Did the Lord give teachings to the Apostles after His Resurrection?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

Yes, the Coptic Orthodox tradition holds that the teaching the Lord gave to His Apostles during the forty days following His Resurrection was foundational for the establishment of the Church. While the Gospels provide a summary, our tradition and the Book of Acts (1:3) clarify that He spoke of "things pertaining to the kingdom of God."

These teachings are often referred to as the Apostolic Tradition or the Ecclesiastical Commandments. Our Church recognizes the following areas as the Lord's post-Resurrection instructions:

1. The Interpretation of the Scriptures

The Lord provided the Apostles with a definitive "Christological" reading of the Old Testament. As recorded in Luke 24, He "opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures." He taught them that:

• The Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms all served as testimonies of His suffering and His glory.
• This instruction is why the Coptic Church uses Old Testament types (like the Passover Lamb or the Bronze Serpent) to explain the mystery of salvation today.

2. The Mysteries of the Sacraments (The Liturgy)

Coptic Orthodox theology emphasizes that the Lord handed down the lex orandi (the way of prayer). During these forty days, He instructed the Apostles on:

• The Eucharist: While He instituted it on Maundy Thursday, the post-Resurrection period was when He taught them how to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and the importance of the "Breaking of Bread" (Luke 24:30-31, 35).
• Baptism and Chrismation: He gave the Great Commission to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
• Priesthood and Absolution: He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:22-23). This gave the Apostles the authority to administer the Sacrament of Penance and Confession.

3. The "Testaments of the Lord" (Clementine/Apostolic Writings)

In Coptic tradition, there are ancient texts known as the Testamentum Domini (The Testament of our Lord). While scholars debate their dating, the Church views the essence of these teachings as the "secret" or "mystical" instructions given by Christ between His Resurrection and Ascension. These include:

• Details on the Order of the Church (the roles of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons).
• Instructions on the daily hours of prayer (the foundation of the /Agpeya).
• Warnings about the end times and the second coming.

4. The Power of the Holy Spirit

He taught them to wait in Jerusalem for the "Promise of the Father." He instructed them that their mission could not be accomplished by human wisdom or strength, but only through the Holy Spirit. He clarified that the Spirit would "guide them into all truth" and bring to their remembrance everything He had taught them (John 16:13).

5. The Mission to the Gentiles

Before His Resurrection, the Lord’s ministry was primarily to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." After the Resurrection, He expanded their teaching mandate to "all nations" and "to the end of the earth." He taught them that the New Covenant was universal, breaking down the wall between Jew and Gentile.

By these teachings, the Lord ensured that the Apostles were not merely witnesses of an event, but stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1), capable of building the Church upon the rock of the true faith.