Epistle Reading 2024-11-22

ST. PAUL'S LETTER TO PHILEMON 1:1-25

PAUL, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker, and Apphia our sister and Archippos our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you - I, Paul, an ambassador and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus - I appeal to you for my child, Onesimos, whose father I have become in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will. Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back for ever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it - to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be granted to you. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchos, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

It's not often we get an entire book as the reading of the day. The Epistle reading for today is about two of the saints for today.

Archippus the Apostle, Philemon the Apostle & his wife, Apphia, Onesimos the Disciple of Paul, Holy Martyr Cecilia and those with her, Afterfeast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple, Kallistos Xanthopoulos, Patriarch of Constantinople, Anthimos, President of Crete, Righteous Jacob of Evia

It tells the story of a slave who escaped his master and ended up with Paul. He was helpful to Paul since Paul was imprisoned at the time and needed food, etc.

Paul sends him back to his master with this letter and entreats his master to receive him back as a fellow servant of Christ and no longer as a slave.

This book was influential in the movement to abolish slavery (Christian abolitionism).

In the fourth century, the bishop Gregory of Nyssa articulated a fundamentally Christian conception of the world that embedded a thorough rejection of the notion that one human could be owned by another and a condemnation of the institution of slavery.

 

Web Resources on the Church Fathers and the Bible

Helpful Study Resources

This list should grow with time but here's a start with the tools I'm using presently.

• Saints of the Day - Detailed accounts of the lives of the Saints of the Day
• CatenaBible - Click on a verse and see commentary from the Church Fathers on the verse
• BlueLetterBible - Useful for looking up verses and some helpful language tools but heterodox commentaries (Evangelical Christian bias) warrant caution
• Orthodox-Reformed Bridge - Excellent resource for addressing Protestant, Evangelical, and Reformed theology from an Orthodox Perspective
• Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America - Excellent resource on Orthodoxy
• Daily Scripture Readings
• Ancient Faith Ministries - Excellent resource with a lot of great podcasts
• The Lord of Spirits podcast - Highly recommend this podcast series for deep Bible dives into the seen and unseen world
• Christian Classic Ethereal Library - Great resource for reading the Church Fathers but clunky search
• Ancient Church Fathers - Full text of the ANF and NPNF
• New Advent - Fathers of the Church
• Orthodox Wiki - Topical view of Orthodox teaching and practice. Almost 5000 pages. Somewhat curated since "anyone can edit" it but generally pretty good

Philip the Evangelist was one of the Seven Deacons

The Apostles in Jerusalem Selected Seven Deacons

There are two Philips in the Book of Acts. One of them is Philip who is one of the 12 apostles. The other Philip was selected as one of the seven Deacons in Acts 6. 

Act 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

Of minor note, the first two names are the only ones which have any information about them beyond this Acts 6:5 passage. Stephen is of note as the first martyr of the church and Philip's evangelistic activities are covered in Acts.

Acts 8 shows the evangelistic acts of Philip including Philip speaking with the Ethiopian Eunuch. 

Philip AKA Philip the Evangelist was one of the seven deacons

Acts 21 lets one separate out Philip the Deacon/Evangelist from Philip the Apostle

Act 21:8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.

Sola Fide

"Orthodoxy abhors theological innovation and Luther did two things at the same time; he committed heresy by introducing a theological innovation and he committed schism by rejecting those who did not hold to sola fide, e.g., the early church fathers and the Orthodox Church."

"The issue here is not Pelagianism or Semi-Pelagianism.  The real issue between classical Protestantism and Orthodoxy is monergism versus synergism.  The Orthodox Church unabashedly affirms the synergistic understanding of salvation in Christ: God in his grace reaches out to us and we respond to God’s initiative."

Response to Theodore – Semi-Pelagianism, Sola Fide, and Theosis

Conditions for Salvation?

How is someone saved?

Luke 8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Acts 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

1 Corinthians 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Orthodox Apologetics Calvinism V. Arminianism

 

Cherry Picking the Fathers

Great post on Evangelicals cherry picking of the Church Fathers: Does Theological Retrieval Work?

Gavin Ortlund’s switch to the Baptist tradition based on his personal study is a good example of theology as a self-constructed project (See Ortlund 2013). Herein lies the methodological divide between Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy. In Orthodoxy, one receives the Faith from the Church and one does theology within the context of the Church. In Protestantism, one constructs theology based upon one’s careful study of the Bible.

Epistle Reading 2024-11-21

Hebrews 9:1-7 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now. When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

Here's the writer of Hebrews describes the temple and its practices. He places these things within the "First Covenant".

There was a promise in the Old Testament that this covenant would be replaced with a New Covenant. 

