104. Q. Who is God, the Word?
A. He is God, the Son, who is the second qnuma of the Holy Trinity.

106, Q. What did God, the Son do for us in these last days ?
A. He became a true man like us and was
conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Holy Virgin Mary.

106. Q. What is the meaning, of the word 'dispensation'?
A. 'Dispensation' means that God, the Word,
the second qnuma of the Holy Trinity, took
to Himself the very body and the (Very soul
of man, i.e., took to Himself the complete
nature of man and became a true man.

107. Q. Did He exist before He became man?
A. Yes, Even before the world, everlastingly
He was with the Father and the Holy
Spirit by complete divine nature.

108. Q. Why did God, the Word become man?
A. It is confessed in the Creed that 'for us
men and for our salvation' and is written
in the Holy Scriptures 'to save His people
from their sins' (Matt. 1:21).

109. Q. Was He not Almighty?
A. He is for ever and everlastingly Almighty.

110. Q. If so, why did He need to do this in a frail human nature?
A. It is written about this that '........by one
man sin entered into the world, and death
by sin' and that 'as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners so by the obedience
of one shall many be made righteous' (Rom.
5:12-19). Again, 'Both He that sanctifieth
and they who are sanctified are all of one'.
(Heb. 2:11, 5-18) and the like.

111. Q. What does Scripture say about the dispensation of God, the Word?
A. The Scripture says that God, the Son, who
was for ever and ever with the Father and
the Holy Spirit assumed true human nature
and was conceived and born of the Virgin Mary.

112. Q. Did God, the Word, by His dispensation
take the very body and the very soul of man ?
A. Yes, Just like one of us He took the very
human body and the true soul and in His\human nature he enjoyed and endured
pleasure and adversities like one of us.

113. Q. If so, did He become just like one of us ?
A. Except in sin, He became a real man just like one of ua,
114. Q. Then' did God and man become one?
A. Yes, That person is called 'the only Son', 'the
Only M'Shikha (Messiah), Eshoo (Jesus), etc.

116. Q. What do you understand by the name 'Messiah (Christ)'?
A. I understand that the word the God, and
the true humanity assumed by Him is the self same person.

116. Q. How many natures do you admit in Jesus Christ?
A. I confess that there are two natures in
Christ; the one divine and the other human,
in two qnume and one person.

117. Q. Is not God infinite and immortal?
A. Yes, That is quite true.

118. Q. Then how is this?
A. Mar Bawai, one of the greatest Fathers of
the Church, says in his famous '*Brikh Khannana’:
In His Godhead begotten of the
Father, without beginning before all time,
and in His manhood born of Mary, in the
fullness of time in a united body, neither
His Godhead is of the nature of the mother,
nor His manhood of the nature of the
Father. The natures are retained in their
qnume, in one person of one Sonship. And
as the Godhead is three qnume one essence,
so the sonship of the Son, is in two natures
one person. So the Holy Church has learnt
to profess in the Son who is the Messiah.

* A Syriac hymn used on all Sundays from the first Sunday of Soobara
till Dinkha, namely, from the beginning of the yule season, twenty
five days before Christmas to Epiphany. The word Soobara in
Aramaic means literally 'good tidings', hence the season of good tidings.

119.Q. If so, are there two Messiahs—one divine and the other human?
A. No, Messiah is only one. "Messiah, the Son
of God, who is worshipped by all in two
natures is only One" (Brikh Khannana),
He who was with the Father and the Holy
Spirit everlastingly; the only begotten Son
who became man by taking human nature,
the only Messiah, was always one.

120. Q. Cite an example to prove this.
A. As the body and soul together is only one
man, so God and man united is one Messiah, who is the Son.

121. Q. How was this Messiah born?
A. Blessed Virgin Mary, by the order of God,
conceived of the Holy Spirit, and after nine
months, the period of conception, brought
forth Messiah, the Son of God and the Son
of David (Luke 1:26-38; Matt. 1:18-26;
Luke 2:1-7; Matt. 2:1-15, etc.).

