SPENDING TIME WITH…
THE INCARNATE
WORD OF GOD
LEARNING CHRIST - IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES – IN ACCORD WITH THE EASTERN CHRISTIAN FAITH OF THE BYZANTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ORDER TO LIVE THIS FAITH AND SHARE IT WITH OTHERS.
Our new Eparchial Pastoral Plan states our mission is to “proclaim, to witness [and] make present the salvation in Jesus Christ… with Byzantine Catholic liturgy, spirituality, theology and tradition.” Our parishes must be “vibrant centers of hope and evangelization” because the Church provides the opportunity for God’s people to encounter the living God. Since “being a disciple of Jesus Christ requires a well-understood faith… the Church assists us in knowing our faith & inspires us to live it.”
Join Sub-Dn. Lazarus Der-Ghazarian, M.A. in Eastern Theology, as he leads a study of the Holy Scriptures as they are understood in the Byzantine-Constantinopolitan Church Tradition. We will also focus on the insights of the great Fathers and Saints venerated by the East and will reference the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches & other texts to answer questions.
Primary Text: The Orthodox Study Bible (available from our Byzantine Catholic Seminary, Barnes & Noble &Amazon) will be used because it so beautifully presents the many facets of our Byzantine Faith (make sure to get the edition with both the Old & New Testaments). Bring a notebook and pen totake notes.
Class Time: 7pm every Wednesday @St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church Hall. Contact Sub-Deacon Lazarus with any questions ( ).
TRISAGION PRAYERS: Glory to you, our God, glory to you. Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth,everywhere present and filling all things,Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life,come and dwell within us,cleanse us of all stain,and save our souls, O gracious One.Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal,have mercy on us. (3x). Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen. Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us;Lord, cleanse us of our sins;Master, forgive our transgressions; Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities for your name's sake. Lord have mercy (3x). Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,now and ever and forever. Amen.
O JOYFUL LIGHT: O Joyful Light / of the holy glory / of the Father immortal / the heavenly, holy, blessed one / O Jesus Christ /Now that we have reached the setting of the sun / and see the evening light / we sing to God /Father, Son, Holy Spirit / It is fitting at all times to raise a song of praisein measured melody to you /
O Son of God, the giver of life. / Therefore, the universe sings your glory.
OPENING PRAYER: O Christ our God, You are the Light of the Word. He who follows You shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life. (Say together): Loving Master, let the pure light of your divine knowledge shine brightly in our hearts and open the eyes of our minds that we may understand the proclamation of your Gospel. Instill the fear of your blessed commandments in us so that, having trampled all carnal desires, we may lead a spiritual life both thinking and doing everything to please you. For you, O Christ our God, are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, and we give glory to you, with your eternal Father, and your all holy good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER (at end of class): The Lord’s Prayer(use Liturgy books to sing in the tone of the week).
Guidelines: Remember the goal of this Eastern Christian Bible Study is not so much to be academic but to encounter Jesus Christ our Lord Who is the Incarnate Word and Son of God. We seek to let Christ speak to us through the study of the written Word of God because Jesus is “the Way, the Truth and the Life…” (Jn. 14:6).
Do’s:
-Do participate & offer your insights or reaction to the Scriptural passages.
-Do ask your questions about theScriptures, Faith & Morals.
-Do remember this is an Eastern Christian Bible Study. We want to maintain our purpose which is to learn the Eastern Catholic Faith as it is expressed in the Holy Scriptures (as our Pastoral Plan states).
Don’ts:
-Don’t argue. If there is something you find questionable, you can voice your objection but then let it go so we can move the class on. People are here to study the Scriptures, not to listen to us argue. If there is a serious concern we can discuss it one on one after the class and, if necessary, consult the hierarchy. Please don’t quibble about the translation:It is well suited for our class but no translation or edition is perfect.
-Don’t go off on long tangents: We want to keep the EC Bible Study moving.
-Don’t bash other religions. Because we are convinced of the truthfulness of our faith, we will discuss what we consider to be the errors of other faiths. But we will also affirm any elements of truth in these faiths.
-No anti-RomanCatholicism: Those of the Latin Church are our full brethren in the faith. We venerate their theology, liturgy and tradition just as we expect them to venerate and respect ours. If we talk about our historic differences (between East & West)-it must always be with respect. We hope to show how our differences are complementary rather than conflicting.
The New Testament Arranged for Advantageous Study
The Gospel to the Gentiles:
A. The Apostolic Works of St. John the Apostle & Theologian
The 2nd Epistle of St. John, 90-95 AD
The 1st Epistle of St. John, 90-95 AD
The 3rd Epistle of St. John, 90-95 AD
The Gospel According to St. John, c. 96 AD
The Apocalypse to St. John, 81-96 AD
B. The Apostolic Worksunder St. Peter the Apostle
The Gospel According to St. Mark, before 70 AD
The 1st Epistle of St. Peter, 50-67 AD
The 2nd Epistle of St. Peter, 63-67 AD
C. The Apostolic Worksunder St. Paul the Apostle
The Gospel According to St. Luke, 70-80 AD
The Acts of the Apostles, 75-85 AD
The Epistle to the Galatians, 49 AD?
