One of the most popular books among New Believers is the “Law of God”, by the priest Seraphim Slobodskoy. This book is particularly beloved because it was written for youth, in a way that is suitable for a broad range of ages.
The use of the Law of God comes from the Russian pre-revolutionary education system, in which Law of God was a subject in school in the same way mathematics or literature is now. Most teachers taught from textbooks which were also called Law of God. The educational peculiarities and difficulties of the Old Believers are a topic for another discussion, but for those times, and for those communities who saw children attend one of the state grammer schools, the need for a textbook that did not contain the innovations of the state church were keenly felt.
In time, multiple copies of Law of God were published from different groups of Old Believers. The one I have translated and published was the work of the Old Believer priest Grigory Karabinovich.
It follows the usual format for these books, beginning with a narration of the Scriptures. These are simple enough for reading to small children, but also of value to older children as well. Below is a sample comprising the first two sections.
The Creation of the Invisible World
Before the creation of the world, the Lord created angels, that is, bodiless spirits, who fulfill God's will and announce this will to people. When appearing to people, the holy angels take on a visible form, for example, in the appearance of young men, to show the swiftness of executing God's will. God created all the angels good, rational, and free. However, one of the angels, Lucifer—the chief of the highest angelic order (and there were ten orders in total)—using his freedom, became prideful and stopped obeying God. From a good angel, he turned into an evil one, the devil, meaning "slanderer." Other angels followed his wicked example and also became evil. For this, God cast them down from heaven into hell, and they became enemies of God, always and everywhere striving to do evil.
The Creation of the World
In the beginning, God created heaven and earth from nothing with His Word alone.
The earth was initially invisible and unformed. Darkness was over the abyss, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.
God gave form to the visible world in six days.
On the first day, God created light.
God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light `day,' and the darkness He called `night.' And there was evening, and there was morning: one day.
On the second day, God created the firmament, or the visible heavens, that is, the expanse of air and the starry sky.
God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters." And God made the firmament, and He separated the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament. And God called the firmament `heaven.'
On the third day, God separated the waters from the land and created seas, rivers, and lakes on the earth, along with dry land and plants.
God said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees." And it came to pass.
On the fourth day, God created the heavenly lights: the sun, the moon, and the stars.
God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven," and God made two great lights, one to govern the day—the sun, and the lesser one to govern the night—the moon, and also the stars. And it was so.
On the fifth day, God created creeping creatures, fish, and birds, and all living things that fly in the air, and all living things that swim in the water.
On the sixth day, God created four-legged animals that live on dry land.
Also on the sixth day, God created man in the image of God, whom He created differently from other creatures.
God said, "Let Us make man in Our image and after Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the beasts and all the cattle, and over all the earth, and every creeping thing that crawls on the earth."
The words spoken by God when creating man, "Let Us make man in Our image and after Our likeness," should be understood in the sense that man's resemblance to God can only be spiritual, not physical, for Scripture says that God is Spirit. The image of God is manifested in each person in the immortality of the soul, in reason, free will, and the gift of speech, but not in the form of the human body. The likeness consists in the fact that man, through free will and with the help of God's grace, can strive for spiritual perfection and holiness. Therefore, all people are created in the image of God, that is, they possess an immortal, free, and rational soul, but they only become like God when they strive to fulfill His holy will.
On the seventh day, God rested from all His works, meaning He ceased creating new creatures, but He governs everything created, or provides for it, which is why He is called the Provider.
God blessed this day and sanctified it, meaning He appointed it for people to especially glorify Him on this day. (Genesis, ch. 2, v. 2–3).
The seventh day is called the Sabbath, which means "rest" or "cessation from work."
One of the nice features of the New Testament narrations is that Fr. Grigory included which liturgical gospel reading the narration comes from, not only indicating which numbered reading it is, but explicitly stating on which feast day it is read in the temple (if it applies to one of the feasts):
The Preaching of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus Christ
(The Gospel for the Eve of Theophany, the Feast of Theophany at the Liturgy, and at the Ninth Hour on the Eve of Theophany. Monday of the Twelfth Week, at the Sixth Hour of Theophany and at Matins).
John the Baptist, having lost his parents in his childhood, withdrew to the Judean desert, where he led a most austere life. He wore clothing made of camel's hair, girded with a leather belt, and ate locusts (a type of plant) and wild honey.
When Tiberius Caesar ruled in Rome, and Pontius Pilate governed in Judea, the word of the Lord came to John, the son of Zachariah, in the wilderness, commanding him to begin preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins and to prepare the people for the coming of the Savior. The people came to John, confessed their sins, and were baptized by him in the Jordan. The people asked John, "What should we do?" John answered, "He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do the same." Tax collectors (i.e., collectors of tributes) also came to him and asked, "What should we do?" He said to them, "Take no more than what is required." Soldiers also asked, "And what should we do?" He told them, "Do not oppress anyone, do not accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him for baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers (i.e., snakes)! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, and do not say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones." (Luke 3:1–8. Reading 9).
When Jesus Christ turned thirty years old, He came to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. John, feeling unworthy to baptize the Lord, said to Him, "I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me." But Jesus Christ replied, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then John baptized Him.