Jeremiah 31:31 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.

New Testament refers to the old covenant and shows that there is a New Covenant.

Hebrews 8:8 But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.

Hebrews 8:6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

He has shown from the Priest, from the Priesthood, from the Covenant, that that [dispensation] was to have an end. From this point he shows it from the fashion of the tabernacle itself. How? This, he says, [was] the Holy and the Holy of Holies. The holy place then is a symbol of the former period (for there all things are done by means of sacrifices); but the Holy of Holies of this that is now present. And by the Holy of Holies he means Heaven; and by the veil, Heaven, and the Flesh enters into that within the veil: that is to say, through the veil of His flesh. Supra, 6:19; Hebrews 10:20 And it were well to speak of this passage, 

John Chrysostom AD 407

Gospel Reading 2024-11-21

Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” ... As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

The Fathers:

Mary came and sat at his feet. This was as though she were sitting on firm ground at the feet of him who had forgiven the sinful woman her sins. She had put on a crown in order to enter into the kingdom of the Firstborn. She had chosen the better portion, the Benefactor, the Messiah himself. This will never be taken away from her. Martha’s love was more fervent than Mary’s, for before he had arrived there, she was ready to serve him. “Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” When he came to raise Lazarus to life, she ran and came out first. 

Commentary on Tatian’s Diatessaron. Ephrem The Syrian AD 373

and

Virtue does not have a single form. In the example of Martha and Mary, there is added the busy devotion of the one and the pious attention of the other to the Word of God, which, if it agrees with faith, is preferred even to the very works, as it is written: “Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.” So let us also strive to have what no one can take away from us, so that not careless but diligent hearing may be granted to us. For even the seeds of the heavenly Word itself are likely to be taken away if they are sowed by the wayside. Let the desire for wisdom lead you as it did Mary. It is a greater and more perfect work. Do not let service divert the knowledge of the heavenly Word…. Nor is Martha rebuked in her good serving, but Mary is preferred because she has chosen the better part for herself, for Jesus abounds with many blessings and bestows many gifts. And therefore the wiser chooses what she perceives as foremost. 

Ambrose of Milan AD 397

 

  

 

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians - Early Church Structure

In Ignatius Chapter 8:

He that is within the altar is pure, but he that is without is not pure; that is, he who does anything apart from the bishop, and presbytery, and deacons, such a man is not pure in his conscience.

 The Letters of Ignatius are very early. Hisg seven epistles preserved under the name of Ignatius are generally considered authentic, since they were mentioned by the historian Eusebius in the first half of the fourth century. 

We see the same structure in the early church that we see today.

Some Protestants have tended to deny the authenticity of all the epistles because they attest to a monarchical episcopate in the second century. 

Sufficiency of Scripture?

Missing Books?

In Saint Paul's letter to the Corinthians (called 1 Corinthians in our Bibles), Paul refers to a previous letter. This letter is no longer existent (as far as anyone knows).

1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people...

Paul refers to a letter to The Laodiceans as well. This letter may be the one referred to as Ephesians (OSB notes on Col 4:14 suggest this possibility due to geographics proximity between the two cities).

Colossians 4:16 After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.

These missing letters have never been an issue to the Historical Churches. It did not escape their notice that there were missing letters, but it was not of any particular concern. For the Historical Churches the Scriptures were not the sole deposit of the faith so nothing was missing when the books were lost.

Gathering of the Epistles into a Collection

By this historical construction (The Lost Letters of Saint Paul, and How They Were Lost in Patheos) the Epistles of Paul were not even gathered together and quoted by the Fathers until the Second Century. Note: I think this is an entirely reasonable reconstruction but have not looked at the account of the Fathers for their account of the collection of the Epistles of Paul.

This paper puts the collection of the Epistles as either 150 or 180 AD. In any event, the letters of Paul as a corpus would have been unavailable as a collection to the first six or so generations of Christians. There is simply no way that the early Church was founded around the collection of the writings of Paul.

The collection of letters became our Pauline epistles [sic: and are now] in the New Testament. From the second century, people start valuing and quoting these rediscovered letters.

Orthodox Church View of the Scriptures

It is the faith of the Orthodox Church that the Church alone possesses the fullness of the faith and that the faith is found in Holy Tradition - which includes Holy Scripture. A missing book or two (perhaps as many as hundreds or more missing books per the Patheos link above) isn't an issue for the Orthodox Church. It's just a historical footnote.

Critiques of the Protestant View

Protestants hold a vastly different idea of Scripture, the idea of the "sufficiency of scripture". This is an extra-Biblical tradition.

