The place of the Old Testament in the early church:

The Old Testament was the book of Jesus, the Apostles and, in general, the first book of the Church. Jesus said, in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17), “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill”; Here, “perfect” has the meaning of completion, as can be deduced from following Christ’s words (Matthew 5:21): “I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” What he said here relates to completing the law and also deepening it.

This appears from the writings of Paul, an apostle to the nations, and from the Epistle to the Hebrews itself. Paul, following in the footsteps of his teacher Jesus, considers that the law flourished and grew in Christ, and sometimes uses verses from the law under the name “the written”: “Do not think, brothers… beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 6:4). This apostle, like Christ before him, sees the Old Testament as a foundation and preparation for the New Testament, which is included in the Old either as direct revelations (such as prophecies) or indirectly (images), and he considers the Old Testament law to be completed in love for the new (Hebrews 1:10). This law He was only “a guide to Christ” (Galatians 3:24) and “a shadow of future good things.” This is what is expressed, with great success and in complete agreement with the Old Testament, by the beautiful hymn of the Orthodox Church, “The shadow of the law ceased from the moment of the coming of grace.” (Duksa Kanin piece, second tune, Saturday sunset from the Book of the Comforter).

But the Old Testament was rejected by some heretical Christian groups, such as the Gnostics, Marcionists, and others, or was referred to another god. But the early church strongly rejected the views of the Gnostics. Through the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, many nations found the way to Christianity. It is known that the Old Testament helped and supported the church’s missionary missionary activity, while the New Testament was taking its shape, or was being formulated little by little and quietly. Together, the old and the new, they composed a unit called La Bible - Biblos, the Holy Book, which the Holy Tradition considers as the basis of Christian education. God himself speaks in the words of the two Testaments. The Holy Spirit himself inspired the writers of the Old and New Testaments.
Exactly the struggle and struggle of the early church against the attacks of the Gnostics and Marcionists on the Old Testament inspired the early catholic church’s duty to stress the unity of the two testaments. But on the other hand, the New Testament, in addition to the Holy Tradition, has always been considered, and has been for a long time, helpful in interpreting and verifying the Old Testament. Among the fathers who were interested in the relationship between the new and the old was John Chrysostom in his letter to the Romans, and also Augustine: “The New Testament is found in the old, and the old is in the new.”

Despite the preparatory character or preparatory character that characterizes the Old Testament, and despite the distinctive status of the New Testament, which the apostles themselves acknowledge and recognize, and despite the success of the Old Testament through the New Testament, the Old Testament remains in the early catholic church, not only as a sacred source of discipline. And teaching believers, according to the commandment of the Messenger of the Nations (2 Timothy 3:16): “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” But he also exercised great influence in shaping education, discipline and worship and also, in one way or another, had an impact on the social life of believers. It is understood from this that there is a deep and broad knowledge of the Old Testament, and this is the result of its private and public use.

The specific use of the Old Testament in the early church:

Regarding the use of the Old Testament in the early church - individually and collectively - we have many direct and indirect testimonies in the writings of the Church Fathers, including John Chrysostom, who was one of the most diligent readers, and perhaps the most fervent instigator of reading the Bible. Comparing the benefit of reading the Old Testament with the benefit of reading the New Testament, he notes that: “The Old Testament, on the one hand, makes us human beings, and on the other hand, the New Testament makes humans angels.” Saint Jerome in the West was one of those who held this opinion.

The great persecution launched by the Emperor Diocletian, in the late third and early fourth centuries, against Christians and against the Bible, when he issued an edict ordering the burning of the Holy Books, is, as Hrnák notes, “an excellent proof of the position that the Holy Book occupied among Christians and the people in general.” .

Great fathers in the East (such as Gregory of Nazianzus) and in the West (such as Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine) also warned against reading the Holy Bible in a truncated and inaccurate manner. Not only that, but the Church itself chose liturgical passages from the Old Testament with great caution.

