Bible Study

Bible Study

Bible study in the Greek Orthodox Church is a deeply communal and Christ-centered practice. Instead of interpreting scripture in isolation, the faithful read the Bible through the lens of Holy Tradition, relying on commentaries from early Church Fathers and the liturgical rhythm of the church lectionary.

Fr. Kostas leads our Bible Study every Wednesday evening at 7:00pm in the parish Fellowship Hall. 

Core Approaches to Orthodox Bible Study

The Ecclesial View: The Bible belongs to the Church. Orthodox Christians read scriptures not just as historical documents, but as living texts that reveal Christ, properly understood when interpreted in harmony with the teachings of the Church Fathers.

Liturgical Context: The scriptures are deeply intertwined with Orthodox worship. Daily scripture readings are prescribed for every day of the year, which naturally aligns individual study with what is being read during church services.

Patristic Exegesis: Rather than "sola scriptura" (scripture alone), Orthodox study actively references writings by saints like John Chrysostom and Basil the Great to understand how the ancient church understood and applied the Word.

Key Texts Used

The Septuagint (LXX): For the Old Testament, the Orthodox Church uses the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. This includes the deuterocanonical books.

The Orthodox Study Bible (Thomas Nelson): A popular resource among Orthodox faithful, featuring the ancient Septuagint Old Testament and the New King James New Testament. It includes study notes, commentary from Church Fathers, and a guide to the liturgical readings. 

Our parish bookstore stocks a small number of these study bibles for sale to parishioners with the proceeds going to the St. Nicholas Building Fund.  Study bibles are also available online from sites including Amazon.com and Christianbook.com.