The Law of Faith – Through Which Everything Came to Be
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks in this lecture about the depth of the Christian faith as expressed in the Creed, focusing on the doctrines of Incarnation and Redemption.
He explains that the phrase “All things were made by Him” confirms Christ’s divinity and that He is the Creator, for all things in heaven and on earth were created through Him, and without Him was not anything made. The Father created the world through the Son, that is, through His divine Word, which proves that Christ is truly God incarnate.
His Holiness clarifies that the primary purpose of the Incarnation is redemption, for Christ did not come only to teach or to reveal the image of God, but to save humanity from sin which was directed against the infinite God. Therefore, the atonement also had to be infinite — something only God Himself could accomplish.
He explains that the Holy Spirit sanctified the Virgin Mary’s womb so that the One born of her would be without the original sin, and that the union of divinity and humanity in Christ was full and complete — without mixture or separation. Christ truly became man, with body, soul, and human spirit, yet without sin.
He affirms that Christ truly suffered and was crucified for us, and did not use His divinity to ease His human suffering, for that suffering was necessary for redemption. Every act Christ did was “for us” — on behalf of all humanity, whether in His baptism, fasting, or perfect obedience to the Father.
His Holiness then speaks about the Resurrection and Ascension, explaining that Christ ascended in His glorified body, for divinity neither ascends nor descends, being present everywhere. The glorified body, however, is spiritual and thus not subject to earthly gravity.
Finally, he explains that Christ’s second coming will be in glory, not in humility as in His first coming, but as a righteous Judge who will reward every person according to his deeds. His Kingdom will never end — an eternal reign, as prophesied in the Book of Daniel.
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