What’s new
Major changes to Orthodox Bible Study, newest first.
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2026
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2026-11-14
New ContentLoving the Person in Front of Me (With Audio Narration) and Revelation Overview Audio
A new narrated lesson in the Love of God series explores why costly, discerning mercy toward the person in front of us belongs to our life with Christ, drawing on the Good Samaritan, 1 John 4, John 13, and Sts. John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, and Augustine. Complete audio narration and follow-along transcripts are also now available for the Revelation overview.
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2026-11-14
DesignRedesigned Lessons Hub and Series catalog with instant filtering
The Lessons Hub (/lessons) and Series shelf (/series/) now organize all 99 lessons clearly into 20 expandable teaching series and 16 standalone studies, with quick-jump series chips, ordered lesson previews, Scripture and patristic subtitles, instant search and format filters, and fixed article navigation links.
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2026-11-10
New ContentRefreshed audio narration and transcripts for Galatians
Every study across Galatians now features freshly recorded audio narration and word-aligned follow-along transcripts matching the revised study text. Readers can listen to all 17 sessions—from the overview through the cross and new creation—with synchronized follow-along highlighting and playback speed controls on every study page and in the podcast feed.
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2026-11-06
New ContentComplete audio narration and transcripts for 1 Timothy, Colossians, and Titus
Every study across 1 Timothy, Colossians, and Titus now features complete audio narration and word-aligned follow-along transcripts. Readers can listen to all 14 sessions in 1 Timothy, all 13 sessions in Colossians, and all 6 sessions in Titus, with synchronized follow-along highlighting and playback speed controls on every study page and in the podcast feed.
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2026-11-01
FeatureReading toolbar with text sizing, quick chapter switching, enhanced audio companion, and Septuagint Psalm search
Chapter study pages now feature an integrated reading toolbar with dynamic text sizing controls (A- / A+) and a quick chapter switcher for seamless reading through books of the Bible. The audio companion dock adds a 15-second forward skip button alongside rewind, an always-visible seek slider on mobile devices, and viewport-aware follow-along scrolling that never hides highlighted sentences behind playback controls. In the Lectionary Finder, readers can now search Psalms using traditional Septuagint / Coptic Reader numbering (such as LXX 50 or Ps 50 LXX) with instant 1-tap cross-reference hints bridging English and Septuagint Psalm coordinates.
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2026-10-30
DesignClearer external links, source citations, and image attributions
External links across all studies, footnotes, and image notes now display clear anchor text and clean domain references with an understated arrow (↗) rather than a single link emoji (🔗). Over 15,800 descriptive links—including Scripture verse references (1 Corinthians 1:1), patristic sources (CCEL, New Advent), and image licenses (Wikimedia Commons)—now show their full destination text. Bare URLs in footnotes and bibliographies automatically condense to clean domain names (such as biblegateway.com or ccel.org) with full URLs on hover and mobile truncation safety.
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2026-10-30
New ContentGospel of Mark Bible studies refreshed and expanded to 51 sessions
Explore the Gospel of Mark through 51 verse-by-verse chapter studies and an overview, featuring dedicated sessions on Levi and the Physician at the table (Mark 2:13–17), fasting and new wine (Mark 2:18–22), the feeding of the four thousand (Mark 8:1–9), Caesar and the God of the living (Mark 12:13–27), the Great Commandment (Mark 12:28–34), and Gethsemane (Mark 14:26–42). Enriched with firsthand patristic commentary from St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Athanasius, verified Coptic lectionary appointments, sacred iconography, and enhanced study outline navigation.
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2026-10-29
New ContentGospel of Luke Bible studies refreshed and expanded into 60 sessions
Explore the Gospel of Luke through 60 verse-by-verse chapter studies across all 24 chapters, featuring newly dedicated sessions on Christ setting His face toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51–62), the cleansing of the leper and healing of the paralytic, the joy of the Seventy, the Rich Fool, the God of the living, Gethsemane, and Peter's denial and restoration, enriched with patristic commentary from St. Cyril of Alexandria and St. Ambrose.
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2026-10-29
FeatureMasthead search and reading controls, one-click study sharing, and streamlined Lamp sign-up
The desktop and tablet masthead and Explorer toolbar now provide unified site search (⌘K), dark/light theme switching, and distraction-free Reader Mode controls. Study and lesson pages add one-click study link sharing, formatted copying for Scripture passages and Church Fathers commentary, and a direct invitation to join The Lamp weekly newsletter with a streamlined sign-up view on the Contact page.
