His Holiness Pope Shenouda addresses in this lecture the question: Who is the human? He presents common answers and then gives the correct theological answer that man is “the image and likeness of God” as stated in the Book of Genesis.

Meaning that man is in the image of God:
The divine image is not bodily but concerns the spirit and the qualities that a person can embody: holiness, innocence and simplicity as in Adam and Eve in Paradise, dominion over creation, personal strength and determination, blessed success, humility, spiritual beauty, and the light that shows God’s love to people.

Examples from the Holy Scripture:
The Pope cites biblical figures (Adam, Noah, Job, David, Joseph, Daniel, the holy fathers) to clarify relative perfection and the qualities that reflect God’s image in man.

Results of losing the image because of sin:
After the Fall appeared fear and ignorance and the loss of intimate relationship with God, weakness that demons exploited, resulting in social and moral corruption, the spread of injustice and false worship, the entrance of death and its dominion over humans, and the loss of dominion over the earth and animals.

Partial restoration of the image and how to do it:
He explains that the restoration of God’s image is possible partially by the work of grace and the Holy Spirit, and that the divine attributes we can approach manifest in a life of holiness, humility, spiritual strength, and blessed success.

The image in eternity:
He points out that the divine image in eternity will be better than Adam’s first image, and mentions that he will later present points (he mentioned he will speak about 12 points) explaining how man will be in God’s image in eternity.

Spiritual summary:
The call is to strive to restore and manifest God’s image in our lives by grace and spiritual work: to be holy and humble, strong in spirit, a light and love to others, carrying the form of Christ among people.

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