Author: The Late Thrice Blessed Pope Shenouda III

The Lord God said to our father Adam, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:17). Why then did not Adam and Eve die on the same day they ate of the tree?

It seems that the question concentrates on the death of the body alone, whereas there are other kinds of deaths which our forefathers died on that same day: 1. There is moral death, by which our forefathers lost the divine image they had in the likeness of God (Gen 1:26, 27). After Adam had sinned, …

God inflicted punishment on Adam, and He punished Eve, Then the Lord Christ came and saved us with His blood. Why then – after such salvation – there is a punishment still: Man toils to eat bread and woman in pain brings forth children?

God inflicted punishment on Adam, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread”, “Cursed is the ground for your sake, in toil you shall eat of it.” (Gen 3:19,17) and He punished Eve, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shaft bring forth children.” (Gen 3:16). Then the …

We are God’s children and we pray, “Our Father Who are in heaven” and Christ is the Son of God; what is the difference between Christ’s Sonship to God and ours?

The Lord Christ is the Son of God, of God’s essence and same Divine Nature. He is of the same divinity with all divine attributes. Hence He could say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) and “I and My Father are One.” (John 10:30). The Jews took up stones to …

When did the disciples receive the Holy Spirit? Was it when the Spirit came upon them in the form of tongues as of fire (Acts 2)? Or when the Lord breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20)?

They received the Holy Spirit for permanent dwelling on the day of Pentecost. At that time the Lord’s promise was fulfilled that they would be, “Endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) and also the promise, “If I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you: but if I depart, I …

In the story of the baptism of Cornelius while Peter was speaking, “The Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.” This made the believers astonished, “Because the gift of the Holy Spirit has been poured out on the Gentiles also” (Acts 10:44,45)

The Holy Spirit works in the unbelievers to make them believe. Or how can they believe without the work of the Holy Spirit in them? Does not the Holy Bible say, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3).  The work of the Holy Spirit to make …