In this lecture, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III presents a series of educational and spiritual warnings to preachers, cautioning against deviating from Orthodox teaching due to personal opinions, exaggerations, reliance on non-Orthodox sources, or interpreting verses in a fragmented way. He affirms that the Church is steadfast in its tradition and faith, and that any renewal must be disciplined and referred back to the shepherds and apostolic teaching.

1. The difference between renewal and heresy

• He explains that some preachers are attracted to anything “new,” yet this “newness” may be a heresy opposed to the faith.

• The Church is a traditional and conservative Church, holding fast to the teachings of the Fathers, discussing new issues without changing the doctrine.

2. The danger of personal opinion and exaggeration

• Acceptable contemplation is one thing, but turning personal reflections into doctrines is deviation.

• Exaggeration has led many into heresies, as happened with Origen in symbolic interpretation.

3. The limits of freedom in teaching

• Freedom of thought exists, but not in doctrine.

• The preacher is committed to the Church’s teaching, not to presenting his own philosophy.

• The spread of personal opinion may lead to pride and division.

4. Following foreign sources without discernment

• He warns against adopting Protestant or foreign ideas alien to the Orthodox heritage.

• Influence from translated books introduced wrong concepts about salvation, faith, and works.

5. Playing with translations and altering meanings

• Changing a word or translation to support a preconceived idea leads to distortion of doctrine.

• The preacher must read Scripture as it is, not as he wishes in order to prove a personal thought.

6. Interpreting verses in the spirit of the Church

• No doctrine is built on a single verse.

• All related verses must be gathered to build a correct understanding.

• The examples given by His Holiness show the danger of isolating texts.

7. Wisdom in discussion and response

• There is a time to answer the fool, and a time to avoid fruitless argument.

• The wise preacher discerns when to speak and when to remain silent.

8. Conclusion

His Holiness affirms that Orthodox teaching has clear and safe references, and he calls preachers to cling to them and avoid showing off information or building teachings on foreign sources or personal ideas.

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