Faith Q&A
Many Years with People's Questions
Questions answered by
Thrice-Blessed Pope Shenouda III of Blessed Memory
Many Years with People's Questions, translated by the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate
179 questions in 4 books
The books
Part I: Biblical Questions40 questionsPart II: Theological & Dogmatic Questions35 questionsPart III: Spiritual and General Questions44 questionsPart IV: Dogma and Ritual Questions60 questions
Part I: Biblical Questions
- 1Days of Creation and Geology (Gen. 1)
- 2When was the Light Created? (Gen. 1)
- 3Is Earth Part of the Sun? (Gen. 1)
- 4About the Creation of Man (Gen. 1 & 2)
- 5The Sons of God and the Sons of Men (Gen. 6:2)
- 6Maker of Peace and Creator of Evil (Is. 45:7)
- 7What is the Meaning of "Buy A Sword"? (Luke 22:36)
- 8The Three Questions of Abraham (Gen. 18:2)
- 9All who Ever Came Before Me are Thieves and Robbers (John 10:8)
- 10The Iniquity of the Fathers on the Children (Ex. 20:5)
- 11The Commendation of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:8)
- 12This Generation Passed Away (Matt. 24:34)
- 13The Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:31)
- 14What is the Book of Jasher? (Josh. 10:13)
- 15The Appearance of the Lord to Saul (Acts 9 & 22)
- 16Christ Before the Thirtieth
- 17Little of Wine (1 Tim. 5:23)
- 18The Potter and the Clay (Rom. 9:20-21)
- 19Is This Metempsychosis? (Matt. 11:14)
- 20The Meaning of the "Mammon of Unrighteousness" (Luke 16:9)
- 21Why Forgive Them? (Luke 23:34)
- 22The Meaning of Salah, Maran-A'Tha, Anathema, Kedar
- 23The Rich and the Entering of the Kingdom (Mark 10:24)
- 24Which Heaven Did They Ascend To? (John 3:13)
- 25Was the Sin of Adam, Adultery? (Gen. 3:2)
- 26Who Is Melchizedek? (Gen. 14; Heb. 7)
- 27Do Not Be Overly Righteous (Eccl. 7:16)
- 28Did Judas Partake of the Holy Communion? (Mark 14; John 13)
- 29Were Solomon and Samson Saved? (Heb. 11; 2 Sam. 7)
- 30The Meaning of "Be Angry, and Do Not Sin (Ps. 4; Rom. 12)
- 31Did One or Both Thieves Blaspheme? (Matt 27:44)
- 32Did the Baptist Doubt? (Luke 7:19)
- 33But A Sword (Matt. 10:34)
- 34Was the Plucking of the Corn Ears, Stealing? (Mark 2:23)
- 35For in Much Wisdom is Much Grief (Eccl. 1:18)
- 36Are All Equal? (Matt. 20:1-14)
- 37Is It Our Daily Bread or Our Bread For the Morrow? (Matt. 6:11)
- 38Will Not Taste Death Till (Mark 9:1)
- 39Signs of the End of the World (Matt. 24; 2 Thess.)
- 40The Account of the Death of Moses the Prophet (Deut. 34:5)
Part II: Theological & Dogmatic Questions
- 1Does Man Have A Free Will Or Not?
- 2Why Did God Create Man?
- 3Is Conscience God's Voice?
- 4Madness and Accountability For Sins
- 5Does The Body Sin Alone?
- 6Do Human Beings Get Married To Devils And Procreate?
- 7Does The Holy Spirit Work In The Unbelievers?
- 8When Did The Disciples Receive The Holy Spirit?
- 9Is There A Gospel Of St. Paul The Apostle?
- 10What Is The Difference Between Christ As Son Of God And Us As Children Of God?
- 11Adam And The Lord Christ.
- 12Why - After Salvation - Do Men Toil And Women Conceive in Pain?
- 13Why Did We Not Die Immediately After Sinning?
- 14Why Do We Die Though Salvation Has Been Effected?
- 15Our Attitude Towards The Lord Christ's Blood
- 16How Can He Die Though He Is God?
- 17How Did The Lord Christ Die While His Divinity Was Not Separated From His Humanity?
- 18The Body Of The Lord Christ In The Church And Eucharist.
- 19Saturday & Sunday.
- 20Why Do We Baptise Babes Who Have Not Yet Believed?
- 21Why Do One Sin After Renewal In Baptism?
- 22Can A Blessing Be Taken From A Human?
- 23The Holy Trinity of Christianity And The So-Called Trinity Of Heathen.
- 24Does Incarnation Mean Limitation?
- 25Is Christ For Jews Only?
- 26What Does Sitting On The Right Of The Father Mean?
- 27What Is The Meaning Of Partakers Of The Divine Nature?
- 28Have Christ's Miracles been Worked By Impression?
- 29Did Christ Work His Miracles by Prayers?
- 30Is The Title "Son Of Man" Against Christ's Divinity?
- 31Spiritualism.
- 32May The Devil Be Saved?
