Read it within the Church, not alone. That’s the short answer. The Bible isn’t a standalone instruction manual you decode by yourself, it’s the Church’s book, born from the Church’s life, and it makes sense when you read it the way the Church reads it.
If you grew up Baptist or non-denominational here in Southeast Texas, this probably sounds strange. Most of us learned that the Bible is clear, that anyone can pick it up and understand what God’s saying, that all you need is the Holy Spirit and a willing heart. And there’s something beautiful in that confidence. But it’s not how the Church that wrote the New Testament and decided which books belonged in it has ever approached Scripture.
The Bible Lives in Tradition
We don’t believe in sola scriptura, Scripture alone. The Bible is part of Holy Tradition, not separate from it. The same apostolic community that wrote the Gospels and Epistles also celebrated the Liturgy, baptized in the name of the Trinity, and passed down the faith through bishops and presbyters. You can’t pull Scripture out of that living context and expect it to work the same way.
Think of it like this. The Bible is a family letter. If you’re part of the family, you know what Aunt Martha means when she references “that thing that happened at the lake.” If you’re not, you’ll misread it. The Church is the family. The Fathers, saints like Athanasius, Basil, John Chrysostom, are the ones who knew what Aunt Martha meant. When we read Scripture, we read it with them.
This doesn’t mean you can’t open your Bible at home. Of course you can. But when you do, you’re not starting from scratch. You’re entering a conversation that’s been going on for two thousand years.
Christ Is the Key
Here’s how the Fathers read the Bible: everything points to Christ. The Old Testament isn’t just history or moral lessons. It’s preparation, prophecy, type and shadow. The Church reads the Scriptures Christologically because Christ himself did. Remember the road to Emmaus? “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
So when you read about the Passover lamb or the bronze serpent or Jonah in the belly of the fish, you’re not just learning about ancient Israel. You’re seeing Christ. The New Testament interprets the Old. The Liturgy shows you how.
Liturgy First, Study Second
And that’s the other thing. You’ll encounter Scripture most often in church, not in your quiet time. Every Liturgy includes an Epistle and Gospel. Vespers and Matins are soaked in the Psalms. The lectionary cycles through the biblical story year after year, shaping how we hear these texts. They’re chanted, prayed, preached. They become part of your body.
Private reading is good. But it should flow from that liturgical life. If you want to read the Bible at home, start with the daily readings the Church assigns. Follow the lectionary. Let the rhythm of feasts and fasts guide you. When you hit a confusing passage, check what the Fathers said. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press publishes The Bible and the Holy Fathers for Orthodox, which pairs lectionary readings with patristic commentary. That’s a solid place to start.
Practical Steps
Pray before you read. Ask the Holy Spirit to illumine the text. This isn’t just pious window-dressing, it’s recognition that Scripture is a living word, not a dead document.
Get a good Orthodox Study Bible if you don’t have one already. It includes notes from the Fathers and uses the Septuagint for the Old Testament, which is what the Apostles used and quoted.
Don’t read alone in your head. Talk to your priest about what you’re reading. Bring questions to coffee hour. The Church is a community, and Bible reading should be too.
Watch out for the temptation to find a verse that “proves” what you already wanted to believe. We all do this. The Fathers are a check against it. If your interpretation contradicts the consensus of the saints, you’re probably wrong.
What’s Different from Before
If you’re coming from a Protestant background, this will feel like a shift. You’re used to the Bible being the final authority, the court of last appeal. In Orthodoxy, the Bible is authoritative, but it’s the Church’s Bible, interpreted by the Church, for the Church. The authority isn’t less. It’s located differently.
You might also notice we don’t do verse-by-verse studies the way you did in Sunday school. We’re more interested in the sweep of the story, the theological vision, the way a text functions in the Liturgy. That doesn’t mean careful study is bad. It just means the goal isn’t mastering information. It’s union with Christ.
That’s what all this is for. Not so you can win arguments or feel smart. So you can be transformed. The Bible is medicine, not a textbook. Read it that way, humbly, in the company of the saints, within the life of the Church, and it’ll do its work in you.
