The Knowledge of God

In this profound sermon, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that true worship of God is impossible without knowing Him. However, this knowledge is not intellectual or theoretical—it is experiential knowledge, born from personal fellowship and a living relationship with God.

👈 Intellectual knowledge alone is not enough. A person may study theology, read about God, and understand His attributes, yet still not truly know Him. Even the demons, as Scripture says, “believe—and tremble,” but they do not live with God.

🕊️ True knowledge leads to love, as Christ said in John 17:

“That the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Therefore, any knowledge that does not lead to love for God is false and empty.

✝️ The Pope explains that a person might possess “books” or “writings” about God without actually knowing Him—just like a camel carrying books without reading them, or a printing press producing Bibles without understanding their meaning.

🔹 Divine knowledge grows through fellowship.
The more a person lives in purity and prayer, the more God reveals Himself to them. This knowledge is not easy; it is deep and unfolds throughout one’s entire spiritual journey.

🔸 His Holiness quotes St. Paul, who said:

“I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.”
And despite his greatness, Paul also confessed: “Now I know in part.”

💔 The Pope warns against being busy serving God without actually knowing Him—like Martha, who was distracted with service while forgetting to sit at Jesus’ feet. Many today are preoccupied with church activities and appearances but lack a genuine relationship with the Lord.

🕯️ He also explains that after the Fall, humanity lost its true knowledge of God. Love was replaced by fear, and trust by hiding—just as Adam said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked.”

🌿 Even the angels do not fully know God, as Scripture says:

“The heavens are not pure in His sight, and He charges His angels with folly.”

🙏 Finally, His Holiness notes that many pray or fast without truly knowing God—like the Pharisee who prayed proudly and was not justified, or the Jews who offered sacrifices while their hearts were far from Him.

💬 He concludes with a beautiful saying of St. Augustine:

“You were with me, O Lord, but because of my misery, I was not with You.”

📜 In conclusion:
True knowledge of God is the knowledge of the heart, not the mind. It is born from love, nourished by fellowship, and transforms the believer to live continually in God’s presence.