The answer
Christ, to Him be glory, saved us from:
- 1. Spiritual Death: i.e. Separation from God. “We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Rom. 5:10).
- 2. Moral Death: He restored to us our dignity by making us children of God (1 John 3:1), and temples of His Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).
- 3. Eternal Death: We were granted eternal life by the death of Christ (John 3:16), and this is the foundation of salvation.
As for physical death, which is the separation of the spirit from the body, it was no longer deemed as a real death, but a departure. It used to be a punishment when, regardless of how man lived his life, his spirit sent to Hades after departing the Earth. Now, however, it is no longer a punishment, but rather a golden bridge through which we are moved to the blissful eternity, and are made worthy of a greater life.
It is the natural way, which leads us to the glories of the Resurrection. It is common sense that existence in the material earthly body is not the ideal existence for man.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
Pope Tawadros II, My Faith: A Series of Dialogues on the Creed (Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, 2014), 112–113.
The pages in the book (112–113)