Scripture is sufficient in that it is the only inspired, inerrant, and therefore final authority for Christians for faith and godliness, with all other authorities being subservient to Scripture. The Sufficiency of Scripture,

Missing books are much more serious concern for the Protestant approach to church authority since they imply a missing part of the revelation. Some attempts to explain these issues with a notion that Paul may have made some error in those other letters so they were not preserved. This and other explanations are entirely ad hoc.

Human Letters Were Written in Hearts Before Written Letters

The Apostle Paul wrote this second letter to the Church at Corinth. Paul’s first visit to Corinth had previously occurred during his second missionary journey and lasted for almost two years (50-52 A.D.) ref: Paul's Visits and Letters to Corinth. In the letter Paul describes the Church there are the product of his preaching. 

2 Corinthians 3:1-3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Paul is quite explicit here in declaring that the Church in Corinth was not a product of written Scriptures but a product of his preaching and that of others to the Corinthians. The notion of the church being formed from the writings of Paul is completely foreign to the New Testament and is a Reformation novelty. It is historically absurd. The Reformers used their novel teachings as a pretext to undermine the authority of the Historical Churches.

Gospel Reading 2024-11-20

Luke 18:15-17;, 26-30   And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. ... And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

Aligning our lives with God and His Kingdom will set us at odds with family members. The Kingdom is very demanding. It calls us to put God above all others in our lives. The important thing it to ensure that we are lining up with God and not a false religion which pretends to be of God.

We are to receive the Kingdom as little children, infants in fact in the text. Infants are wholly dependent on their parents for everything in their lives. So too are we to be dependent on God for everything related to our lives.

Epistle Reading 2024-11-20

Colossians 3:17-25, 4:1 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

In this passage, the Apostle Paul lays out a structure for the family based on both hierarchy and reciprocity of relations.

The charge to wives is different than the charge given to husbands. Wives are to submit to their husbands and husbands are to love their wives. This language reflects hierarchy and mutuality.

Some might ask, "What if my husband doesn't obey Christ?" Peter addresses this in another place.

1 Peter 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

This is a hard word for many women. The command to a husband to love his wife is equally hard.

All things are to be done under the headship of Christ because we all serve Christ.

We are called to do what we do as to the Lord. 

Orthodoxy on Calvin and Calvinism

The Orthodox Church produced the following document: The Confession of Patriarch Dositheos of Jerusalem (1672). 

This Confession of Faith has been ratified by all of the autocephalous Churches (Jerusalem, Russia, and Georgia in 1672; Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and the Bulgarians under the EP at the Council of Constantinople in 1723. St. Justin Popovich and St. Nikodim Milas speak of it as having already been accepted by the Serbian Church in their publications published by the Serbian Church). and is therefore dogmatically binding upon the faithful.

It lays out more than a dozen decrees against Calvinism. 

The Perspicuity of Scripture

One of the more curious novelties of the Protestants is the notion of the "The Perspicuity of Scripture".  One definition of this idea is found here:

The doctrine of the clarity of Scripture (often called the "perspicuity of Scripture") teaches that "the meanings of the text can be clear to the ordinary reader, that God uses the text of the Bible to communicate His person and will." 

"The witness of the Church throughout the ages is that ordinary people, who approach it in faith and humility, will be able to understand what the Bible is getting at, even if they meet with particular points of difficulty here and there." Clarity of Scripture

The challenge in maintaining this notion is found in the various descriptions of the Perspicuity of Scripture.

This idea flies in the face of a great many Scriptures

One of many passages which denies this idea is:

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Without the guidance of the Spirit of God, a man cannot understand the Scriptures.

Another passage is:

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

If Scripture is so plain that an average person can understand it, why would a person need to study, work, and divide the Word of Truth?

The Apostle Peter describes the words of the Apostle Paul as "hard to understand".

2 Peter 3:15-16 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

This passage illustrates what happens when unlearned and unstable people try to understand the words of the Apostle Paul.

We All Bring Presuppositions to the Text

All of us sit within some interpretive paradigm when approaching Scripture - most of all the people who don't have any clue that they are operating in a paradigm. They hear something from a preacher on TV, they read something in a book or webpage. The put the pieces together to form their own interpretive lens for Scripture. The result is an incoherent hodgepodge of theology.

The idea that we are a blank slate where we can understand the words of God by reading the Scripture is just fanciful.

Varieties of Interpretations Within Protestant Traditions

I gave an example of a short passage consisting of two verses in my previous BLOG post. Two Protestant writers had two different contradictory views of what the passage means. If something is so obvious that all someone needs to do is read the passage, this case fails that test. There are such examples for nearly every passage in the Bible.

