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One thing that really saddens me now is that it is getting more difficult to find a new copy of the Revised Standard Version.

The only available edition of the RSV with the Septuagint canon is the RSV New Oxford Annotated Bible.

The only other RSV Bible I can find anymore are the various editions of the RSV Catholic edition, which fortunately are still widely available through Oxford, Scepter and Ignatius.

And to find a straight text edition of the ecumenical edition of the RSV, with or with out the Apocrypha, is no longer possible. Cambridge and Oxford have both recently dropped RSV text editions.

Dear Lance,

That is why I treasure, preserve, and most importantly safe-guard my copy that is 25 years old from my seminary days. Replacements don't come easy!

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

As do I. BTW, Father, what translations do most Orthodox jurisdictions use here in the States for liturgy?

My guess about the prayer rules is that the St. Athanasius Academy thought that something is better than nothing, especially considering these Bibles are used as Evangelization tools and in prison ministry. I agree with you that it certainly is not a sufficient prayer rule. I would think that it would be a good idea to put a disclaimer explaining this somewhere in the text.

God bless!

Gordo

Gordo,

Taking a guess from what I can see used regularly, RSV and KJV. These are the only two that I have seen used in lectionary form.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

English language ROCOR parishes pretty universally use the Authorised (King James) Version Gospel Book published by Holoviak. Most still use the Authorised Version also for the Epistles (with Prokeimena & Alleluia verses from the HTM Psalter) usually printed out on a piece of paper and placed inside a Slavonic or other Apostol, though some are now using the St Tikhon's Apostol (which is based on the NKJV corrected to use 'thee and thou' forms).

Antiochian Archdiocese has published an RSV Evangelion which is pretty universally used in the Archdiocese. Some use the Nassar Book for Epistles (which, I think, uses the Rheims NT), though some use the RSV Apostolos published by the Greeks.

Greek Archdiocese seems to use RSV for both Apostolos and Evangelion.

I've seen no uniformity in the OCA. Even though St Tikhon's publishes an Apostol (mention above) and a NKJV Gospel Book, they don't seem to be widely used. A few OCA types prefer KJV, especially for the Gospel. Many are using the RSV Apostolos and Evangelion published by the Greek or Antiochian Archdioceses. A local OCA parish here uses a Uniate Gospel (Archbishop Raya?).

Fr David Straut

There are at least three Greek-Catholic editions of the Altar Gospel - one from the Ukrainian Eparchy of Stamford, one from the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, and that published by Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph (Raya). The only easy way to tell which is the one you saw is to look at the book again.

Meanwhile, it is not unusual to find Greek-Catholic parishes who use Orthodox editions, especially the Antiochian edition which follows the RSV. So does the Greek Archdiocese edition, but since it's parallel Greek-English it's too heavy and it's overpriced.

The Eparchy of Stamford edition has an important advantage, even though the text is the New American Bible - it's printed in the style of a normal Church-Slavonic Gospel Book, so if a reading happens not to be listed, one can still find it easily. It is always easier to ignore and unwanted feast or commemoration than to want one and not have it.

Fr. Serge

Fr. Serge

Fr Serge's post reminded me that I should have used the term "Greek Catholic Gospel" rather than "Uniate Gospel." I forget that the later term is seen by some as provocative. Though that was not my intention, I wish to cause no one offense. I ask forgiveness of any I might have offended.

Fr David Straut

Has anyone see the ESV (English Standard Version)?

It appears to be the RSV with no thees and thous.

Looks nice, but I haven't purchased it yet.

Most of the OCA texts are right out of the RSV, with amendments for the LXX. Nicely rendered, and consistent.

Regarding Gospel books, etc., most Churches I know use the Antiochian RSV Gospel, or the GOARCH version.

I have an ESV New Testament. Generally, it is excellent. It only has a 6% text change from the RSV.

I do not care for how they translate 1 Timothy 3.15, saying the Church is merely "a pillar and bullwark of truth," rather than "the pillar and bulwark of the truth."

My understanding is that it is going to be released with an apocrypha.

The Antiochian Orthodox web site used to link to a searchable ESV; does anyone know how the ESV is being generally received by Orthodox Christians or jurisdictions?

Blessings,


Lance
______________________________________________________________

A Byzantine Christian in a Postmodern World [byzantinechristian.blogspot.com]

I found this review today. Any thoughts?
Blessings! Silouan, monk



A BOOK REVIEW OF THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE - John Collis, M.D.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 23, 2008



I INTRODUCTION




In 1993, the first Orthodox study bible was published, entitled THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE: NEW TESTAMENT AND PSALMS. This contains only the New Testament and the book of Psalms of the Old Testament, all taken from the New King James translation. THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE: NEW TESTAMENT AND PSALMS is available only in English, contains 846 pages, and can be obtained from Conciliar Press.




The second Orthodox study bible was published this year, 2008, entitled THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE. This is a complete bible, containing both the Old Testament and New Testament. The Old Testament is an original and scholarly translation of the Greek Septuagint, that of course includes the Deuterocanon/Apocrypha; the text of the New Testament is taken from the New King James translation. THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE is available only in English, contains 1,830 pages, and can be obtained from Conciliar Press, Lomond, California.




