. Fr Stephen has a way of explaining ideas in a way that is straightforward and easy to understand, often referencing to both secular and religious sources for context.
September 1, 2022
Fr. Stephen De Young knocks it out of the park again.
In his third book Fr. Stephen writes a concise volume on how Orthodox Christians have and should view and use their bibles.
Highly recommended for those trying to rehabilitate themselves from a sola scriptura tradition or western Christianity in general.
In his third book Fr. Stephen writes a concise volume on how Orthodox Christians have and should view and use their bibles.
Highly recommended for those trying to rehabilitate themselves from a sola scriptura tradition or western Christianity in general.
May 1, 2023
Short book on the Bible, specifically from an orthodox Christian's view of how Scripture came to be and is viewed. Really enjoyed this - interesting to read a perspective that holds such a view of the Bible and is still very different from my own tradition. Plan on re-reading this one again soon and taking more time with it.
April 17, 2024
Disclosure - presently listening to the audiobook. A great introduction to what the Old and New Testaments truly are, their history, various translations, etc. A great starter text for those interested in further biblical scholarship.
For me this is worth getting in paperback, heavily highlighting, and using it as a springboard for future biblical language work...
For me this is worth getting in paperback, heavily highlighting, and using it as a springboard for future biblical language work...
August 7, 2022
Excellent readable introduction by an Orthodox priest/scholar to the OT & NT including suggestions at the end about reading, interpreting and applying Scripture to your life. Easier to understand and quicker to read than Fr. Stylianopoulos’ The New Testament: An Orthodox Perspective.
February 20, 2023
The last two chapters were great. The first chapters had a lot of interesting info, but overall it felt like the balance between being a historical overview and a guide for how to read the Bible was too far towards historical overview for me.
September 3, 2023
An insightful Orthodox overview of how the Christian Bible came to be, how the canon was developed, how the Bible got to us, which translations are the most accurate, and lastly how we are to interpret the scriptures. I found this book to be both helpful and accessible.
December 21, 2022
This book is great. I am going to recommend it be used for catechisms and if I ever pursue the priesthood I will personally use it for pt of the recommended readings for catechists.
January 12, 2023
A good read, helpful
Gives a good background and recommendations that aid understanding and application. The fun is in adapting Orthodox views to my denomination.
Gives a good background and recommendations that aid understanding and application. The fun is in adapting Orthodox views to my denomination.
January 16, 2023
Really good overview of what the Bible is, its compilation and translation, and how to read it.
March 8, 2023
Great “Baby’s first textual criticism and exegesis” guide. More of a pocket guide than a full book, but approachable and well written/researched.
April 6, 2023
Incredibly helpful, basic book outlining what the Bible is and how we are to read it. I would recommend to any Orthodox Christian, but particularly those coming from a Protestant background!
July 26, 2023
Good introduction into how to read the bible from an Orthodox perspective
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews