Preaching, Part 4

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III presents important warnings to preachers, explaining the danger of deviating in teaching due to wrong interpretation, personal opinions, or being influenced by non-Orthodox books.

1. The difference between renewal and heresy

• Acceptable renewal is renewal in style, not doctrine.

• The Orthodox Church is a traditional church that remains firm in the teachings of the Fathers.

• Any new idea must be reviewed before being spread, because many heresies began with the desire to “bring something new.”

2. The danger of exaggeration in interpretation

• His Holiness gives the example of Origen, who began with acceptable symbolic interpretation but exaggerated it until he fell into heresy.

• Excessive or careless symbolic interpretation can lead to serious doctrinal deviations.

3. Freedom of thought and its limits

• Freedom of thought is not absolute in doctrine, because doctrines were handed down through the Fathers.

• A person who clings to his personal opinion may fall into pride and even challenge the Church.

4. The danger of personal opinion

• The preacher conveys the teaching of the Church, not his own ideas.

• Spreading private opinions creates divisions and followers, leading to pride and deviation from the faith.

5. The influence of foreign books

• Some beginners are influenced by strange ideas translated from non-Orthodox books and pass them to people without discernment.

• The preacher’s sources must be Orthodox and reliable.

6. Beware of manipulating translations

• Changing the meaning of a verse using inaccurate translations can lead to heresy or misunderstanding.

• Verses must be read within the whole biblical context, not used individually to build doctrine.

7. The necessity of gathering all verses together

• The Bible is one whole, and doctrines are not built on single verses.

• All related verses must be gathered to reach a correct and balanced teaching.

Final spiritual message

Orthodox preaching must be faithful, balanced, rooted in the teachings of the Fathers and the whole Scripture, free from personal opinions and foreign trends, in order to preserve the faith and protect the unity of the Church.

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