- 33Those Whom The Church Does Not pray For.
- 34Those Who Were Forgiven Before The Cross.
- 35How Can It Be That Christ Prays And Gets Tired?
Part III: Spiritual and General Questions
- 1The origin of bad thoughts
- 2Envy
- 3Should one give tithes to relatives?
- 4My own financial needs and paying the tithes
- 5Being nosey about prying into other people's business
- 6Is this vow permissible or forbidden?
- 7The first sin
- 8Responsibility for a sin which one has not committed
- 9Is social service the work of the Church or that of the State?
- 10Hymns sung to popular tunes
- 11How to resist thoughts
- 12Loving one's enemies
- 13Punishment and the age of grace.
- 14What does "to the Jews I became like a Jew" mean?.
- 15How to deal with problems
- 16Acting quickly or taking one's time
- 17In private or in public
- 18Criticism and condemnation
- 19Should the sacraments be sold
- 20What does "I have kept you from sinning against Me" mean?
- 21Sins are not equal in degree, nor in punishment
- 22The view of Christianity regarding organ transplants
- 23How should we pray?
- 24About asking for gifts
- 25The highest virtue of all
- 26Following the lives of the saints
- 27Whether it is necessary to know how to read and write in order to enter a religious institution..
- 28The meek will inherit the earth
- 29Free time
- 30Everyone who has will be given more
- 31The real elements of strength
- 32If your eye or hand causes you to sin
- 33Simplicity
- 34The attitude of Christianity towards wine.
- 35God's will and permission
- 36The fruits of sin
- 37The spiritual life and problems
- 38Being perfect - what it means and what its limits are
- 39People who have confessed but whose sins have not been forgiven
- 40The spirituality of the monks and laymen 151.
- 41Jesus Christ and the completion of His mission
- 42Thoughts of self-righteousness
- 43Who am I? And why have I come here?
- 44Prayers and prostrations
Part IV: Dogma and Ritual Questions
- 1The Spirits and Their Work
- 2Can the Spirits Recognise Each Other?
- 3No-one Has Ever Seen God
- 4How Can Spirits See Spirits?
- 5The Crown of Righteousness
- 6Who Are the Seraphim?
- 7Justified Freely By His Grace
- 8Concerning the Jewish Religion
- 9Praying for the Deceased
- 10Is there an Eternity for the Wicked and for Satan?
- 11Did God Need Christ in Order to Create and to Save Mankind?
- 12The Relationship of the Apostles with the Holy Spirit
- 13How Can I Tell Which leaflets are Orthodox and Which are Not?
- 14Concerning the Divinity of Christ
- 15Is there Life on the Other Planets?
- 16Replying to a Question with a Verse
- 17Questions About the Holy Spirit
- 18Was the Holy Spirit the Angel Gabriel?
- 19Why are there Seven Mysteries (Sacraments)?
- 20Are the Sacraments Necessary for All People?
- 21Is the Sacrament Still the Same When a Shortened Service is Used?
- 22The Point of Transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist
- 23About the Prayer of the Anointing of the Sick being Said in Homes
- 24The Number of Heavens
- 25Can Satan Enter a Church?
- 26Fasting and Eating Fish
- 27The Ascent into Heaven and the Earth's Gravity
- 28Why the Cross?
- 29God's Justice and Mercy
- 30About Being Re-Baptised
- 31Is There a Third Place for Worshipping God?
- 32Has Satan Been Released From his Prison, and is the Last Day Approaching?
- 33Who Are the Seventh-day Adventists?
- 34Was the Use of Incense Abolished in the New Testament?
- 35Candles in Church
- 36At the Right Hand of the Father
- 37Atoning for Sins
- 38When Should the Holy Chrism (Myron) be ' Made?
- 39The Making of the Holy Myron in the Monasteries or in the Patriarchate
- 40What is the 'Ghalilaun'?
- 41Where Should the Offertory Bread be Placed?
- 42When Should the Ordinary Bread be Distributed?
- 43The Deacons and the Distribution of the Eulogia
- 44The Deacons and Taking Communion
- 45Can a Deacon Hold the Chalice During the Communion Service?
- 46A Funeral Procession for a Deacon Who Has Departed
- 47Preaching During the Communion
- 48The Sunday Preceding the Lent and Getting Married
- 49Why Women are not Permitted to Enter the Sanctuary
- 50About Women During Menstruation Time
- 51Why do we Beatify the Virgin Mary?
- 52Concerning the Honouring of the Body of the Virgin Mary
- 53Is the Virgin the 'Gateway' to Life?
- 54You are the 'true Vine'
- 55The Virgin Mary as a 'Wall'
- 56Was the Virgin Mary Ever a Bride?
- 57Is the Virgin Mary a 'Sister' to Us?
- 58Did the Virgin Mary Know?
- 59Did Christ Have Any Real Brothers?
- 60The Relationship Between Mary and Elizabeth.
Thrice-Blessed Pope Shenouda III of Blessed Memory, Many Years with People's Questions. Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate.