Saint

Tikhon of Zadonsk.

Collected Works.

Volume 3.

About true Christianity.

Book One.

Preparation for Christian wisdom:

On Sins and Virtues

About true Christianity. Book 1

Part One.

About sins

Article 1.

What you need to know

Chapter 1.

On the Word of God

Search the Scriptures, for you think by them to have eternal life, says Christ.

(John 5:39)

§ 1. The Word of God is contained in the prophetic and apostolic books, which in Greek are called: "The Bible", that is, books. These books are otherwise called "Scriptures," as Christ says, Search the Scriptures, and so forth. And the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: "Thou hast known the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and so forth" (2 Tim. 3:15). They are also called books of the Law of God, since they contain the law of God.

§ 2. The Word of God is called and is God's because it has been announced and transmitted to us from God through the prophets and apostles, as messengers, as the holy Apostle Peter wrote: "Prophecy was never uttered by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21). And the Apostle Paul says: "Having received the word of God which you have heard from us, you have received it not as the word of men, but as the word of God, as it is in truth" (1 Thess. 2:13). And to Timothy he says: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16).

The Holy Scriptures are the message of the Heavenly King to His servants, to us, the unworthy, who, through His faithful and wise servants by the Holy Spirit, He deigned to send His holy and merciful will to reveal His merciful will. Therefore, it has in itself a certain wondrous and divine power and action, so that in a short time, as we see in the apostolic preaching, not through many, but through twelve people, not wise, but simple and unlettered, it swept through the whole world, as it is written: "Their proclamation went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world" (Psalm 18:5; Romans 10:18). And not only did it pass, but it bore such fruit, that the nations, mired in the delusion of idolatry and ossified, having abandoned the superstition of idolatry, to Christ crucified, who died such an honorable death, clung to Him and recognized Him as Saviour and God in their hearts.