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2026-10-28
New ContentPsalms Book I and 1 Thessalonians chapter studies refreshed
Explore refreshed studies across the first book of the Psalter (Psalms 1–41) and 1 Thessalonians. Psalms feature expanded patristic commentary, Christological readings, and liturgical connections. 1 Thessalonians is now organized into ten focused chapter studies with interleaved Septuagint and New Testament text, spiritual fruit, and teaching schematics.
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2026-10-26
FixDaily readings corrected and expanded
Daily Readings and the Reverse Lectionary include the corrected Pauline reading for the third Sunday of Babah, additional source-verified Jonah Fast and Lenten readings, and improved service ordering. Split Psalm selections retain their source order, while unresolved edition questions remain qualified.
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2026-10-24
FixEarlier recordings remain available after study revisions
Listen to earlier recordings on the website and in the podcast while revised study text is available. Previous-version notices distinguish older narration from the current text, and existing podcast episodes keep their original identities.
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2026-10-22
New ContentA beginner's guide to Orthodox daily readings
Learn how Vespers, Matins, and the Divine Liturgy shape the Coptic Orthodox daily readings, why evening worship belongs to the next liturgical day, and how to begin reading and praying at home. Includes a service timeline and practical guidance for using the Daily Readings page.
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2026-10-22
New ContentMalachi studies refreshed, from covenant love to the healing Sun
Read a revised Introduction and four study guides through Malachi, including separate guides to the messenger and the book of remembrance, and to the Sun of Righteousness, Elijah, and Moses. Earlier recordings remain available, with notices distinguishing them from the revised text.
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2026-10-22
New ContentDaniel and Hosea chapter-by-chapter studies refreshed
Explore complete chapter-by-chapter studies across Daniel and Hosea. Daniel now features 12 individual chapter guides with interleaved Septuagint scripture text, patristic commentary, spiritual fruit, teaching notes, and theological diagrams. Hosea has been expanded into 14 separate chapter studies exploring covenant love, repentance, and prophetic restoration.
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2026-10-21
FeatureChurch Fathers Directory, patristic bylines, and verse deep-linking
Explore Scripture guided by 66 Early Church Fathers, Doctors of the Church, and ancient commentators across 1,050 chapter studies. The new Church Fathers Directory (/fathers) features an interactive cross-index with instant search filtering, A–Z navigation, and profiles with Neo-Coptic icon medallions for pillars of patristic exegesis like St. John Chrysostom, St. Athanasius, and St. Cyril of Alexandria. Study pages now feature patristic bylines connecting directly to each father's indexed commentary, while scripture verses support anchor deep-linking and focused popover previews.
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2026-10-21
FeatureOne-click verse citations, continuous narration, and contemplative reading mode
Chapter studies now allow readers and teachers to copy individual verses or full passages with formatted canonical citations and source links in a single click. Narration adds continuous auto-advance with next-track lockscreen controls and audio position memory that automatically resumes where you left off. Reader Mode also introduces contemplative typography, relaxed line spacing, and distraction-free Scripture reading.
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2026-10-16
FeatureSearch feedback, Reading Journey starters, and tablet layout polish
Site search now pre-warms on open, displays a loading indicator while data streams, and offers one-tap popular suggestion chips when a query yields no direct matches. The Reading Journey adds a browser-private guarantee badge and quick-start cornerstone cards for Genesis and John. Tablet layout improvements also eliminate horizontal scroll overflow on 404 pages.
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2026-10-16
FeatureFast liturgical season and feast navigation in Daily Readings
Daily Readings now includes direct liturgical landmark navigation. Readers can jump immediately to major seasons and feasts—including Great Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Good Friday, Pascha, Pentecost, Nayrouz, and Nativity—with one-click quick jump pills or an organized season and feast selector covering all published years.
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2026-10-14
New ContentDeuteronomy, chapter by chapter
Read a refreshed Introduction and a separate study for each of Deuteronomy’s 34 chapters, with Scripture, patristic reflections, and guides to the book’s covenant setting. Earlier podcast recordings remain available; notices distinguish them from the revised study text.
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2026-10-14
New ContentRefreshed studies in 1 Esdras and Ezra
The 1 Esdras and Ezra studies have been revised with clearer Scripture connections, patristic reflections, and guidance for reading the accounts of return, rebuilding, and repentance. These are text updates, not newly recorded narration.
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2026-10-13
FixHoly Pascha daytime readings restored
Daily Readings now includes the missing Wednesday of Holy Pascha daytime readings for all five hours, while keeping the Eve readings separate. The Ninth and Eleventh Hour readings for Hosanna Sunday are also restored alongside the ordinary Palm Sunday services. Existing source and Psalm-numbering qualifications are preserved.
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2026-10-09
FixExodus studies refreshed with clearer references
The Exodus library now publishes the latest revised study texts, with NKJV-first references alongside Brenton's Septuagint readings, checked worship sources, and consistent headings. Existing narration is kept, with a clear notice where it predates the revised text. The chapter index distinguishes 35 studies from the Introduction.
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2026-10-08
DesignReading and narration controls within reach
Long pages without narration now offer a floating up-arrow button to jump to the top. The bottom companion on narrated studies also offers Jump to top. Narrated studies add a compact playback-speed menu and a 15-second rewind button, with seeking on desktop and a compact single row of controls on mobile. Controls are available before listening begins. The companion follows the site’s light and dark themes.
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2026-10-08
FixRestored and corrected church readings
Daily Readings and the Reverse Lectionary now include restored Great Lent Matins prophecies and source-backed corrections to selected Sunday, feast and special-service readings. Mesra 19 uses James 1:12–21. The complete Last Friday of Great Lent readings are preserved when it coincides with Annunciation. This is a bounded correction release, not a claim that every reading or Psalm numbering question has been resolved.
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2026-10-07
DesignRefined reading layout, sanctuary banners, and audio companion
Study and catalog pages now make better use of widescreen displays with an expanded 1080px reading layout, while sanctuary top banners preserve their full architectural arches. When listening to narration while reading, a docked companion player stays within reach as you scroll, and tablet and mobile readers gain a collapsible in-article outline for quick jumping.
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2026-10-04
New ContentUpdated Old Testament studies and Genesis narration
Recent revisions to Genesis, 1 Samuel and Judges are now available, along with an updated illustration in 2 Kings. The Genesis overview and Genesis 1 have new narration and matching follow-along transcripts. Other revised studies keep their existing audio, which may narrate earlier text until replacement recordings are ready.
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2026-09-30
DesignA new look, with the Orthodox Bible Study logo
The site now carries the original Orthodox Bible Study logo: a parchment banner across the top by day, a charcoal one with the gold logo by night, and a maroon footer on every page. The browser tab shows the gold cross and book. Every podcast season cover now has the logo at the top, and the show's description lists all 81 seasons, one per book, each with a fixed season number.
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2026-09-30
FeatureChoose your listening speed
Every narrated study now has speed buttons under its audio player: 0.75×, 1×, 1.2×, 1.5×, 2×, and 3×. Beside them you can see how long the rest of the study takes at that speed. Your choice is remembered on every page, including the listening list on the home page.
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2026-09-28
FeatureListen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
The narrated studies are now a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, with each book of the Bible as its own season. Every narrated study page has links beside its audio player, and the new Podcast page gathers them in one place.
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2026-09-27
New ContentRevised 1 Kings studies
The 1 Kings studies now follow the passages more closely, with renewed attention to the Septuagint, worship, and spiritual application. Existing audio remains available but narrates the earlier text until new recordings are made.
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2026-09-27
New ContentEphesians studies now have audio narration
All 13 Ephesians studies and the book overview can now be listened to from their study pages and in the podcast feed.
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2026-09-26
FixStudy pages show reliable dates
Study pages no longer show a creation date taken from the latest site build. When a lesson has an authored publication date, earlier draft edits no longer appear as an update after it was published.
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2026-09-25
FeatureClick to enlarge illustrations, maps, and diagrams
Teaching schematics, biblical maps, timeline charts, and historical illustrations across the site can now be clicked or tapped to open in a full-size popup viewer with a dimmed glass backdrop. Clicking anywhere or pressing Escape returns you directly to reading.
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2026-09-25
New ContentComplete audio narration for Galatians
Every Galatians study now has audio narration: the overview and all 16 chapter studies, about five hours in total, from Paul's warning against any other gospel through freedom in Christ and the fruit of the Spirit to boasting only in the Cross and the new creation.
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2026-09-25
FixShelf and reading buttons look the same everywhere
The Old Testament and New Testament buttons at the top of the Bible Studies shelves showed as plain underlined text next to a proper Deuterocanon button. They are all buttons now. The View full day button under today's readings on the homepage and the buttons on the page-not-found screen also match the rest of the site.
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2026-09-25
New ContentComplete audio narration for 2 Corinthians
Every 2 Corinthians study now has audio narration: the overview and all 22 chapter studies, about six and a half hours in total, from the God of all comfort through grace made perfect in weakness to Paul's closing call to examine yourselves.
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2026-09-25
DesignDaniel's additions get their own place on the shelf
The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon now appear on the Old Testament shelf with their own covers, right after Daniel, instead of being reachable only from Daniel's page. Deuterocanonical books are also easier to spot: their cards carry a red accent and a filled Deuterocanon label.