122. Q. Can we, therefore, designate Mary 'Mother of God' or 'Theotokos'?
A. No, It is neither right nor proper.

123. Q. Why is it not right to call her so?
A. Because she did not bring forth God who is Spirit.

124. Q. Then whom did she bring forth?
A. She brought forth the Messiah who was at
once both true God and true man.

126. Q. Was the ever Virgin Mary truly of the human race?
A. Yes, She was truly a woman. She too was
born of man and woman just as we are born
of man and woman. We sing in the anthem
"Min Beeth Dawid"* that the Creator
selected the Virgin from the House of David
and Abraham and caused His mysterious
power to dwell in her. She, by the power
of the Holy Spirit, conceived and gave birth
to Messiah, the Judge of the Height and the Depth.

126. Q. Is there anybody who worships her because
she gave birth to the Son of God?
A. There is a Church which worships her. They
adore and serve her as if she is a Goddess.

127. Q. Why did Word the God, become man?
A. As have answered on a former occasion
(vide question 90) it is written in the Holy
Script, "to save His people from their sins"
(Matt. 1:21) and we confess in the Creed
"for us men and our salvation".

128. Q. Is this salvation necessary for all men?
A. Yes, It is necessary for all men.

129. Q. Is Virgin Mary also included in this salvation?
A; There is no doubt that she too is subject
to this salvation because she too was born
of flesh and blood just like us. She too has
admitted this truth (Luke 1:46-48).

130. Q. What deserving designations have the Holy
Fathers of the Church given to the Ever Virgin Mary?
A. They call her 'The Ever Virgin', 'Second
Heaven', 'The Arc of Light', 'The Mother
of Light and Life', etc.

131. Q. Was man pure when he was created?
A. Yes, All the creations of God were good at first.

132. Q. Then how is it that man fell into sin?
A, God did not compel Adam and Eve to remain
in their purity. He endowed them with free
will and the knowledge of good and evil
and freedom to choose. Satan, by his tricks,
deceived them to select evil and to stand
against God as he himself had once done (Gen. 3:1-5).

133. Q. What did Adam and Eve do by obeying satan?
A. They committed sin. Because of this all
mankind became sinners.

134. Q. What was the punishment of sin?
A. It was death. We should all undergo the
bodily (worldly) death; without a remission
of our sins, we shall have to endure the
eternal death; for it is written: "........The
wages of sin is: death, but the gift of God
ia eternal life through Jesus Christ, our
Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

135. Q. How can you escape eternal death?
A. Jesus Christ will save us from this if we
repent of our sins. It was for this purpose
He became man and gave up His life on the cross.

136. Q. What did Christ do on this earth?
A. In this world Christ preached the Gospel,
worked miracles and built the Church.

137. Q.What did Christ do to save us?
A. It is written that "........He bore all our
sins, and lifted them with His body on the
cross, that we being dead to sin, should live
through His righteousness." (1 Peter 2 :24).

138. Q. Could this have been done by an ordinary man?
A. No, None but Messiah, who was true God
arid true man, could atone for the sins of
man before God.

139. Q. Was it only for the remission of our sins
that God the Word, became man?
A. No, But He became man that we may even
become holy again as Adam and Eve wereat first.

140. Q. Can men be completely holy?
A. It is not possible in this world because all
of us are sinners. But, by grace the Messiah
grants us, we can become holy in a greater
degree and after this world, can become
complete and in his likeness.

141. Q. Can you cite any scriptural verse about it?
A. Yes, It is written: "My beloved, now we
are the sons of God, and as yet it has not
been revealed what we shall be; but we know
that when He shall appear, we shall be in
His likeness; for we shall see Him as He is".
(1 John 3: 2; Rom. 8:29) and such other verses.

142. Q. Can you prove from the Bible that Messiah is a true man?
A. Yes, Our Lord Jesus was a child just like
any one of us. “Jesus increased in his
wisdom and His stature" (Luke 2:52); "He
fasted and hungered" (Matt. 4:2); He was
wearied as we are wearied and 'was sorry’
as we are sorry (John 4 :6; Matt. 26 : 38);
He rejoiced (Luke 10:21); He thirsted on
the cross (John 19:28); He was buried and
he rose as we shall arise (Mark 15:46;
16:9). From these and others, it is quite
evident that Christ had, just like us, a true
human body and a true human soul.

143. Q. Why should Christ be both God and man at once?
A. He who was at once both God and man in
order that he might be a mediator between
God. and man and atone for our sins.

