The Attributes of God – The Existence of God

General Message of the Lecture

This lecture addresses a fundamental attribute of God, namely the existence of God as unlimited, explaining the distinction between theoretical and dogmatic theology, and presenting the understanding of God’s existence from a Coptic Orthodox faith perspective, beyond human limitations.

Main Points of the Lecture

God Is Unlimited

God is unlimited in place, for He is present everywhere and no place can contain Him. He is also unlimited in time, being eternal and everlasting, with no beginning and no end. He is unlimited in knowledge, power, holiness, and love.

God’s Presence Everywhere

God’s presence everywhere means that He does not move. He does not go or come, ascend or descend, because movement implies leaving one place for another, while God is present in all places simultaneously.

Biblical Expressions

Biblical expressions such as “God walked,” “God ascended,” or “sat at the right hand” are human expressions meant to bring divine meanings closer to the limited human mind and are not to be understood literally concerning the divine essence.

Difference Between Appearance and Incarnation

Divine appearances in the Old Testament were appearances without incarnation, whereas the true incarnation took place through a real body taken from the Virgin Mary. The incarnation does not mean that God became limited, but that He appeared in a perceivable form.

God as the Cause of Existence

God is the cause of existence and the first cause of all that exists. Therefore, He is described as necessary in existence and existing by necessity, since the universe cannot exist without an eternal Creator.

Eternity Is a Divine Attribute

Eternity belongs to God alone. All created beings have a beginning, including human beings and their souls. God alone has no beginning.

Humanity in the Mind of God

Human beings did not exist eternally, but they existed in the mind of God from eternity as divine knowledge, not as an actual existence before creation.

Theological Purpose

The aim of this lecture is to form a true theological mindset, one that understands faith deeply, not through memorization, but through correct comprehension of God’s attributes as taught by the Church.

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