The difficulty of perspicuity is found in this paper:

Westminster Protestants, for instance, admitted the reality of both Scripture's obscurity and clarity, primarily in the distinction between matters necessary for salvation and other matters. In both the Irish Articles of Religion (1615) and the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) the defense of Scripture's clarity was solely concerned with the accessibility of the evangelical message. Others had argued similarly concerning the difficult things in Scripture: "If we never understand we shall be never the worse for the attaining of everlasting salvation."

laritas Scripturae: The Role of Perspicuity in Protestant Hermeneutics James Patrick Callahan

Orthodox Approach to Understanding Faith and Scripture

All of this leads to the obvious question of which teacher is correct, and which is wrong?

The first part of the Orthodox approach to interpreting Scripture is to recognize that God put Apostles and Teachers in the Church. It is reasonable to conclude that looking at people who are smarter than I am and closer to the time of the writing of Scripture are much more likely to read the Scriptures more consistently with the Apostles than Benny Hinn on TBN is, or John Calvin was in the mid 1500's for that matter.

The Orthodox Church has an unbroken continuity through Apostolic Succession of Bishops back to the time of the Apostles. The bishop is charged with guarding the faith. He has a responsibility before God to feed the Flock.

An important element of transmitting truth is continuity with past truth. This same standard was even present in the Old Testament where someone coming along with a new word from God was tested against that was already revealed.

Isaiah 8:19-20 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

When there have been disagreements about important matters of how to understand the faith, the church met together in Church Councils. The first of these councils is found in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 15. There the Church gathered and discussed the matter of how Gentiles should be received into the Church. Should Gentiles be required to follow the Hebrew Laws from the Books of Moses? Or was God doing something different in the Church? Thre preface to the conclusion of the council was:

Acts 15:22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

This set the pattern for the church over the next centuries where they gathered all the Bishops and scholars together to settle matters and the church body gave agreement.

Private Interpretation of Scripture

Looking at this passage:

2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Protestant Understandings of this Passage

Like most other subjects, you can find Protestant traditions with all sorts of views on this passage. The following two examples are directly contradictory.

Hanover Baptist, for instance, sees it as relating to teaching authority in the early church.

Cults are built upon erroneous interpretations of the Bible. Many disciples have been duped to follow charisma and showmanship.

In the days of the apostles, God assigned a special gift to some of the early saints in order to assist in keeping fidelity and vigilance to God’s truth. It was called the gift of discernment (1 Corinthians 12:10). 

Proclaim and Defend sees the passage in terms of the origin of Scripture, rather than interpretation of Scripture.

Private origination would be a better way of saying it and it is a remark about where the scriptures originated, not their meaning or how they are used.

Neither of those pages do much to place the passage in its context.

2 Peter 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The bold text above in the passage has nothing to do with written Scripture - at least in this context. It's about the words that were spoken by the Apostles. They Apostles were eyewitnesses to the glory of Jesus seen on Mount Tabor where they saw Jesus transfigured before their own eyes.

The passage does highlight the verbal aspect of the message of the Apostles. They testified to what they saw. The message would later be written down and in fact this Epistle itself is an example of that writing.

OSB Commentary on 2 Peter 1:19-21

From the Orthodox Study Bible notes:

The testimony of the Apostles both confirms prophetic word (v 19) concerning the second coming and shows us how to interpret prophecy. Just as Scripture (v 20) was not written by the mere volition of men but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (v 21), so Scripture is to be interpreted by Holy men guided by the Holy Spirit. Heretics (ch 2) and unstable Christians (3:16) interpret incorrectly. The Apostles (the we of v 19) are guided by the Holy Spirit, trusting in the promise of true interpretation (John 16:13). The Church, founded by the Apostles, likewise receives the Holy Spirit, 

"For the Apostles, like a rich man in a bank, deposited her with [the Church] most copiously everything which pertains to the truth. And everyone who wishes, draws from her the drink of life. For she is the entrance to life, while all the rest are thieves and robbers. That is why it is surely necessary to avoid them, while cherishing with the utmost diligence the things pertaining to the church, and to lay hold of the traditions of truth (Iren).

Saint Peter on Saint Paul - Scripture and Tradition

 Saint Peter wrote about the writings of Saint Paul.

2 Peter 3:15-16 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

There are some things worth noting about this passage.

Saint Peter Recognized the Calling of Saint Paul

Peter called the calling on Paul "...the wisdom given unto him..."  This wisdom was from God.

Saint Peter Knew about Saint Paul's Writing

Peter wrote "hath written unto you. As also in all his epistles..."

Saint Peter Knew Saint Paul's Writings Were Difficult to Understand

Peter wrote "...speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood..."

