Genesis 1:1–2 — The Absolute Beginning
Section 1 – Text Reference (RSV-2CE)
Genesis 1:1–2
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.”
(Quoted exactly from the Ignatius RSV-2CE)
Section 2 – Patristic Meaning (Primary Governing Layer)
Creation ex nihilo and the Absolute Beginning
The Fathers unanimously affirm that “In the beginning” signifies not a temporal sequence within pre-existing matter, but the absolute origination of all that exists by God alone.
St. Basil the Great, Hexaemeron, Homily I:
“It is the mark of the foolish to imagine that visible things are uncreated…
‘In the beginning God created’ — not after having found matter ready, but bringing into being the substance of the heavens and the earth from nothing.”
Creation is thus an act of pure divine freedom, not necessity, not emanation, not ordering of pre-existent chaos.
“Heavens and earth” — Totality of creation
The phrase signifies the whole created order, both invisible and visible.
St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, Book XII:
“By ‘heaven and earth’ Scripture has signified the entire creation, both spiritual and corporeal, made from nothing by You.”
This excludes all dualism: no eternal matter, no rival principle, no autonomous chaos.
Formlessness, darkness, and the deep
The Fathers insist that the formlessness is not evil, but unshaped potential awaiting divine ordering.
St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis, I:
“Do not suppose that this darkness is something hostile or wicked.
Scripture teaches only that creation had not yet received its adornment.”
Darkness here signifies incompletion, not sin.
The Spirit moving over the waters
This verse is read unanimously as the first explicit revelation of the Holy Spirit’s creative action.
St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Letters to Serapion:
“The Spirit was not external to creation, but present, vivifying and sustaining it, as Scripture says: ‘The Spirit of God was borne upon the waters.’”
Already, creation is Trinitarian:
- The Father creates
- Through the Word (Logos)
- In the Spirit who gives life
Synthesis (strictly derivative)
Genesis 1:1–2 reveals:
- Absolute creation from nothing
- Total dependence of all being on God
- Creation as good, ordered toward form
- The Spirit as active Life-Giver from the beginning
Nothing exists apart from God’s will, presence, and sustaining love.
Section 3 – Daily Christian Application
If all things begin from God, then the soul must abandon the illusion of self-origin.
This passage calls us to:
- Radical humility: I am not self-made.
- Trust: the same Spirit who ordered chaos orders my life.
- Patience: God works through stages, not instant perfection.
Disorder in the soul does not mean abandonment — it often means creation is still underway.
Section 4 – Theosis Dimension
Creation is not static existence but the first step toward participation in God.
The Spirit hovering over the waters prefigures:
- Baptism
- Regeneration
- Deification
As the waters received the Spirit, so the soul must become receptive.
Theosis begins not with achievement, but with availability to divine action.
Section 5 – Interior / Spiritual Sense (Virtues & Vices Integrated)
Interior Diagnosis
- Darkness → ignorance, confusion, disordered thoughts
- Formlessness → passions without direction
- Deep waters → unconscious movements of the heart
Virtues Called Forth
- Faith (trust in divine initiative)
- Humility (creaturely dependence)
- Obedience (allowing God to shape)
Vices Exposed
- Pride (self-sufficiency)
- Despair (thinking chaos is final)
- Impatience (rejecting gradual formation)
The Spirit does not annihilate chaos violently; He hovers, heals, orders.
Section 6 – Mystical Christology
“In the beginning” is inseparable from Christ the Logos.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies:
“The Son and the Spirit are the two hands of the Father by whom He fashioned all things.”
Christ is:
- The principle of creation
- The meaning of creation
- The goal of creation
The same Logos who called light from darkness will later enter that darkness to redeem it.
Genesis 1:3–5 — The First Fiat: Light from Darkness
Section 1 – Text Reference (RSV-2CE)
Genesis 1:3–5
“And God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”
(Exact citation from the Ignatius RSV-2CE)
Section 2 – Patristic Meaning (Primary Governing Layer)
“God said” — Creation by the Divine Word
The Fathers unanimously emphasize that creation unfolds through the Word, revealing the Logos already active before the Incarnation.
St. Basil the Great, Hexaemeron, Homily II:
“God did not speak as men speak…
His word is a command that gives being to what did not exist.”
The divine speech is creative, not descriptive. Being itself obeys the Word.
The Light before the Sun
The light of Day One is not the sun, which appears only on the fourth day. The Fathers reject any crude physical reduction.
St. Ambrose of Milan, Hexaemeron, I.8:
“This light is not the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars…
but a certain primordial brightness, the first adornment of created nature.”
This light is:
- Created
- Real
- Non-luminary
- Foundational for all later order
Light as Order, Darkness as Absence
Darkness is not destroyed but bounded.
St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis, II:
“He did not annihilate the darkness, but assigned to each its proper limits.
For God is a God of order, not confusion.”
Darkness remains, but no longer reigns.
“God saw that the light was good”
This is the first divine judgment pronounced in Scripture.
St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God, XI.21:
“The light was pleasing to God not as a bodily brightness, but because it signified the form of all created natures brought from confusion into order.”
Goodness here means conformity to divine intention, not usefulness.
“Evening and morning, one day”
The Fathers stress that time itself begins here.
St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Making of Man:
“With the first day begins the measure of time, which had no existence before creation.”
Time is a creature, not eternal.
Synthesis (strictly derivative)
Genesis 1:3–5 reveals:
- Creation by the Word
- Light as primordial order and intelligibility
- Darkness limited, not evil
- Time itself as part of creation
- Goodness as alignment with divine will
Section 3 – Daily Christian Application
The soul’s healing follows the same pattern:
- God speaks
- Light appears
- Separation occurs
- Order emerges
Conversion is not self-generated illumination.
It begins when we allow the Word to be spoken into us.
We are not called to destroy darkness by force, but to let God set boundaries within us.
Section 4 – Theosis Dimension
Light is the first created participation in divine goodness.
In the Fathers, light becomes the archetype of:
- Illumination of the nous
- Knowledge of God
- Participation without identity
Theosis begins as illumination, before union.
As the world first received light, the soul must first receive divine clarity before divine intimacy.
Section 5 – Interior / Spiritual Sense (Virtues & Vices Integrated)
Interior Movements
- Light → awakened conscience, truth perceived
- Darkness → passions, confusion, ignorance
Virtues Strengthened
- Discernment
- Faith
- Sobriety of mind (νήψις)
Vices Exposed
- Confusion
- Moral relativism
- Spiritual sloth (acedia)
The separation of light and darkness is the birth of discernment.
Section 6 – Mystical Christology
The Fathers read this light Christologically.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies:
“The light spoken into being prefigured Him who later said, ‘I am the light of the world.’”
Christ is:
- The Light spoken at creation
- The Light entering fallen history
- The Light that no darkness can overcome
The Incarnation is not an interruption, but the completion of Genesis 1:3.
Genesis 1:6–8 — The Firmament: Separation and Habitation
Section 1 – Text Reference (RSV-2CE)
Genesis 1:6–8
“And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’
And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.”
(Exact citation from the Ignatius RSV-2CE)
Section 2 – Patristic Meaning (Primary Governing Layer)
The Firmament as Ordered Boundary
The Fathers consistently teach that the firmament (raqia) is not mythological fantasy, but the divinely instituted boundary that renders the world habitable.
St. Basil the Great, Hexaemeron, Homily III:
“The firmament was made to be a dividing wall…
not that waters were hostile to one another, but that all things might be established in due proportion and order.”
The emphasis is order, not cosmological speculation.
Waters Above and Waters Below
The Fathers refuse to reduce this to mere symbolism, while also refusing crude materialism.
St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis, III:
“Do not inquire curiously into the nature of the waters above the heavens.
It is enough to know that God so ordered creation, and that His word is more trustworthy than our reasoning.”
Patristic sobriety is essential: reverence replaces curiosity.
“God made the firmament” — Stability through Divine Action
Unlike light, which is spoken into being, the firmament is explicitly made.
St. Augustine of Hippo, Literal Meaning of Genesis, I.20:
“Scripture sometimes says ‘God said,’ sometimes ‘God made,’
teaching not difference in power, but difference in the work accomplished.”
The firmament signifies stability, structure, and dwelling-place.
Naming the Firmament “Heaven”
This “heaven” is created heaven, not the uncreated divine realm.
St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Making of Man:
“Heaven here is not the nature of God, but the place appointed for created powers and movements.”
Creation is already being prepared for inhabitation, angelic and human.
The Missing Pronouncement of “Good”
Notably, Day Two lacks the declaration “God saw that it was good.”
The Fathers address this carefully.
St. Ambrose of Milan, Hexaemeron, II.3:
“The work was not incomplete, but awaited its perfection when the waters would later receive their proper bounds.”
Goodness will be pronounced once order is complete.
Synthesis (strictly derivative)
Genesis 1:6–8 reveals:
- Separation as a divine act of mercy
- Boundaries as conditions for life
- Heaven as created order, not divinity
- Stability preceding fruitfulness
Section 3 – Daily Christian Application
This passage teaches that spiritual life requires boundaries.
