Encyclopedia of the Holy Bible

The Holy Bible in Our Life 1

Last week was the Bible Week. All the Christian denominations in Egypt took part in it, and meetings were held for this occasion. Therefore, it was agreed that His Holiness the Pope would speak in the Friday meeting about:
The Holy Bible in Our Life1

Every word in the Bible is the word of God. Therefore, it is beneficial for teaching, and each word has its own power and effect — it works by itself, even without explanation or preaching. It is enough to mention the word of God for it to have its impact and for a person to feel the presence of God among them. For this reason, the Bible holds a special place in our lives, and the commandment regarding it is both wondrous and precise. Let us see what the Lord said about this.

In the command given by the Lord to Joshua, the successor of Moses, He said:
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
Imagine a leader as busy as Joshua, burdened with great responsibilities of ruling, and yet the Lord tells him: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth!”

This command was not addressed to Joshua alone, but to each one of us. That is why Psalm 1 says about the righteous man: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)

David the Prophet was a king, a leader, and the head of a large household with serious responsibilities, yet he said: “Your law is my meditation,” and “Your statutes are my songs.” He speaks about his relationship with God’s law saying: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure,” “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”
How did David find the time to meditate on God’s word day and night, and to make it his study, meditation, and delight?

Therefore, the Bible should be our main occupation in life.
Its words should be engraved in our hearts and always present in our minds — day and night — as the Lord commanded. There is a marvelous commandment in Deuteronomy that we must pay close attention to, where the Lord says:
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:6–9)
This shows how deeply the Lord wants us to be occupied with His word — at all times, in all places, and in every situation — and to teach it to our children.

Here lies the great responsibility God places on the family to teach their children. No father or mother can escape this duty: “You shall teach them to your children.”

Read the Holy Bible, and trust that every time you read it, you will discover something new, for the words of God are rich and profound — an inexhaustible spring of contemplation. That is why David the Prophet, having experienced this truth, said: “I have seen an end of all perfection, but Your commandment is exceedingly broad.” (Psalm 119:96)
Every perfection has its limits, but God’s commandments are limitless — just as God Himself is infinite, so is the depth of His word. No matter how deeply you contemplate it, you find that your meditations open up endless horizons. God’s word is ever new — new to your mind and your understanding. Hence the Prophet said: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.”

David also says:
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes… The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” (Psalm 19)

The Bible is a message sent to you by God — and who would not rejoice at receiving a message from God?
Once, St. Anthony the Great received a letter from Emperor Constantine. His disciples rejoiced greatly, but the saint laid it aside. His disciples were surprised and eager to read it. Then he said to them:
“Why do you rejoice so much, my children, for a letter that came from a man? Behold, God has sent us many letters in the Holy Gospel, yet we do not receive them with such joy and eagerness!”
Afterward, he read the emperor’s letter and sent him his blessing.

And you — if you receive a letter from someone dear to you, wouldn’t you rejoice and read it many times? Should you not do the same with the message sent to you from God?

If you want to benefit from the Holy Bible, consider that every word in it is addressed to you personally — it is your special message before being sent to nations and peoples.

The Church’s care for the Bible

The Holy Church pays great attention to the Holy Bible. In every Divine Liturgy, a passage from the Gospel is read during the Vespers incense offering, another during the Matins incense, and a third as the Gospel of the Liturgy. Along with these, there are readings from the Epistles of St. Paul, the Catholic Epistles, and the Acts of the Apostles, as well as selections from the Psalms before each Gospel reading.

In every prayer of the Agpeya, a passage from the Gospel is read. In the Morning Prayer, a section from the Epistle to the Ephesians is added. Besides all this, the Psalms — which are part of the Holy Scriptures — are recited.

In every rite, prayer, and sacrament of the Church, there are Gospel readings — in weddings, funerals, the Anointing of the Sick, Baptism, the Chrism (Myron), and all other sacraments. The word of God accompanies every sacrament.

When the Gospel is read during the Divine Liturgy, two deacons stand with candles, signifying that the Gospel is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path — that the word of the Lord is enlightening to the eyes.

Before the Gospel reading, the Church prays a litany called the Litany of the Gospel, in which the priest asks the Lord:
“May we be worthy to hear and to act according to Your Holy Gospels, through the prayers of Your saints.”
This means that even hearing the Gospel requires worthiness, prayer, and the intercessions of the saints. The entire congregation stands while the deacon calls out: “Stand in the fear of God, and let us hear the Holy Gospel!”

I attended a Liturgy in Russia where the congregation stood for the entire service. Yet during the Gospel reading, most of the people knelt, and the bishops removed their crowns.

The Church also uses God’s words in her prayers — in the Psalms, which are inspired words of Scripture, and in the Liturgy, where all petitions are drawn from the Bible. Thus, all our prayers are aligned with God’s will, for we speak to God with His own words, not in a human manner.

Memorizing the Bible

Our holy fathers memorized large portions of Scripture by heart and used them abundantly in their writings. One scholar said that if the Bible were lost, it could be reconstructed from the quotations of the Fathers!

Exercises for memorizing Scripture

1. Memorize key passages such as the Sermon on the Mount — the constitution of Christianity (Matthew 5–8), the chapter on love (1 Corinthians 13), the beautiful commandments (Romans 12), Christ’s long prayer before Gethsemane (John 17), and His talks with His disciples (John 14–17).

2. Practice memorizing verses alphabetically, using the letters of your names, the names of saints, virtues, or fitting words like Church, Priesthood, etc.

3. Memorize verses containing certain words, e.g., verses mentioning “chair, bed, floor, lamp, door, light,” or verses about parts of the body — “face, eyes, lips, feet, hands.”

4. Memorize verses by topic, such as those about joy, comfort, meekness, or verses for encouragement, correction, or thanksgiving.

5. Use verses naturally in your conversations — let the language of Scripture be on your lips. It will help you avoid mistakes and be a good example. In every situation or problem, try to recall a verse.

6. Keep a notebook of chosen verses — write down the ones that move you and guide your actions, then memorize them.

I would like to make a memory competition for you, or perhaps publish small booklets to help memorize verses by topic.

Our relationship with the Bible

You must: read it, understand it, meditate on it, memorize it, and live by it.

(a) Read regularly, both in timing and in selection. Morning reading is especially beautiful — it gives you spiritual nourishment for the whole day.
(b) Read spiritually, not as a duty, but for practical benefit. Remember the Lord’s words: “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
(c) Read prayerfully — ask the Lord to give you understanding, strength to apply His word, and to make His word powerful and effective in your life.
(d) Read with understanding — meditate on what you read, grasp the spirit of the commandment before its literal text.
(e) Memorize some of the verses that touch your heart.
(f) Apply what you understand wisely, with discernment and under guidance — turning the word, which is spirit, into life.

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Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – Al-Keraza Magazine, Year 5, Issue 11, December 14, 1974

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