Thank God for the Heretics
Saint Augustine said: “Thank God for the heretics, for through the doubts they presented, they made us delve more deeply into the Scriptures in order to respond to them. Thus we gained knowledge that we would not have had without their doubts.”
People used to accept all doctrines with the simplicity of faith, perhaps receiving them through tradition, from the faith handed down to us by the saints. But now—since heretics have raised their doubts—it is necessary to add to the simplicity of faith all the elements of knowledge in all its depth, discernment, and proofs.
From now on, a doctrinal program will be established and distributed to all churches and dioceses, to be added to the curricula of Sunday School education, youth meetings, and church sermons.
A spiritual topic will be presented, and alongside it a doctrinal word, even if for only fifteen or ten minutes, or in response to one or two doctrinal questions. But the doctrine and its teaching cannot be neglected.
And thanks to the heretics who will—without intending to—help deepen people’s understanding of the doctrines. These heretics will see that their books, which they intended to use to spread doubts, have led to the opposite result.
Yet we marvel, concerning the heretics, at two things:
They are zealous for the Bible, for the biblical truth, and for the biblical church, and their zeal reaches the point of dedicating themselves to criticizing the Church’s books, doctrines, and rituals. At the same time, the market is filled with publications attacking the Holy Bible, describing it as corrupted, falsified, and of human authorship—and these zealous ones act as though they have neither heard nor seen. They do not defend the Scriptures nor testify for the Gospel, but are only “brave” in fighting the Church!
Is this really the right time for an internal church war? Or is it a betrayal of the Church and an attempt to provide intellectual material that can be used against the Christian faith?
The second point is that they criticize the Church for not caring about “salvific sermons,” while all their own books are purely doctrinal, intellectually discussing completely theological matters that cannot be described as salvific sermons according to their own understanding!
We will do this and not neglect that. We will present both spiritual sermons and theological and doctrinal information in one integrated program.
God willing, we will make our people—young and old, even children—memorize by heart the verses that the heretics avoid mentioning, for these verses build the sound doctrine.
We thank the heretics, because unintentionally they help to strengthen the very doctrine they fight against. This generation will witness a revival of faith.
Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – El-Keraza Magazine – Year 10 – Issue 20, May 18, 1979