Without firmament:
- Passions overflow
- Thoughts drown the soul
- Prayer becomes impossible
God establishes interior separations:
- Silence from noise
- Prayer from distraction
- Order from impulse
Separation is not repression — it is preparation for life.
Section 4 – Theosis Dimension
Theosis does not occur in chaos.
The firmament represents:
- The structuring of the soul
- The healing of disordered energies
- The soul becoming a place where God may dwell
Before illumination (Day One) can bear fruit, stability must be established.
Grace presupposes order.
Section 5 – Interior / Spiritual Sense (Virtues & Vices Integrated)
Interior Movements
- Waters below → passions, instincts, impulses
- Waters above → higher movements of the soul, aspiration toward God
- Firmament → ascetical discipline, watchfulness, rule of life
Virtues Strengthened
- Temperance
- Discernment
- Obedience
Vices Exposed
- Excess
- Spiritual chaos
- Curiosity without reverence
God does not abolish desire — He orders it.
Section 6 – Mystical Christology
The firmament prefigures Christ the Mediator.
St. Maximus the Confessor, Ambigua:
“The Logos stands as mediator between the sensible and intelligible, uniting without confusion and dividing without separation.”
Christ:
- Unites heaven and earth
- Separates without alienating
- Establishes peace through order
The firmament anticipates the Incarnation, where the uncontainable God creates a dwelling within creation.
Genesis 1:9–13 — Emergence, Fruitfulness, and the Earth’s Obedience
Section 1 – Text Reference (RSV-2CE)
Genesis 1:9–13
“And God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so.
God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
And God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.’ And it was so.
The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own explaining, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.”
(Exact citation from the Ignatius RSV-2CE)
Section 2 – Patristic Meaning (Primary Governing Layer)
The Appearing of the Dry Land — Stability and Manifestation
The Fathers emphasize that the dry land does not emerge by struggle but appears in obedience to the Word.
St. Basil the Great, Hexaemeron, Homily IV:
“At the command of God the waters withdrew, not by compulsion but by obedience,
and the earth appeared, firm and prepared to receive its adornment.”
Creation responds immediately and without resistance.
Naming: Earth and Seas
Naming signifies established identity and vocation.
St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis, IV:
“By giving names, God teaches us that nothing is confused or without purpose,
but that each has received its place and function.”
Order is not arbitrary; it is meaningful.
“God saw that it was good” — Goodness of Stability
The Fathers note that goodness is pronounced after separation is complete.
St. Ambrose of Milan, Hexaemeron, III.2:
“The goodness of the earth was declared when it stood firm,
no longer submerged, but ready to bear fruit.”
Goodness flows from readiness to give.
The Earth “Brings Forth”
Creation is now granted secondary causality.
St. Augustine of Hippo, Literal Meaning of Genesis, V.4:
“God created all things together in their causes,
so that in time they might come forth according to His command.”
The earth obeys by cooperating, not competing.
“According to its kind”
The Fathers reject any notion of randomness.
St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Making of Man:
“The order of kinds proclaims the wisdom of the Creator,
who establishes distinction without division.”
Multiplicity does not threaten unity.
Synthesis (strictly derivative)
Genesis 1:9–13 reveals:
- Stability as a condition for fruitfulness
- Creation’s participation in divine creativity
- Ordered diversity under divine wisdom
- Goodness as readiness to give life
Section 3 – Daily Christian Application
The soul bears fruit only after it stands on firm ground.
This passage teaches:
- Do not rush fruit before stability
- Do not despise hidden preparation
- Obedience precedes productivity
A scattered soul cannot bear seed.
Section 4 – Theosis Dimension
The earth bearing fruit prefigures the deified human nature.
Theosis is not passive:
- God commands
- Man cooperates
- Grace bears fruit
As the earth brings forth without resistance, the soul must become pliant to divine energy.
Section 5 – Interior / Spiritual Sense (Virtues & Vices Integrated)
Interior Mapping
- Waters gathered → passions brought under rule
- Dry land appearing → stability of the will
- Vegetation → virtues beginning to grow
- Seed within itself → virtue capable of endurance
Virtues Strengthened
- Perseverance
- Chastity (right ordering of generative power)
- Patience
Vices Exposed
- Sterility
- Instability
- Impulsiveness
Fruitfulness without order leads to corruption.
Section 6 – Mystical Christology
The Fathers read this day as profoundly Christological.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies:
“The earth which brings forth fruit prefigures humanity receiving the Word and producing life.”
