GOD: The Coptic Orthodox Church & The Dogmas
God created man in His image as the most perfect of His creation on earth. He did not plan to leave the man in Paradise alone, but to embrace him as His beloved, and to grant mankind unity with Him. God used to speak with Adam for it was written, "... and they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden." (Gen. 3:8). Similarly, God started a dialogue with the first patriarch, Abraham, to declare to him His divine plan, saying, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?" (Gen. 18:17). God, who is incomprehensible, reveals Himself, His nature, His mysteries, and His will to His beloved with whom He desires to be in contact.
God speaks to mankind through His creation, as St. Paul states, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse" (Rom. 1:20). The prophet David says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handy work" (Ps. 19:1). St. Athanasius wrote, "God by His own Word gave the Universe the order it has, in order that since He is by nature invisible, men might be enabled to know Him at any rate by His works. For often the artist, even when not seen, is known by his works ."
Because mankind refused to hear the voice of natural law which reveals God as the Creator and Lover of mankind, God presented His written Law through Moses and sent His prophets to prepare the way for the "Word" Himself, the incarnate Son of God who came and revealed to us the divine mysteries. St. Paul states, "God who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son" (Heb. 1:1, 2).
Fr Tadros Y. Malaty
