Spirits

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III addresses the subject of spirits from a Biblical Coptic Orthodox perspective, explaining that speaking about spirits requires spiritual humility, because man does not know everything. He affirms that what we believe must be based on Holy Scripture, not on philosophical ideas or human theories.

First: The Limits of Knowledge in Spiritual Matters

The teaching emphasizes that there are matters concerning the spirit after its departure from the body that we do not fully know. Therefore, it is not permissible to claim knowledge of what God has not revealed. Humility in saying “I do not know” is the way of spiritual wisdom.

Second: Rejection of the Doctrine of Reincarnation

The teaching discusses the idea of reincarnation or return of embodiment and rejects it based on the Scripture:
“It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”
Death happens once, and there is no انتقال of the spirit from one body to another, whether human, animal, or otherwise.

Third: The Danger of Summoning Spirits

It affirms that summoning spirits is Biblically rejected, as man has no authority over spirits, whether righteous spirits in Paradise or spirits in a place of punishment. The divine Law also forbade consulting the dead, because this is a تجاوز against God’s authority.

Fourth: No Repentance After Death

It teaches that repentance is connected to life on earth, where there is body, testing, and struggle. After death, there is no new opportunity for repentance or faith. Whoever dies in his sin cannot change his destiny afterward.

Fifth: Explaining the Issue of John the Baptist and Elijah

The teaching explains what was written about Elijah coming before Christ, clarifying that John the Baptist came “in the spirit and power of Elijah,” meaning in his style and strength of testimony, not as a reincarnation of his spirit. Elijah did not die but ascended alive, so there can be no talk about the انتقال of his spirit into another body.

The Spiritual Message

The essential message is that Orthodox faith is based on divine revelation, not human philosophies. The spirit after death is under God’s judgment and does not have freedom to move or rebel. Therefore, a person must prepare for eternity during his present life, because it is the only opportunity for repentance and salvation.

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