Discipleship Transforming the World A Coptic Orthodox Perspective Wedad A. Tawfik Wedad A. Tawfik is professor of Theology at the Higher Institute of Coptic Studies, Cairo, and visiting professor of Theology at the Coptic Seminary in Germany. Abstract Discipleship is the core of Christianity, based on the work of the Holy Spirit, in fulfilment of the Lord s command. True discipleship is capable of transforming the world, so that in the end all kingdoms and reign shall be to the Lord and his Christ. Therefore, discipleship is linked with evangelism, missionary, teaching, and social work. With the emerging hostile trends all over the world, faith is endangered. So it is important to remind ourselves of the aim of Christianity for humanity, for which so great a price was paid by our Lord (his precious blood) to bring the world into the knowledge of the truth. We have the privilege and honour to bear the precious name and to declare it to the whole world, even if we suffer for that. Even though this means that we have to bear his cross, to face the challenges, and to resist the powers of evil in the world. The church is aware of its mission, to reveal to the world Christ the lover of humanity, and for this end to serve them to warn, teach, and guide them through our behaviour, our acts, and our words. Copts are keen on serving their communities and everywhere they go, are always ready to teach others about the cause of our hope, that they also may enjoy the fruit and the deserts of the blood of Christ. This article honestly records the experience of the Coptic Orthodox Church regarding discipleship in practice throughout its history up to the present day. Keywords Discipleship, Transforming, Holy Spirit, Martyrdom, Monasticism, Persecution 268 Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches
Wedad A. Tawfik Discipleship Transforming Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing... teaching them (Matt. 28:19) Discipleship is the core of Christianity practised by the church since the Pentecost in fulfilment of the Lord s command to his disciples after his glorious resurrection. The Lord linked it with baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity, and with teaching his commandments. A disciple in Christianity is a follower of Christ, who upholds his teaching, walks in his way, witnesses to him, and teaches others about him. A disciple witnesses to Christ the Saviour, the Redeemer, the lover of humankind, the compassionate, who wants salvation for everybody. For this purpose mainly he incarnated and shed his own precious blood for them. Discipleship needs the work of the Holy Spirit within those in charge of teaching and evangelizing. As His Holiness late Pope Shenouda III says, It was the Holy Spirit who gave the power necessary for evangelizing... Without Him the apostles would not have been able to work... He calls and chooses and sends... Before the Lord s Ascension He commanded his disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they receive power on high, But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1: 8)... Therefore to be filled with the Holy Spirit became a precondition for all church ministers. 1 The Holy Spirit gives understanding, transforms, gives heavenly wisdom, and gives gifts for ministry. He alone teaches and guides: Nobody can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3) and No one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus Accursed (1 Cor. 12:3). He teaches us what to say: For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you (Matt. 10:20). On the contrary, relying only on the human mind and knowledge of books without seeking the Spirit may bring about words of human wisdom that cannot yield the required fruit. He is a fiery Spirit that inflames the minister. With one sermon St Peter, inflamed with the Holy Spirit, attracted three thousand to faith. With this Spirit the church can transform the whole world and bring it to the knowledge of the truth. Discipleship is privilege and responsibility, and the call is for everyone. God wants that all people be saved, and the only way he set for salvation is through the church. This is realized by accepting faith and accepting the redemption of Christ. 1 Shenouda III (Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark), The Holy Spirit and His Work in Us, 1st ed. (Cairo: El Keraza Publishing House, 1992), 64 68. Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches 269
International Review of Mission Volume 106 Number 2 December 2017 Following the way he drew for us enables us to enjoy the deserts of his blood which he shed for us. Thus in the early days of the church, The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47) As H. H. Pope Shenouda III says, The world is full of numerous missions, but the greatest of them is working for the salvation of people. 2 The role of the church toward making disciples of all nations Since its foundation, the church kept preaching the good news all over the world. The early church fathers knew well the message and fulfilled it diligently and faithfully, which fruit we enjoy at present. Without their and their successors efforts there would have been no Christianity in the world today. The mission continued, and will continue unto the end of ages, when as announced by the seventh angel in the Revelation, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! (Rev. 11:15). Therefore, it is our role to give this knowledge to everybody so that all people may believe and be saved. This may be possible at certain times and in certain places, but at other times or in other places this might be difficult, and the disciples have to suffer for carrying out the holy mission. In these present days in particular it is so difficult, if not impossible in certain places, to speak about Christ or about God because of the increasing tendency toward atheism, denial of the existence of God, or denial of Christ as Saviour and Redeemer. In such circumstances disciples, ministers, and God s servants face great challenges and persecution for the sake of spreading the word, even to the extent of martyrdom merely for bearing the name Christian! The Lord in the Revelation warns us the devil is working hard with great wrath, disguised under many names and employing many people to fight God s children anywhere, because he knows that he has a short time before being cast into the bottomless pit (Rev. 12:12; 20:3). The Coptic Orthodox Church fulfilling the command throughout her history 3 The early Copts were known for their inflamed desire to witness to Christ everywhere, in Egypt as well as abroad, regardless of the suffering they usually expected to undergo. History recorded the ages of suffering for faith in Egypt under the Roman 2 3 Ibid., 15. Malaty Tadros, Introduction to the Coptic Orthodox Church (Alexandria, Egypt: St George Coptic Orthodox Church, 1993), 290 94. 270 Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches
Wedad A. Tawfik Discipleship Transforming Empire, which culminated under Diocletian in AD 284. The names are innumerable, but the church keeps their memory, celebrates their feasts annually, and builds churches after the names of some of them. Let us consider a few examples of those true disciples who witnessed in Egypt or abroad, whose ministry was influential. In the Roman army there were Coptic officers and soldiers who witnessed to Christ among their pagan colleagues, in Egypt or abroad, and many gave up their lives joyfully. They refused to worship before idols so they were beheaded or killed after severe torture. Some Coptic merchants and sailors witnessed to the Lord through their trips, and passed the Coptic culture and arts on to many countries in Europe. In Switzerland, in AD 285, a Theban legion arrived, led by St Maurice from Upper Egypt, and he was martyred there for refusing to offer sacrifices to the idols. His statue stands today in one of the public squares of the city of St Moritz. All the legion were martyred with him for the same reason. St Verina, who accompanied the legion with others to serve them, after serving the community there, suffered martyrdom. There is a statue for her with a comb and a water jar in her hand referring to her service there. His three friends a legionary Felix, his sister Regula, and Exupernatius hid themselves, and eventually could reach the lake of Zurich, where they baptized converts, until the ruler heard about them and they were beheaded. They are the patron saints of Zurich, and with their heads in hands are the subject of the shield of the city of Zurich. A similar story is recounted about St Victor, the hero of the town of Solothurn, whose relics were transferred to Geneva in the fifth century. In the British Isles as well, a Coptic missionary arrived a long time before St Augustine of Canterbury arrived in AD 579. In Africa, Ethiopia and the Sudan accepted Christianity through Alexandrian preaching. The Copts had their influence, not only on religion, but also on culture, arts, and all other aspects of life. At present the Coptic Orthodox Church continues its mission witnessing to the Lord. Many churches have been founded abroad, almost in every part of the world. These churches have their active ministry witnessing to the Lord in those places. In Africa, for instance, we have about 65 churches, three monasteries, two or three hospitals, four schools, and four vocational training centres. These churches and institutions serve the whole country. We also have many churches in Asia, in Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches 271
International Review of Mission Volume 106 Number 2 December 2017 Australia, in almost every country within Europe, in England, in North America, in South America, and in Canada. The Coptic Church making disciples through education Alexandrian religious thought spread all over the world through the famous Catechetical School of Alexandria, the oldest in the world, founded by St Mark himself. Its fame and influence reached the whole Christian world. Christian principles and dogma were taught through this school, and the works of its great deans are still the trustworthy source of biblical teaching. Among those were Athenagoras, Pantanaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Didymus, and Origen. They attracted leaders from the East and West to be trained by the Coptic theologians. Those deans of the school also made trips abroad guided by the Spirit to preach the word. St Clement visited Italy and Greece, and during persecution he went to Palestine and Syria to teach there. Origen visited Rome during the pontificate of Zephyrinus and transferred the Alexandrian theological thought to it. He also was summoned by the emperor s mother to go to Antioch. He visited Greece and also established his school in Palestine. Pantaenus undertook preaching and educational activities in India and in Asia. 4 In the first three Ecumenical Councils Nicaea in AD 325, Constantinople in AD 381, and Ephesus in AD 431 the fathers of the Coptic Church of Alexandria played a prominent role witnessed to by the whole world for defending the Christian faith on the ecumenical level. Among the great church leaders and theologians is St Athanasius the Great, the 20th Patriarch of the See of St Mark, who in Nicaea in AD 235 formulated the Creed which all churches still adopt. St Cyril is another example of a long chain of Coptic great figures who influenced the history of Christianity. The Coptic Church making disciples through monasticism The Coptic Orthodox Church had a leading role in spreading the monastic life in all its forms and systems. Biographies were written of some pioneers of asceticism, such as St Anthony, the father of all monks, whose biography St Athanasius wrote, as well as St Bachomius, the father of the cenobite system of 4 Ibid., 294. 272 Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches
