SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

Christ as Redeemer Relying on scripture Saint Shenoute explains the connection between one's living and God's saving. He shows how God rescues us from suffering, cures our ills and leads us to perform the works of mercy to help us receive, in the Apa's terms, our heavenly reward: I am one of those others that have not done injustice, but that have gone in the ways of God….I have hated iniquity and have destroyed it; instead I have loved your laws….The Lord has said: 'Not anyone that says Lord, Lord will enter in the kingdom of heaven but those that do the will of my Father.' The Lord has said: 'The Father works even till now and I also work.'" Shenoute also asks and replies: What is this work that the Father does? Perhaps God builds a new heaven or God builds a new world? Does He not work rather for our salvation? What does the physician do to those who have a wound? Does he not perhaps at first cut it with a razor and afterwards cure it with medicine? Even the Lord works for our salvation and he lifts us up in due time by instructing us not with anger but with his love…And afterwards having sent suffering he even sends his blessing and his piety…tools with which we are able to serve our time on earth by praying, fasting, doing charity to the poor that we may receive our eternal relief in the kingdom of heaven. 16 Christ as King, Victor, and Conqueror of Satan In an article Shenoute the Great , David Bell offers us a translation of a sermon entitled "The struggle with Satan". 17 The devil the great tempter takes the form of an angel of light, so that he can mislead the simple with false light . Satan is too strong, but Christ has the power that overcomes Satan. As Shenoute writes:

David Bell in his translation of Apa Besa's Life of Saint Shenoute 14 makes reference to Shenoute being a body guard for Saint Cyril at the Council of Ephesus. Some have taken this to mean that Saint Shenoute was basically an a-theological bystander. For my part I can accept the suggestion of his (Shenoute's) role as body-guard but it seems logical that, given the theological contretemps Cyril was about to undertake with Nestorius and the Antiochenes, he would wish for people of a very like mind as his own in his ranks. And for this reason and the trust the Patriarch Dioscorus showed in him, I propose, Shenoute probably held a strong theological position. Whatever side one takes in this instance, as concerns Shenoute's theological strengths and beliefs the historical evidence, is at least ambiguous. It may well be that Shenoute did not grasp the full import of Cyril's brilliant Christology as has been claimed but its sophistication was such that many did not grasp its full import at that time and probably even after Cyril wrote On The Unity of Christ . To my mind the divisions in Christianity on the understanding of the Incarnation illustrate that his Christology is still not that well understood. Shenoute bases his Christology in the canonical Gospels and the works of the holy fathers. He attacks the Gnostic writings, which he calls apocrypha as a source of much foolishness: Here in order to know that those who write apocrypha are blind, those who believe them are blind, and together they fall into the ditch…Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach outside of that which I have announced let him be rejected. On the contrary we have received apocryphal books the origin of which we do not know. Why have all the holy Fathers and above all our holy father Apa Athanasius who is truly wise not accepted them. On the contrary he has refuted them …..(And again) do you not see these are the teachings of the devil? They are his words that have been dictated by men". 15 For Shenoute the mark of a true gospel unlike the Apocrypha is whether or not the holy fathers have received it.

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter For God has not destined us to be destroyed by wickedness, but that the Demon and his sins be destroyed by us. The Lord has not destined him to have power over man, but for man to have power over him! This is the judgment: that he has given man the authority to trample him down.

For did not God speak with man when he became man? Did he not do deeds among them which no other did? Did he not render Satan powerless? indeed when the Lord Christ came he destroyed the devil like an absolute monarch. 17

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