Sacred Tradition - what is it?

What is Sacred Tradition?

Sacred Tradition is, in a broad sense, the totality of all oral and written religious knowledge and sources containing all dogmas, canons, treatises and the basis of religious doctrine. The basis of Tradition is the transmission of the content of faith from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation.

Sacred Tradition is the totality of all dogmas and church traditions that are described in religious texts, and also conveyed to people by the apostles. The power and content of these texts are equal, and the truths contained in them are immutable. Important aspects of the entire Holy Tradition are conveyed by the apostolic sermons and texts.

Sacred Tradition: the source of the Orthodox Faith*

From the outside, Orthodox history is marked by a number of sudden breaks: the capture of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch by Arab-Muslims, the burning of Kyiv by the Mongols, two sacks of Constantinople, the October Revolution in Russia. But these events, which transformed the external appearance of the Orthodox world, never interrupted the internal continuity of the Orthodox Church. The first thing that usually strikes a person who is far from Orthodoxy is its spirit of antiquity, its apparent immutability. The Orthodox still perform baptism by threefold immersion, as in the original church; still bring babies and bring small children to receive Holy Communion; During the liturgy, the deacon still exclaims: “Doors! Doors! in remembrance of those days when the entrance to the church was carefully guarded, and only members of the Christian family could attend the family service; The Creed is still recited without any additions.

These are just a few examples of the spirit that permeates every aspect of Orthodox life. When asked in interchurch forums today, Orthodox Christians are asked to briefly define what distinguishes their Church, they often point to its immutability, its determination to remain faithful to the past, its sense of living continuity with the Church of ancient times. At the beginning of the 18th century. Eastern patriarchs said the same thing to the “unsworn” in expressions reminiscent of the language of the Ecumenical Councils:

We keep the Lord's teachings intact and firmly adhere to the faith which He has given us, and guard it from damage and detraction as a royal treasure and a memorial of great grace, adding nothing to it and taking nothing away from it.

This idea of living succession is summed up for the Orthodox in the word Tradition. “We do not change the eternal boundaries established by the fathers,” writes John of Damascus, “but we keep the Tradition as we received it.”

Orthodox Christians always talk about tradition. But what do they mean by this word? Tradition in everyday language means opinions, beliefs or customs inherited by descendants from ancestors. In this sense, Christian tradition is the faith and practice that were adopted by the apostles from Jesus Christ and have been handed down in the church from generation to generation since apostolic times. But for Orthodox Christians, tradition means something more concrete and specific: the books of the Bible, the creed, the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils and the writings of St. fathers, canons, liturgical books, holy icons. In other words, this is the entire system of doctrine, church government, cult, spirituality and art, developed by Orthodoxy over the centuries. Today's Christians consider themselves heirs and custodians of the riches of the past; they see their duty as passing on this heritage to future generations intact.

Note that the Bible is part of tradition. Sometimes tradition is defined as the oral teaching of Christ, not captured in writing by His immediate disciples. Not only non-Orthodox, but also many Orthodox authors have adopted this manner of speaking about Scripture and tradition, treating them as two different things, two different sources of the Christian faith. But in reality there is only one source, for Scripture exists within tradition. To separate and contrast them means to impoverish both.

While accepting their heritage from the past, Orthodox Christians at the same time recognize that not everything inherited from the past is of equal value. Among the diverse elements of tradition, the dominant position is occupied by the Bible, the creed and the doctrinal definitions of the Ecumenical Councils: the Orthodox perceive them as something absolute and unchangeable, which cannot be canceled or revised. The rest of the tradition does not have equal authority. The resolutions of the councils in Iasi or Jerusalem are inferior in this sense to the Nicene Symbol, and the writings of, say, Athanasius or Simeon the New Theologian are inferior to the Gospel of St. John.

Not everything perceived from the past is of equal value, and not everything is necessarily true. As one of the bishops noted at the Council of Carthage in 257, “The Lord said: I am the truth. He did not say: I am the custom." There is a difference between legend and tradition: many traditions inherited from the past are human and accidental in nature. These are pious (or unpious) opinions, but not a true part of tradition - the basis of the Christian message.

This is extremely important for our approach to the past. In Byzantine and post-Byzantine times, the Orthodox often took an uncritical attitude towards the past, and this led to stagnation. Today such an uncritical position is no longer acceptable. Higher educational standards, increased contacts with Western Christians, and attacks from secularism and atheism forced 20th-century Orthodoxy. to look more closely at one's own heritage and to distinguish more carefully between tradition and tradition. The task of discernment is never easy. It is necessary to equally avoid the errors of both the Old Believers and the “Living Church”: the former fall into extreme conservatism, which does not allow the slightest changes in traditions, the latter is involved in spiritual compromises that undermine tradition. But despite some obvious obstacles, today's Orthodox are perhaps in a better position to make such a distinction than their predecessors for many centuries. Often it is contacts with the West that help them understand more and more clearly what is necessary in their own heritage.

True Orthodox fidelity to the past must always be creative fidelity. True Orthodoxy can never be content with a sterile “theology of repetition” that parrots rote formulas without even trying to understand what lies behind them. Fidelity to tradition, properly understood, is not a mechanical, passive and automatic process of transmitting some wisdom borrowed from the distant past. The Orthodox thinker must see tradition from the inside, must penetrate its inner spirit, relive its meaning in such a way that this experience becomes a discovery filled with courage and creative imagination. To live within tradition, intellectual recognition of a religious system is not enough: after all, tradition is much more than just a set of abstract propositions. This is life, a personal encounter with Christ in the Holy Spirit. Tradition is not just preserved by the Church - it lives in the Church, it is the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church. The Orthodox understanding of tradition is not static, but dynamic: it is not a sterile acceptance of the past, but a living revelation of the Holy Spirit in the present. Being internally unchanged (after all, God does not change!), tradition constantly takes on new external forms that complement the old ones without destroying them. Orthodox Christians often speak as if the period of doctrinal formulations is over. But this is not so! Perhaps in our days a new Ecumenical Council will convene, and tradition will be enriched with new formulas of faith.

This idea of tradition as something living was well expressed by Georgy Florovsky:

Tradition is the testimony of the Spirit, the continuous revelation and preaching of the Good News by the Spirit... In order to accept and understand Tradition, we must live within the Church, we must recognize the gracious presence of the Lord in it... Tradition is not only a protective and protective principle, it is, first of all, the beginning of growth and revival … Tradition is constant fidelity to the Spirit, and not just remembrance of words2.

Tradition is the testimony of the Spirit: “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). It is this divine promise that forms the basis of Orthodox fidelity to tradition.

The Law of God in Russian Orthodoxy

Sacred Tradition is the basis for Russian Orthodoxy, which is not much different from Orthodoxy in other countries. This explains the same attitude towards the basic tenets of faith. In Russian Orthodoxy, Holy Scripture is rather a form of sacred Tradition than an independent religious work.

The original Orthodox tradition generally believes that Tradition can be transmitted not through the transfer of knowledge, but only in rites and rituals, as a result of the participation of the Holy Spirit in Church life. The creation of Tradition occurs through the appearance of Christ in human life in the course of rituals and images that are passed on by previous generations to the next: from father to son, from teacher to student, from priest to parishioner.