Wedad A. Tawfik Discipleship Transforming monasticism, St Macarius the Great, and St Paul, the first anchorite in the world. Their influence, teachings and writings, way of life, simplicity, spirituality, and asceticism extended all over the world, and were the basis for the monastic movement everywhere. Pilgrims from East and West visited Egypt and settled among the monks and afterwards wrote about them, like St Jerome, John Cassian, and Melenia the Elder. Moreover, many leaders of asceticism outside Egypt started their monastic life under the guidance of those Egyptian pioneers, such as St Eugin. St Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesaria of Cappadocia, the founder and organizer of the monastic movement in Asia Minor, visited Egypt around AD 357 and adopted the monastic style of life of the desert fathers of Egypt. His rule is followed by the Eastern Orthodox Churches. St Jerome also came to Egypt and left details of his experiences in his letters. The monastic orders of Egypt were adopted by Benedict the father of Western monasticism, who founded the Benedictine order in the sixth century on the model of St Bachomius. Actually, countless pilgrims visited the desert fathers to emulate their spiritual and disciplined way of life. At present, the Coptic Orthodox Church has many monasteries all over Egypt, with a large number of monks and nuns who follow the same way of life of their fathers. Monasticism today is not confined to worship, for monks and nuns have many other activities and even run projects that serve the community, providing high-quality products with competitive prices, like agricultural products, small handcrafts, and animal products. The Coptic Orthodox Church s evangelism abroad at present With the increasing immigration movement since the mid-1960s, a large number of Copts immigrated to various countries abroad. The patriarch H. H. Pope Kyrillos VI (Cyril) dedicated a great deal of effort to shepherding them, with his successor H. H. late Pope Shenouda III taking care of them more deeply. He established churches and ordained priests for them in the countries of immigration. These churches and the Copts abroad have always proved to be a good witness to the Orthodox faith through their way of life and ministry. Many, through their example of life, joined the Coptic Church. They establish good relations with other churches and state institutions in those countries, and have common activities and meeting with other churches, with Russian churches, Greek, Armenian, American, Syrian, Catholic, and evangelical churches. Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches 273
International Review of Mission Volume 106 Number 2 December 2017 The suffering Coptic Church, the mother of martyrs Bearing the cross has always been the portion of the Coptic Church. Nevertheless, the church was and still is a true live gospel witnessing to the truth, to its bridegroom, through its living Orthodox faith, its pious evangelical life, and its bearing the cross joyfully. The Coptic Church in Egypt is at present facing the same challenge previously experienced in the early centuries of Christianity, that is, persecution for bearing the name Christian. Over the last six years the suffering of Copts has increased, as hundreds have been martyred and hundreds injured. Nevertheless, they always prove to be true disciples, bearing the cross joyfully. Everybody wonders how these martyrs refused to forsake faith or pretend to be non-christians to escape death, for the murderers asked them to be Muslims to escape death but they refused, preferring to die as Christians rather than to live and forsake their Lord! Everybody wonders how the families of those martyrs rejoiced for having a martyr for faith in their family. Not to mention the injured, whose sufferings continue for a long time, if not for their whole life. The most wonderful thing that transforms many is how those suffering Copts and everyone in the church pray for those who persecute and murder them, that the Lord may forgive them and change them. This is the true love toward everybody, even enemies, love that transforms and changes lives with the transforming power of the Spirit. This is the cross that the Lord mentioned, saying, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me (Matt. 16:24). And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me (Matt. 10:38). To the Copts particularly, It has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake (Phil. 1:29). Through the church s endurance many are transformed, as one of the early church fathers, contemplating on the words of the Lord, Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves (Luke 10:3), stated: when the wolves devoured the lambs they themselves became lambs. History repeats itself: when the disciples had been persecuted they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name (Acts 5:41). Copts today do the same with courage, endurance, rejoicing, and hope. So even when witnessing to the Lord is not possible through preaching in the present world where fundamentalist movements reign disguised under various religious names witnessing is accomplished through bearing the cross with pleasure. This is much better than words, because it allows others to see how Christ makes 274 Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches
Wedad A. Tawfik Discipleship Transforming us love even the enemies who kill the bodies but cannot touch the souls, and how we lay all our hope in him. However, Copts also have ministry of the word through church meetings, Sunday schools, seminaries, and theological institutes all over Egypt and abroad. Also, Coptic television channels take part in mission through theological programmes, sermons, and liturgy, which may be watched by anybody, even out of curiosity. Here the Holy Spirit can work within them to know the truth and be transformed. Discipleship transforms the community It is important to highlight, as Metropolitan Serapion of the Coptic Diocese of Los Angeles stated on the official site of the diocese and in one of his sermons, The Coptic Orthodox Church is not merely a school involved in research work and teaching dogma, but also an institution that worships God and serves mankind. It works for the renewal of this world, and hopefully awaits for the world to come. 5 The Coptic Church serves the community as a whole through the services it provides for everybody regardless of religion or affiliation, for the church is the mother of everyone. The church establishes hospitals, schools, clinics, and food product projects, providing the best services and the best products to the whole community, without distinction. For this is the commandment of our Lord, to do works of charity and care, and whatever works we do are considered done to him personally, besides the fact that we will be judged according to our works (Matt. 25:31 46). For this purpose He says, I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain (John 15:16). This double mission of the church is expressed by the Coptic Orthodox late bishop Samuel in a Muslim-Christian Conference held in Kordoba in September 1972: Our mission, both Moslems and Christians, is to seek diligently and seriously with a feeling of responsibility before God and history to search into the challenges facing man at present from spiritual, psychological, social, and economic aspects, for this influences the whole personality and integrity of man and of the society as a whole. Religion has a duty to present to the new generations such faith that liberates the souls and nations and at the same time be a means of implanting spiritual values so that these values become influential in the life of individuals, nations, and the whole world... the crisis of the present age is that development and 5 Serapion (Metropolitan of the Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California and Hawaii), Discipleship in Christ s Way: Homily, (Los Angeles, 29 November 2016), on the official site of the bishopric. Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches 275
International Review of Mission Volume 106 Number 2 December 2017 technology achieved in the recent years without similar spiritual progress made humans forget that they have a spirit, to the extent that some people thought that material is a god who can solve all problems and introduce solutions! Such unbalanced progress could not realize happiness for man, but rather increased man s concerns and problem. 6 In Egypt and abroad the Coptic Church is known for serving the community. In Africa, for instance, there is the active ministry of our Bishop for South Africa, H. G. Bishop Antonius Morkos. He very recently inaugurated a complex in Uganda comprising a church, a service building, a clinic, a residence building for volunteers working there, and an orphanage. These services are usually provided to all Africans without distinction. A similarly great project was established in Kenya many years ago by H. G. Bishop Bolos (Paul), with a hospital for which he brought physicians from Egypt. The project is running well and is appreciated by the state officials. Such is the practical discipleship that transforms lives. A Christian is like a leaven that leavens the whole world or the light that shines before the whole world, as the Lord commanded us: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). Briefly, we are required to be true children of God without fault and to shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life (Phil. 2:15, 16). Transforming discipleship and biblical teaching Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine... for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you (1 Tim. 4:16). So we are required to take heed to ourselves, how we behave, and how we work for our own salvation. Then take heed to the doctrine to hand down sound teaching based on the holy scripture and tradition, because those who hear the word may be influenced and follow it and be saved, if receiving the sound teaching. So we ask here: Is there any conflict between discipleship that transforms and biblical teaching? Does teaching Bible and dogma contradict social work and extending love to the whole world? Both are required: to teach and to extend love and serve others. In the Coptic Orthodox Church: Teaching is not mere formality, nor ministry a mere position. Religion is love transmitted from one heart to other hearts, and faith handed down 6 Samuel (Coptic Bishop), A Word before the Moslem-Christian Conference in Kordoba in September 1972, in Christian Religion in Principal Concepts, ed. Tawadros Maurice, 4th ed. (Cairo: Dar Antoun Publishing House, July 2005), 216 17. 276 Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches
Wedad A. Tawfik Discipleship Transforming from one generation to other generations. It is the kingdom of God spreading and growing. 7 However, such questions face the Coptic Church now, amidst the call for the unity of the church. We are aware that it is the Lord s will that we all be one, but this does not mean that we merge into other churches and lose our identity and faith. We respect the doctrines of all churches, but we are not ready to surrender for any reason our doctrines and our teaching, which we have received from the early fathers who received them from the Lord himself. We are a traditional church and we pride ourselves in this. We kept to the line from the early church up till the present and unto the end of ages. This does not mean we have no love or are narrow-minded. On the contrary, we are faithful to our Lord, to his teaching, which is handed down to us by the holy inspiration in the Bible through his disciples and apostles. The church is wise enough to remove any deviation from the original faith, and keep its children well informed of the pure teaching that our fathers kept by their blood throughout ages. For as we have seen, many of our holy fathers suffered or were martyred to keep their faith and hand it down pure to their children, some for defending faith, some for holding to their chastity, and some for refusing to deny their Lord or worship before idols. These are great examples whose blood and suffering we cannot ignore or forget, for the blood of the martyrs is the seed of faith. We feel it is our responsibility to keep this faith unto the second coming of the Lord. As our Metropolitan Serapion of the Diocese of Los Angeles says, The Coptic Orthodox Church is well known as a conservative church, especially in dogmas and doctrines. At the same time, it progresses, not by embracing new doctrines or new articles of faith, but by explaining the same faith once given to the saints in a contemporary language. And also, Dogmas interpret our whole philosophy of the church through repeated practice of our faith through the holy tradition (Holy Scriptures, worship, behavior, and preaching). The church experiences the Crucified and Risen Christ, truth, and love at the same time. 8 This, however, does not mean that we make enmity with other churches, for we also are an ecumenical church, knowing how to approach others, how to respect them, and how to find points of agreement with them even concerning dogma. The Coptic Church is an active member and one of the founders of the World Council of Churches (WCC), of the Middle East Council of Churches, of the All 7 8 Ibid., 88. Ibid. Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches 277
International Review of Mission Volume 106 Number 2 December 2017 Africa Council of Churches, and of many other councils. The Coptic Church actively participates in conferences, meetings, and dialogues held with other churches to reach an agreement concerning any controversial points. Even with other religions, in Egypt we have good relations with the Muslim leadership, we exchange visits on certain occasions, and we hold common activities among youths on both sides. The Coptic Church leadership behaves very prudently regarding the sorrowful calamities undergone by the church members, such as murder and declared persecution from fundamentalist Muslims. The importance of teaching for discipleship Can anybody imagine that the church makes disciples of all nations without teaching them about Christ and his teachings, about how they can be his disciples, and how they also can make disciples of others? Shall we only say to the others, Jesus loves you, He saved you, Be sure He has forgiven all your sins, etc.? Do we by this serve them or bring them to the true salvation and eternal life? Can we leave them to do whatever they want depending on the free salvation that the Lord accomplished for them, or is our duty to teach them how they can benefit from this free salvation and from the deserts of the precious love shed for us? And what about the new trends that appear, like atheism and even some strange ideas within Christianity? Is it not our responsibility to guide them to the right path, or shall we adopt their views and turn from our genuine faith? So, it is clear enough that there is a connection between discipleship, baptism, and teaching, as the Lord commanded, Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. These are the elements we should follow to fulfil our call for transformation. This is what Peter the apostle did on the day of Pentecost. He preached to the multitude about Christ. And when they heard his words, they were cut to the heart, and asked Peter what they should do. And St Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:37, 38). So they were taught that there is baptism, there is the holy Trinity, there is repentance, there is remission of sins, and there are gifts of the Holy Spirit! Their lives were transformed by accepting these rules and following them. 278 Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches
Wedad A. Tawfik Discipleship Transforming We remember how the early holy fathers resisted and held to the genuine faith and fought and died for it, how ecumenical councils were held to discuss certain points of the faith, in order to hand down the sound doctrines to the following generations. It will be disloyalty to forsake such faith and replace it with new changeable concepts and trends, which may be erroneous, until step-by-step we find ourselves alienated from the genuine faith of the early church. Experience proves that such new trends and new views and interpretations led only to more schism and division among the one church. That is why we are divided and there are hundreds of sects and churches. The ideal solution, in my own opinion, is to have all churches search the doctrines set by the early church as recorded in the teaching of the apostles who received directly from the Lord, and of the apostolic fathers and the first ecumenical councils that clarified the doctrines of faith, up to the year 451, the date of the first schism. This would lead to the unity of the body of Christ that we all aspire to. We should bear in mind that transforming the world around us and making disciples to Christ is not a fight to bring others to our faith, nor to bring members of other churches to our church, nor to claim that we alone will win the kingdom of heaven or have the sound doctrine. No, the right thing is to seek the truth and the sound teaching in the original sources dating back to the days of the Lord and his disciples and the early fathers. Furthermore, we are sure of God s absolute justice and mercy, and with this hope we serve and pray for everybody and for ourselves that the Lord may have mercy upon us and forgive our trespasses, and give us salvation. Amen. Copyright VC (2017) World Council of Churches 279