In this lecture His Holiness Pope Shenouda explains the importance of distinguishing what is common and what is particular in the four Gospels, and how to gain the skill of theological thinking and comparative reading to extract verses, parables, and miracles according to each Gospel.
Main points
The necessity for the believer to learn to distinguish between stories and parables that appear in more than one Gospel and those specific to a single Gospel, for example the parable of the talents and the virgins, the good Samaritan, and the tax collector.
Training in thinking and extraction: the student should not search randomly but know where a particular story is located in which Gospel.
Examples of miracles and their different locations in the Gospels (healing of blind people, a mute mad man, etc.) and how some events appear in a specific Gospel.
Clarifying old words and phrases in the texts such as names of coins (fils, drachmas) and their contextual meanings.
Explaining the problem of differing lists of the apostles’ names between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts, and the need to understand that some apostles had multiple names or different epithets (e.g., Peter/Simon/Cephas, Thomas/Didymus, James and John sons of thunder).
Examples of interchangeable apostolic names and their equivalents (Thaddaeus/Bartholomew, Nathanael/Bartholomew) and the explanation that differences do not contradict but rather complete the picture.
Emphasis that proper understanding requires considering multiple names, epithets, and geographical notes to identify the persons mentioned.
Practical conclusion
Pope Shenouda urges us to develop the skill of comparative Gospel reading, to pay attention to historical language and names and epithets, so that we understand the correct spiritual meaning without adding extra information or omitting facts. Tags:,
For better translation support, please contact the center
The Gospel of Matthew, Part 3
General idea
In this lecture His Holiness Pope Shenouda explains the importance of distinguishing what is common and what is particular in the four Gospels, and how to gain the skill of theological thinking and comparative reading to extract verses, parables, and miracles according to each Gospel.
Main points
The necessity for the believer to learn to distinguish between stories and parables that appear in more than one Gospel and those specific to a single Gospel, for example the parable of the talents and the virgins, the good Samaritan, and the tax collector.
Training in thinking and extraction: the student should not search randomly but know where a particular story is located in which Gospel.
Examples of miracles and their different locations in the Gospels (healing of blind people, a mute mad man, etc.) and how some events appear in a specific Gospel.
Clarifying old words and phrases in the texts such as names of coins (fils, drachmas) and their contextual meanings.
Explaining the problem of differing lists of the apostles’ names between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts, and the need to understand that some apostles had multiple names or different epithets (e.g., Peter/Simon/Cephas, Thomas/Didymus, James and John sons of thunder).
Examples of interchangeable apostolic names and their equivalents (Thaddaeus/Bartholomew, Nathanael/Bartholomew) and the explanation that differences do not contradict but rather complete the picture.
Emphasis that proper understanding requires considering multiple names, epithets, and geographical notes to identify the persons mentioned.
Practical conclusion
Pope Shenouda urges us to develop the skill of comparative Gospel reading, to pay attention to historical language and names and epithets, so that we understand the correct spiritual meaning without adding extra information or omitting facts.
Tags:,
For better translation support, please contact the center