Author: The Late Thrice Blessed Pope Shenouda III

Why did our Lord Jesus Christ say on the cross “Father, forgive them… ” (Luke 23:34) and did not say by His own authority “your sins are forgiven…”

The Lord Christ on the cross was representing all mankind. He represented all humanity in paying the wages of sin to the Divine Justice… ” All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Is. 53:6). …

What is the meaning of the saying of the Lord Christ “Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon ” (Luke 16:9)? Can the money that we gain by injustice or through sin in general, be accepted by God, or can we use it to do good, or to win friends wi

“Mammon of Unrighteousness” does not mean the illicit money that the person gains unjustly or through any other sin for that is unacceptable to God. For God and the church do not accept this money. The psalm said “The oil of the sinner will not anoint my head”, and in Deuteronomy “You shall not bring …

What does the Bible mean by saying that John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17), and its saying: he is Elijah who is to come. (Matt. 11:14). Is this metempsychosis (reincarnation)? Did the spirit of Elijah reincarnate in John?

The coming of John in the spirit of Elijah, means he came with the same style of Elijah, his manner, his method and his spirit of doing things. 1. Elijah was ascetic, and also was John the Baptist. Elijah “was a hairy man, and wore a leather belt around his waist” (2 Kin. 1:8), and …

Don’t we say that man is free to choose? Then why are these verses mentioned in the Bible: ” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have po

Yes, the potter has power over the clay to make of it what he desires, a vessel for honour or a vessel of dishonour and the clay cannot say “Why did you make me like this?”. But the potter also is wise and just. One of the wonderful explanations that I read about this subject:  …

Is there a verse in the Bible that says “A little wine is good for the stomach”. Does this verse encourage the drinking of alcoholic beverages?

There is no verse in the Bible with this wording, but this is a common distorted saying among the people. St. Timothy, the bishop and disciple of St. Paul the apostle, suffered from many ailments in his digestive system, and it was also said that he had dropsy. The apostle prescribed to him not to …