As Jesus Christ emerged from the water, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended upon Him in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven was heard: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:16–17. Reading 6. Mark 1:9–11. Reading 2). After His baptism, the Lord Jesus Christ withdrew into the wilderness, where He spent forty days and nights in prayer, without eating any food. The devil tempted Him to sin but was defeated and departed in shame. (Luke 4:1–13. Reading 12. Matthew 4:1–11. Reading 7. Mark 1:12–13. Reading 2). The Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on January 6th.
In remembrance of the Savior's forty-day fast, the Holy Church has established the Great Lent before Holy Pascha.
The First Disciples of Jesus Christ
(The Gospel for the Wednesday of Bright Week and for the Apostle Andrew).
After His forty-day fast in the wilderness, Jesus Christ returned to the banks of the Jordan, where John the Baptist was preaching. Seeing Jesus, John said to the people, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world." Two of John's disciples, Andrew, who is called the First-Called, and John the Theologian, immediately followed Jesus Christ. Later, Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus, whom Jesus called Peter.
The number of disciples following Jesus Christ gradually grew. From among them, He chose twelve and called them apostles, meaning "those who are sent," as He would send them to preach His teachings. (John 1:35–51. Reading 4).
The names of the apostles are as follows: Andrew, Peter, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, the brother of the Lord (son of Alphaeus), Judas (son of James), Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.
The second half of the book follows the typical catechetical order for the exposition of the faith. The first three parts, On Faith, On Hope, and On Love contain teachings on the Symbol of Faith, the Lord’s Prayer, and on the Ten Commandments respectively:
The Third Commandment teaches us not to swear by the name of God against someone who offends or disturbs us but rather to pray for everyone, following the example of the Lord, who prayed for those who crucified Him, and of St. Stephen the First Martyr, who prayed for those who stoned him. This commandment forbids uttering the name of God carelessly or irreverently in prayers and conversations, swearing, cursing, or lying under oath.
Sins against the Third Commandment:
Blasphemy—disrespectful speech against God.
Complaining against God—grumbling and lamenting about God's providence.
Profaning holy things—mocking or desecrating sacred objects.
Inattention during prayer—carelessly reciting the words of a prayer without focusing on their meaning.
False oaths—affirming something with an oath that is not true.
Perjury—failing to fulfill an oath made before God.
Breaking vows—not keeping promises voluntarily made to God.
Swearing—the habitual and careless use of oaths in conversations.
The Fourth Commandment: God commanded the Jewish people to dedicate the Sabbath (Saturday) to His service because on that day, He rested from all His works, meaning He ceased creating anything new but continues to govern and provide for all creation. For us Christians, we honor and celebrate Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ our God. On this day and on all great feast days established by the Holy Church, we are to refrain from worldly work, which God commands us to do on the other six days. We are to celebrate Sundays and feast days spiritually, not physically—by prayer, purity of thought, reading the Holy Scriptures, studying God's commandments, and doing good deeds to help others through charity and mercy.
Secular feasts established by worldly vanity (such as pagan celebrations) are strictly forbidden for Christians to observe, as they are condemned by the Holy Fathers and may result in excommunication from the Church. (Greater Catechism, page 240).
The final section is about Church Worship, with teaching on the elements of worship, the services, the temple, the liturgical year, and so on:
Fasts
Fasts are days throughout the year when the Holy Church commands all Orthodox Christians to abstain from meat, dairy, and, on certain fasts, even fish and oil. Fasting is a form of self-discipline, not self-deprivation. Therefore, one’s physical strength should be maintained so that the Christian can perform all the prescribed prostrations according to the church rubrics, as well as stand through the long services of the fasting periods. On fasting days, Christians should not only abstain from rich foods but also practice moderation with simple foods. In addition to physical fasting, they must also practice spiritual fasting—refraining from indulgences, idle talk, and anything that weakens the soul or fuels bodily passions. Christians should devote more time to prayer and acts of charity during the fast. According to the ancient Holy Fathers' rule, during Great Lent, Christians should even abstain from oil, except on Saturdays, Sundays, and on the feast days of saints, when the rubrics allow for food with oil. Fish is not permitted during the entire Great Lent, except on the feasts of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God and Palm Sunday. If the Annunciation falls during Holy Week, fish is not permitted. On Lazarus Saturday, caviar is allowed.
There are multi-day and one-day fasts. There are four multi-day fasts. The Great Lent was established in memory of the 40-day fast of the Lord Jesus in the wilderness. It lasts for 7 weeks: 6 weeks of fasting, and the 7th is Holy Week, in memory of the Passion of our Savior. The Nativity Fast precedes the feast of the Nativity of Christ. It lasts for 40 days and is also called the Philip Fast because it begins on November 15, after the feast of the Apostle Philip (November 14). The \textit{Dormition Fast} precedes the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, from August 1 to 15. If August 15 falls on a Wednesday or Friday, the breaking of the fast is allowed on August 16.
