Which books of the Bible would you recommend to a newly baptized Christian? How should one study Holy Scripture? Which commentaries by the Holy Fathers are useful? #

The most frequently read books of the Bible in the Church are the Psalter and the Gospel. It can be said that various excerpts from the Psalter constitute the lion’s share of all Orthodox services. Moreover, according to the Ustav, if a Christian cannot attend church services for some reason, they can pray in place of the service by reading a specified number of kathismas (sections of the Psalter). Often, the Psalter is read by those preparing for Holy Communion (instead of the prescribed canons). Christians also pray the Psalter either for the health of the living or for the repose of the departed. The Gospel is read at almost every service, though not as extensively as the Psalter. Texts from the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles are read less frequently than Gospel passages. Excerpts from the Old Testament (other than the Psalter), called paremias, are read during services even less often than the texts from the Apostle. The Apocalypse (Revelation of John) is not read at all during church services.

All this indicates which books of the Bible the Holy Church considers most essential for Christians: the Psalter and the Gospel. For a newly baptized Christian, it is very beneficial to regularly read the Psalter as part of their prayer rule (in Church Slavonic) and to read the Gospels. It is advisable to begin with the Gospel of Mark or the Gospel of Luke, as their texts are simpler and easier to understand. The Gospel of Matthew contains more complex language and citations from the Old Testament. The Gospel of John is the most profound and should be approached after reading the other three Gospels. The texts of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles are more challenging but contain many deep and valuable truths. Old Testament texts can only be properly understood through the lens of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, His life, death, and resurrection. The text of the Apocalypse, which reveals the times to come, is difficult to understand and may confuse an unprepared reader.

In general, Holy Scripture should be read with commentaries that convey the proper patristic understanding of the text and protect the reader from errors. Such commentaries can be found in The Gospel Commentary and The Apostle Commentary edited by Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria.

— Priest Mikhail Rodin.