It is the complete study bible, THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE, that is the basis of this book review.



II REVIEW




The bible is the most popular book of all times. During the past 200 years, over 5 billion copies of the bible were printed; this includes translations into 2,043 different languages. The bible herein reviewed, THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE, will probably become the most significant, and the most valuable book ever written for Orthodoxy.




All bibles are scripture, i.e. every bible has at least a text. However, a study bible has both a text and explanations of that text. THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE is the very first of its kind for Orthodoxy in America.




The following are highlights from the study bible:




The entire Study bible is presented from an Orthodox point of view. This may be the most important feature of THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE.




Annotations (footnotes). The annotations are an invaluable aspect of the study bible. There are many thousands of footnotes, appropriately located throughout the text, at the bottom of pages.




The index for the annotations (footnotes). This index makes locating the instructive information possible.




Articles. The so called �articles� are actually essays. Every article is one page in length, and covers a wide range of religious topics. There are 47 such articles, and each is a masterpiece of Orthodoxy.

Examples of the articles follow: Creation, Ancestral sins, Christology, Baptism, Eucharist, Deification, Life after Death�




The index for the articles contains 74 listings. At first glance, this list is confusing; a closer look reveals there are 47 articles, plus 27 that are listed a second time � once as a title and again once as a topic.




Introduction to Orthodox Christianity. The history of Orthodoxy is presented under �Introducing the Orthodox Church�.




Overview of Each Book. The Right Reverend Basil of Wichita inspiringly presents an overview and summary of every book in the study bible.




Authorship of Each Book. Each of the 76 books of the bible starts with a description of the author (when known), date that the book was thought to have been written, major theme, background material for that book, and an outline of the actual text.




Reading the Bible. The Right Reverend Kallistos has contributed an essay, �How to Read the Bible.�




A glossary. Every entry is most illuminating.




A lectionary. This is included for personal readings for those who wish to follow the church calendar through the year.




Illustrations. Many beautiful illustrations of Saints and Icons are interspersed throughout the text.



Prayers. The section, Morning and Evening prayers, include the Nicene Creed.




Comparative View. A succinct, one page summary lists and compares the Old Testament books of the three great Christian Bibles: the Orthodox, the Roman Catholic, and the Protestant. There was no need to compare the books of the New Testament, since the New Testaments of all three great churches are identical.




Bible maps. These are located at the end of the bible. The four journeys of St. Paul are vividly charted.



III ACKNOWLEDGMENTS




Acknowledgments include the fact that THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE was prepared under the auspices of the Academic Community of St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology, Elk Grove, California. Father Jack Norman Sparks, Ph.D., is Dean.




General Editors of the Old Testament, are Metropolitan MAXIMOS, Th.D., Michel Najim, Ph.D., Eugene Pentiuc, Th.D., Ph.D., Jack Norman Sparks, Ph.D. The Managing Editor for the Old Testament is Jack Richard Ballew, and the Project Director is Jack Norman Sparks.




The General Editors for the New Testament are Joseph Allen, Th.D., Michel Najim, Jack Norman Sparks, and Theodore Stylianopoulos, Th.D. The Managing Editor is Allen Wallestedt. The Project Director is Father Peter Gillquist. The Overview Committee consists of 29 clergy and laity.




Supporting efforts for the Study Bible were more than 300 individuals, churches, and organizations, who were benefactors for this project. Their gifts were contributed to underwrite the cost of the biblical and patristic research and manuscripts. Thanks were due to all donors including Mr. Sam Moore, the retired chairman of Thomas Nelson Inc; he established a generous matching gift program.




Mr. Moore originally commented to Father Gillquist that since the Protestants had study bibles, and that the Catholics had their study bible, then it was about time for the Orthodox to write their own study bible. His comments challenged Father Gillquist, who subsequently led the enormous efforts that culminated, first of all, in 1993 with completion of the first Orthodox bible, and ultimately the completion this year of the second Orthodox bible. Indeed, Father Peter Gillquist was the �spark plug� for both study bibles.



IV DISCUSSION




The availability of THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE ushers a new era for Orthodox studies. This bible can, and will be the basis for inspiring sermons, Sunday School programs, and of course bible studies.




Furthermore, I believe this bible can, and will be the basis for translations into other languages, perhaps Greek or Russian�




The next edition of THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE must include �red letters� for the sayings of Jesus Christ. This omission is a regrettable oversight. Other minor oversights can be corrected in the next edition. Louise Klopsch, an American editor, was one of the first to add �red letters� to the New Testament. This occurred in the King James Bible in 1899.




A timeline is a chronology of bible events. A timeline would be a welcomed addendum to THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE. The �Life Application Study Bible� published by Zondervan contains such a chronology of bible events.




A concordance is an alphabetical index of the principal words of a book. A concordance might also be a welcomed addendum. It would not need be lengthy, but perhaps a similar length to the concordance in the �Ryrie Study Bible� published by Moody Press.




Judaism has its bible, the Tanakh, which is explained by the Talmud, the authoritative collection of writings drawn from the tradition of the Jewish people. Today, Orthodoxy has their study bible.

