March 4, 2003
Reverend Clergy and Monastics of the Holy Metropolis of Denver,
We are living at a time in which many translations of the Holy Bible exist. The newer translations have unfortunately departed from the meaning of the original Greek. This new reality will spawn new Christian denominations which will be added to the over 23,000 which now exist.
We know that God is not a God of confusion, but of direct clarity.
In order for us to know Him, He entered into human history.
Christianity is the only religious faith which believes and accepts that
God the Creator entered into His own creation: the eternal Logos, the Word of the Father, our Lord Jesus
Christ became one of us so that through the use of our free will we
would recognize Him, and like Saint Thomas say, My Lord and my
God!
As we worship God in our churches, at home, and elsewhere, we encounter two types of English. One is the modern English and the other is the King James which is not spoken today. In our different Orthodox jurisdictions we hear both types of English. In the three largest Orthodox jurisdictions, the Greek uses mainly modern English, while the Russian, or OCA, and the Antiochian use King James English.
None of the Orthodox jurisdictions has insisted that the one type of English should be used exclusively as opposed to the other. Both the old English and the modern form are acceptable.
However, if one were to ask, Is the original Greek of the Holy
Bible and especially the New Testament formal Greek or informal,
one
would have to respond that the Greek of the New Testament is the Koine. What does this word mean? It means the
common Greek, or the informal Greek that was used in everyday life. If
this is so, is it proper to speak to God in an informal way? Should we
not speak to Him formally?
The answer is obvious. The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to
have a close, personal relationship with us. He called His disciples,
My friends.
In the Epistle reading at the Christmas Divine
Liturgy Saint Paul tells us in his Letter to the Galatians that, in the
fullness of time, God had sent His Son into the world so that we, His
followers would receive adoption as His sons and daughters, thereby
having the privilege of calling God, Abba, Father.
He further
says that we are no longer slaves, but sons, and so it is natural to
have familiarity with our heavenly Father (Galatians 4:6-7). In other
words, the Lord came into the world to break down every barrier that
existed between God and man. Consequently, the Greek of the New
Testament and the holy services is the simple, common language.
This does not mean that they who use the King James English are wrong. For some people it is natural that, when a relationship begins, it starts with an anticipated formality. Then there is the possibility to become more familiar or common. Even in the Greek language which is used today, there is the formal Greek and the common Greek. People who know the formal Greek still address one another in a formal way, using the polite plural form. In other words, regarding spoken Greek, there are times when the formal language is preferred and times when the informal is preferred. Obviously the same can be said for modern English and for the King James English.
The essential thing is that, when a person prays to God, he or she should use the type of English which feels most comfortable. Be that as it may, in the holy Metropolis of Denver the modern English is preferred.
As the holy and sacred period of Great Lent begins, let us use the language that gives more personal meaning to our prayers as they ascend to God.
With Paternal Blessings,
Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver