Preaching and teaching

3 April 20000 Comments

The main idea of the lecture

The lecture focuses on the profound role of preaching and teaching in the Church, and that the true preacher should be a teacher who combines spiritual impact with documented scientific foundations. Pope Shenouda III affirms that true preaching is a spiritual message that builds life and faith, not merely words or emotions.

The spiritual and educational dimension

His Holiness explains that the Lord Christ was both a preacher and a teacher, and that the apostles and the Fathers followed the same path.
Teaching in the Church is based on evidence and proofs from Scripture and the sayings of the Fathers, so that preaching may be solid and beneficial to believers.
He stresses the necessity of preparing the sermon well, because improvising words without preparation is a shortcoming toward the people seeking spiritual benefit.
The preacher is called to gather knowledge from multiple sources: interpretation, Church history, doctrine, the sayings of the Fathers, and then present them with humility and without strange ideas or a desire to stand out at the expense of truth.
He explains that the Church succeeds when true teachers exist in it, and that people rejoice in strong and deep sermons that offer new and rich knowledge.
He warns against departing from patristic teaching or presenting personal ideas that contradict the sound faith.
He encourages attention to spiritual hymns because they help revive meetings and draw people with the spirit of joy and praise.
He affirms that the ultimate goal of preaching is to deliver a clear spiritual message that leads people to a life with God, regardless of style or method of delivery.