Tomorrow, Orthodox Christians should have an �Orthodox Talmud,� that is, Orthodox Christians should have an authoritative and well organized collection of writings drawn from the Orthodox Christian tradition.



V CONCLUSION




THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE is actually a library, or more precisely a compendium of books, topics, essays and ideas, all phenomenally well planned and superbly compiled. THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE may well become the single most valuable book ever written for Orthodoxy.




St. Paul speaking to Timothy says, ��from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God�� (2 Timothy 3: 15-16).




Dr. John Collis is presently a 25 year member of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council, teaches Sunday School and practices Neurosurgery in Cleveland, Ohio.

-Here's the input of one Armenian Orthodox minor-clergyman

The New Septuagint and the Armenian Orthodox Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

If interested, I wanted to share this watershed moment of Christianity with all of you (something I have waited for most of my adult life): The Publication of the first translation of the Orthodox Septuagint into modern English along with notes illuminating the ancient Orthodox Faith.

Some highlights of this Bible for me, as an Armenian Orthodox Christian, are the following:

1. The numbering of the Psalms reflect the ancient tradition of the Universal Church, as historically maintained by the Greek, Latin, Coptic, Armenian, Slavic and other ancient Churches. The Septuagint being the source of all their Old Testaments.

2. The fuller Old Testament Canon including the book of 3 Maccabees, 1 & 2 Ezra, the Prayer of Manasseh and the 151st Psalm (which appear in ancient and modern Armenian Church Canons). These books are not placed in an ostracized section (as in some Bibles), but in a Traditional, Canonical order reflecting their respective genre and meaning.

3. The removal of a paragraph in the original Orthodox Study Bible New Testament which called into question the Orthodoxy of the Oriental Orthodox Communion (including the Coptic, Ethiopian, Syriac, Armenian and Indian Churches). The OSB is now truly meant for the use of All Orthodox Christians, and can even be very helpful for Eastern and Latin Catholics.

4. The Septuagint (abbreviated LXX) was translated by Jews 200 years before the birth our Lord Jesus Christ, roughly 600 years before St. Jerome's Latin Vulgate and 1000 years before the Hebrew Masoretic Text -the text which serves as the basis for ALL modern English Old Testament Translations (whether Catholic or Protestant). The Christological prophesies which are lost (or distorted) in the Masoretic are fully evident in the LXX. This was the primary Old Testament of the great Fathers of the Church.

5. The OSB contains numerous notes from ancient Christian Fathers of the Church (see list below) whose writings were among the first to be translated into Armenian by our Holy Translators (following the Holy Scriptures).

6. Not only is the Septuagint the primary text used by our Holy Translators, Sts. Sahag and Mesrob, to make the Armenian Version known as the "Queen of All Translations," but it was the Old Testament text used by the Apostles themselves as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the New Testament. What more could we ask for in an English Translation?

7. Based on the above this translation has the potential to become THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH translation of not only the Orthodox Church of Armenia in English speaking countries but also the entire English speaking Orthodox Church..

Trusting in Christ's Inextinguishable Light
Sub-Deacon Lazarus W. Der-Ghazarian

The OSB can be purchased on-line at: http://orthodoxstudybible.com/

Thank you Subdeacon Ghazar

I am also enjoying my copy of the OSB.

Elizabeth-Maria

It is good to hear from a old friend Subdeacon Ghazar !

Pax

james

Dear Elizabeth-Maria and old friend Jakub:

I too am very much enjoying my new long-awaited LXX. Since Pascha, I hope to spend the next year studying the entire Bible. Between the notes in the OSB and the Navarre Commentary, I'm getting a full helping of Scripture and commentary and I thank God everyday for this golden opportunity. My family is doing the Bible readings and notes with me from the OSB and then I share with them the notes that most stand out to from the Navarre. Its been wonderful. Instead of doing our lectionary readings we are doing two OT readings in the morning and then one NT reading in the evening. We started with Genesis and Job and are following my "NT arragned for advantageous reading" order of NT books which basiscally divides the four Gospels and other related NT books into four sections: 1) Gospel to the Hebrews (Mt, Heb, Jas, and Jude), 2a) Gospel to the Gentiles (Lk & Acts and the Epistles of St. Paul), 2b) Gospel to the Romans and St. Peter's Epistles, 3) The Works of St. John the Apostle and Theologian (this is explained more fully on my webpage). We still pray the Psalms everyday. Once we finish the NT, which Lord willing will be in a couple months, then we will hope to go to three OT's a day. We will save Daniel (which is placed last in this LXX OT) and Revelation for our last two books. How's that for a fitting conclusion?

I'm really excited about the LXX and I have always just wanted to take time out and study what the Armenian Church calls, "the Breath of God," following 2 Tim 3:16. I know I have an obligation and duty as a deacon to do this as well. The OSB is packed with patristic notes. It's great to hear the Father's insights into, especially the O.T. Scirptures.

My Scripture page link if interested:
http://www.geocities.com/derghazar/OSB.html

God be with you both,
Sub-Deacon Ghazar

I look forward to visiting your link and material...

james