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2026-09-23
FixMissing maps and illustrations restored
Twenty maps, icons, and paintings were not loading on 18 pages, including the Nehemiah, Tobit, Esther, Malachi, Prayer of Manasseh, and Letter of Jeremiah studies and two Church Feasts lessons. They all display again.
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2026-09-23
FixHomepage and Daily Readings no longer freeze for Reading Journey readers
If you use My Journey, the homepage and Daily Readings page could stop responding on days when a reading linked to a narrated study. Both pages load normally again, and the Read, Saved, and Audio labels on reading links still appear.
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2026-09-23
New ContentComplete audio narration for Romans and 1 Corinthians
Every Romans and 1 Corinthians study now has audio narration: all 37 Romans studies (about 11 hours) and all 32 studies in 1 Corinthians (about 9 hours), from the call into fellowship with the Son through the victory over death.
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2026-09-14
FeatureOne Bible Studies tree to browse by testament and book
The Bible Studies shelf, the Old and New Testament shelves, each book's page, and every chapter study now sit in a single tree, so the sidebar explorer, breadcrumbs, and pages all agree. Books are in canonical order everywhere, and each testament has its own shelf with cover art.
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2026-09-14
New ContentComplete audio narration for Jeremiah
All 32 Jeremiah studies now have audio narration, from the prophet's call through Jerusalem's fall and the hope of the new covenant.
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2026-09-13
New ContentComplete audio narration for Ezekiel
All 31 Ezekiel studies now have verified audio narration, including a newly dramatized reading of the valley of dry bones in chapter 37.
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2026-09-12
FeaturePoetry and songs are easier to read in New Testament studies
Seventy-three selected quotations and song segments across 41 studies now use aligned verse gutters and hanging wraps, without changing the Scripture text.
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2026-09-11
FixTag pages now have proper headings
Every tag archive page renders a real heading instead of showing the raw URL slug as its only title.
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2026-09-10
FeatureDaily Readings now shows today's church calendar context
The Daily Readings page now surfaces today's liturgical day and Synaxarium commemoration alongside the readings, backed by new calendar-accuracy checks.
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2026-09-09
DesignNew cover artwork for every Bible study book
Every book in the Bible study library now has approved, consistent cover artwork.
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2026-09-08
New ContentPhilippians chapter study added
A new chapter-by-chapter Bible study for Philippians is live, with cover art and navigation.
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2026-09-05
FeatureHomepage now shows today's church season live
The homepage hero surfaces today's Coptic lectionary occasion, with streamlined Today's Readings and Browse the Books actions.
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2026-09-05
New ContentAudio narration for Isaiah begins
The first ten Isaiah studies now have audio narration, almost four hours of listening, starting with the vision of sinful Judah.
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2026-09-03
FeatureSee which studies are narrated
A new Narration coverage page shows how much of the library has audio, grouped by Bible section with progress for each. Chapter cards on book pages now also mark which studies are narrated.
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2026-09-02
FeaturePrint a discussion guide for your class
Studies that include discussion questions or teaching notes now have a Print discussion guide button. It prints only the title, passage, lesson guide, questions, and teaching notes, ready for servants to use in class. Any other page also prints cleanly, without menus or the audio player.
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2026-09-01
FeatureScripture references now link to their studies
References to other passages inside a study now link straight to the study for that chapter, so you can follow a cross-reference without searching.
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2026-08-24
New ContentA curated page of Orthodox resources
The new Resources page is a short, Coptic-first set of helps for reading Scripture, praying with the Church, and going deeper in the Orthodox faith.
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2026-08-23
FeatureA new Contact page
One Contact page now handles joining The Lamp, sending feedback about the site, or asking a question. It works without JavaScript, and the footer links to it from every page.
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2026-08-22
New ContentThe Blessed Life: a series on the Beatitudes
A new ten-lesson series works through the Beatitudes, from the poor in spirit to those persecuted for righteousness, and asks what it means to be truly blessed.
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2026-08-19
New ContentUpdated John studies with audio
The opening studies in the Gospel of John, chapters 1 through 4, have been revised and now include audio narration.
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2026-08-12
New ContentOriginal articles added to the library
Standalone articles, including "Why does God allow evil?" and "Is the Bible a science book?", are now in the Lessons library.
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2026-08-10
FeatureOrthodox Bible Study has a new home
The site now lives at orthodoxbiblestudy.com. Old links and the podcast feed redirect automatically, so there is nothing to change.
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2026-08-02
FeatureVerse numbers in New Testament studies
Scripture passages in New Testament studies now show verified verse numbers, so they are easier to follow and cite.
