Explanation of the Creed – Part 4
Explanation of the Creed – Part 4
“By Whom All Things Were Made”
That is, by the Person of the Word — the rational Word of God or the speaking Mind of God — all things were created. Through Wisdom, God made the universe, and the Son is “the Wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:24). Saint Paul also said of Him: “Through whom also He made the worlds” (Heb 1:2). And in the beginning of Saint John’s Gospel, it is written: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3).
Since everything was created through Him, He therefore exists before all ages, before the universe, and before every created being. Here we recall Saint Augustine’s saying: “The Son has two births — one from the Virgin in the fullness of time, and one from the Father before all ages. If His birth from the Virgin is beyond our understanding, how much more His birth from the heavenly Father!”
“Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven”
This means that the salvation of humanity was the purpose of the Incarnation. Even if there were other reasons, they would be secondary. The main purpose was salvation, which was accomplished through redemption on the Cross.
Had the Son done nothing except bring salvation, that alone would have been sufficient. But if in His Incarnation He had done many great works yet not accomplished redemption, then the Incarnation would not have fulfilled its mission.
The phrase “for us men” shows the high regard God has for humanity and that salvation was meant only for them.
That is why the Lord Jesus called Himself “the Son of Man,” for He came to pay the price for the sins of all humanity. He called Himself “the Son of Man,” born from mankind, representing humanity, bearing its sin, and paying its price to divine justice — to save mankind.
This salvation includes deliverance from the penalty of sin, from death in all its forms, and also from sin itself.
The expression “came down from heaven” means that He departed from heaven —
He came down from it and yet still remains in it. Similarly, when we say “He came into the world,” it does not mean He had no presence in it before coming. God came down from heaven to earth, yet He exists in both, and in between, before, during, and after His coming down.
He is everywhere, at all times — in heaven, on earth, and between heaven and earth.
This was shown in His words to Nicodemus: “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven” (John 3:13), showing that He was from heaven even as He spoke on earth.
Expressions like “came down” and “ascended” are used to make the meaning clearer to our minds, showing that the Lord’s Incarnation was a descent to our human nature.
It is similar to when we say, “Our Father who art in heaven,” although He is in heaven and on earth. The phrase “in heaven” expresses the exaltedness of God’s being, lifting our eyes upward — though God is everywhere, above and below — but the expression moves our senses and emotions.
“And was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary”
Incarnate means He took flesh and united with that body. His divinity was united with His humanity in a complete union, without separation for a single moment or the blink of an eye. This union is what we call “one nature,” as Saint Cyril of Alexandria said: “One nature of God the Word incarnate.”
This one nature is not the divinity alone, nor the humanity alone, but “the Word made flesh.” As Saint Paul said to Timothy: “God was manifested in the flesh” (1 Tim 3:16).
He took a body from the Virgin Mary so that He might truly share our human nature — the same nature He came to redeem. Thus, He became “the firstborn among many brethren” and called us His brothers. But since no virgin could give birth without human seed, the Holy Spirit came upon the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:35) and formed within her the body of Christ, which she bore. Therefore, it is said He was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.
“And became man”
That is, He became fully human. This expression indicates the completeness of His humanity, because some heretics believed Christ had no human soul or spirit, thinking His divinity alone was enough to make Him alive!
But if that were true, He would not be like us in everything, and we could not say He shared our nature. A body without a soul is not complete humanity.
Therefore, it is said “and became man,” meaning He became a full human being, with complete humanity. Saint Paul wrote: “By the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:15).
“And was crucified for us”
Crucified for us — not for any sin of His own, but for us, for He was righteous and sinless. The phrase “for us” means on our behalf, for He bore our sins. As Saint John the Baptist said: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:4–6).
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