Pope Benjamin

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this lesson is to learn the early history of the Coptic Church through the biography of the patriarchs.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 5 Minutes

  • When a bell rings either too long or in an irregular pattern at school, the students look to the teacher to assess the situation and give instructions
  • Panic fills the air as the disturbance frightens some students and throws others into confusion
  • Depending on the pattern or length of the ringing, the teacher is able to determine the situation for the classroom and lead the students according to the guidelines laid out by the administration
  • The teacher calms the panicking students, organizes them in a single file line, and leads them outside to an assembly of the student body
  • The teacher takes this time to count the students to guarantee that all persons are present
  • This attitude a young person may experience during drill or emergency and the reliance of that student upon the teacher may be analogous to the Church throughout the years and her trust and reliance upon her leaders
  • Today we will continue studying the Patriarchs who led the Church during incredibly difficult times and kept the true faith despite heresies, persecutions, and invasions

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock**;** 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Pt. 5:1-11).

**Memory Verse: "**But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you" (1 Pt. 5:10)

CONTENT - 15 Minutes

Early Years (590)

  • Benjamin was born around 590 to a wealthy Coptic family in Barshut of the Beheira region in the western Nile Delta
  • He had a brother named Mena

Persian Invasion (616)

  • When Benjamin was 26 years old, Egypt was once more invaded by the Persians
  • This time, the Persians succeeded in defeating the Byzantine Empire
  • Egypt would remain under Persian control between 616 and 629

Monastic Life (620)

  • Benjamin practiced asceticism his whole life
  • In 620, when he was thirty, he took monastic vows at the monastery of Canopus, Egypt, which was spared from the destruction of the Persian conquests
  • Benjamin became the disciple of an elder named Theonas, who dressed Benjamin in the monastic garb and instructed him in spiritual discipline and Biblical studies

Discipleship under Pope Andronicus

  • Theonas took Benjamin to Alexandria and presented him to Andronicus, the thirty-seventh patriarch of Alexandria.
  • Andronicus loved Benjamin and discipled him
  • He ordained Benjamin a priest and made him his assistant
  • Benjamin learned directly from Andronicus and attended all meetings with him

Consecration of Benjamin (622)

  • Andronicus reposed in 622
  • Benjamin was chosen to be his successor and was consecrated thirty-eighth patriarch of Alexandria
  • He supported his congregation through sermons and writings until the end of the Persian rule

Heraclius Installs a Byznatine Patriarch over Alexandria (631-639)

  • Emperor Heraclius overcame the Persians in 629
  • In 631, he began persecuting the Coptic Church
  • He appointed the Chalcedonian bishop Cyrus of Phasis as both the Imperial (Greek) Patriarch and the prefect
  • Benjamin immediately fled from Cyrus to Wadi Natrun and later Upper Egypt
  • During this time, Benjamin's brother, Mena, was martyred by Heraclius and Cyrus

Arab Invasion of Egypt in 639-641

  • The Arabs invaded Egypt in 639 led by Amr al-As
  • Due to the ineptitude of Cyrus, the Arabs overcame Byzantium and secured a military victory in Heliopolis
  • The Arabs conquered Cairo in Spring of 641 and Alexandria that Summer

The Coptic Church during the Arab Invasion

  • About three years after the Arabs conquered Alexandria, they allowed Benjamin to return as the leader of the Copts
  • The Arabs were initially tolerant of the Copts
    • Although Arabs considered the Copts to be inferior, they did not tax them as aggressively as the Byzantine Empire and also allowed them to freely practice religion
    • Pope Benjamin was compassionate and was full of love, to the point that the Amr' had granted him money and freedom, which the Byzantine Empire did not grant to the Copts.
    • He allowed for the building of churches and monasteries.
    • It was this relationship that the Pope began to build with the Amr' that helped the Christians in Egypt.
    • The Pope began to focus on rebuilding and encouraging the people to rebuild their churches and to rebuild their faith.
    • It was even said that the Pope was adored by some of the Chalcedonians.
  • Byzantine tried once more to reclaim Egypt around 645, but were once again defeated by the Arabs
  • In 650 the Mawali Muslims took over the Islamic Caliphate and imposed great burdens upon the Copts
    • This resulted in higher taxation, second class citizenship, and persecution
    • The Copts were forced to pay an annual "protection" task
    • The Muslims placed great restrictions on the Copts, such as forcing Copts to provide temporary housing to Muslims, submission to Muslim justice, riding only donkeys, special dress, and strict limitations on building churches

Departure of Benjamin

  • After much pain from sickness, Pope Benjamin departed in peace
  • It was said that his soul was not only carried by the angels, but by St Athanasius, Pope Dioscorus, and St. Cyril.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

  • How was Benjamin's upbringing similar to Athanasius and Cyril?
  • What unique challenges did the Coptic church face during the time of Benjamin?
  • How important was Benjamin's relationship with the invaders of Egypt? How did his character help the situation with the Coptic Christians and the Chalcedonians?

LIFE APPLICATION - 15 Minutes

God prepared Benjamin for ministry through asceticism and discipleship

  • Like the patriarchs before him, Benjamin spent time with God in the desert and learned from the previous patriarch
  • The simple, consistent Christian behaviors such as Agpeya prayer, Bible reading, liturgy attendance, participation in the sacraments, and Sunday School attendance prepare each and every one of us for God's work and ministry
  • Although these behaviors seem very basic, they are the means by which we spend our lives in fellowship with Christ and towards Christian maturity and sanctification through the grace of the Holy Spirit

The Coptic Church faced persecution from the Imperial Church and Arab Invaders

  • After the schism following Chalcedon, the Coptic Church became the minority to the Imperial Church
  • Once the Arabas invaded, the Copts were more so minorities in their own land
  • Benjamin, through grace and godly wisdom, acted with compassion, discretion, and due care in order to win favor with the invaders and allow at least a minimal amount of tolerance
  • By showing love without discrimination, Benjamin affected the hearts of his captors to show pity at the sight of his longsuffering and Christian demeanor

Benjamin's relationship with his captors helped the Church survive

  • Benjamin set the example for Coptic Christians throughout the following generations to the present time to act with love and kindness towards those that have usurped Egypt
  • For years to follow Benjamin, the Coptic Christians would continue to work hard, not considering their condition a reason to complain or make excessive demands, but to excel in any and every situation and to win over the hearts of all who enter the land of Egypt

ACTIVITY 10 Minutes

Materials: ball, bowl, pen/pencil.

Repeat the Activity from last week:

  • Encourage the students to write any questions on several pieces of paper about the faith, and what they don't understand.
  • One question per piece of paper.
  • Give them time to write their questions.
  • Have them in a bowl and shuffle them around.
  • Pick a piece of paper from the bowl, and answer it. Answer as many as you like.
  • You can keep this as a tradition at every start of class and one question at the end of the class for each week of this module.

SERVANT RESOURCES

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

  • Encourage the students to write church-related questions that come to mind during the week. They may write it on a piece of paper or on their mobile device.
  • These questions may come from bible ready, church attendance, liturgies, spiritual books they are reading, etc.
  • Then, they may ask a servant or a priest whenever they see them at church, during confession, etc.
  • They may also make a habit of setting a specific weekly time aside to call their servant or priest.
  • It helps to write down the answers so that they may answer these questions for other youth.