The Whole Counsel of God

An Introduction to Your Bible

By: Stephen De Young

Narrated by: Stephen De Young

Length: 3 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

In The Whole Counsel of God, popular writer and podcaster Fr. Stephen de Young gives an overview of what the Bible is and what is its place in the life of an Orthodox Christian, correcting many Protestant misconceptions along the way. Issues covered include inspiration, inerrancy, the formation of the biblical canon, the various texts and their provenance, the place of Scripture within Orthodox Tradition, and how an Orthodox Christian should read, study, and interpret the Bible.

©2022 Stephen De Young (P)2022 Stephen De Young

Quite revelatory

The book reveals an amazing, complex history that, I suspect, most of us do not realize allows us to open the Bible and read scripture. I am going to be more appreciative of the gift given to me when I do.

Candid but academic reflection on Scripture

I really enjoyed this audio book- though perhaps it would be a book that I would like a hard copy of to take more notes and review the information more thoroughly. Despite that, I found it highly educational and academic without becoming unapproachable. I liked that it had recommendations for particular translations of the Bible and the reasoning why as well as providing practical tips for how to go about reading the Bible. The pace and length of the book were easy to take in, even with my hectic schedule lately.

Good and informative read.

Father De Young is a goldmine of understanding how the various versions of the bible we have relate to the Greek texts the early church passed around.

Thankfully author read.

Fr. Stephen De Young quickly equips the reader (listener) to approach the scriptures without confused floundering and imposing our own misunderstanding on the text.

A good intro to The Orthodox approach to Scripture

Requires a basic understanding of world and church history, the saints, and the church fathers…. or lots of pausing and googling. However, if you’ve got a basic understanding of that, you can hop right in.

Fr. De Young does do a good job of providing the scriptural basis for the Orthodox understanding and provides good history of the textual development of the Bible and Orthodox. I also appreciated that he was very even keeled when discussing biblical translations, their goals, and biases.

As a Protestant Christian I feel he was very respectful and fair toward the Protestant perspective while explaining the reasons for differing Orthodox perspectives.

Fr. De Young, thank you for sharing your work in such an illuminating and concise volume! It was immensely helpful. Please keep up the good work, and God Bless.

Thoughtful, but brief outline of the Bible’s history

If you are curious about “how the Bible came to be” this may scratch that itch.

A concise yet thorough book

I listened to this in a single afternoon. I found it very informative, particularly the chapter about translations. definitely worth picking up if you want an early church perspective on reading Scripture.

Good concise intro

This is a good short introduction to the Christian scriptures from an English-Speaking Orthodox Christian perspective. It is well narrated and thoughtful, as well as scholarly. I would like De Young to include more information on Orthodox and Patristic commentaries and resources in future editions.

A Good Handbook for Orthodox Christians and the Scriptures

“All these sources allow access to the depth and riches of the biblical tradition, as these manuscripts represent just that: a tradition. The preservation of the text of the Scriptures is the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church… For Orthodox Christians, all these manuscripts represent a part of our shared scriptural heritage, and their study increases our appreciation of that heritage.”

For those converting to the Faith from Protestantism and Papal Protestantism; and for those in the Faith who have wondered what difference it makes between the Biblical translations: The Whole Counsel of God is a good, short handbook to guide one towards and appropriate approach to the Holy Scriptures.

I shared recently that I used to get hung up on “what the Greek says” or “what the Hebrew” is, making claims based on my study. This is so common among studious heterodox - with or without a degree - and is a symptom of hyper-individualism as Protestantism allows one to become an arbiter of truth and discernment concerning the Holy Scriptures.

Fr Stephen says, to the benefit of studious converts, that “language study is not even necessary for the average layperson to read the Bible seriously. In fact, a little language knowledge can be a dangerous thing… Many people choose to dabble in the biblical languages in order to help them understand the Scriptures. While their intent is good, they often over-interpret and over-apply the bits and pieces of Hebrew or Greek that they learn, yielding false insights. It is much better to read an English translation and live with an imperfect or less-than-detailed understanding of the text them to become confident in bad interpretations.”

He also discusses the various translations of Scripture, their development, and potential benefit. In case you’re wondering, he says, “[The Living Bible or the Message are] not suitable for the study of the Scriptures by Orthodox Christians. In many cases, in attempting to simplify, they distort important theological points concerning, for example, the Holy Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ.”

The Orthodox Church has preserved Tradition with Scripture, as a circular icon for our lives and praxis. With lots of well-written information, I recommend this book for those who have a propensity for ‘headiness’ approaching Scripture, and for the simple-minded simply wanting to better understand what there is to be found in our Holy Scriptures.

Lots of information in a short book

Fr. Stephen De Young jam packed this small book with so much information about the Bible. Every Christian should know the miracle of how the Bible got to us in its current form. I appreciate Fr. Stephen De Young’s comments that knowing Greek doesn’t ensure that you are getting the best interpretation of what the Bible says. Besides being informative and enlightening, this book is also practical. I found the chapters on “Which Bible Should I Read?” and “How Should I Read My Bible?” to be incredibly helpful in knowing how to read the Bible. The Bible didn’t just land in our laps, and this book will deepen your appreciation for this amazing book. I’m sure this is a book that you will want to read again and again.