Thus, Holy Scripture is the main book of Holy Tradition, reflecting its entire essence. Tradition at the same time personifies Scripture. The text of Scripture should not contradict the teachings of the church, because it is the understanding of what is written in the Bible that leads to the understanding of the entire doctrine as a whole. The teachings of the church fathers are a guide to the correct interpretation of the Bible, but they are not considered sacred, unlike the texts approved at the Ecumenical Councils.

SACRED TRADING

Sacred Tradition is a collective experience of knowledge of God, which is passed on in the Church from generation to generation.

Osipov Alexey Ilyich

Apostle Paul

Be careful that no one deceives you according to human tradition.

Take heed, brethren, lest anyone lead you away through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ, for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him, Who is the head of all principality and power (Col.2:8-10).

Stand and hold the traditions you have been taught

We must always thank God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, that God from the beginning, through the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth, chose you to salvation, to which He called you through our gospel, to achieve the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand and hold fast to the traditions which you have been taught either by our word or by our epistle. May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and our God and Father, who loved us and gave us eternal consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and deed (2 Thess. 2:13-17).

Keep away from every brother who does not act according to tradition.

We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to distance yourself from every brother who acts disorderly, and not according to the tradition that you received from us, for you yourselves know how you should imitate us; For we did not riot among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread for free, but we labored and toiled night and day, so as not to burden any of you—not because we had no power, but to give ourselves as an example to you. imitations of us (2 Thess. 3:6-9).

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

Sacred Tradition of the Orthodox Church

The Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church teaches me this: the soul, like the angels, is granted immortality by God, it is not their property, not their natural belonging. To maintain its life, the body needs to be nourished by air and the products of the Earth. The soul, in order to support and preserve its immortality, needs the mysterious action of the Divine right hand on itself.

Saint Theophan the Recluse
Tradition
In the dogmas of faith, Christians must be guided not only by Holy Scripture, but also by church tradition (Dan. 2:44). “Keep the tradition,” wrote the holy Apostle Paul to Timothy, “avoid the vile talk and contradictions of a false mind” (1 Tim. 6:20). That church tradition must be in agreement with Holy Scripture is certain, otherwise incorrect and non-divine teaching can be mistaken for correct and divine tradition; but it is also true that the Holy Scriptures must be consistent with tradition, otherwise incorrect opinions and heresies may arise. How could the heresy of Arius have arisen if the teaching of the Church, which is contained in tradition, had then been held more firmly? How could the heresy of iconoclasm have arisen if the voice of the Church in tradition had been respected?

“Only the word of God is the basis of faith, some Christians now say, and therefore traditions are not needed!” How is this so? Isn’t the Creed a legend? Without him, how could we each begin to believe in our own way?

There are many places in the word of God that require clarification and agreement, which is what the Holy Church did. There is no need for tradition... But how will we serve God? How to perform and receive the sacraments? How and on what days to celebrate holidays? How will we celebrate Sunday, and why today, and not yesterday, not tomorrow? All this, without a doubt, we know from tradition. The primitive Church established itself on tradition and was guided by tradition. Holy Scripture, as evidence of the truth and the eternal guardian of the faith, appeared and was accepted by the Church later.

Osipov Alexey Ilyich

Doctor of Theology. Professor MDA

Sacred Tradition and Traditions

Sacred Tradition is understood as that continuous action of the Spirit of Pentecost in the Church, which is transmitted from generation to generation through the bearers of this Spirit and expresses itself in doctrinal truths, moral norms, principles of spiritual life, canonical and liturgical institutions, disciplinary requirements, rituals, etc. as necessary means of salvation and spiritual improvement of man.

Sacred Tradition includes the Holy Scriptures, decisions of the Ecumenical and Local Councils, the works and lives of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church, its liturgical heritage, iconography and hymnography, various church institutions, and traditions.

The criteria for truth, that is, belonging to the Holy Tradition of any tradition in the Church are:

absence of contradictions to Holy Scripture;
the agreement of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church on this issue (consensus patrum);
usefulness in the spiritual life of a person and community, i.e. promoting prayer, repentance, love for all people, and fulfilling the commandments.

On the contrary, everything in churches that serves worldly pomp, showmanship, entertainment of the mind and feelings, fanaticism, intolerance, pharisaism, vanity, aestheticism, etc. - directly indicates a departure from Sacred Tradition.

Traditions in the Church: features of liturgical rites, chants, church discipline, rituals and customs determined by time, people, culture, place, etc.
Traditions are always secondary in relation to Sacred Tradition; they can be both useful (for example, confession before Communion) and harmful (for example, “concerts” during Communion). Holy Tradition
What is Holy Tradition? This is the teaching of the Church, the agreement of the fathers on issues of the Christian faith. Only this agreement can guarantee us the correct understanding of Holy Scripture itself.

Just as Holy Scripture was given in its inspiration by the Holy Spirit, so the understanding of this Scripture is possible only in this way and only to those who have the same Holy Spirit within them. It’s like if we read a book by some author, and we don’t understand something in it, then we turn to the author himself with this question, and the author himself will explain: this is what I meant here. - Oh, then it’s clear. - So it is here: the author of Scripture is the Holy Spirit, therefore we resort to the holy fathers, study them, how they think.

At the same time, some fathers could express personal considerations, not at all from the Spirit of God, and they were people who grew gradually, and not all at once. But when we see precisely the agreement of the fathers on one issue, then we no longer doubt that this agreement is the action of the Spirit of God. And this consent of the fathers is passed on from generation to generation, and we call this Sacred Tradition.

That is, Holy Tradition is a collective experience of knowledge of God, which is passed on in the Church from generation to generation.

Do not confuse with Holy Tradition various traditions, which not only exist in each local Church, but also in each monastery and each church.

There are wonderful traditions, for example, confession before communion. There are terrible legends - for example, when before the sacrament they give a concert, then I don’t know what we will partake of then. Yes, a concert. And I think - what kind of soldiery is this? This is understandable, in the army they sing soldiers’ songs, bawling at the top of their lungs. We had such a regent from the army, a most sympathetic person, the late Mark Kharitonovich Trofimchuk. Well, we argued with him, okay, at least he came from the army. And why are these people yelling like crazy at God? Here I don’t understand anymore, why yell? Then there is no God, God is expelled from the temple with such singing.

Congratulations on the end of the academic year, I wish you all success in your exams. I don’t know who - Osipov will receive you? Oh, I sympathize with you, poor people. Well, it’s okay, God will help.

Scripture in Orthodoxy

Composition of the Holy Scriptures in Orthodoxy:

Bible;
Symbol of faith;
Decisions adopted by the Ecumenical Councils;
Liturgies, church sacraments and rituals;
Treatises of priests, church philosophers and teachers;
Stories written by martyrs;
Stories about saints and their lives;
In addition, some scientists believe that Christian apocrypha, whose content does not contradict the Holy Scriptures, can serve as a reliable source of Tradition.

It turns out that in Orthodoxy, Holy Tradition is any religious information that does not contradict the truth.

Sacred Tradition in Protestantism

Protestants do not consider Tradition the main source of their faith and allow Christians to independently interpret the text of Scripture. Additionally, Protestants adhere to the principle of sola Scriptura, which means “Scripture Alone.” In their opinion, only God can be trusted, and only the Divine word is authoritative. All other instructions are called into question. Nevertheless, Protestantism retained the relative authority of the church fathers, relying on their experience, but only the information contained in Scripture is considered absolute truth.

Muslim Holy Tradition

The Holy Tradition of Muslims is set out in the Sunnah - a religious text citing episodes from the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The Sunnah is an example and a guide that forms the basis of behavior for all members of the Muslim community. It contains the sayings of the prophet, as well as actions that are approved by Islam. The Sunnah is the second religious book of Muslims after the Koran, and is the main source of Islamic law, which makes its study very important for all Muslims.

From the 9th to the 10th centuries, the Sunnah was revered among Muslims along with the Quran. There are even such interpretations of the Holy Tradition when the Koran is called the “first Sunnah”, and the Sunnah of Muhammad is called the “second Sunnah”. The importance of the Sunnah is due to the fact that after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, it is the main source helping to resolve controversial issues in the life of the Caliphate and the Muslim community.

The Place of the Bible in Sacred Tradition

The Bible as the basis of divine revelation is the stories described in the Old and New Testaments. The word “Bible” is translated as “books,” which fully reflects the essence of the Holy Scriptures. The Bible was written by different people over several thousand years, has 75 books in different languages, but has a single composition, logic and spiritual content.

According to the church, God himself inspired people to write the Bible, which is why the book is “inspired.” It was he who revealed the truth to the authors and compiled their narrative into a single whole, helping to comprehend the content of the books. Moreover, the Holy Spirit did not forcefully fill the human mind with information. The truth poured out on the authors like grace, giving rise to the creative process. Thus, the Holy Scriptures are, in essence, the result of the joint creation of man and the Holy Spirit. People were not in trance or fog states when writing the Bible. All of them were of sound mind and sober memory. As a result, thanks to fidelity to Tradition and living in the Holy Spirit, the church was able to separate the wheat from the chaff and include in the Bible only those books on which, in addition to the creative imprint of the author, also bear the divine stamp of grace, as well as those that connect the events of the Old and New Testaments. These two parts of one book testify to each other. The old here testifies to the new, and the new confirms the old.

Scripture and Tradition

Christianity is a revealed religion. In the Orthodox understanding, Divine Revelation includes Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. Scripture is the entire Bible, that is, all the books of the Old and New Testaments. As for Tradition, this term requires special clarification, since it is used in different meanings. Tradition is often understood as the entire set of written and oral sources with the help of which the Christian faith is passed on from generation to generation. The Apostle Paul says: “Stand fast and hold to the traditions which you were taught either by our word or by our epistle” (2 Thess. 2:15). By “word” here we mean oral Tradition, by “message” - written. Saint Basil the Great included the sign of the cross, turning in prayer to the east, the epiclesis of the Eucharist, the rite of consecration of the water of baptism and the oil of anointing, the threefold immersion of a person at baptism, etc., to the oral Tradition, that is, predominantly liturgical or ritual traditions transmitted orally and firmly entered into church practice. Subsequently, these customs were recorded in writing - in the works of the Fathers of the Church, in the decrees of the Ecumenical and Local Councils, in liturgical texts. A significant part of what was originally oral Tradition became written Tradition, which continued to coexist with oral Tradition.

If Tradition is understood in the sense of the totality of oral and written sources, then how does it relate to Scripture? Is Scripture something external to Tradition, or is it an integral part of Tradition?

Before answering this question, it should be noted that the problem of the relationship between Scripture and Tradition, although reflected in many Orthodox authors, is not Orthodox in origin. The question of what is more important, Scripture or Tradition, was raised during the controversy between the Reformation and Counter-Reformation in the 16th-17th centuries. The leaders of the Reformation (Luther, Calvin) put forward the principle of “the sufficiency of Scripture,” according to which only Scripture enjoys absolute authority in the Church; As for later doctrinal documents, be they decrees of Councils or the works of the Fathers of the Church, they are authoritative only insofar as they are consistent with the teaching of Scripture. Those dogmatic definitions, liturgical and ritual traditions that were not based on the authority of Scripture could not, according to the leaders of the Reformation, be recognized as legitimate and therefore were subject to abolition. With the Reformation, the process of revision of Church Tradition began, which continues in the depths of Protestantism to this day.

In contrast to the Protestant principle of “sola Scriptura” (Latin for “Scripture alone”), Counter-Reformation theologians emphasized the importance of Tradition, without which, in their opinion, Scripture would have no authority. Luther's opponent at the Leipzig Disputation of 1519 argued that "Scripture is not authentic without the authority of the Church." Opponents of the Reformation pointed out, in particular, that the canon of Holy Scripture was formed precisely by Church Tradition, which determined which books should be included in it and which should not. At the Council of Trent in 1546, the theory of two sources was formulated, according to which Scripture cannot be considered as the only source of Divine Revelation: an equally important source is Tradition, which constitutes a vital addition to Scripture.

Russian Orthodox theologians of the 19th century, speaking about Scripture and Tradition, placed emphasis somewhat differently. They insisted on the primacy of Tradition in relation to Scripture and traced the beginning of Christian Tradition not only to the New Testament Church, but also to the times of the Old Testament. Saint Philaret of Moscow emphasized that the Holy Scripture of the Old Testament began with Moses, but before Moses, the true faith was preserved and spread through Tradition. As for the Holy Scripture of the New Testament, it began with the Evangelist Matthew, but before that “the foundation of dogmas, the teaching of life, the rules of worship, the laws of church government” were in Tradition.

At A.S. Khomyakov, the relationship between Tradition and Scripture is considered in the context of the teaching about the action of the Holy Spirit in the Church. Khomyakov believed that Scripture is preceded by Tradition, and Tradition is preceded by “deed,” by which he understood revealed religion, starting from Adam, Noah, Abraham and other “ancestors and representatives of the Old Testament Church.” The Church of Christ is a continuation of the Old Testament Church: the Spirit of God lived and continues to live in both. This Spirit acts in the Church in a variety of ways - in Scripture, Tradition and in practice. The unity of Scripture and Tradition is comprehended by a person who lives in the Church; Outside the Church it is impossible to comprehend either Scripture, Tradition, or deeds.

In the 20th century, Khomyakov’s thoughts about Tradition were developed by V.N. Lossky. He defined Tradition as “the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church, the life that imparts to each member of the Body of Christ the ability to hear, accept, and know the Truth in its inherent light, and not in the natural light of the human mind.” According to Lossky, life in Tradition is a condition for the correct perception of Scripture, it is nothing more than knowledge of God, communication with God and vision of God, which were inherent in Adam before his expulsion from paradise, the biblical forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the seer Moses and the prophets, and then “ eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word" (Luke 1:2) - the apostles and followers of Christ. The unity and continuity of this experience, preserved in the Church right up to the present time, constitutes the essence of Church Tradition. A person outside the Church, even if he studied all the sources of Christian doctrine, will not be able to see its inner core.

