Pope Tawadros II discusses the Law of Serving the Word, church says
The Pope spoke about the fundamental nature of reading, preaching, and teaching during a weekly sermon, the Coptic Orthodox Church said.
The Coptic Orthodox Church said on 28 October 2026 that Pope Tawadros II delivered a weekly sermon from the Papal Headquarters in Cairo.
The Pope said the group has been a friend of the monastery since the time of the late Anba Athanasius, the former Metropolitan of Beni Suef and El Behnasa, and noted they traveled to Egypt to provide services in Beni Suef and Ezbet el-Nakl. During the sermon, which continued the “Spiritual Laws for Life” series, the Pope spoke about the “Law of Serving the Word” and read verses 13–16 of the fourth chapter of the First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy.
Pope Tawadros II explained the meanings of reading, preaching, and teaching as areas of service. He said that reading means a priest or servant is faithful to the biblical text and presents the text rather than personal ideas. He said preaching means being faithful to the souls being spoken to and ensuring the spoken word has an impact. He said teaching means teaching the Orthodox faith as received from the early generations.
Regarding the difference between a sermon and a lecture, the Pope said preaching is about the Lord Jesus Christ and is an exhortation to repentance, while otherwise it is a lecture. He stated that in reading, he does not hide God's voice because the text speaks; in preaching, he presents God's word and answers questions with Bible verses; and in teaching, he must deliver the straight faith in life and the church.