Section I Introduction

§1 The Bible is the Holy Book of Revelation and Covenant

1. From the first days of the Church's existence, when there were no apostolic books, the Old Testament firmly entered her life. The Psalms were the first prayers of Christians, the biblical prophecies revealed to them the redemptive mystery of the Messiah, the spiritual experience of the Old Testament forerunners of the God-Man became the soil on which the edifice of the Gospel faith was built. In the treasury of the Word of God, Christianity constantly drew inspiration and edification. Without knowing the Old Testament, it is difficult to understand many aspects of church life. The sacraments, divine services, the religious and moral foundations of the Church, her theology, the view of the past, present and future – all this is closely connected with the Old Testament.

2. In delving into it, the Church follows the path indicated by the Lord Himself, who said: "Search the Scriptures" (Jn 5:39). In the days of His earthly life, He Himself prayed more than once with the words of the Old Testament, referring to it, proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were amazed at his knowledge of the Scriptures (cf. Mt 4:4; 21:42; 22:29, 31-32, 36-40; 27:46; Jn 5:47; 7:42; 10:35). The Lord's Prayer, the parables, and the whole preaching of the Saviour are based on the spirit and letter of the Old Testament (cf. e.g. Mt 5:5 and Psalm 36:11; Mt 6:15 and Jeremiah 23:16; Mk 1:1-12 and Isaiah 5; Mk 13:24 and Isaiah 13:10 and many others). That is why Bl. Jerome says that "ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ" (Commentary on Isaiah Prologue).

Thus, for people who accepted the Good News of Christ, the Old Testament became a holy book. And after the New Testament writing appeared, it was added to the Old Testament, forming a single Christian Bible.

3. The word "Bible" is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "sfarim" – books. In the pre-Christian period, this was the name given to the inspired testimonies of Revelation written down by the wise men and prophets of Israel (Dan 9:2).

There are truths about God, the world and man, which the mind, given to people, can and must discover by its own efforts. The laws of nature, the secrets of the craft, the present and past of peoples, and even the very existence of the supreme Principle—all this is known by man, by the natural efforts of his spirit. Revelation is a different matter. It gives something that goes beyond the boundaries of external experience, the earthly mind. It is a gift of God's love, which unites people with the mystery of the Creator and His plans.

4. There is no word "religion" in the Bible; it teaches about the "knowledge of God" (Isaiah 53:11), who speaks to the faithful primarily through his chosen ones. It is generally accepted that the main feature of this "knowledge of God" is monotheism, the pure monotheism of the Old Testament. And indeed, all other beliefs only approached the concept of one God, but never reached the level of true monotheism. Some considered the Deity as an impersonal Power diffused in the universe, others placed secondary gods next to Him, and still others believed in two higher principles: evil and good. Some sages (in Greece and India) asserted that God in His essence is incomprehensible, and paganism ascribed to the gods human qualities, even base passions. Only in the Old Testament is revealed the one God, transcendent of all existence, hidden and incommensurable with man and nature, but at the same time He is the Living, personal God, pouring out His love on creation.

5. Around the year 140, Marcion of Sinope tried to cut off the New Testament from the Old. He argued that the "cruel God" of the ancient books of the Bible was not the loving Father who was proclaimed by Christ. But to do this, Marcion had to distort and cut the New Testament texts. The Church, in the person of St. Justin Martyr and St. Irenaeus of Lyons, decisively condemned such an attempt. "We do not consider another God to be ours, but another to be yours," said St. Justin to the Jew Tryphon, "but we acknowledge one and the same One, Who brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt 'with a mighty hand and a high arm,' in whom we trust no other (for there is no other) except Him in Whom you also, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (St. Justin, Conversation with Tryphon the Jew, II). In fact, the Lord Jesus never taught about any other God and preached on the basis of the Revelation of God given in the Old Testament (cf. e.g. Mt 22:31-32). And Ap. Paul called all believers spiritual descendants of Abraham, the founder of the Old Testament religion (Rom 4:16).

6. Бог, Который открывается в Ветхом Завете, — не безликая космическая Мощь, а Творец, создавший все Своей волей и Словом. Он свят (евр. кад`ош), то есть обладает неисповедимой природой, абсолютно отличной от всего тварного («Мои мысли — не ваши мысли, ни ваши пути — пути Мои, говорит Господь. Но, как небо выше земли, так пути Мои выше путей ваших, и мысли Мои выше мыслей ваших». Ис 55,8-9). Но это не холодная Первопричина деистов, равнодушная к делам мира, а благой Промыслитель. Он — Бог правды и справедливости, непримиримый ко злу, однако Он же — и Бог-Спаситель, прощающий, исцеляющий, ведущий тварь к возрождению и обновлению. Он проявляет Свою мудрость в мироздании, но более всего открывает и осуществляет Свою волю в событиях человеческой истории. Бог Библии назван «ревнителем», ибо Он ждет от человека абсолютной верности и любви; рядом с Ним не может быть терпим никакой «идол», никакое «иное служение»; Он должен полностью царить в сердцах и жизни людей. Чтобы оттенить, подчеркнуть отношение Живого Бога к миру и человеку, библейские писатели иногда прибегали к антропоморфизмам, то есть как бы наделяли Его «очами», «руками», человеческими чувствами. Однако это лишь иносказательный язык Писания, подобный условному, символическому языку иконы.

7. И наконец, Бог Библии есть Бог Завета. Он создает духовные узы между Собой и человеком, ведет с ним диалог, призывает Его к соучастию в Своих созидательных замыслах. Не просто покорного предстояния требует Он, а активного служения. В этом смысл Завета (Союза, Договора), заключенного Им с избранными людьми. Таким образом, библейская религия есть богочеловеческая и венцом ее становится Богочеловек.

Вопросы для повторения

1. Когда Ветхий Завет был принят христианской Церковью?

2. Что означает слово «Библия»?