Answering the question posed earlier about whether Scripture is something external to Tradition or an integral part of the latter, we must say with all certainty that in the Orthodox understanding Scripture is part of Tradition and is unthinkable outside of Tradition. Therefore, Scripture is by no means self-sufficient and cannot by itself, isolated from church tradition, serve as a criterion of Truth. The books of Holy Scripture were created at different times by different authors, and each of these books reflected the experience of a particular person or group of people, reflecting a certain historical stage in the life of the Church, including the Old Testament period). The primary was experience, and the secondary was its expression in the books of Scripture. It is the Church that gives these books - both the Old and the New Testaments - the unity that they lack when viewed from a purely historical or textual point of view.

The Church considers Scripture to be “inspired by God” (2 Tim. 3:16) not because the books included in it were written by God, but because the Spirit of God inspired their authors, revealed the Truth to them and held their scattered writings together into a single whole. But in the action of the Holy Spirit there is no violence over the mind, heart and will of man; on the contrary, the Holy Spirit helped man to mobilize his own inner resources to comprehend the key truths of the Christian Revelation. The creative process, the result of which was the creation of a particular book of Holy Scripture, can be represented as a synergy, joint action, collaboration between man and God: a person describes certain events or sets out various aspects of a teaching, and God helps him to understand and adequately express them. The books of Holy Scripture were written by people who were not in a state of trance, but in sober memory, and each of the books bears the imprint of the creative individuality of the author.

Fidelity to Tradition and life in the Holy Spirit helped the Church to recognize the internal unity of the Old Testament and New Testament books, created by different authors at different times, and from all the diversity of ancient written monuments to select into the canon of Holy Scripture those books that are bound by this unity, to separate divinely inspired works from non-inspired ones. inspired.

Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition in brief

If the Holy Tradition contains the entire basis of faith, including Scripture, then it is very important to know at least a brief summary of its most important parts.

The Bible begins with the Book of Genesis, which describes the moment of the creation of the World and the first people: Adam and Eve. As a result of the Fall, the unfortunate find themselves expelled from paradise, after which they continue the human race, which only roots sin in the earthly world. Divine attempts to hint to the first people about their inappropriate actions end with their total ignoring. The same book describes the appearance of Abraham, a righteous man who entered into a covenant with God - an agreement according to which his descendants should receive their land, and all other people should receive God's blessing. Abraham's descendants spent a long time in captivity among the Egyptians. The prophet Moses comes to their aid, saving them from slavery and fulfilling the first agreement with God: providing them with lands for life.

There are books of the Old Testament that provide rules for the comprehensive fulfillment of the covenant, necessary in order not to violate the will of God. The prophets were entrusted with bringing the Law of God to people. It is from this moment that the Lord proclaims the creation of a New Testament, eternal and common to all nations.

The New Testament is entirely built on descriptions of the life of Christ: his birth, life and resurrection. The Virgin Mary, as a result of the immaculate conception, gives birth to the baby Christ - the son of God, who is destined to become the one true God and Man, to preach and perform miracles. Accused of blasphemy, Christ is killed, after which he miraculously resurrects and sends the Apostles to preach throughout the world and carry the word of God. In addition, there is a book about the apostolic acts, which talks about the emergence of the church as a whole, about the actions of the people redeemed by the blood of the Lord.

The last biblical book - the Apocalypse - speaks of the end of the world, victory over evil, general resurrection and God's judgment, after which everyone will be rewarded for their earthly deeds. Then God's Covenant will be fulfilled.

There is also a Holy Tradition for children, the Scripture in which contains the main episodes, but is adapted for understanding by the smallest.

Talyzin V.I. Church tradition

Author: Talyzin V.I.

Before defining the concept of “church tradition”, it is necessary to give the concept of “tradition”, as well as the concept of “Church” in connection with the concept of “tradition”,

As is known, from Adam to Moses, Divine Revelation spread throughout the human race without scriptures, only by oral tradition. Likewise, Jesus Christ taught His Divine teaching orally and left nothing in writing. The apostles spread the Divine teaching, or the Gospel, at first also orally. Later, only a few of them left behind writings.

Then, when the apostolic writings appeared in the Church, oral tradition did not become superfluous or unnecessary, but retained its original necessity and importance. This can be seen from the following:

Firstly, as has already been said, not all the apostles left behind scriptures, but most of them preached the word of God only orally until their death.

Secondly, the apostolic writings, written in different places, to different private Churches and even to private individuals, did not immediately become generally known in the Church. Thus, Irenaeus testifies that even in the second half of the 2nd century there were entire Christian nations who had no sacred scriptures at all and who were guided in faith and life by one tradition.

Thirdly, even those of the apostles who left behind them the writings could not and did not set forth in them everything that could and should have been said about Jesus Christ and in general about the Kingdom of God.

The apostles themselves testify to this. Thus, the Apostle John writes in his Gospel that, in addition to what he wrote down, “Jesus did many other things, but if they were to write about them in detail, then, I think, the world itself could not contain the books written” (21, 25).

The Apostle Paul, who wrote more than all the other apostles, did not limit himself only to writing, but often resorted to oral instructions. Thus, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, he praises them for remembering and preserving his traditions: “I praise you, brethren, because you remember everything that is mine and keep the traditions as I handed them down to you” (II, 2). The same apostle urges the Thessalonians to keep the traditions along with the written instructions: “Therefore, brethren, stand and keep the traditions that you have been taught either by word or by our message” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). The apostle repeatedly turns to his disciple Timothy with similar thoughts: “Oh, Timothy! Keep what is given to you” (1 Tim. 6:20); “Stick to the pattern of sound teaching which you heard from me” (2 Tim. 1:13); “And what you have heard from me, convey it to the faithful people” (2:2).

According to the testimony of the Acts of the Apostles, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, after His glorious Resurrection, appeared to His disciples for forty days and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God (.1, 3), and what exactly He said - the disciples did not write it down, but passed it on orally to their successors. The same book tells about the conversation of the Apostle Paul with the elders of the Ephesian Church, in which the apostle says that for three years he continually taught each of them day and night (20, 31). Here the apostle also cites the words of the Lord: “...It is more blessed to give than to receive” (35), and these words were also not recorded by the evangelists.

Consequently, although Jesus Christ brought the whole Truth to earth in full, much of what He taught remained not written down, but was transmitted orally by the apostles. It is this Divine teaching that is called Sacred Tradition.

Moreover, according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, Holy Tradition is the same Divine Revelation, the same word of God as the Holy Scripture, with the only difference that it is the word of God, orally transmitted to the Church by its Founder and Apostles, and the Holy Scripture is the word of God , enclosed in books by inspired men and committed in writing to the Church.

Since the Holy Tradition was transmitted to people by the apostles, it is otherwise called the Apostolic Tradition.

But from the Holy, or Apostolic, Tradition, Church Tradition should be distinguished. Namely, while the source of Holy Tradition is the will of God, the source of church tradition is the will of the Church itself.

