His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks in this lecture about the attributes of God and explains them in a simple style to bring them closer to the listeners.

About Creation and Types of Creatures

He clarifies that everything other than God is created: the inanimate, animals, plants, angels and humans, and he cites Psalm 104 that the angels were created spirits and ministers of fire. He distinguishes between creatures that have body and soul (like animals) and purely spiritual creatures (like angels) and the human who combines body, soul and spirit.

God’s Self-attributes and those unique to Him alone

He affirms that there are attributes that only God possesses, such as being the Creator (who creates from nothing), and being the Eternal without a beginning, and being Unlimited in place, time and power, and being Omnipotent and Omniscient and of Absolute Perfection.

The difference between Creator and Maker

He explains the difference between God the Creator who creates from nothing, and man the maker who transforms existing matter into something else, noting that what writers call “create” in a figurative sense is not true creation.

Shared attributes in a limited way

He points out that some divine attributes can be possessed by humans to a small degree such as mercy and wisdom, but they are in God without limits and absolutely while in humans they are relative and limited.

The effect of these attributes on worship and spiritual life

He concludes that God alone is the true object of worship and that prayer and true worship are offered to Him alone, and that understanding these attributes cultivates fear, love and commitment to the responsibility of the freedom God gave to man.

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