People Misused the Words of Saint Paul

As Peter wrote "...which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest... unto their own destruction."

Saint Peter called the Writings of Saint Paul Scripture

Peter wrote: "...as they do also the other scriptures..."

Scripture Was Misused in the Earliest Times

Scripture, by itself, is insufficient for salvation. Scripture, uncoupled from the traditions of the church, is destruction to those who use it. This is even more true today than in those days.

St John Chrysostom - On the Scriptures

From Homily 9 on Colossians

Tarry not, I entreat, for another to teach you; you have the oracles of God. No man teaches you as they; for he indeed oft grudges much for vainglory's sake and envy. Hearken, I entreat you, all you that are careful for this life, and procure books that will be medicines for the soul. If you will not any other, yet get you at least the New Testament, the Apostolic Epistles, the Acts, the Gospels, for your constant teachers. If grief befall you, dive into them as into a chest of medicines; take thence comfort of your trouble, be it loss, or death, or bereavement of relations; or rather dive not into them merely but take them wholly to you; keep them in your mind.

This is the cause of all evils, the not knowing the Scriptures. We go into battle without arms, and how ought we to come off safe? Well contented should we be if we can be safe with them, let alone without them. Throw not the whole upon us! Sheep you are, still not without reason, but rational; Paul commits much to you also. They that are under instruction, are not for ever learning; for then they are not taught. If you are for ever learning, you will never learn. Do not so come as meaning to be always learning; (for so you will never know;) but so as to finish learning, and to teach others. In the arts do not all persons continue for set times, in the sciences, and in a word, in all the arts? Thus, we all fix definitely a certain known time; but if you are ever learning, it is a certain proof that you have learned nothing.

Saint John Chrysostom - Church Father, Archbishop of Constantinople and Christian saint (c. 347–407)

From The Life, Works and Thought of Saint John Chrysostom (Fr. George Florovsky)

Chrysostom never elaborated a system of theology, and there is no point in looking for dogmatic or theological formulations in his writings. His Christology and Mariology in particular are not entirely free from the ambiguity and one-sidedness which characterize the language of Antiochene theology. Chrysostom was a witness of the faith, and this explains why his works were so significant in ancient times, especially in the West. His writings are filled with the voice of Church tradition.

Chrysostom set himself a specific task. His activity was aimed not at overcoming unorthodox opinions, but at making people who professed themselves to be Christians understand that the truths of faith are the truths and commandments of life, and that these must be put into actual practice by the individual. At that time too many people had forgotten this. Chrysostom demanded that men live according to their beliefs, and he assumed that the truths of faith were known to his audience. There was no point in trying to go further if men's hearts were indifferent and if the seeds of faith had not yet been implanted in their souls. It is true that Chrysostom himself had no particular interest in speculative theology, but by no means was he exclusively a moralist without any interest in dogma. His own theological beliefs were primarily based on the writings of the apostle Paul, whose teaching centered on Christ and salvation, not morality. Even Chrysostom's "evangelism" had a doctrinal significance because for him all life was connected with the image of Christ not only as a prophet but more importantly as the High Priest and the Lamb. This is related to his mystical attitude towards the sacraments.

References

• St. John Chrysostom (d. 407) vs. Sola Scriptura as the Rule of Faith

Inscription of Abercius

The inscription of Abercius is the Greek epitaph of Abercius who was probably Bishop of Hieropolis in Phrygia. It is an important example of early Christian epigraphy.

The Inscription

The citizen of a chosen city, this [monument] I made [while] living, that there I might have in time a resting-place of my body, [I] being by name Abercius, the disciple of a holy shepherd who feeds flocks of sheep [both] on mountains and on plains, who has great eyes that see everywhere. For this [shepherd] taught me [that the] book [of life] is worthy of belief. And to Rome he sent me to contemplate majesty, and to see a queen golden-robed and golden-sandalled; there also I saw a people bearing a shining mark. And I saw the land of Syria and all [its] cities; Nisibis [I saw] when I passed over Euphrates. But everywhere I had brethren. I had Paul ... Faith everywhere led me forward, and everywhere provided as my food a fish of exceeding great size, and perfect, which a holy virgin drew with her hands from a fountain and this it [faith] ever gives to its friends to eat, it having wine of great virtue, and giving it mingled with bread. These things I, Abercius, having been a witness [of them] told to be written here. Verily I was passing through my seventy-second year. He that discerneth these things, every fellow-believer [namely], let him pray for Abercius. And no one shall put another grave over my grave; but if he do, then shall he pay to the treasury of [the] Romans two thousand pieces of gold and to my good native city of Hieropolis one thousand pieces of gold.