The Knowledge of the Priest
The Knowledge of the Priest
It is written in the Didascalia: “The bishop is the shepherd, the priest is a teacher, and the deacon is a servant.”
And concerning teaching with regard to the priest, it is written in the Book of Malachi the prophet: “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 2:7).
The phrase “people should seek the law from his mouth” means that he is a student of the Law.
In teaching, he does not express his own personal opinion, but God’s commandments in the Law.
From here it became necessary for the fathers the priests to be graduates of theological colleges, so that they may be knowledgeable in the religious sciences.
A priest must be deeply studied in the Holy Bible, studied in biblical interpretation—especially from the writings of the holy Fathers and the recognized teachers of the Church. He must also study theological and liturgical sciences, and Church history.
And in order for him to be acquainted with the Law, he must study the canons of the Church: whether the Canons of the Apostles, or the canons of the Ecumenical Councils and the recognized local or regional councils.
By all this, it becomes possible that “people should seek the law from his mouth.”
And when he studies the ecclesiastical canons, he also studies their reasons, the wisdom behind them, and why the Fathers issued them. If he is asked concerning such matters, he gives his answer with evidence—whether from Scripture, from the canons, or both.
For example, if he is asked: Why is marriage to one’s wife’s sister or to one’s husband’s brother forbidden?
He answers with what is written in Leviticus, chapters 18 and 20,
and with what is found in the Canons of Saint Basil the Great, for example,
and with what is written in the Gospel (Matt. 14:3–4).
He explains the spiritual and social reasons for this prohibition.
He also explains the exception mentioned in Deut. 25:5 and in Matt. 22:24 concerning the brother who died childless, whose brother would take his wife to raise offspring for the deceased—something not permissible legally now.
Thus, he does not rely in his answer on a mere “yes” or “no,” but explains and proves in a way that convinces the listener.
It is not fitting for the priest to claim knowledge of everything, answering every question put to him—even those he knows nothing about!!
It is better to be humble and say in some matters: “I do not know.”
This is better than giving a wrong answer that causes confusion or doubt, or that is later discovered to be incorrect, revealing his error. There are many things the Lord has not revealed to us.
He may also say to his questioner: Give me time to research this matter, and I will answer you next week (or later).
Do not be ashamed, O father, of the words: “I do not know.” I myself have said them.
• Someone once asked me: “Where is the Garden of Eden now?”
I said: “I do not know.” When he insisted, I said: “Did not the flood drown everything in the days of our father Noah? Perhaps it also was drowned and ended. As for the Lord’s words in Revelation: ‘I will give to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God’ (Rev. 2:7), He did not mean the literal tree of life that was in Eden in Adam’s time, but what it symbolized.”
And I added: “If Eden still existed, world leaders would compete over owning it! And world maps show the location of everything on earth!”
• Another asked me: “What does the soul feel as it leaves the body?”
I said: “I do not know. I have not experienced it. And those whose souls departed and returned to life have not told us anything about it…”
• A third asked me: “What is the form of the soul?”
I said: “I do not know. The soul is not seen by bodily senses. Yet when God permits us to see it, it appears in bodily form—as when Saint Antony saw the soul of Saint Amoun of Nitria being carried by the angels after his death. How could he know it was Amoun’s soul except if it was in his same form?”
Then I added: “Despite this, I still do not know whether the soul has an inherent form, or takes on a form when it appears.”
And the phrase remained: “I do not know.”
In order for the priest to be broad in knowledge, he must read much—but he must not adopt everything he reads, nor publish it as doctrine.
Especially ideas that appear new and attract him by their novelty, tempting him to spread something unusual. This is very dangerous and can easily lead to heresy. For what is heresy except inventing something new?
Therefore, you must have a strong foundation of doctrine by which you measure every new thought, to know what you may accept and what you may not.
Read deeply in the authentic and trustworthy Church references.
In other areas, understand, analyze, compare, and do not accept anything new that contradicts the known teaching of the Church. And if you are unsure, consult someone more knowledgeable than you.
I remember once a priest published his opinion that Melchizedek was eternal and that he was God in an Old Testament appearance!!
I did not accept this opinion. I said he was an ordinary man, king and priest (Gen. 14). I later wrote a ten-page article refuting that view in El-Keraza magazine. But before publishing it, I said to myself: Melchizedek is spoken of in Hebrews chapter 7, which was explained by Saint John Chrysostom—I must return to his interpretation.
When I read Chrysostom and found that my opinion agreed with his, I published my article.
There is no problem in returning to the Fathers’ teachings. Let no one rely on his own thoughts or proclaim them as doctrine when they are new!
Your duty as a priest is to present the teaching of the Church.
If the Church has not yet decided a matter through its hierarchy and Holy Synod, and you have an opinion, present it as your opinion—not as Church doctrine.
Be careful also with your personal views if you have taken them from foreign books that do not belong to the faith of our Church or contradict it. Some have gone astray by following such a path.
The knowledge of the priest does not stop at theological or liturgical sciences; he must also know spiritual life as a preacher and spiritual guide.
He must be wide in spiritual understanding, considering the levels of those who hear him. He must distinguish between general spiritual practices suitable for all, and ascetic sciences for monks and hermits, which ordinary people cannot practice, or which are suitable for solitude and not society.
It is helpful for him also to study certain psychological, intellectual, and social topics, and to understand age stages and their characteristics, and the psychology of men and women.
He must also know some of the issues occupying society,
and take this knowledge from sound scientific and ecclesiastical sources—
such as matters of organ transplantation, cloning, fertilized ova, surrogate motherhood, and euthanasia.
And he must not give personal opinions in such matters.
Likewise, he must have a balanced view regarding modern inventions that may be used for good or for evil.
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