From the books of the Old Testament, and from the Bible in general, the Psalms were read in particular in the early Church and the Orthodox Church, not only in collective worship but also personally. She was also memorized by heart. Resolution of the Seventh Ecumenical Council; Held in Nicaea, stipulated in the second law:

“The one who intends to become a bishop must know the Psalms by heart and understand well what he reads. This is obligatory for all those who have attained priestly dignity. (Collection of Ecclesiastical Law no. 88)

 Patriarch of Constantinople, Ignatius (471-845), says: “No one is prosecuted if he does not read the Psalms.”

General use of the Old Testament in worship in the Early Church and the Orthodox Church:

The use of the Old Testament in the Orthodox Church was, and still is today, abundant, especially the use of the Psalms. The use of the Psalms moved from the Jewish synagogues to the Christian Church, which, by using the Psalms in worship, emphasized their importance.

Saint John Chrysostom shows the believer’s preference for the Psalms, and expresses his admiration: “Everyone loves the Book of David, and the grace of the Holy Spirit arranged things in this way so that David would be glorified at every opportunity in which the Book of Psalms was read in the morning and in the evening.” In addition to the Psalms, other books of the Old Testament were read on essential liturgical occasions. We have four testimonies about this.

1- The testimony of Justin, the philosopher and martyr, in his defense Apolog 167: “In the morning, when the believers gather, the writings of the prophets are read” (Greek Fathers, Apostolic Service 3, p. 1980)

2- The Apostolic Laws dating back to about 300 AD: “Let us read the books of Moses, Joshua the son of Nun, Job, and the writings of Solomon and the sixteen prophets” (Greek Fathers 2,52).

3- The testimony of the so-called Dionysius the Areopagite, around 500 AD (about the ecclesiastical ranks): “After the ancient tradition (meaning the Old Testament), he preached the New Testament” (Greek Fathers - Maine Collection).

4- The testimony of Maximus the Confessor in the seventh century: He talks about the mystery of thanksgiving, mentions readings from the Law and the Prophets (Greek Fathers, Maine Collection 91).

These sources confirm the presence of readings from the Old Testament, arranged before the New Testament, in the liturgy. The use of such readings from the Old Testament is witnessed by the ancient Roman liturgies, Anglican, Syriac, Armenian and others.

Beginning in the seventh century, it appears that readings from the Old Testament, with the exception of the Psalms, began to be excluded from the main liturgies, at least in the area of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; This continues to this day in the Orthodox Church, and the reason for this dimension is that the main liturgy, which was held on Sunday, the day of the Lord’s Resurrection (see Revelation 10:1 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day”), had a special character focused on Christ, and this The center constitutes the sacrament of thanksgiving. In such a liturgy there is no place for the Old Testament except the Psalms, the Lord's favorite book, chiefly the prayer book of the early Church and in which the Lord, the Apostles and the whole early Church saw direct or indirect prophecies concerning the Lord's life and work.

There are many testimonies that show that the Psalms were widely used in the early Church, arranged as readings from the New Testament, and they exist to this day, where we sing Psalms, not only in the liturgy of the catechumens (for example, in the antiphons - which are hymns that are said alternately, such as with the intercessions of the Mother of God - and before the reading of the Epistles Rather, it is also used in the liturgy of believers, for example during Divine Communion some passages from the Psalms are chanted according to an ancient custom.

In addition, in the various daily services held in the Orthodox Church according to the ancient custom, the Book of Psalms is divided into twenty cathedrals that are read once a week (also in the West, Saint Benedict specified the weekly cycles of the Psalms). At sunset on Saturday, the first Kathasma (composed of the first eight psalms) and also Psalms (103-140-141) are read. In magic, you read the Psalms (3-19-20-37-50-62-87-102-118-142). In addition to it, nine verses (praises) are recited in magic, according to the ancient custom, eight of which come from the Old Testament.

