SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

B. New Testament: a. Gospels: In Bohairic, all gospels are preserved in complete texts. In Sahidic, all the Gospels are complete with the noticeable missing section of John 7:53-8:11. In Mesokemic, the whole Gospel of St. Matthew is preserved and over one-half of the Gospel of St. John. In Asyutic (Lycopolitan) we find most of the Gospel of St. John preserved but only a small number of fragmentary verses survived in Akhmimic. Also a number of fragments survived in Fayumic of all four Gospels. b. Pauline Epistles: Bohairic and Sahidic have all 14 epistles complete. In Mesokemic, fragments survived of 10 of the 14 epistles. More substantial fragments from 10 of these epistles also survived in Fayumic. Other small fragments survived in newly identified I7 and X1 dialects. c. Catholic Epistles: All seven Catholic Epistles are preserved complete in Bohairic and Sahidic. Small fragments survived in Akhmimic and Fayumic. d. Acts: Again Acts is preserved complete in Bohairic as well as Sahidic. Mesokemic preserved a complete first half of the book. Small fragments in Fayumic were also identified.

e. Apocalypse: Only Bohairic and Sahidic have complete texts of this book. No fragments were identified to date in any other known Coptic Dialect. Conclusion : From the brief survey above, the reader can see that the Old Testament is substantially complete but not totally complete. For the members of the Coptic Church, the usable portion is even smaller. This is an unfortunate fact that need to be rectified. The Bible is the foundation of the Church and to have a vibrant Coptic Church, a complete Coptic Bible need to be in existence. To accomplish this we need first to gather what we have available in all dialects and carefully reconstruct the missing sections primarily by translating from the Sahidic and then from the Greek version, wh never the Sahidic is lacking. This would involve a careful and delicate emulation of the translation process that our forefathers have used in translating from the Sahidic and/or Greek into the Bohairic. The resultant, rather neutral text, may not be appealing to scholars but it will be essential to the well-being of the Coptic Church and its members. May God crown such efforts for the glory of His Holy Name.

ST. SHENOUDA'S WRITINGS (8) (by Ashraf Hanna and Hany N. Takla)

This is the Third and final part of a text translation from a second Arabic sermon of St. Shenouda read on the 1st Sunday during Lent in the Coptic Church. The text was transcribed from a microfilm copy of Paris Arabe 4761 (CML 1592). Uncertain translation of the Arabic text is marked with '(?)'.

Also the prostration of the week and his prayer and his rising is better than the strong. For our master David the prophet says in the Psalm, "God does not wish the strength of the plant and is not pleased with flexibility(?) of the mighty man, but the Lord is pleased with those who revere Him. those who are hoping for His mercy, He will have mercy upon them. Let us go back to being brief in this meaning, lest the talk prolongs and the listener become wearied. Let it be known to you, O those present, that you are standing amid the hands of God. Also

know the greatness of this grace that God has graced us with, and the salvation became unto us after being astray(?) and blindness, by the presence in the presence of our present priests and honored deacons in this orthodox, universal, apostolic Church. So now no one is permitted to speak during (10r) the prayers and the liturgies one word even for the greatest necessity. As out fathers the apostles commanded in their canons, "not only men but women too. For our master Paul says, "As for the women, they are not permitted to speak in the

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter