The answer
The difficulty is not in the “issue” of the Hypostases, but rather in the “designation” of the Hypostases.
We call the Divine Being “The Father,” meaning “Origin or Source.” Naturally, it is not a physically reproductive fatherhood, but an equivocally spiritual one. To some extent, it may resemble our saying that Egypt is our mother.
Likewise, we call the Divine Wisdom “Son,” meaning “Mind.” This, of course, is a spiritual sonship, not reproductive.
Alternatively, it is like saying:
The mind of so-and-so solved the problem = so-and-so solved the problem
Therefore, the mind of so-and-so = so-and-so himself
And, the Mind of God = God Himself
We also refer to the Divine Life as “The Holy Spirit,” which is to say “Life,” because the Spirit is the Breath of Life. When the spirit departs from man, he is brought to an end.
Thus, these appellations are linguistic expressions intended to convey to us an essential reality, being that:
“God is one: Existing by His being, Rational by His Word, and Living by His Spirit.”
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
Pope Tawadros II, My Faith: A Series of Dialogues on the Creed (Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, 2014), 23–24.
The pages in the book (23–24)
