The Law of God

— About the Book —

This is the English edition of the classic Russian textbook designed for parents to teach their children "all the fundamental points of the Orthodox Christian faith and way of life." Because children are growing up quickly in a society that raises serious and agonizing questions the author does not teach in naive stories that remain stories only. It offers an overview of the whole of the Old and New Testaments as well as instruction on prayer, worship and what it means to live by the teaching of the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes.  Well illustrated with black and white photographs and icons. The 2011 printing has a green cover and a notch binding for durablilty.

— Contents —

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Forward

PART I BASIC CONCEPTS

1. The World

2. About God

3. The Attributes of God

4. Prayer

5. Sin

6. The Sign of the Cross

7 Standing and Bows During Prayer

8. Different Types of Prayer

9. When God Hears Our Prayer

10. Where and How We Can Pray to God

11. The Church Building

12. The Priest's Blessing

13. Icons

14. Why We call Ourselves Orthodox Christians

PART II PRAYERS

1. Short Prayers

PART III THE SACRED HISTORY OF THE OLD

AND NEW TESTAMENTS

Introduction to the Sacred History of the Old and New Testaments

The Old Testament

1. The Creation of Heaven, the Invisible World

2. The Creation of the Earth, the Visible World

3. How God Created the First People

4. The Life of the First People in Paradise

5. The Fall into Sin

6. The Results of the Fall into Sin and the Promise of a Saviour

7. Discussion of the Fall into Sin

8. Cain and Abel

9. The Flood

10. The Life of Noah and His Children 1

11. The Building of the Tower of Babel and the Scattering of the Peoples

12. The Appearance of Idolatry

13. Abraham

14. The Appearance of God to Abraham in the Form of Three Strangers

15. The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorah

16. The Offering of Isaac as a Sacrifice

17. The Marriage of Isaac

18. Esau and Jacob

19. Jacob's Vision of the Mystical Ladder

20. Joseph

21. Joseph in Egypt

22. Joseph's Meeting with His Brothers and the Moving of Jacob into Egypt with His family

23. The Story of Job the Long-Suffering

24. Moses

25. Pascha (Passover) and the Exodus of the Hebrew People from Egypt

26. The Hebrews Pass Through the Red Sea and other Miracles

27. God Gives the Law on Mt. Sinai

28. The Tabernacle

29. The Forty-Year Wandering of the Hebrew People, the Bronze Serpent

30. The Entry of the Israelites into the Promised land

31. Judges

32. The Story of Ruth

33. Saul, First King of the Israelites

34. King David

35. King Solomon

36. The Division of the Israelite Kingdom into Two: Judah and Israel

37. The Prophets

38. The Downfall of the Israelite Kingdom

39. The Fall of the Babylonian Kingdom

40. The Median-Persian Empire. Prophet Daniel in the Lion's Den

41. The Return of the Jews from Captivity in Babylon and the Construction of the Second Temple

42. The Greek Empire The Translation of the Books f the Old Testament into Greek

43. The Roman Empire. The Universal Expectation of the Messiah

The New Testament

1. The Nativity of the Holy Virgin Mary

2. The Entry into the Temple of the Most-Holy Virgin Mary

3. The Announcement of the Angel about the Birth of the Forerunner

4. The Annunciation to the Holy Virgin Mary

5. The Visit of the Most-Holy Virgin Mary to the Righteous Elizabeth

6. The Nativity of John the Baptist

7. The Nativity of Christ the Saviour

8. The Meeting of the Lord

9. The Flight into Egypt and the Slaying of the Innocents. The Return to Nazareth

10. The Saviour in the Temple as a Youth

11. The Preaching of st. John the Baptist

12. The Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ

13. The Lord Jesus Christ in the Wilderness and His Temptation by the Devil

14. The Lord Jesus Christ Appears to the People. His First Disciples

15. The First Miracle of Jesus Christ

16. The Merchants are Banished from the Temple

17. The Conversation of Jesus Christ with Nicodemus

18. The Conversation of Jesus Christ with the Woman of Samaria

19. The Healing of the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda

20. The Lord Chooses Twelve Apostles

21. The Sermon on the Mount

22. The Power of Faith and Prayer for Others-The Healing of the Paralytic in Capernaum

23. Parables/The Parable of the Sower

24. The Stilling of the Storm

25. Raising of the Daughter of Jarius

26. The Beheading of St. John the Baptist

27. The Miraculous Feeding of the People with Five Loaves

28. Christ Walking on the Water

29. The Healing of the Daughter

of the Canaanite Woman

30. The Confession of Peter. The First Prediction of the Lord about His Forthcoming Suffering,

Death and Resurrection

31. The Transfiguration of the Lord

32. The Parable of the Good Samaritan

33. Jesus Christ with Martha and Mary

34. The Saviour Accuses the Pharisees of Sin-Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit. Glorification by Christ of the Mother of God

35. Healing of the Man Born Blind

36. The Parable of the Rich Fool

37. The Parable of the Prodigal Son

38. The Raising of Lazarus

39. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

40. The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

41. The Betrayal by Judas

42. The Mystical (Last) Supper

43. The Prayer of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and His Being Taken Captive

44. The Sanhedrin's Judgement of Jesus Christ

45. The Apostle Peter's Denial

46. The Trial of Jesus Christ Before Pilate

47. Pilate's Last Judgement over Jesus Christ

48. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ

49. The Taking Down from the Cross and Burial of the Saviour

50. The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ

51. The Appearance of the Risen Jesus Christ to Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus

52. The Appearance of the Lord to All the Apostles and the other Disciples, except

the Apostle Thomas

53. The Appearance of the Lord to the Apostle Thomas and the Other Apostles

54. The Ascension of the Lord

55. The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles

56. The Life of the First Christians

57. Persecution of the Christians by the Jews-The First Martyr St. Stephen

58. The Dormition of the Mother of God

59. The Apostolic Council in Jerusalem

60. A Short Summary of the Preaching and Lives of the Holy Apostles

61. The Worldwide Persecution of Christians.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

62. The End of Persecution. The Elevation of

the Cross of the Lord

63. New Enemies of Christianity

64. The Ecumenical Councils 4

65. The Fall of the Roman Church.

The Enlightenment of the Slavs 4

PART IV CHRISTIAN FAITH AND LIFE

1. The Purpose of Man

2. Supernatural Divine Revelation. Holy Tradition and Holy Scripture

3. Short Summaries of the Ecumenical Councils

4. The Christian Faith

5. Christian Life

6. The Ten Commandments of God's Law

7. The Nine Beatitudes

8. Contemporary Teachings and Faith in God

PART V THE DIVINE SERVICES OF THE ORTHODOX

CHURCH

1. The Concept of Serving God, Divine Services

2. The Church Building and its Arrangement

3. The Clergy and Their Sacred Vestments

4. The Order of Divine Services

5. Divine Service Books

6. Reflections on the Major Services.

The Various Liturgies and Their Basic Rubrics

7. The Divine Liturgy

8. The Most Important Actions During the Serving of the Mysteries, and Reflections on Their Significance

9. Great Lent

10. The Sundays of Great Lent, Their Significance and Basic Rubrics

11. The Feast of Pascha, the Radiant Resurrection of Christ

12. Concerning Monasticism and Monasteries

13. Bells and Russian Orthodox Peals