The Purpose of Scripture

                                              Chapter 1 of the Gospel of John in Greek

I find it a bit funny that many people approach me asking me what a certain verse might entail or how can I gain a deeper appreciation for the scriptures as a spiritual reading. The problem with western society is post-modernism. Post modernism has destroyed everything beautiful we know including how to view scripture. How? Because it takes scripture and it does the complete opposite of how one is to interpret scripture. Scripture cannot be read as a historical document. You cannot read scripture and reach conclusions like the universe was created in six days as one example. A literal approach is needed to understand scripture but this is not the final goal. A spiritual understanding is needed to understand what scripture is. So looking at the creation story; its not about how God created the world but rather how do we find Christ in Scripture. That is the ultimate purpose of scripture. The cross is the center of the entire scriptures. Everything that came before the cross and after the cross if focused upon the cross.

During scripture class with Fr. John Behr, he has asked us what were the first words that Eve spoke to Adam. (Genesis ch2 the creation account is set in the garden of Eden). No one even dared to guess. He looked at the class and smiled saying "she probably asked him are you the gardener?" We all looked at each other and laughed. The idea is that all of scripture is focused on Christ. If we then learn to interpret scripture on understanding the mystery of who Christ is then we will be able to appreciate what scripture means and we can then learn to grow a deep level to applying scripture in our own lives. However, if we continue to view scripture as a historical document then scripture will break down as being the words of God. The purpose of scripture is to be understood on who Christ is. And by understanding who Christ us this will always to live in union and to be one with God.

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"The Fathers wrote many biblical commentaries and sets of homilies or sermons centered upon a book of the bible. Their aim was to build up the faithful as part of the living Body of Christ. The Fathers were also aware of the fact that the Scriptures were ancient documents written in a variety of grammars, styles, and vocabularies and that these documents presented problems of interpretation. Although the Father were competent scholars of language because of their training in rhetoric, or the art of using language, pure of disinterested historical scholarship in the modern sense was not their aim. Their aim was always concerned with deification in one way or another: the bible was their guide in coming to know God."

Stephen Thomas, "Deification in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition: A Biblical Perspective." (New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2007) 69.

"No one can make sense of any text unless one has a method of interpreting it, an approach and a direction. Tradition, then, provides a creative perspective relevant to our knowledge of God as saving us and as deifying us. This creative perspective of tradition can help us to penetrate deeply into the Scriptures in the Orthodox way."

Stephen Thomas, "Deification in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition: A Biblical Perspective." (New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2007) 70.