Christ is:
- The Seed planted in the earth
- The Firstfruit of creation
- The One through whom creation becomes fruitful
The Cross itself will be planted in the earth so that life may rise again.
Genesis 1:14–19 — The Luminaries: Measure, Governance, and Sacred Time
Section 1 – Text Reference (RSV-2CE)
Genesis 1:14–19
“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years,
and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so.
And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also.
And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth,
to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.”
(Exact citation from the Ignatius RSV-2CE)
Section 2 – Patristic Meaning (Primary Governing Layer)
Light-bearers, not sources of light
The Fathers stress that the sun and moon are not the origin of light, since light already exists from Day One. They are servants, not causes.
St. Basil the Great, Hexaemeron, Homily VI:
“The luminaries are not the creators of light, but its ministers.
Light was made before them, lest men should think these bodies to be gods.”
Genesis deliberately undermines astral idolatry.
“For signs and for seasons” — Sacred Time
The term seasons (μοῖραι / moʿedim) is understood by the Fathers as appointed times, not merely weather cycles.
St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God, XI.33:
“By the movements of the heavenly bodies, God appointed times for human life,
not to rule man’s fate, but to serve his order.”
Time becomes liturgical, not fatalistic.
Rule without Tyranny
The sun and moon rule but do not dominate.
St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis, VI:
“They rule as servants, not as masters,
showing that authority in creation is for service.”
Cosmic authority is already pedagogical.
“God set them” — Intentional Placement
Nothing is accidental.
St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Making of Man:
“The ordered movement of the heavens proclaims a mind that arranges all things toward harmony.”
Cosmos is meaningful order, not mechanical motion.
Synthesis (strictly derivative)
Genesis 1:14–19 reveals:
- Created lights as servants of divine light
- Time as a gift ordered toward worship
- Authority as service
- Cosmic order resisting idolatry and fate
Section 3 – Daily Christian Application
This passage teaches the soul to live by God’s measure, not its impulses.
The Christian life requires:
- Rhythm (prayer, work, rest)
- Discernment of times
- Obedience to sacred order
A soul without rhythm becomes chaotic;
a soul without light loses direction.
Section 4 – Theosis Dimension
The luminaries prefigure the illumined soul.
As they:
- Receive light
- Reflect light
- Govern by light
So the deified soul does not generate holiness, but radiates what it receives.
Theosis unfolds in time — patiently, cyclically, obediently.
Section 5 – Interior / Spiritual Sense (Virtues & Vices Integrated)
Interior Mapping
- Sun → intellect illumined by truth
- Moon → reflective soul, receptive and obedient
- Stars → virtues guiding the night
Virtues Strengthened
- Prudence
- Fidelity
- Perseverance
Vices Exposed
- Disorder
- Spiritual pride (self-generated light)
- Fatalism
The soul must become a lamp, not a false sun.
Section 6 – Mystical Christology
The Fathers read the luminaries Christologically.
St. Maximus the Confessor, Mystagogia:
“Christ is the Sun of righteousness,
and the saints are stars who shine by participation.”
Christ alone is Light by nature;
all others shine by grace.
The Church itself lives by His light, marking time until the eternal Day.
Genesis 1:20–23 — Living Souls: Movement, Breath, and Blessing
Section 1 – Text Reference (RSV-2CE)
Genesis 1:20–23
“And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.’
So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’
And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.”
(Exact citation from the Ignatius RSV-2CE)
Section 2 – Patristic Meaning (Primary Governing Layer)
“Living creatures” — The emergence of soul-life
The Fathers note the decisive shift: Scripture now speaks explicitly of living souls (nephesh chayyah).
St. Basil the Great, Hexaemeron, Homily VII:
“At the divine command, the waters received the power to produce living beings,
not by their own nature, but by the grace of Him who spoke.”
Life is gift, not spontaneous generation.
Movement as a mark of life
The text emphasizes creatures that move.
St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Making of Man:
“Movement according to nature is the sign of life,
revealing a soul that animates the body.”
Life is not mere existence but directed activity.
“Great sea monsters” — No rival powers
The Fathers insist this phrase does not concede mythological chaos-gods.
St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God, XVI.6:
“Even those creatures which appear fearful are works of God,
made good in their own order, not hostile powers.”
Scripture dismantles fear-based cosmologies.
The First Explicit Blessing
This is the first blessing spoken in Scripture.
St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis, VII:
“Do you see the generosity of God?
He not only creates life, but gives it increase and continuity.”
Fruitfulness is not accidental — it is willed.
Synthesis (strictly derivative)
Genesis 1:20–23 reveals:
- Life as ensouled movement
- Diversity of living kinds
- God’s sovereignty over all powers
- Blessing as the source of fruitfulness
Section 3 – Daily Christian Application
Life in the soul must move.
