Notes on Preaching

The Main Idea of the Lecture

This lecture presents a set of essential warnings and guidelines concerning the ministry of preaching, emphasizing that the preacher is a transmitter of Church teaching, not a promoter of personal thought, and that any deviation from the received apostolic faith constitutes a danger to doctrine and Church unity.

The Spiritual and Educational Dimension

• His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the fundamental difference between legitimate renewal in method and heresy that touches the essence of doctrine, stressing that the Coptic Orthodox Church is a conservative traditional Church that does not change its faith.
• He warns against turning personal contemplations or private opinions into doctrines imposed on the people, as this has led many throughout history into heresy.
• He affirms that freedom of thought exists, but it does not extend to changing doctrine, because faith is bound to the teaching of the Church received from the Fathers.
• He draws attention to the danger of spiritual fame and pride that may afflict a preacher when people gather around his personal ideas, leading him into conflict with the Church.
• He highlights the risks of relying on foreign books or non-Orthodox ideas, especially when they are transferred without discernment.
• He stresses the danger of exaggeration in teaching or manipulating biblical translations to support preconceived ideas.
• He teaches that doctrine is not built on a single verse, but on the entire Holy Scripture from beginning to end in complete harmony.
• He establishes an important spiritual rule in preaching: “It is written… and it is also written,” meaning that verses must be gathered together for a balanced and complete understanding.
• He concludes by affirming that Orthodox preaching is faithful, balanced, and submissive to Church teaching, leading to truth and not to division.

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