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The Bible belongs to the Church, not to private interpretation
Christ did not hand us a Bible and tell each person to interpret it as he sees fit. He founded His Church, entrusted authority to the Apostles, and pledged that the Holy Spirit would lead her into all truth (John 16:13).
The New Testament itself arose from inside the life of this Church. Long before the New Testament was completely written, copied, gathered, and acknowledged, Christians were already worshipping, baptizing, celebrating the Eucharist, ordaining bishops, and guarding the apostolic faith.
That is why Saint Paul describes the Church as "the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). He also urges believers to "stand firm and hold to the traditions" they received, whether "by word of mouth or by letter" (2 Thessalonians 2:15). The apostolic faith was therefore passed down both in writing and through the living Tradition of the Church.
We see this same principle in Scripture itself. When the Ethiopian eunuch was reading Isaiah and was asked if he understood it, he replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" (Acts 8:31). And when a serious doctrinal disagreement arose in the early Church, Christians did not simply tell everyone to read the Bible and decide for themselves.
The Apostles and elders met together in Jerusalem, discerned the truth, and announced, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us" (Acts 15:28).
This does not mean Scripture is unimportant or that Christians should not read the Bible. The Orthodox Church honors Holy Scripture as the inspired Word of God. But Scripture was never meant to be cut off from the Church, the Apostolic Tradition, the Fathers, the Councils, and the worshiping life in which it was received and preserved.
The issue is not "Bible or Church." The Bible belongs to the Church.
Christ gave us neither private interpretation nor thousands of contradictory versions of Christianity. He gave us one Church, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:4-5), and within that Church the Scriptures are read according to the apostolic faith handed down from generation to generation.
Main points
- Christ established the Church with apostolic authority and promised the Holy Spirit's guidance, not private Bible interpretation.
- The New Testament emerged from within the Church's life, which already worshipped, baptized, celebrated the Eucharist, and ordained bishops before the canon was settled.
- Scripture itself shows the need for guidance (Ethiopian eunuch) and conciliar decision-making (Jerusalem Council).
- The Orthodox Church venerates Scripture as inspired but insists it cannot be separated from the Church, Tradition, Fathers, Councils, and worship.
- Christ gave one Church, one faith, one baptism, within which Scripture is read according to the apostolic faith handed down.