Bebawi studied at the Coptic Orthodox Theological College in Cairo and graduated in 1961, and went on a scholarship to United Kingdom where he studied Theology, Patristics, and Biblical criticism and received his MLitt and PhD in 1970 from University of Cambridge. He taught Theology, Patristics, Church history and Islamic studies in Egypt, Lebanon, England and United States. After serving as advisor for Christian Affairs to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat until his assassination in 1981, Bebawi served as director of the Red Cross in Beirut during the First Lebanon war in 1982. Bebawi taught at St John's College, Nottingham from 1984 to 2000, and held office of director of studies at Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge from 2000 to 2002, where he lectured on Islam and Judaism for Cambridge Theological Federation.