What is the Orthodox Bible?

The term Orthodox Bible typically refers to the collection of sacred Scriptures used by the Eastern Orthodox Church. While it shares much in common with the Bibles used by Protestants and Roman Catholics—especially in the New Testament—it differs in the number and selection of books included in the Old Testament. These differences stem from historical developments and theological traditions that gradually diverged from those of Western Christianity.

The Eastern Orthodox Church affirms the same 27 books of the New Testament that are recognized by both Protestants and Catholics. These include the four Gospels, the book of Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation. These writings were confirmed by early church councils and are universally accepted across nearly all Christian traditions. The Orthodox Church regards these New Testament books as divinely inspired and authoritative for faith and practice.

Where the Orthodox Bible stands apart is in its Old Testament canon. It includes several books not found in the Hebrew Bible or in the Protestant Old Testament. These additional writings are often referred to as the “Deuterocanonical” books or, in Orthodox tradition, the “Anagignoskomena,” a Greek term meaning “things that are read.” Among these are Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (also known as Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, and 1–4 Maccabees. Depending on the particular Orthodox tradition—such as Greek, Russian, or Ethiopian Orthodox—there may be slight variations in which books are included.

These additional texts were part of the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that was widely used in the early centuries of the church. The Orthodox Church holds the Septuagint in high regard, partly because it was the version of the Old Testament most often quoted by Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament. In fact, many Old Testament citations in the New Testament align more closely with the Septuagint than with the later Hebrew Masoretic Text.

During the Reformation, Protestant leaders rejected the Deuterocanonical books, choosing instead to affirm the Hebrew canon of the Old Testament. This decision was based on passages such as Romans 3:2, which says that the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. From the Protestant perspective, the Hebrew Scriptures represent the authoritative Old Testament canon, and the additional books found in the Septuagint were not considered divinely inspired.

In summary, while the Orthodox Bible contains the same New Testament as other Christian Bibles, its Old Testament includes additional books based on the Septuagint tradition. Although these writings may contain historical and moral value, there are strong theological and biblical reasons to view them as outside the scope of inspired Scripture. As 2 Timothy 3:16–17 teaches, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” and the canon of Scripture must be defined by what God has truly inspired.