The 1st Epistle to the Thessalonians, 50-51 AD
The 2nd Epistle to the Thessalonians, 51 AD
The 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, 55 AD
The 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians, 55 AD
The Epistle to the Romans, 55-57 AD
The Epistle to St. Philemon, 61-63 AD
The Epistle to the Philippians, 61-63 AD
The Epistle to the Colossians, 61-63 AD
The Epistle to the Ephesians, 61-63 AD
The Epistle to St. Titus, 63-65 AD
The 1st Epistle to St. Timothy, 64-65 AD
The 2nd Epistle to St. Timothy, 65-67 AD
The Gospel to the Hebrews:
D. The Apostolic Work among the Hebrews
The Epistle of St. James the Apostle, 55-60 AD
The Epistle of St. Jude the Apostle, 60-80 AD
The Epistle to the Hebrew Christians, c. 70 AD
The Gospel According to St. Matthew, 50-70 AD
What follows is an explanation of the above arrangement. I've been a student of the Scriptures for over 20 years and this presentation is based on these studies in ancient and modern scholarship.I pray this study will be enjoyable and bring us all closer to Christ our God. -Sub-Dn. Lazarus W. Der-Ghazarian
The Gospel to the Gentiles:
A. The Apostolic Work of St. John the Theologian and Apostle:
I arranged the Epistles of St. John the Theologian (as he is known in the Christian East) based upon a theory that his 2nd Epistle was the cover letter for his 1st Epistle and his 3rdEpistle was the conclusion. As a result, these three Epistles can be seen as forming a single unit. The reference in his 2nd Epistle to the “Elect Lady” is a code word in this introductory letter for the Church which was the recipient of allthree epistles. 1 St. John then gives the core of the message which St. John wished to convey to this Church. 3 St. John is a final note to this Church’s hierarchy. Regardless of the speculative nature of such a theory, in keeping with the purpose of this study, I thought it would be advantageousto be able to study these Epistles arranged in this way. The Gospel of St. John then follows, based on the theory that St. John’s 1st Epistle contained early ideas that St. John later developed into his Gospel. Finally, “The End”: TheApocalypse (or Revelation) of St. John.
B. The Apostolic Worksunder St. Peter:
Eastern tradition identifies St. Markas “John-Mark,” one of the Seventy Two Disciples (St. Lk 10:1ff). Tradition states that St. Mark wrote on the witness and authority of St. Peter the Apostle. Therefore, St. Peter's 1st & 2ndEpistles logically follow St. Mark’s Gospel.
C. The Apostolic Works underSt. Paul:
St. Luke’s Gospel is reunited with its companion volume,the Acts(or Works) of the Apostles. Eastern tradition states that St. Luke was also one of the Seventy Two. Tradition also records that he wrote on the authority of St. Paul. Therefore the Epistles of St. Paul follow the writings of St. Luke. I have arranged St. Paul's Epistles in their likely chronological order. It begins with Galatians which may or may not be older than his Epistles to the Thessalonians. But since in Galatians St. Paul gives some important biographical background, it is a fitting introduction to St. Paul (especially following Acts’ abrupt ending with Paul’s arrest). Many of St. Paul’s later Epistles were composed while he was in prison in Rome. Therefore, followinghis Epistle to the Church of Rome, and before the Pastoral Epistles, come his CaptivityEpistles beginning with Philemon and ending with his most ecclesiologically developed Epistle to the Ephesians. This section ends with the “Pastoral Epistles” which, in turn, close with St. Paul's farewell letter, his 2nd Epistle to St. Timothy.
The Gospel to the Hebrews:
St. James (or Jacob), brother of our Lord, was the first bishop of the Jerusalem Church. He was a very devout Jew, who was so inclined towards penance that he became known by his fellow Jews as “the camel-kneed” because of the hours he spent knelling in prayer. The Epistle of St. Jude (or Judas), the brother of St. James, thenfollows. St. Jude’s Epistle alludes to apocryphal books the Jews would have been acquainted with (i.e. The Assumption of Moses and 1st Enoch). The Epistle to the Hebrews then follows. Composed either by St. Paul, or one of his companions (e.g., Sts. Barnabas, Apollos, or Priscilla and Aquila), it is addressed to Hebrew Christians. Hebrews teaches us who Jesus is and what His salvific sacrifice means for the world. Finally, the Gospel According to St. Matthew uses the most Old Testament quotes of any of the Evangelists to convince his fellow Jews that Jesus is the long awaited Christ. While Hebrews teaches us the theology of Christ (known as Christology), the Gospel of St. Matthew gives us the story of Jesus and ends with His Great Commission.
For more EC Bible Study resources go to my webpage: and click on “Holy Scripture.”
Questions and Answers on the Eastern Christian Bible Study:
Q. Why have an “Eastern” Christian Bible Study?
A. The Second Vatican Council document“Orientalium Ecclesiarum” called Eastern Catholics to rediscover and return to our historic, Eastern traditions. We are called to “attain to an ever greater knowledge” and to “return to [our] ancestral traditions” including our “rites, discipline, and doctrine.”
Q. Why did Vatican II call us to do this?
A. Our historic Eastern rites (Liturgy), discipline (Canons), and doctrine (Theology), according to Vatican II, are best suited for our salvation. People often state they want to get more out of our Liturgy. The Liturgy we celebrate is but an expression of our Eastern Christian Faith. Understanding the Byzantine Catholic Faith will greatly assist us in understanding our Byzantine Liturgy.
B. There is also an important ecumenical reason. Eastern Catholics are called to show that the Eastern Christian (or Orthodox) Faith can be fully followed within the Catholic Communion. To the degree that we can faithfully maintain and flourish in this, the Orthodox Churches willhave reason to consider reunification.
Q. Why not have a general “Catholic” Bible Study?
A. Whenever there is a Bible Study it is always in some context. Sometimes these take on common Protestant styles and themes. A general “Catholic” study, using Roman Catholic texts, would inevitably become a “Roman Catholic” Bible study. There is nothing wrong this but such studies are abundantly available throughout the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. The Byzantine Church is one of the few places people can go to attend an Eastern Christian Bible Study.
Q. What are the instructor’s credentials for leading such a class?
A. Sub-Dn. Lazarus has been a student of Eastern Christian Theology for over 20 years and holds a Masters of Arts in Applied Orthodox Theology from the Antiochian House of Studies (with the blessing of our Eparch, His Grace Bishop John Kudrick). He has a great love for the Byzantine Church’s Theology, Liturgy and Tradition.
Q. Why use the Orthodox Study Bible?
A. We are using the Orthodox Study Bible as our primary text because: (1) It beautifully presents the many facets of our Eastern Christian Faith in a very positive format. This is why it is sold by our Seminary bookstore and even used by Eastern Catholic Bishops. (2) It has a New Testament based on the Textus Receptus which is a traditional Byzantine text from Constantinople and has study aids to compare it to the Majority Text and modern Critical Texts. (3) It has an Old Testament translation of the Greek Septuagint which is the official Old Testament of the Byzantine Churches. It was also the primary Old Testament used by the Apostles when they wrote the New Testament. (4) It is packed with notes which underline how our Byzantine Faith, Liturgy, Theology, Mysteries and Spirituality have profound bases in the Holy Scriptures. We’ll also use the CCC, the ECOC and other official Church documents to help answer questions as they arise.
Q. Can someone bring their own Bible?
A. Of course. But because we want the Bible Study to stay on track and not get bogged down on long discussions about differing translations. We will stick to reading OSB text and notes to keep the class focused on its real purpose: to be an Eastern Christian Bible Study. Our Church providesspare copies of the OSB for those who don’t have their own.
Q. Who is the intended audience of this class?
A. Anyone interested in learning about the Eastern Christian Faith as it is contained in the Bible, including Eastern Catholics, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and potential converts. Our Eparchy’s new Pastoral Plan calls our parishes to be “vibrant centers of hope and evangelization.” This class will afford our people a wonderful opportunity to learn their Byzantine Catholic Faith. It will offer Roman Catholics a chance to learn, in a positive environment, about the other lung of the Church (something highly encouraged by St. John Paul) and (3) It will give people who thirst for the Eastern expression of the faith a reason to come to our Church and stay here. We hope it will draw new members and build the faith of our current members. Both of these objectives are called for in ourEparchial Plan. What better reason is there for people to join our Church than having fallen in love with our Eastern Christian Faith in Jesus Christ?
Q. Should Roman Catholics attend an Eastern Christian Bible Study? If so, would they feel comfortable and welcomed?
A. Yes and Yes! Roman Catholics are encouraged in the strongest terms to learn about Eastern Catholics. Pope St. John Paul called Eastern Catholics, "the Other Lung of the Church," and added that the Church needs, "to breathe with both lungs again." As St. John Paul stated:
Since, in fact, we believe that the venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ's Church, the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with that tradition, so as to be nourished by it and to encourage the process of unity in the best way possible for each. Our Eastern Catholic brothers and sisters are very conscious of being the living bearers of this tradition, together with our Orthodox brothers and sisters. The members of the Catholic Church of the Latin tradition must also be fully acquainted with this treasure and thus feel, with the pope, a passionate longing that the full manifestation of the Church's catholicity be restored to the Church and to the world, expressed not by a single tradition and still less by one community in opposition to the other; and that we too may all be granted a full taste of the divinely revealed and undivided heritage of the Church, which is preserved and grows in the life of the Churches of the East as in those of the West.
B. This Bible Study will not denigrate into anti-Roman Catholicism. Instead it will celebrate the wondrous diversity of the Catholic Church which truly shows forth our Catholicity. The class will help Eastern Catholics understand what makes their faith unique and help them understand how beautifully it complements the faith of Roman Catholics. It will also help Roman Catholics to understand and appreciate the faith of their Eastern Catholic brethren -just as St. John Paul called for. Lastly, the class will help demonstrate to our Orthodox brethren that we can live our authentic Eastern Christian Faith in full communion with our Roman Catholic brethren of the West.