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Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty · Catechism · 158

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

What are the characteristics of God?

The answer

The Holy Bible contains some names of God that positively describe what He is like, so that we may delight in His characteristics working within us. It also contains other names of God that negatively describe what He is not, that we may beware of falling into a destructive negativism.

On the positive side He is called Good, Holy, Light, Life, etc. On the negative side He is called Undying, Infinite, Unapproachable. And yet, we will see Him face to face, not as He is in essence, but insofar as the weakness of our limited nature can bear, etc. So, we are able to know Him and exult in Him eternally. We can know that He is great, but we cannot comprehend the extent of His greatness. We perceive His eternal presence, but can we ever understand it?

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.