A stagnant interior life signals illness.
This passage calls us to:
- Growth, not stasis
- Expansion of virtue
- Joyful participation in God’s generosity
Grace is meant to multiply, not be hoarded.
Section 4 – Theosis Dimension
The blessing to “be fruitful and multiply” prefigures spiritual fecundity.
Theosis does not terminate in the individual:
- It overflows
- It gives life to others
- It fills what God has prepared
As creatures fill sea and sky, the saints fill the Church with life.
Section 5 – Interior / Spiritual Sense (Virtues & Vices Integrated)
Interior Mapping
- Waters → depths of the soul
- Moving creatures → awakened desires and energies
- Birds → thoughts lifted toward God
Virtues Strengthened
- Joy
- Hope
- Generosity
Vices Exposed
- Sloth (acedia)
- Fear of growth
- Sterile self-containment
Life blessed by God seeks expansion toward good.
Section 6 – Mystical Christology
The Fathers read these living beings as anticipating new life in Christ.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies:
“As creation was filled with living beings, so in the last times the Word fills the world with those reborn unto life.”
Christ:
- Gives life
- Multiplies life
- Sends life into the world
The fifth day anticipates the missionary life of the Church, animated by the Spirit.
Genesis 1:24–31 — Man in the Image and Likeness: Crown, Priest, and King
Section 1 – Text Reference (RSV-2CE)
Genesis 1:24–31
“And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.’ And it was so.
…
Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion…’
…
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
…
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.”
(Exact citations from the Ignatius RSV-2CE)
Section 2 – Patristic Meaning (Primary Governing Layer)
Living creatures of the land
Before man appears, the earth again brings forth, showing continuity with earlier days.
St. Basil the Great, Hexaemeron, Homily IX:
“The earth obeys once more, producing life of a higher order,
yet still awaiting the one who would rule it with reason.”
Creation is ascending toward its head.
“Let us make man” — Trinitarian counsel
The plural is decisive for the Fathers.
St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Against the Arians:
“God did not say ‘Let me make,’ but ‘Let us make,’
revealing the Word and the Spirit in the work of creation.”
Man is created by Trinitarian action, not solitary command.
Image and Likeness
The Fathers distinguish but do not separate these.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies:
“The image is what man received at creation;
the likeness is what he was called to attain by growth in God.”
Image = given
Likeness = vocation
Dominion as priestly kingship
Dominion is not tyranny.
St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis, VIII:
“Man was made king, not to destroy, but to govern with wisdom and gentleness.”
Man stands as mediator between God and creation.
Male and female
Sexual difference is part of the image’s expression, not a defect.
St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Making of Man:
“The division into male and female belongs to the foreknowledge of God,
in view of the propagation of human nature.”
Unity and distinction coexist without opposition.
“Very good” — Completion
Only after man appears does creation become very good.
St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God, XI.22:
“All things were good, but when man was added, all things together became very good.”
Man is the recapitulation of creation.
Synthesis (strictly derivative)
Genesis 1:24–31 reveals:
- Man as summit of creation
- Image as gift, likeness as journey
- Dominion as priestly service
- Sexual difference within unity
- Creation completed in man
Section 3 – Daily Christian Application
This passage destroys both pride and despair.
You are:
- Not an accident
- Not a beast
- Not self-made
But also:
- Not finished
- Not autonomous
- Not self-sufficient
Daily life must be lived as image moving toward likeness.
Section 4 – Theosis Dimension
Theosis is the fulfillment of Genesis 1:26.
Man was created capable of God.
The divine image is healed and elevated in Christ so that man may:
- Participate in divine life
- Reflect divine glory
- Become by grace what God is by nature (without confusion)
Creation points beyond itself toward deification.
Section 5 – Interior / Spiritual Sense (Virtues & Vices Integrated)
Interior Mapping
- Beasts → bodily powers
- Creeping things → instincts and impulses
- Man → rational, spiritual soul
Virtues Strengthened
- Humility (received dignity)
- Responsibility
- Chastity (right ordering of powers)
Vices Exposed
- Pride (usurping God)
- Dehumanization
- Domination without love
True dominion begins with self-rule.
Section 6 – Mystical Christology
The Fathers are unanimous: Christ is the true Image.
St. Maximus the Confessor, Ambigua:
“The mystery of Christ is the measure of all things created.”
Christ:
- Is the Image according to whom Adam was made
- Restores the image through the Cross
- Leads man to likeness through union
Genesis 1 finds its full meaning only in Christ.
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