Download spending time with… the incarnate word of god

SPENDING TIME WITH…
THE INCARNATE
WORD OF GOD
LEARNING CHRIST - IN THE HOLY
SCRIPTURES - IN ACCORD WITH THE EASTERN
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 to take notes.
Class Time: 7pm every Wednesday @ St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church Hall.
Contact Sub-Deacon Lazarus with any questions ( [email protected] ).
Welcome packet information for new participants in our Eastern Christian Bible Study:
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 praise in 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 the Scriptures, 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-Roman Catholicism: 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
traditions are complementary rather than conflicting.
The New Testament Arranged for Advantageous Study
The Gospel to the Gentiles:
A. The Apostolic Work of St. John the Theologian & Apostle
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 Work under 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 Work under 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 studying the NT for over 15 years. This
is based on these studies as well as on 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 modern
theory that his 2nd Epistle was the cover letter for his 1st Epistle and his 3rd Epistle was a 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 for the Church which was the recipient of the three 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
arrangement, I thought it would be advantageous to 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 he
later developed into his Gospel. And finally, “The End,” St. John’s Apocalypse or book of Revelation.
B. The Apostolic Work under St. Peter:
Eastern tradition identifies St. Mark as “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 Epistles logically follow St. Mark’s Gospel.
C. The Apostolic Work under St. 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 one possible & 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). Many of St.
Paul’s later Epistles were composed while he was in prison in Rome. Therefore, following his Epistle to the
Church of Rome, and before the Pastoral Epistles, come his Captivity Epistles beginning with Philemon and
ending with his most ecclesiologically developed Epistle to the Church of Ephesus. 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) 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 knelt in prayer. The Epistle of St. Jude (or Judas), the brother of St. James, then follows. 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: www.looys.net 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 Faith
can be fully followed in the Catholic Communion. To the degree that we faithfully maintain and flourish in
our historic Eastern faith, the Orthodox will have good 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 the only place
someone can go to attend a Byzantine Catholic 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 is currently
completing four years of graduate study for a MA in Applied Eastern / Orthodox Theology (with the blessing
of His Grace Bishop John Kudrick). He has a great love for the Byzantine Church’s Theology 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 Byzantine Faith in a very positive format. This is why it is sold by our Seminary bookstore and
even used by Eastern & Byzantine Catholic Bishops. (2) It has a NT 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 OT which is a translation of the Greek Septuagint which is the traditional
OT of the Byzantine Churches. It was also the primary OT used by the Apostles when they wrote the NT.
(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 the OSB text and notes to keep the class focused on
its real purpose: to be an Eastern Christian Bible Study. I will try to get some extra copies for those who can't
afford their own OSB and to have some spares available.
Q. Who is the intended audience of this class?
A. Anyone interested in learning about the Byzantine 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 II)
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 the Pastoral Plan. What better reason is there for people to join our Church than
having fallen in love with our Byzantine Catholic Faith in Jesus Christ?
Q. Should Roman Catholics attend an Eastern Christian Bible study? If they do, would they feel comfortable
and welcomed?
A. Yes and Yes! Roman Catholics are encouraged in the strongest terms to learn about Eastern Catholicism.
Pope St. John Paul II called Eastern Catholicism, "the other lung of the Church," and added that the Church
needs, "to breathe with both lungs again." As St. John Paul II 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 Pope St. John Paul II 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.
Apprehension about using Orthodox material: Our seminary sells many Orthodox texts, including the OSB
because we share with them the same basic Eastern Christian Faith, Liturgy and Canonical tradition. This is
why many Byzantine Catholic clergy use the OSB and why our seminary also has several Orthodox teachers
among its faculty. There is no reason to be apprehensive about using Orthodox texts. Our calling as Eastern
Catholics is to be Orthodox in communion with Rome (see the beautiful quote above by St. John Paul II).