On the other hand, one should not mix church tradition with church custom. While church tradition has as its source the will of church authority and, thus, originates from church legislation and is, in essence, legislation, but not written, but oral, church custom follows from the will of the entire church society, i.e. e. and from the will of persons who do not have legislative power.

Generally speaking, the Church is the subject of study of all theological sciences: Dogmatic Theology, Moral Theology, Fundamental Theology, Comparative Theology, as well as Church Law, Church History, etc.

In this case, we are interested in the Church, firstly, as a guardian and, secondly, as an interpreter of Divine Revelation.

So, the Church of Christ preserves and transmits from century to century the Divine Revelation - both the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Tradition - intact and intact, in the form in which it was given to it by God.

The Church ensured the preservation of the Holy Scriptures by selecting scriptures that responded to the enlightened Spirit of God consciousness of the Ecumenical Episcopate and including them in the New Testament canon along with the Old Testament books. Subsequently, this safety was ensured by the Church by supervising the correct copying and, later, the printing of sacred books.

But the Holy Tradition not only could be preserved, but was actually preserved in the Church in its entirety and undamaged. So, it came to us:

1) In the ancient Creeds, which have existed since the times of the apostles in all Churches. All these Symbols, completely similar to each other in spirit, although often different in letter, contain the most important elements of dogmatic teaching, included in the 4th century in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Symbol, adopted once and for all.

2) In the Apostolic Rules, used throughout the Ecumenical

Churches. But the apostles delivered these rules to the Church not in writing (otherwise they would have been included in the canon of New Testament books from the very beginning), but orally; These rules were written and brought into a certain order either by the apostolic men or by their closest successors. The Apostolic Canons contain the Apostolic Tradition, which concerns primarily church governance and deanery.

3) In the definitions and rules of the Ecumenical Councils and some Local Councils. This source is all the more valuable because the councils, in fact, in their reasoning always turned not only to the Holy Scriptures, but also to the Holy Tradition. As a result, in the definitions and rules of these councils, traditions not only dogmatic, but also moral and ritual, and in general regarding all subjects of the Church and the Christian faith, have been preserved to us.

4) In ancient liturgies, which were and are still used in large numbers in the churches of the East and West. Many of them, known under the name of the apostles and apostolic men, go back even to the time of the apostles themselves, such as, for example, the liturgy of the Apostle James.

These liturgies are the most important repository of the Apostolic Tradition and the true belief of the primal Church. This follows, on the one hand, from their antiquity, and on the other, from their high purpose and use in the Church. In those aspects of teaching in which all these liturgies are completely in agreement with each other, their voice has the power of indisputability. There are many similar traits; Thus, in all liturgies the dogmas about the Most Holy Trinity, about the Divinity of the Son of God and the Holy Spirit, about the incarnation of God the Word, about the Ever-Virginity of the Mother of God, about Grace, about transubstantiation, etc. are confessed.

5) In the ancient acts of martyrdom, what are the acts: St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Polycarp of Smyrna and many others. These acts were written by contemporaries of all these men and even witnesses of their torment.

6) In ancient church histories. The “History” of Eusebius Pamphilus deserves special attention here, as it contains the most ancient and reliable documents. It contains many traditions from the times of the apostles, not only purely historical, but also ritual and dogmatic, for example, the legend about the canon of the sacred books of the Old and New Testaments.

7) In the works of the ancient fathers and teachers of the Church. Thus, to testify to the Church of their own faith, they set forth private confessions, such as the statements of faith of Athanasius of Alexandria, Pope Gelasius, and others. Many fathers explained the truths of faith for the detailed instruction of Christians, for example, the Catechism of Cyril of Jerusalem, the Theology of John of Damascus, and so on.

Finally, in all the ancient practice of the Church. These include: a) sacred times: fasts, Sundays and holidays; b) sacred places—the construction of temples; c) sacred actions, rites and ceremonies.

And since the image of the consecration of times and the performance of sacred rites is set out in liturgical books, then d) liturgical books or church rites should also be included here. Of course, not everything that is contained in the now listed sources or repositories of the Sacred or Apostolic Tradition is, for this very reason, the Apostolic Tradition: there is much here that cannot in any way be called by this name. Therefore, the Apostolic Tradition must and does have its own special characteristics, by which it could be distinguished from all non-apostolic traditions.

These signs are divided into internal and external. Internal features include:

a) that the Apostolic Tradition be consistent with itself, that is, it does not contain internal contradictions - a sign common to all truths in general;

b) that it be consistent with other, already known and undoubted apostolic traditions, because the apostles could not contradict themselves;

c) so that it is consistent with the Holy Scriptures, since the main Source of both is the same - the Holy Spirit.

'At the same time, it should be noted that all these internal signs are only negative signs, and not positive: from them we can recognize only what cannot be called Apostolic Tradition, and not what should be called by this name.

Therefore, to determine what should be called Apostolic Tradition, external signs are used, which are borrowed from external evidence and positively determine the character of the true Apostolic Tradition.

Based on these external signs, the following can be recognized as Apostolic Tradition:

a) what can be traced back to the times of the apostles - what was used from the very beginning in the Churches directly founded by the apostles, and is known to us either from the apostolic men, or from the fathers and teachers of the Church of the first two centuries;

b) what is unanimously given to us as Apostolic Tradition by all or many teachers of the Church of the 3rd, 4th and 5th centuries; for these teachers could and did base their testimony on the testimony of the most ancient teachers, whose writings were still intact at that time; and they themselves were close to the times of the apostles and expressed only what they found in the Church;

c) finally, indisputably, what should already be recognized as Apostolic Tradition is that which the entire Ecumenical Church held and holds, and which, meanwhile, either at all, or at least in the exact form in which it is contained by the Church, cannot be found in the Holy Scriptures . “We should not seek the truth from others,” writes Irenaeus, “but we should learn from it in the Church, into which, as into a rich treasury, the apostles deposited everything that is true.” Blessed Augustine says: “What the whole Church contains, what has always been contained in it without any conciliar decree, then in all justice we honor it as betrayed by the apostles.”

But the Church of Christ not only preserves and transmits from century to century the Divine Revelation (Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition), it also preserves and transmits from century to century its understanding or understanding of the Divine Revelation. This transmission of Divine Revelation in spirit and meaning, or understanding and interpretation of it, is tradition in the broad sense of the word or tradition of the Church. It is not the source of Divine Revelation, like Tradition in the narrow or proper sense, it is a guide to the use of Divine Revelation. 'In short, it is the testimony or voice of the Universal Church. On this testimony or voice of the Church, as on the foundation, stands solid and true Christian knowledge, and outside the leadership of the Church in Christian knowledge, Divine Revelation itself can exist only in name, remaining inaccessible in reality.

Church tradition found its expression in the sources listed above, which preserved the Apostolic Tradition. And here, according to established external and especially internal signs, the Church had to determine what is truly Apostolic Tradition. Everything else is an expression of church tradition.