The Apostles' Fast precedes the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul on June 29. It begins on the Sunday after the feast of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost), so its length varies depending on the date of Pascha. The breaking of the fast is also allowed on the day after the feast, June 30, if June 29 falls on a Wednesday or Friday.
One-day fasts are established by the Holy Church on the following days: January 5, the eve of Theophany; August 29, the feast of the Beheading of Saint John the Forerunner; September 14, the feast of the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross; and on every Wednesday and Friday of the week—Wednesday in memory of Judas's betrayal of Christ, and Friday in memory of Christ's crucifixion and death.
However, the Holy Church has also designated 6 "fast-free" weeks throughout the year when fasting is relaxed, allowing Christians to eat rich foods even on Wednesdays and Fridays. These are: the weeks of Pascha and the Holy Trinity, two weeks following the Nativity of Christ, the week of the Publican and the Pharisee (the 3rd week before Great Lent), and Cheese-Fare Week (Maslenitsa), during which meat is forbidden for the entire week, but dairy and eggs are permitted.
The Custom of Walking with the Sun (Posolon)
Among the many sacred customs and practices, our ancient Orthodox Church has preserved the ancient tradition of walking clockwise (posolon) during processions around the church, in the sacrament of baptism, and during marriage ceremonies. This walking, done in accordance with the church rubrics, follows the sun, unlike in the later practice of the Nikonian Church, which walks against the sun. Walking with the sun (posolon) has deep mystical significance. In Holy Scripture and sacred hymns, Christ the Savior is often referred to as the true Sun, the Sun of Righteousness, the Dawn from the East, and so forth. The sun and the east are often contrasted with the west, symbolizing the kingdom of darkness or hell. Sometimes the west is also compared to evening, the north to midnight, the east to morning, and the south to noon. This symbolism recalls the cycle of the day, which in turn represents human life.
Thus, walking clockwise during processions should remind the faithful of the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ, when He walked on earth accompanied by the apostles and the people. When we walk toward the western doors, it reminds us of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ, as if in the twilight of the evening; when we reach the north side of the church—midnight—it symbolizes His mystical birth from the Virgin Mary and His eternal begetting from the Father without a mother; at the eastern side of the church, opposite the altar, it is like morning, representing His life on earth; and the south—noon—represents His Gospel preaching. Then, returning to the west, like evening, reminds us of His suffering and death, while midnight signifies His descent into hell; and the east—morning—symbolizes the liberation of the souls who awaited His coming.
Walking behind the cross and the sacred banners during a procession, we should visualize Christ's walk on earth and the footsteps of His disciples, reflecting on how we should imitate the holy apostles and all the saints and martyrs who received heavenly crowns and honors for faithfully following Christ. Naturally, Christ's enemies—the Pharisees and scribes—did not follow Him but opposed Him. Hence, symbolically, walking in processions should remind Christians to imitate Christ's disciples, not His enemies. Therefore, we walk not against the sun (against Christ), but with the sun—following Christ.
Besides processions, in the ancient Orthodox Church, walking clockwise is also practiced in the sacrament of baptism—around the font—and in the sacrament of marriage—around the lectern.
Although these actions have different meanings than those in processions, their inner mystical meaning points to the fact that walking around the font and the lectern should be done clockwise, not counterclockwise. Specifically, in baptism, a person promises to follow Christ, and in marriage, the bride and groom act according to the commandments of God. Therefore, their actions must align with their promises—to be followers of Christ, not His adversaries.
However, there are occasions when walking or moving during services is done counterclockwise, as these actions have a different inner mystical meaning than processions or walking around the font during baptism and the lectern during marriage. This includes the procession with the censer, the Holy Gospel, and the Holy Gifts (the Great Entrance during the Cherubic Hymn), as well as the censing around the altar or another sacred object, and the circling of the altar during the ordination of bishops, priests, and deacons.
In all these cases, the mystical meaning is different. The censing with incense is done before the face of the Lord (Malachi 1:11), and the procession with the Holy Gospel represents the teachings of Christ and symbolizes Christ Himself, who appears to the world rather than leaving it. For He is "the light of the world" and is set on a lampstand to give light to all. The Great Entrance also symbolizes the appearance of Christ—the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when Christ rode on a donkey and the children of Israel met Him. During ordination, the man found worthy (axios) is brought before the face of God to stand before Him and offer sacrifice for himself and for the sins of the people. Hence, he faces east, toward the Sun of Righteousness—the Lord.
Apart from the briefest mention of the “Nikonian Church” in the passage above, containing a practice that was reversed by the dominant church, there is no polemic material in this work. This is a good feature in that its function is to teach the elements of the faith as succinctly as possible for learners who are typically young, and would not benefit at the outset of learning to be burdened with polemics or apologetics.
The book, unlike the new rite version, is only 259 pages. The large difference in size comes primarily from the fact that this version is not illustrated (the other book is vastly over-illustrated to the point of distraction, in my opinion). What this book lacks, in terms of content, is a short narration of the Ecumenical Councils, and a history of the major heresies and landmarks of Church history. This can be easily supplemented, however. The complete Table of Contents may be viewed at the Amazon page by clicking the Preview button.
The book is an ideal text for homeschool settings.