144. Q. Is salvation possible by other men or can others save us?
A. No, Let it be known to all that there is
no salvation by any other but by the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is said, "There
is no salvation by any other man for there
is; no other name under heaven given among
men whereby we must be saved" (Acts
4:10, 12) and that "in the name of Jesus
every knee should bow of those in heaven,
of those on earth and those under the earth" (Phili. 2:10).

146. Q,. What do you learn from the duel nature of Christ?
A. First we learn that He is our predecessor
as he is man and that He showed that
even man can vanquish satan. Secondly, we
learn that. He being God will grant, us grace
to defeat satan again and that He himself
is able to save us and will save us.

146. Q. Was our Lord Jesus without the slightest
tinge of sin or completely spotless?
A. Yes, "He did not sin, neither was guile
found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2: 22).

147. Q. Was our Lord tempted like us?
A.Yes, "He was in all points tempted like as
we are and yet without sin" (Heb: 4:15).

148. Q. Mention an instance where our Lord was tempted?
A. When satan came to Him while in the desert (Matt. 4 : 1-11).

149. Q. Has our Lord been tempted at any other time?
A. Yes, All His lifetime when in this world
He was tempted. He says to His disciples
"You are they which have continued with
me in my temptations" (Compare verses
Luke 22:28; 4:13, etc.).

150. Q. Was our Lord ever defeated by temptation?
A. No, He never yielded to temptation, and
thereby. He set an example, for. us to do likewise.

151. Q. What benefit do we derive from His temptations?
A. "For in that He himself has suffered, being-
tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted" (Heb. 2: 18).

152. Q. Did our Lord submit Himself to death of His own free will?
A. Yes, Just as Isaac submitted himself, as
desired by his father, to be a burnt offering,
our Lord too gave Himself to death of His
own free will (Gen. 22:2-9; Psa. 40:6-7).

153. Q. Was it possible for Christ to escape death
if He had a desire to do so?
A. Yes, He said to Simon Peter "Do you think
that I cannot ask of My father and He
will now raise up for Me more than twelve
legions of Angels?" (Matt. 26:53; John 10:17-18).

154. Q. What is the meaning of the word 'death'?
A. Its meaning is "the separation of the body
and soul from each other".

155. Q. Did our Lord Jesus truly die?
A. He died in His manhood; because His body
and soul were separated from each other.
But neither did His Godhead leave His soul
when in Sheol, nor His body in the tomb,
for it is written it would neither be left nor
would it eee corruption (Psa. 16:10; Acts 2:27).

166. Q. How did our Lord die?
A. We confess in the Creed that "He suffered
and was crucified in the days of Pontius Pilate."

157. Q. Why did He die?
A. He died on our behalf to save us from our sins.

158. Q. Why was He nailed to the wood (crucified)?
A. Because it was the most cursed of all deaths.
It is written of Him "Christ has redeemed
us from the curse of the law, by becoming
accursed for our sakes: for it is written,
Cursed is everyone who hangs on a cross"
(Gal. 3:13; Deut. 21:23).

159. Q. What did Christ do on the cross?
A. He offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sake.

160. Q. Is cross a cursed thing now?
A. No. It is now an honourable one since
Christ took off its curse. Therefore, as the
sign of our salvation, we take pride in the
cross and venerate it. Even St. Paul, the
Apostle, prides "but aas foe me, I have
nothing on which to boast, except the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world is crucified unto me and I crucified
unto the world" (Gal. 6:14).

161. Q. Can you state some miraculous signs,
which took place at the death of Jesus Christ?
A. Our Lord "Jesus cried with a loud voice,
and the end came" (Mark 15:37); "From
the sixth hour there was darkness over the
land, until the ninth hour" (Matt. 27:45);
"Immediately the door curtains of the
temple were rent in two from the top to
the bottom; The earth quaked and the rocks
split and the tombs were opened and the
bodies of'a great many saints who were
sleeping in death rose up and they went
out and after His resurrection, they entered
into the Holy City and appeared to a great many''
( Matt. 27:45, 50-55) and many such other instances.

162. Q. What do these signs signify?
A. These signify that Jesus Christ, even while
dying on the cross, in His humanity, was true God.

163. Q. How long did the body of our Lord stay in the tomb?
A. It remained in the tomb for three days only.

164. Q. What did Christ do these three days?
A. He went to Sheol and preached to the
souls imprisoned in Sheol. (1 Peter 3:19).

165. Q What is Sheol?
A. Sheol is the place where the souls of the
departed ones await resurrection.