In the fight against heresies, the voice of the Universal Church was expressed at the Ecumenical Councils, which approved their definitions not only

Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, but also church tradition. Thus, the fathers of the VII Ecumenical Council at the beginning of their definition say: “We keep not new everything, whether by Scripture or without Scripture, established for us, church traditions.”

Church tradition found its expression not only in teaching, but also in sacraments, rituals and in general church practice. This is evidenced not only by the Ecumenical and some Local Councils, but also by individual fathers and teachers of the Church.

Thus, in the 3rd century, Origen bequeathed: “Let the church tradition be preserved... even that which remains in the Churches to this day; That is the only truth one should believe, which does not disagree in any way with the Church and Apostolic Tradition.”

In the 4th century, Basil the Great writes: “If we decided to reject customs not set forth in Scripture, as having no great power, then in an inconspicuous way we would distort the most important thing in the Gospel... For we are not content with the words mentioned by the Apostle or the Gospel , but before and after them we pronounce others, as having great power to perform the sacrament.”

But church tradition, whether it is expressed by the consciousness of the universal episcopate, expressing its will through Ecumenical Councils, or by the consciousness of the episcopate of any Local Church, expressed through the council of this Church, or by an individual father or teacher of the Church, cannot contradict or disagree with the Holy Scripture, nor with the Holy, or Apostolic, Tradition.
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The Meaning of Scripture

Essentially, the Bible contains proof of the contract between God and men, and also contains instructions regarding the fulfillment of this contract. From the sacred biblical texts, believers draw information about how to do things and what not to do. The Bible is the most effective way to reach as many followers as possible with the word of God.

It is believed that the authenticity of biblical texts is confirmed by the most ancient manuscripts written by contemporaries of Christ. They contain the same texts that are preached today in the Orthodox Church. In addition, the text of Scripture contains predictions that later came true.

The divine seal placed on the texts is confirmed by the numerous miracles described in the Bible that occur to this day. This includes the descent of the Holy Fire before Easter, the appearance of stigmata and other events. Some consider such things to be only blasphemous tricks and profanation, trying to expose certain evidence of the existence of God and refute the historical accuracy of the events of the Bible. However, all these attempts, as a rule, are unsuccessful, because even those eyewitnesses who were opponents of Christ never denied what they saw.

Sacred Tradition: 65 books - download to fb2, txt for Android or read online

Christmas... The most children's, unforgettable holiday of the year! How much joy and delight it leaves in the child’s memory and keeps the feeling of childhood in us for many years. The disc “Light of the Christmas Star” is dedicated to two holidays of the church year - Christmas and Epiphany.

The purpose of the publication is to show how deeply and soulfully Orthodoxy has entered the spiritual life of the Russian people. Acquaintance with the best examples of artistic expression of the 19th-21st centuries will help not only to better understand the meaning of church holidays, but also to lay in children the foundations of Christian virtues: faith, hope and love, mercy and courage, responsiveness and honesty.

The publication is intended for children of primary and secondary school age. The album includes excerpts from the Holy Scriptures, prayers, fragments of divine services and the works of the Fathers of the Church, poems and prose by famous poets and writers dedicated to Christmas and Epiphany.

Recommended for family reading, Sunday schools and Orthodox gymnasiums, state and municipal schools. The disc can be used as a reader for lessons on Orthodox culture, native speech, history, world artistic culture and other humanitarian subjects; in the system of additional education.

NATURE IN QUIET WAITING... 1. A. Pushkin “Here is the north, the clouds are catching up...”. K. Balmont “Toward winter.” I. Nikitin “Meeting Winter”. S. Aksakov “Essays on a winter day” (excerpt) – 7:39 2. I. Surikov “Winter”. M. Prishvin “Quiet Snow”. A. Fet “Wonderful picture...”. Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) “Garden during winter” – 8:06 3.

K.R. (Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov) “In winter.” F. Tyutchev “December Morning”. I. Bunin “Pines” (excerpt). S. Yesenin “Powder”. A. Fedorov-Davydov “Forest in Winter” – 6:14 4. I. Sokolov-Mikitov “Russian Winter” (abbreviated) – 7:18 5. F. Tyutchev “In the Enchantress of Winter...”.

G. Skrebitsky “In the winter cold” – 5:10 6. S Drozhzhin “I love the burning frosts...”. M. Svobodin “New Year”. L. Medvedev “On Christmas Eve.” A. Fedorov “Christmas Eve Night”. Archpriest Andrei Logvinov “I want Christmas to come.” N. Khvostov “Christmas Eve in the Forest” – 7:47 CHRISTMAS 7.

Archimandrite John Krestyankin “Let us all come today...” Elder Paisius the Svyatogorets “In order to survive the holiday...” – 3:28 8. Troparion and kontakion of the Nativity of Christ. V. Shidlovsky Christmas kontakion. I. Shevandronova “A star sparkled above the mountain cave...” – 4:45 9.

E. Villager “The Mother of God” (excerpt). Unknown author “Christmas” – 6:26 10. Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, verses 1-7. A. Fet “Silent night...”. A. Sontag “The Nativity of Christ” - 8:12 11. V. Zhukov “Holy Night”. G. Galina “Star”. L. Charskaya “Behind the radiant star” (excerpt).

K. Sluchevsky - “For Christmas” - 5:02 12. Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 2, verses 1-5, 7-12. K. Ldov “The Magi”. A. Khomyakov “That night.” A. Sontag “Adoration of the Magi” – 10:20 13. K. Fofanov “Those stars have not yet gone out...”. G. Arkashov “Adoration of the Magi.”

K. Pobedonostsev “The Nativity of Christ” (abridged) – 11:00 14. V. Solovyov “Holy Night”. N. Khvostov “Christmas Night”. I. Shmelev “Summer of the Lord”, “Christmastide” (excerpt). P. Porfirov “On Christmas Night.” M. Kuzmin “Yolka” (excerpt) – 7:27 15. K.

Lukashevich “My sweet childhood”, “Christmas holiday” (abbreviated) – 18:09 16. M. Tolmacheva “How Tasya lived”, “Misha’s Christmas tree” (excerpt). K. Fofanov “Dressed up the Christmas tree in a festive dress...”. B. Nikonova “The Dream of a Star” – 10:43 17. Nun Varvara “The Nativity of Christ is a golden childhood.”

G. Galina “Yolka”. S. Prorvich “God is with us”, “Christmas song for children” – 14:20 18. A. Fedorov-Davydov “Instead of a Christmas tree” – 8:43 19. A. Fedorov-Davydov “Instead of a Christmas tree” (continued) – 10:17 20. V. Benediktov “Christmas tree” (excerpt).

A. Fedorov-Davydov “Havroshina Christmas tree”, “Christmas story” - 13:30 21. Unknown author “Two Christmas trees”. L. Charskaya “Two Christmas trees” – 10:22 22. V. Nemirovich-Danchenko “Christmas tree”. In Nikiforov-Volgin “Silver Blizzard” – 9:40 23. I. Grinevskaya “Star”. E. Villager “The Rescued Boy”, “Reality” – 11:34 24.

