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The only English Orthodox Bible I have, is actually only a New Testament...It was put together by the Antiochian Orthodox Church, at least that is what I have been told.

Minor Clarification: the only Gospel approved for use in the AOCA (published by Antakya Press, I believe) uses the RSV version not the KJV.

Someone needs to start letting AOA parishes know then. Every single one I've ever been in used the AV for both the Gospel and Epistle readings. Other texts used can vary. The HTM horologian is popular, and I believe it uses their translation of the LXX psalms. Using the RSV would be very disjointed when used with the AOA liturgical texts.

There is no "official" English translation of the Old or New Testaments. Churches either use what's put out by their mother churches, or they use something which just has local approval or preference.

I much prefer the RSV Catholic edition, and do not care for the NAB at all, translation or commentary.

I believe, and someone correct me if I am mistaken- that the Canadian UGCC is looking at the RSV 2nd Catholic edition? It is quoted in the new liturgy book.

I do not know if there is a Byzantine Gospel book in the RSV or RSV II. I would think the Orthodox have Gospel books with RSV?

Dear Father Deacon,

The Blessing of the Lord!

I am indeed a Greek-Catholic; my ethnic derivation is purely Irish. I and my parish function under the omophorion of His Grace Bishop Hlib, Apostolic Visitor to Greek-Catholics in Ireland. The large majority of the faithful are Ukrainians.

The proper way for a deacon to serve (I presume at the Divine Liturgy) in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church? I suggest two books:

1.) The published by the Holy See, and

2) the altar edition of Christ With Us - the Divine Liturgy in parallel Church-Slavonic and English. The rubrics are expanded on the basis of the and the book has nice illustrations (including the Deacon). It's a tad out of date (being well over 50 years old), but still good - and it retains its original price, making it quite a bargain by today's standards!


Customs: the Orthodox (and therefore the Greek-Catholic) Local Churches have a plethora of different customs; one must learn to roll with the punches!

If you ask the US bishops, they will tell you that there is some sort of requirement that Greek-Catholics in the USA are required to use the New American Bible. But this is not written down anywhere, and is certainly not in force. The Church where I usually serve when I am in New York is provided with a nice RSV Gospel Book from the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese. I recommend it gladly. The Greek Archdiocese also did one, with a magnificent binding and so on, but it's bi-lingual (English and Greek) which makes it a bit too heavy for my aging and arthritic muscles.

Here in Dublin, I normally read the Gospel once in Irish and once in Ukrainian.

Which English translation of the Bible do I recommend? Depends on what you want it for. If, for instance, you wish to study the use of Biblical materials in English literature, you absolutely need the King James Version. If you want a Psalter for purposes of prayer and liturgy, I recommend the Holy Transfiguration Monastery Psalter. If you want an aid to preparing sermons, I suggest the RSV - it's archaic enough to sound dignified, and modern enough to be understandable (Ignatius Press keeps the RSV Catholic Edition in print, God bless them). And so on - the Jerusalem Bible has the best footnotes going.

Hapgood, of course, used the King James Version for most of her texts, but the Psalter she used is that foudn in the old Book of Common Prayer and the work of Miles Coverdale. The Hapgood service-books is one of those maddening books that is seriously flawed and inadequate but is also indispensable. The Antiochian Orthodox Diocese keeps it in print (God bless them too).

You write - correctly - that
Truer words were never written. I once took a friend to visit several Ukrainian Greek-Catholic parishes in Toronto; my friend is an expert in religious folklore. After we had visited five or six churches, my friend turned to me with only one question, which was: "do each of these churches acknowledge the same Deity?" He had a valid point.

You describe one parish in particular: Sounds to me as though you visited Saint Elias Church, Bramton, Ontario - an outstanding parish. I had the joy of serving at the consecration of the new Church (well, it was new at the time of the consecration!). You should meet the Protodeacon there: Father David Kennedy. Mention my name.

A joyful feast of the Ascension of the Lord!

Fr. Serge

I am an RSV man.

I too, like KJV. I actually use the Third Millennium Bible sometimes (www.tmbible.com [tmbible.com]), or the Orthodox New Testament from Holy Apostles Convent, both of which are updates of the KJV, the later based on the 1912 edition of the Byzantine Text promulgated by the Great Church of Constantinople.

I also quite often have the Douay Rheims with me.

But I wonder if a more modern translation should be used in public reading in the liturgy. It seems to me that the RSV still has the traditional dignified language of the older versions, but is a bit more accessible.

Depends who you talk to. There is a strong preference for the older languages in the mother churches, whether it's Slavonic or Byzantine Greek. So the majority of the Orthodox world would not see the need for a modern translation for the liturgical readings.

In the U.S. opinion varies. The Antiochians as I said prefer sacral English, for all of the liturgical texts, so using the AV fits that mold. That's why they also keep the Hapgood in print.

Others use more modern English translations for all liturgical texts, and typically that would involve the RSV for scriptural readings. Some hierarchs, such as Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver however, have plainly said Orthodox churches should not use the RSV.

" Some hierarchs, such as Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver however, have plainly said Orthodox churches should not use the RSV."

That is interesting, for At Holy Cross,(the Greek Orthodox Seminary) near Boston, MA, the professors told us to use the RSV-Catholic Edition, as did Archbishop PETER of the OCA when he gave a Lecture for the Student of the Antiochian House of Studies when I attended in 1995. That was when Metropolitan Philip had almost all his Seminarians there. Now I think he sends the Majority of his seminarians to Vlads; Although I know from time to time they are sent to St. Tykons in PA.

I personally use the King James Authorized Version (which they now publish one that contains all the books of the Bible in the Old Testament) for Hermanutic,exegese purposes, with my Greek Interliner which I believe contains the Textus Reseptus. I also have a an Aramaic Interliner Bible that I use from time to time.
Yes I too have copy of the Orthodox Study Bible, the NIV, and many others. I personally Like the Old English of the KJV. Do any of you have the Confraternity Catholic Version? It is much much better than the NAB.

Fr. Deacon,

I have the 1954 Marian Year Confraternity Bible that I read from "cover to cover."

The AOCA sells the Divine and Holy Gospel Book for $100. The text that is used is the RSV with minor revisions made by several hierarchs with help from various priests, etc.

You can find it listed at: http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:-rcQD_fApxYJ:www.antiochian.org/assets/asset_manager/2bd371d251b2c87167efd747ca56d30e.pdf+orthodox+gospel+book+antiochian&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us

That being said, you will find that many newer AOCA parishes use a cheaper Gospel book that can be bought from several places (including Eastern Christian Supply in Etna) -- these cheaper gospel books usually follow the AV.

Fr. Deacon:

I have two brand new copies of the Confraternity version I purchased from www.sinagtala.com [sinagtala.com] as well as the New Testament which is distributed by Scepter Publishers in the U.S. I very much like it over the NAB, which I do not even own.

Fr. Anthony on this forum once shared that the RSV with the Apocrypha seems to be the choice in Orthodox seminaries. I have long been an RSV man, and have the Catholic editions of the RSV, as well as the excellent Evangelical revision of the RSV, the English Standard Version, which is quoted a lot on byzcath.org.

Bishop Isaiah recommended the KJV in a famous article that is ubiquitous on the net because it is based on the received text.
Fortunately, there are a couple of very good updates of the KJV, the Third Millenium Bible which contains the Duetero-canon (www.tmbbile.com [tmbbile.com]) and the Orthodox New Testament from Holy Apostles Convent; the latter is excellent.

Dr Eric, PRJ and Lacig:

Christ is Risen!

Thanks for your feedback on those books.

Peace.