Scripture divinely inspired; interpreted through Tradition, Fathers, and Councils
The Coptic Orthodox Church affirms that the Sacred Scriptures are divinely inspired and serve as the authoritative written revelation of God. Scripture is inerrant in what it affirms concerning faith, salvation, and moral life. It is interpreted within the living Tradition of the Church, with the consensus of the Church Fathers—especially the Alexandrian Fathers (Clement, Origen, Athanasius, Cyril)—and the three Ecumenical Councils as the authoritative interpretive framework.
Coptic approaches to biblical interpretation have historically drawn on the Alexandrian allegorical method developed by Clement of Alexandria and Origen, alongside historical-literal reading. Scripture is encountered primarily in the liturgical context—readings from the Old Testament, Epistles, and Gospels are central to every celebration of the Divine Liturgy and the Daily Office. The Coptic tradition does not encourage private, individualistic interpretation apart from the Church's Tradition.
Key Distinctions
- Inerrancy scope:
- Scripture is divinely inspired and reliable; inerrancy as a Western scholastic category is not widely used
- Hermeneutic approach:
- patristic and typological; tradition guides interpretation; Fathers as authoritative interpreters
Scripture References
Sources
- St. Athanasius, Festal Letters
- Pope Shenouda III, Comparative Theology (1982)
- Common Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III (1973)