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Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty · Catechism · 152

Faith Q&A › Catechism › 3. Faith in God and Our Knowledge of Him

Is it possible for a person to know the essence of God?

The answer

The human being is the only creature in heaven or on earth who is said to have been created in the image of God, according to His likeness (Gen. 1:26–27). For our sake God created the world and planted a garden in Eden (Gen. 2:8). Therefore, He endowed us with the ability to know Him, yet the essence of God remains indescribable and beyond our knowledge. If we are unable to comprehend our own soul or spirit though we do not doubt its existence, how can we comprehend God our Creator, or comprehend His divine essence?! A philosopher once said to St. Athanasius: “Show me your God and I will believe in His existence,” to which the saint replied, “Show me your soul and I show you my God!”

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Volume 1, Books 1–3. First English Edition, 2023. Published by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Sporting, Alexandria, and Queen St. Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church, South Brunswick, NJ. Copyright © 2023. Translation and Editing: Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Arabian Gulf, and Egypt.