The Orthodox Church is a Biblical Church

 

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You are not alone. Each year the number of Western Christians finding a secure, stable and transforming life in Orthodoxy is growing. The British Orthodox Church is made up almost entirely of converts from a wide range of Christian backgrounds, other religions and no faith at all. We have all come together to find the fulness of the Christian life in Orthodoxy.

We are very glad that you have taken the time to visit our website and we hope that these resources will help you understand a little more of what Orthodoxy is all about, experience something of our spiritual life, and even discover how you can be a part of real Christianity for yourself.

Orthodoxy has so much to offer the modern world. It has a stability of faith and doctrine that rejects our preoccupation with the immediate. Orthodoxy does not change its moral base to reflect the mores of those around us, rather it demands that we ourselves be transformed day by day. So the practice of any form of homosexuality, or indeed the practice of heterosexuality outside marriage, is not condoned. There is no agitation for the ordination of women. The Bible remains the central pillar of Church teaching, and the traditional doctrines about Christ are vigorously defended. Our life in the Church has the aim of transforming us, we do not seek to make the Church merely reflect our own spiritual mediocrity.

If you have any questions then please make sure you ask them. We will do our very best to support your spiritual pilgrimage as best we can.

 

Orthodoxy is a Biblical Church

Maybe you think that a Church like the Orthodox Church can't major too much on the Bible. There are lots of icons and incense and people dressed up in strange clothes, it surely can't be a Bible believing Church.

You would be wrong.

In the British Orthodox Church each Sunday morning we read two passages from the Gospels, a passage from one of St Paul's letters, a passage from one of the General letters, and a couple of portions of the Psalms. Then we have a sermon as well, which will often be an exposition on the passages which have been read.

The Daily Prayers we encourage our members to use are also packed with Biblical passages. If someone was just to pray the morning and evening prayers they would read a couple of passages from the Gospels, a couple of passages from St Paul's letters, Psalm 51 two times, and anything between 6 and 20 other psalms depending on their time and situation.

On top of this, many Orthodox will also read at least the Gospel reading set for that day's liturgy, even if they are not going to present at it.

There is hardly any material produced by the Orthodox Church over the last 2000 years which does not turn to the Bible for guidance, inspiration and support. Indeed some of the largest collections of writings from the Church are those which contain the homilies or sermons preached by the great Fathers in their own Churches. The sermon which St John Chrysostom preached one Easter in the 5th century is still preached in a great many Orthodox Churches each Easter, and St John Chrysostom is well known as an expositor who preached through most of the New Testament - and he was not alone.

Indeed in modern times Pope Shenouda III holds a Bible Study in his cathedral in Cairo. It is on a Wednesday evening if you are able to visit. Up to 7000 Orthodox Christians, of all ages, men and women, young and old, crowd the cathedral to hear the Bible read and expounded. It is a thrilling experience and proves that the Orthodox Church is a Bible centered Church. Pope Shenouda III has written many books and pamphlets, each one is full of the Scriptures. A quick glance at just one contains a section on 'Your Relationship with the Holy Bible', and exhorts his readers:

  • Your relationship with the Holy Bible is concentrated in acquiring the Bible, adhering to it, reading, understanding, contemplating, studying and learning it by heart. And, above all, you should behave according to it and train yourself to follow its commandments.
  • To acquire the Bible does not mean to keep it as a rarity on your desk but to have it for your continual use. You take it with you wherever you go, in your pocket or in your handbag. That makes it easy for you to read it at all times.
  • It is better to read the Bible on regular basis, this must be daily. It is better to read extracts every morning so that they might be the subject of your thoughts and meditations during the day and fill your mind in your getting in and out.
  • Let your reading in the Bible be with understanding, depth and contemplation. It would be better if accompanied by prayer, so you would say with David, "Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your Law."
  • Let your reading be with a solemn spirit so you may benefit from it. Remember how we stand at Church in great reverence to listen to the Holy Bible. Never slacken in reading or be negligent or thoughtless.
  • What is important is not the amount you read but the depth in reading. That comes when the Lord's words penetrate deep into your heart touching your feelings...
  • Try to learn some verses that give certain principles or impressions or some of God's promises and answers to matters that bother you.
  • Repeat these verses in your heart many times with enjoyment that makes them stick to your spirit and depths.
  • Deal with these verses practically. Make them the subject of your spiritual exercises. Thus you turn the Bible into life and it becomes part of you.
  • In your reading do not focus on the letter but the spirit. And if you need help, do not hesitate to ask...
  • The important thing is to receive a spiritual benefit from reading.

This passage makes it quite clear that Orthodoxy is Biblical. Pope Shenouda III has written much more in the same vein, and many priests and bishops from many other Orthodox Churches, not only the Coptic Orthodox, also encourage their faithful to make the Bible an important part of their daily lives.

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