Back to Basics with the Law of GodPart 7: Christian Faith & Life (a)

A Straightforward Teaching of Orthodox Christianity based upon

the Slobodskoy Law of God Study Book

Priest Justin Patterson / Fall 2018

What is the Law of God? The Law of God

“For Study at Home

and at School”

Compiled by

Archpriest Seraphim

Slobodskoy 1912-71

Holy Trinity Press in

Jordanville

1966; English 1993

+Physicality in Prayer (sign, posture, standing)

+3 broad categories of prayer:

1. Prayers of Praise & Thanksgiving

2. Prayers of Petition

3. Penitential Prayers

+Disposition in Prayer (peace, focus, fasting, purity)

+Tools for Prayers (Akathists, Prayer Books, Special

Services of Need, and more)

Weeks 1 & 2: Introduction & Broad Topic of Prayer

Weeks 3 & 4: The Gospel in the Old Testament+Intro to the Old Testament

+Days of Creation & Making of Man

+The Fall, Sin, Cain & Abel

+The Flood

+Vital Vignettes from the Old Testament

Especially CHRIST in the OT!

Weeks 5 & 6: The Gospel in the New Testament, Parts 1 & 2

Tonight: Christian Life & Faith (Part A)1. Purpose of Man

2. Supernatural Revelation: Tradition &

Scripture (including discuss of the

Canon of Scripture)

3. Short Summaries of the Ecumenical

Councils (and then next week:)

4. The Christian Faith (esp. the Creed)

5. The Christian Life

6. The Commandments

7. The Beatitudes

8. Contemporary Teachings & Faith in God

Chapter 1: “The Purpose of Man”God gave mankind:

● Intelligence

● Free will

● Immortal Soul

Deep Meaning to life resides in this:

● To know God

● To become like God (perfect/whole)

● To inherit full and blessed life in God

Necessity: to believe and to live that faith

What are the two kinds of revelation?How do we “know things?”

What are the two kinds of revelation?How do we “know things?”

1. Natural Revelation

2. Supernatural Revelation

“Natural Revelation”What is natural revelation?

“Natural Revelation”What is natural revelation?

● When God reveals himself to us

through nature (natural means)

● When God speaks to us through

our human conscience

● When God speaks to us through

human history and stories

○ E.g., story of the Flood, Sodom and

Gomorrah, Hebrew nation’s sins and

calamities that followed

More on Natural Revelation from the Scientists...[Read pp. 418-419: fun

quotes from Pascal,

Pasteur, Darwin, and

others!]

Chapter 2: Divine Revelation--Tradition & Scripture Important principle: God revealed himself to people who were especially zealous and

pure and able to receive the revelation. These people included: Adam, Noah, Moses,

and others.

The apex of Divine Revelation, though, would be Holy Tradition and Holy Scripture

[contrast this with the more contemporary expression of “Scripture in Tradition.”]

“The primary means of dissemination of Divine Revelation is Holy Tradition. From the

beginning of the world until Moses there were no holy books. Teaching about God…

was simply handed down… Jesus Christ conveyed his divine teaching and precepts to

his disciples by word of mouth, by preaching, and by example… Holy Tradition always

precedes Holy Scripture.” [p. 421]

More about Holy Scripture...Old Testament divided into four sections:

● The Law

● The History

● Wisdom Literature

● The Prophets

The Law of God lists 22 books of the Old

Testament. Any ideas as to why?

More about Holy Scripture...Old Testament divided into four sections:

● The Law

● The History

● Wisdom Literature

● The Prophets

The Law of God lists 22 books of the Old Testament. Any ideas as to why?

1. Fr. Seraphim lumps all 12 minor prophets into one book; also both Ezra books

and Nehemiah into one; and I-II Kingdoms are one; and III-IV Kingdoms are one;

and I-II Chronicles are one.

2. He doesn’t include the 7 (or 8) “non-canonical” books of the LXX (though he

notes that these books are still “included!”) :-)

More about each of the Four Parts of the Old TestamentThe Law: 1. Genesis, 2. Exodus, 3. Leviticus, 4. Numbers, 5. Deuteronomy

More about each of the Four Parts of the Old TestamentThe Law: 1. Genesis, 2. Exodus, 3. Leviticus, 4. Numbers, 5. Deuteronomy

The History: 6. Joshua, 7. Judges with Ruth, 8. I-II Kingdoms, 9. III-IV Kingdoms, 10.

I-II Chronicles, 11. I Ezra w/ Nehemiah, 12. Esther

More about each of the Four Parts of the Old TestamentThe Law: 1. Genesis, 2. Exodus, 3. Leviticus, 4. Numbers, 5. Deuteronomy

The History: 6. Joshua, 7. Judges with Ruth, 8. I-II Kingdoms, 9. III-IV Kingdoms, 10.

I-II Chronicles, 11. I Ezra w/ Nehemiah, 12. Esther

The Books of Wisdom: 13. Job, 14. Psalter, 15. Proverbs, 16. Ecclesiastes, 17. Song of

Solomon

More about each of the Four Parts of the Old TestamentThe Law: 1. Genesis, 2. Exodus, 3. Leviticus, 4. Numbers, 5. Deuteronomy

The History: 6. Joshua, 7. Judges with Ruth, 8. I-II Kingdoms, 9. III-IV Kingdoms, 10.

I-II Chronicles, 11. I Ezra w/ Nehemiah, 12. Esther

The Books of Wisdom: 13. Job, 14. Psalter, 15. Proverbs, 16. Ecclesiastes, 17. Song of

Solomon

The Books of the Prophets: 18. Isaiah, 19. Jeremiah, 20. Ezekiel, 21. Daniel, 22. Books of

the 12 (Minor) Prophets

More about each of the Four Parts of the Old TestamentThe Law: 1. Genesis, 2. Exodus, 3. Leviticus, 4. Numbers, 5. Deuteronomy

The History: 6. Joshua, 7. Judges with Ruth, 8. I-II Kingdoms, 9. III-IV Kingdoms, 10. I-II

Chronicles, 11. I Ezra w/ Nehemiah, 12. Esther

The Books of Wisdom: 13. Job, 14. Psalter, 15. Proverbs, 16. Ecclesiastes, 17. Song of Solomon

The Books of the Prophets: 18. Isaiah, 19. Jeremiah, 20. Ezekiel, 21. Daniel, 22. Books of the 12

(Minor) Prophets

The “Non-Canonical” Books: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach,) Baruch,

I-III Maccabees, II-III Esdras, additions to Esther, Prayer of Manasseh (to II Chronicles,) Daniel

(Song of 3 Youths, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon.)

More about the New Testament...

The Gospels (Law)

The Acts of the Apostles (History)

The Epistles (7 general & 14

Pauline epistles)

The Revelation or Apocalypse

(Prophecy)

Chapter 3: Short Summaries of the Ecumenical Councils

Which four cities have hosted

the Ecumenical Councils?

When was the last one

(officially) held?

1st Ecumenical Council: Nicea I in AD 325

2nd Ecumenical Council: Constantinople I in AD 381

3rd Ecumenical Council: Ephesus in AD 431

4th Ecumenical Council: Chalcedon in AD 451

5th Ecumenical Council: Constantinople II in AD 553

6th Ecumenical Council: Constantinople III in AD 680

7th Ecumenical Council: Nicea II in AD 787

Next Week: The Christian Faith (The Symbol of Faith/Creed)