A - Moving holidays:

In addition to the Psalms, two readings are read in the Orthodox Church, according to the ancient custom, during the Wednesday and Friday of the week called the Raiser of Cheese, which precedes the fortieth Great Lent, one from Joel and the other from Zechariah. In the first six weeks of Lent, from Monday to Friday, three readings from Isaiah are read at matins, and from Genesis and Proverbs at vespers. The Book of Genesis is also read during Lent, in memory of the creation of the world, especially the creation of man, and in memory of the story of sin.

During the progestational Mass that is held in the Orthodox Church in Holy Week from Monday to Wednesday, and also in the Great Basil Mass that is held at sunset on Holy Thursday, readings are read from Exodus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Job, considering that these are images of Christ, and also Readings from Zechariah. Also, on Good Friday, the day of the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Divine Liturgy is not held in our church, but the hours are read and chanted at sunset, where many Messianic psalms are sung and readings from Isaiah and Jeremiah, Exodus and Job, and passages from the Epistles of the Apostles and the Four Gospels, in addition to many related church hymns. With the Passion, at Easter sunset, the commemoration of Easter Eve, and according to the sacred service, which is one of the most beautiful and oldest services in the Orthodox Church, the Mass of Basil the Great is celebrated, and 15 readings (fifteen readings) are read from Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah and Jonah (all Scripture), Wisdom, 3 and 4 Kings. , Jeremiah and Daniel, with the prayers of Ezra and the Three Boys, which are passages from the Second Canon.

B - Other mobile holidays:

Passages from the Old Testament are read at sunset on the following holidays:

- In the middle of Pentecost, passages from Micah, Isaiah, and Proverbs are read.

- At Pentecost, Genesis and Deuteronomy are read.

On the Sunday after Pentecost, which is the Sunday of All Saints, Isaiah and the Wisdom of Solomon are read.

- At sunset, Isaiah and Zechariah are read.

C - Fixed holidays:

The most important feasts among the fixed feasts, that is, Christmas and the Epiphany, are preceded by ritual services from the early church, as in the commemoration of Easter Eve. In the Paramon (Hours and Sunset) of Christmas, readings are read from Genesis, Numbers, Micah, Isaiah, Baruch, and Daniel.

In the paramon of the apparition, readings are read from Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah 3 and 4, Kings and Judges. Regarding the rest of the fixed feasts, three readings from the Old Testament are read on each feast at sunset. As in the feasts of the Lord Christ (circumcision, entry into the temple, the Annunciation, the Transfiguration, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross), the feasts of the Virgin Mary (the birth of Our Lady, her entry into the temple, and her sleep), the feasts of Saint John the Baptist, the feasts of the martyrs, and the anniversary of the ecumenical councils.

Using the Old Testament in teaching, evangelism, and preaching:

The sermon is an essential and important part of the Divine Liturgy, although it is not practiced frequently in the Orthodox Church, for one reason or another, especially the biblical sermon.

The Old Testament was used extensively in preaching and teaching in the early church, and this is evidenced by the ancient church writings, in which we find not only preaching or teaching about some characters and topics of the Old Testament, but also comments and interpretation of many books. We also find abundant use of the Old Testament in relation to teaching and disciplining youth in the early church, by Origen and Chrysostom (eight sermons on baptism) and Cyril of Jerusalem (teaching on the sacraments).

How do we use the Old Testament in the sermon?

If we accept that the Old Testament is divine revelation, the Word of God, we must use it in sermon. The New Testament addresses the Church, as does the Old Testament. From here we can say that we can use the Old Testament in Christian preaching and teaching, but we cannot stop at it, because the Old Testament preaching or sermon does not have the elements of Christian gospel. Theologically, the Old Testament heralds Christ, but does not show him historically. In order to preach from the Old Testament, we must give it the Christian light, that is, preach from it in the light of the coming light, the light of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Archimandrite Michel Boghos
Lattakia Archbishopric Bulletin
2 / 8 / 1998
Issue 31 and the following