I. Morsakova “Wish for Christmas.” A. Kuprin “Wonderful Doctor” – 10:38 25. A. Kuprin “Wonderful Doctor” (continued) – 15:21 26. G. Heine “God’s Christmas tree”, A. Neelova “Our Father” – 13:38 27. I. Nikitin “Hello.” S. Makarova “Christmas Lantern” – 9:53 28.

A. Korinthsky “Christoslavs”. I. Rutenin “Christmas”. E. Opochinin “God has mercy and truth” (excerpt) – 9:11 29. A. Fedorov “Testament”. K. Pobedonostsev “Early mass”. D. Venevitinov “New Year” – 8:11 30. G. Georgievsky “Festive services and church celebrations in old Moscow”, “New Year” (abbreviated) – 11:15 31.

S. Bekhteev “Holy Night”. Dedicated to the royal passion-bearers - during the days of imprisonment. E. Erofeeva “Tsarevich Alexei”, “In exile” (excerpt). B. Poplavsky “Christmas, Christmas!” (excerpt). V. Nikiforov-Volgin “Road Staff” (excerpt) – 10:52 32. N.

Derznovenko "Christmas Night". I. Shmelev “Christmas in Moscow”, “The Story of a Business Man” (excerpt). Y. Gordienko “Christmas tree in the trenches” (abbreviated) – 11:04 33. A. Glushko “New Year, 1943” – 7:31 34. Archpriest Vladimir Shamonin “New Year”, V. Afanasyev “Christmas Nativity!

" L. Nechaev “Sleigh”. B. Sprinchan “Star of Bethlehem” – 7:00 35. Priest Vladimir Chugunov “Village” (excerpt) – 10:49 36. Nun Maria (With Shlenova) “What a bright star...”. V. Nikiforov-Volgin “Matins of the Saints”, “On New Year’s Eve”. B. Sprinchan “Christmas Light”.

G. Zobin - “Christmas” - 9:07 BAPTISM 37. St. John Chrysostom. “Now the world is becoming enlightened...” Troparion of the Baptism of the Lord. Gospel of Matthew, chapter 3, verses 13-17, I. Lebedinsky “On the Jordan”, S. Solovyov “John the Baptist” - 4:16 38. V. Svechin “Baptism Day in Holy Rus'” (excerpt).

I. Bunin “Epiphany Night” – 11:05 39. I. Shmelev “Epiphany” (excerpt), V. Nikiforov-Volgin “Epiphany” – 9:59 40. V. Afanasyev “On the Day of Epiphany”, S. Rabotnikov “ The sun is playing”, “Jordan” – 8:57 LEGENDS AND TALES OF WINTER 41. I. Surikov “Childhood”. AND.

Nikitin “Childhood is cheerful...”. K. Ushinsky “The pranks of the old woman-winter” - 9:10 42. G. Galina “In the morning.” A. Neelova “Winter”. S. Frug “Skating down the hill” – 6:01 43. L. Charskaya “Winter”. N. Abramtseva “An ancient New Year's story” - 10:29 44. D. Sadovnikov “In the kingdom of harsh Winter.”

O. Belyavskaya “Snow Maiden”. V. Rusakov “What snowflakes tell.” K. Balmont “Snowflake” - 7:57 45. A. Neyolova “What the bunny saw on Christmas Eve.” V. Afanasyev “Winter Forest” – 11:43 46. L. Charskaya “Sorcerer - Hunger” – 14:15 47. S. Drozhzhin “Frost looks out the window and breathes...”, G.

-X. Andersen “Seat” - 15:01 48. G. -H. Andersen “Seat” (continued) – 10:19 49. R. Yanich “Christmas Song”, V. Breuer “Winter Evening”, R. Kudasheva “Winter Song”, E. Ivanovskaya “The Legend of the First Christmas Tree”, D. Merezhkovsky “Children” – 13:45.

The Most Incredible Miracles Described in the Bible

Miracle of Moses

Twice a year, off the coast of the South Korean island of Jindo, a miracle similar to what Moses performed occurs. The sea parts, revealing a coral reef. In any case, it is now impossible to say for sure whether the biblical event was an accident associated with a natural phenomenon, or a real divine will, but it actually happened.

Resurrection of the Dead

In the year 31, Christ's disciples witnessed an amazing phenomenon: on the way to the city of Nain, they met a funeral procession. An inconsolable mother was burying her only son; being a widow, the woman was left completely alone. According to those who were present, Jesus took pity on the woman, touched the tomb, and commanded the dead man to stand up. To the amazement of those around him, the young man stood up and spoke.

Resurrection of Christ

The most important miracle around which the entire New Testament is built, the resurrection of Christ, is also the most attested. This was spoken about not only by the disciples and apostles, who initially themselves did not believe what happened, but also by authoritative contemporaries of Christ, such as, for example, the doctor and historian Luke. He also testified to the facts of Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

In any case, belief in miracles is an integral part of the entire Christian faith. To believe in God means to believe in the Bible, and, accordingly, in the miracles that happen in it. Orthodox Christians firmly believe in the contents of the Bible as a text written by God himself - a caring and loving Father.

Holy Scripture in the Orthodox Church

In the Orthodox tradition, the Old Testament, the Gospel and the corpus of the Apostolic Epistles are perceived as three parts of an indivisible whole. At the same time, the Gospel is given unconditional preference as a source that brings the living voice of Jesus to Christians, the Old Testament is perceived as prefiguring Christian truths, and the Apostolic Epistles are perceived as an authoritative interpretation of the Gospel belonging to Christ’s closest disciples. In accordance with this understanding, the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer in his letter to the Philadelphians says: “Let us resort to the Gospel as to the flesh of Jesus, and to the apostles as to the presbytery of the Church. Let us also love the prophets, for they also proclaimed what pertains to the Gospel, they trusted in Christ and looked for Him and were saved by faith in Him.”

The doctrine of the Gospel as “the flesh of Jesus,” His incarnation in the word, was developed by Origen. Throughout Scripture he sees the “kenosis” (exhaustion) of God the Word incarnating himself in the imperfect forms of human words: “Everything that is recognized as the word of God is the revelation of the Word of God made flesh, which was with God in the beginning (John 1:2) and exhausted Himself.” . Therefore, we recognize the Word of God made man as something human, for the Word in the Scriptures always becomes flesh and dwells among us (John 1:14).”

This explains the fact that in Orthodox worship the Gospel is not only a book to read, but also an object of liturgical worship: the closed Gospel lies on the throne, it is kissed, it is taken out for worship by the faithful. During the episcopal consecration, the revealed Gospel is placed on the head of the person being ordained, and during the sacrament of the Blessing of Unction, the revealed Gospel is placed on the head of the sick person. As an object of liturgical worship, the Gospel is perceived as a symbol of Christ Himself.

In the Orthodox Church, the Gospel is read daily during worship. For liturgical reading, it is divided not into chapters, but into “conceptions.” The four Gospels are read in their entirety in the Church throughout the year, and for each day of the church year there is a specific Gospel beginning, which the believers listen to while standing. On Good Friday, when the Church remembers the suffering and death of the Savior on the cross, a special service is held with the reading of twelve Gospel passages about the passion of Christ. The annual cycle of Gospel readings begins on the night of Holy Easter, when the prologue of the Gospel of John is read. After the Gospel of John, which is read during the Easter period, the readings of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke begin.

