God and Creation

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Orthodoxy Crash Course God and Creation
Saint George Coptic Orthodox Church June 16, 2006
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Welcome back to the OCC

• Part One
• Holy Scriptures Sacred Tradition (June 2)
• Our Knowledge of God the Trinity (June 9)
• God and Creation (June 16)
• Evil, Sin, and Salvation (June 23)

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Welcome back to the OCC

• Part Two
• The Church Pillar Ground of Truth (July 14)
• The Holy Mysteries (July 21)
• Prayer (July 28)
• The Second-Coming of Christ An Orthodox
  Perspective on the End Times (August 4)

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Welcome back to the OCC

• Recommended Reading
• Orthodox Dogmatic Theology
• by Father Michael Pomazansky

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In the beginning

• In the beginning God created the heavens and the
  earth (Genesis 11).

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In the beginning

• God
• The World
• How the World Arose
• The Nature of the World
• The Consequences of Creation
• Mankind

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The Angelic WorldAngels in Sacred Scripture

• Old Testament
• The Cherubim guarding Paradise (Genesis 324)
• Abraham and His Servant (Genesis 247)
• Jacobs Ladder (Genesis 2812)
• Isaiahs Vision of the Seraphim (Isaiah 6)

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The Angelic WorldAngels in Sacred Scripture

• New Testament
• The Annunciation of the births of Saint John the
  Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1)
• Josephs Dreams (Matthew 120-21, 213)
• The Annunciation of the Saviors Birth (Luke 2)
• The Book of Acts

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The Angelic WorldThe Creation of Angels

• Creator of all things visible and invisible
• When the stars were made, all My angels praised
  Me with a loud voice (LXX Job 387).
• For by Him all things were created that are in
  heaven and that are on earth, visible and
  invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
  principalities or powers. All things were
  created through Him and for Him (Colossians
  116).

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The Angelic WorldThe Nature of Angels

• They appear under such a different form as can
  be seen by those who behold them
• (Saint John Damascene, 8th Century, Exact
  Exposition 2.3)

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The Angelic WorldThe Degree of Angelic Perfection

• Their Limitations
• For what man knows the things of a man except
  the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so
  no one knows the things of God except the Spirit
  (1 Corinthians 211).
• But of that day and hour no one knows, not even
  the angels in heaven (Mark 1332).

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The Angelic WorldThe Number and Ranks of the
Angels

• Reckon how many are the Roman nation reckon how
  many the barbarian tribes now living, and how
  many have died within the last hundred years
  reckon how many nations have been buried during
  the last thousand years reckon all from Adam to
  this day. Great indeed is the multitude, but yet
  it is little, for the angels are many more. They
  are the ninety and nine sheep, but mankind is the
  single one (Matthew 1812). For according to the
  extent of universal space, must we reckon the
  number of its inhabitants.

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The Angelic WorldThe Number and Ranks of the
Angels

• The whole earth is but as a point in the midst
  of the one heaven, and yet contains so great a
  multitude what a multitude must the heaven which
  encircles it contain? And must not the heaven of
  heavens contain unimaginable numbers? And it is
  written, thousand thousands ministered unto Him,
  and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before
  Him (Daniel 710) not that the multitude is only
  so great, but because the Prophet could not
  express more than these.
• Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, 4th Century
• (Catechetical Lectures 15.24)

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The Angelic WorldThe Number and Ranks of the
Angels
Thrones Cherubim Seraphim
Authorities Dominions Powers
Archangels Angels Principalities
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The Angelic WorldThe Number and Ranks of the
Angels

• Cherubim (Genesis 3 LXX Psalms 79, 98 Ezekiel
  1, 10).
• Seraphim (Isaiah 6)
• Powers (Ephesians 1 Romans 8)
• Thrones, Principalities, Dominions, Authorities
  (Colossians 1 Ephesians 1, 3)
• Archangels (1 Thessalonians 4 Jude v. 9)
• Angels (1 Peter 3 Romans 8)

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The Angelic WorldThe Number and Ranks of the
Angels

• That there are Thrones, Dominions,
  Principalities, and Authorities in the heavenly
  mansions, I believe unwaveringly, and that they
  are distinct one from the other, I hold without
  doubt but of what sort they are, and in
  precisely what way they are distinguished among
  themselves, I do not know.
• Blessed Augustine of Hippo, 4th Century

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The Angelic WorldThe Number and Ranks of the
Angels

• The Names of the Archangels in Scripture
• Michael (Daniel 1013, 121 Jude v. 9
  Revelation 127).
• Gabriel (Daniel 816, 921 Luke 119, 26).
• Raphael (Tobit 316, 1215)
• Uriel (3 Esdras 41, 520)
• Salathiel (3 Esdras 516)

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The Angelic WorldThe Number and Ranks of the
Angels

• The Seven Archangels in the Coptic Tradition
• Michael
• Gabriel
• Raphael
• Suriel
• Sedakiel
• Sarathiel
• Ananiel

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The Angelic WorldThe Purpose and Ministry of the
Angels

• Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth
  to minister for those who will inherit salvation
  (Hebrews 114)?
• Guardian Angels
• Take heed that you do not despise one of these
  little ones, for I say to you that in heaven
  their angels always see the face of My Father who
  is in heaven (Matthew 1810).

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Mankind The Crown of Creation
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The Nature of ManBody, Soul, and Spirit

• The Body
• Systems
• Organs
• Bodily Needs
• The Resurrection of the Body
• The Body as the Temple of God

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The Nature of ManBody, Soul, and Spirit

• The Soul and the Spirit
• For the word of God is living and powerful, and
  sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even
  to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints
  and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
  and intents of the heart (Hebrews 412).
• Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you
  completely and may your whole spirit, soul, and
  body be preserved blameless at the coming of our
  Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 523).

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The Nature of ManBody, Soul, and Spirit

• The Soul
• Makes a human or animal body alive
• And so it was, as her soul was departing (for
  she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni but
  his father called him Benjamin (Genesis 3518).
• And he stretched himself out on the child three
  times, and cried out to the Lord and said, O
  Lord my God, I pray, let this childs soul come
  back to him (1 Kings 1721).

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The Nature of ManBody, Soul, and Spirit

• The Soul
• The inner life of man, his emotions, and desires
• Genesis 343
• LXX Psalm 62
• Matthew 2638

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The Nature of ManBody, Soul, and Spirit

• The Spirit
• Denotes purely spiritual beings
• The spiritual immortal part of man
• Worships and communes with God

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The Image of God in Man

• Image vs. Likeness
• Man has relative qualities
• Purity and righteousness
• Authority
• Love
• Free will
• Personal Existence
• Creative
• Immortal

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Glory is due to God Forever. Amen.