The Acts of the Apostles, conciliar epistles and the epistles of the Apostle Paul are also read in the Church every day and are also read in their entirety throughout the year. The reading of the Acts begins on the night of Holy Easter and continues throughout the Easter period, followed by the conciliar epistles and the epistles of the Apostle Paul.

As for the books of the Old Testament, they are read selectively in the Church. The basis of Orthodox worship is the Psalter, which is read in its entirety throughout the week, and twice a week during Lent. During Lent, conceptions from the Books of Genesis and Exodus, the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, and the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon are read daily. On holidays and days of remembrance of especially revered saints, it is necessary to read three “proverbs” - three passages from the books of the Old Testament. On the eve of the great holidays - on the eve of Christmas, Epiphany and Easter - special services are held with the reading of a larger number of proverbs (up to fifteen), representing a thematic selection from the entire Old Testament relating to the celebrated event.

In the Christian tradition, the Old Testament is perceived as a prototype of New Testament realities and is viewed through the prism of the New Testament. This kind of interpretation is called “typological” in science. It began with Christ Himself, who said about the Old Testament: “Search the Scriptures, for through them you think you have eternal life; and they testify of Me” (John 5:39). In accordance with this instruction of Christ, in the Gospels many events from His life are interpreted as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Typological interpretations of the Old Testament are found in the epistles of the Apostle Paul, especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where the entire Old Testament history is interpreted in a representative, typological sense. The same tradition is continued in the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church, filled with allusions to events from the Old Testament, which are interpreted in relation to Christ and the events from His life, as well as to events from the life of the New Testament Church.

According to the teachings of Gregory the Theologian, the Holy Scriptures contain all the dogmatic truths of the Christian Church: you just need to be able to recognize them. Nazianzen proposes a method of reading Scripture that can be called “retrospective”: it consists in considering the texts of Scripture based on the subsequent Tradition of the Church, and identifying in them those dogmas that were more fully formulated in a later era. This approach to Scripture is fundamental in the patristic period. In particular, according to Gregory, not only the New Testament, but also the Old Testament texts contain the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

Thus, the Bible must be read in the light of the dogmatic tradition of the Church. In the 4th century, both Orthodox and Arians resorted to the texts of Scripture to confirm their theological positions. Depending on these settings, different criteria were applied to the same texts and interpreted differently. For Gregory the Theologian, as for other Church Fathers, in particular Irenaeus of Lyons, there is one criterion for the correct approach to Scripture: fidelity to the Tradition of the Church. Only that interpretation of biblical texts is legitimate, Gregory believes, which is based on Church Tradition: any other interpretation is false, since it “robs” the Divine. Outside the context of Tradition, biblical texts lose their dogmatic significance. And vice versa, within Tradition, even those texts that do not directly express dogmatic truths receive new understanding. Christians see in the texts of Scripture what non-Christians do not see; to the Orthodox is revealed what remains hidden from heretics. The mystery of the Trinity for those outside the Church remains under a veil, which is removed only by Christ and only for those who are inside the Church.

If the Old Testament is a prototype of the New Testament, then the New Testament, according to some interpreters, is the shadow of the coming Kingdom of God: “The Law is the shadow of the Gospel, and the Gospel is the image of future blessings,” says Maximus the Confessor. The Monk Maximus borrowed this idea from Origen, as well as the allegorical method of interpreting Scripture, which he widely used. The allegorical method made it possible for Origen and other representatives of the Alexandrian school to consider stories from the Old and New Testaments as prototypes of the spiritual experience of an individual human personality. One of the classic examples of a mystical interpretation of this kind is Origen’s interpretation of the Song of Songs, where the reader goes far beyond the literal meaning and is transported to another reality, and the text itself is perceived only as an image, a symbol of this reality.

After Origen, this type of interpretation became widespread in the Orthodox tradition: we find it, in particular, in Gregory of Nyssa, Macarius of Egypt and Maximus the Confessor. Maximus the Confessor spoke of the interpretation of Holy Scripture as an ascent from the letter to the spirit. The anagogical method of interpreting Scripture (from the Greek anagogê, ascent), like the allegorical method, proceeds from the fact that the mystery of the biblical text is inexhaustible: only the outer outline of Scripture is limited by the framework of the narrative, and “contemplation” (theôria), or the mysterious inner meaning, is limitless. Everything in Scripture is connected with the inner spiritual life of man, and the letter of Scripture leads to this spiritual meaning.

Typological, allegorical and anagogical interpretation of Scripture also fills the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church. For example, the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, read during Lent, contains a whole gallery of biblical characters from the Old and New Testaments; in each case, the example of a biblical hero is accompanied by a commentary with reference to the spiritual experience of the person praying or a call to repentance. In this interpretation, the biblical character becomes a prototype of every believer.

If we talk about the Orthodox monastic tradition of interpreting the Holy Scriptures, then first of all it should be noted that the monks had a special attitude towards the Holy Scriptures as a source of religious inspiration: they not only read and interpreted it, but also memorized it. Monks, as a rule, were not interested in the “scientific” exegesis of Scripture: they viewed Scripture as a guide to practical activity and sought to understand it through the implementation of what was written in it. In their writings, the ascetic Holy Fathers insist that everything said in Scripture must be applied to one’s own life: then the hidden meaning of Scripture will become clear.

In the ascetic tradition of the Eastern Church there is the idea that reading the Holy Scriptures is only an auxiliary means on the path of the spiritual life of the ascetic. The statement of the Monk Isaac the Syrian is characteristic: “Until a person accepts the Comforter, he needs the Divine Scriptures... But when the power of the Spirit descends into the spiritual power operating in a person, then instead of the law of the Scriptures, the commandments of the Spirit take root in the heart...” According to the thought of St. Simeon the New Theologian, the need for Scripture disappears when a person meets God face to face.

The above judgments of the Fathers of the Eastern Church by no means deny the need to read the Holy Scriptures and do not diminish the significance of Scripture. Rather, it expresses the traditional Eastern Christian view that the experience of Christ in the Holy Spirit is superior to any verbal expression of this experience, whether in the Holy Scriptures or any other authoritative written source. Christianity is a religion of encountering God, not of bookish knowledge of God, and Christians are by no means “people of the Book,” as they are called in the Koran. Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky) considers it no coincidence that Jesus Christ did not write a single book: the essence of Christianity is not in moral commandments, not in theological teaching, but in the salvation of man by the grace of the Holy Spirit in the Church founded by Christ.

Insisting on the priority of church experience, Orthodoxy rejects those interpretations of Holy Scripture that are not based on the experience of the Church, contradict this experience, or are the fruit of the activity of an autonomous human mind. This is the fundamental difference between Orthodoxy and Protestantism. By proclaiming the principle of “sola Scriptura” and rejecting the Tradition of the Church, Protestants opened up wide scope for arbitrary interpretations of the Holy Scriptures. Orthodoxy claims that outside the Church, outside Tradition, a correct understanding of Scripture is impossible.