The history of Arab Christianity has witnessed many theologians who wrote their works in the Arabic language. Most of these works were placed in the context of the Arab environment and the presence of Islam, so they did not fail to reach the minds of non-Christians in a language they understand, not far from their expressions and culture. These people played a significant role in creating an Arabic theology with a distinctive flavour, in which the Bible, Greek philosophy and the Qur’anic language are combined. Among these writers was Paul, the Orthodox Bishop of Sidon, also known as “Antioch.”
Little information has come down to us about Paul's life and teachings, but most scholars agree that he lived in the twelfth century, was born in Antioch, became a monk, and then became bishop of Sidon. One of his most important writings that has come down to us is a text containing five articles or letters on Christian doctrine, in which the writer answers questions from non-Christians on a variety of topics. This text was published (with a study, commentary, and translation into French) by Boulos El-Khoury in 1964.
The text consists of a rational message, a message to the nations and Jews, a message to Muslims, an article on the different Christian sects, and finally a brief explanation of the Christian view of monotheism and union. Each of these articles begins with the following Basmala: “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the God whose essence is one, whose hypostases are three.” This ancient formula highlights the Christian belief in the one God, rejecting any interpretation that says that Christians are polytheists, since they believe in three hypostases or three gods. Paul’s influence by the language of the Qur’an is clear in many places in his writings, such as in the introduction to his first article where he says: “Praise be to God, the Ever-Living, the Eternal, the Wise, the All-Powerful, the Forbearing, the Most Gracious, the All-Knowing, the Most Merciful, the Originator of all things and their Destroyer, the Causer of death and restoration of all living things, the Creator of space and its Originator, the Maker of time and its Executor, the One Who is not contained by places and regions, nor changed by times and ages, nor worn out by night and day.” And he says in another place that God is “the Speaker, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the All-Powerful, the Generous, the Noble.”
In the first article, Paul builds a rational argument for the existence and unity of the Creator, and responds to the statements of the “philosophers” who make the world ancient with the antiquity of God. Then he presents a faith-based presentation of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, explaining the eternity and unity of the three hypostases. After that, he discusses the incarnation of the Son and his becoming human, saying: “He is God inasmuch as he is ancient and eternal, and he is human inasmuch as he is the son of the Virgin Mary. So he performed the miraculous by his divinity, and demonstrated the incapacity by his humanity, and both actions belong to the one Lord Christ.” In this last sentence, Paul summarizes the teachings of all the ecumenical councils, for Christ is perfect God and perfect man, one person, not two, with two natures, divine and human. After that, the writer speaks about the general resurrection, recompense, and reward.
In the third article, Paul engages in a dialogue with his “Muslim friends” with love and respect, while at the same time refusing to convert to Islam, because he found that the Qur’an glorifies Christ and his mother and considers them a sign for the worlds, and glorifies the Gospel, and testifies to the miracles of Jesus Christ and that God raised him to heaven and made those who followed him above those who disbelieved until the Day of Judgment. Paul also notes that the Qur’an differentiates between polytheists - i.e. worshippers of pagan gods - and Christians, and mentions that the Qur’an considers Christians to be the closest in affection to Muslims. This is what made Bishop Paul say: “This and other things oblige us to adhere to our religion and not to neglect our doctrine or reject what we have, and to follow only Jesus Christ, the Word of God and his disciples - i.e. his disciples - whom he sent to us to warn us.” Paul was the first to use the Qur’an, the holy book of Muslims, to reject the call of Muslims to deny Christianity and convert to Islam.
At the end of his third article, the Bishop of Sidon recalls a topic that was often discussed by Arab writers who preceded him, namely the topic of “God’s generosity” (generosity is graciousness). Paul considers that the Word of God became human because of the generosity of God, who is the most generous of the generous, and He gave the most noble thing He has, that is, His Word that dwelt in man, the most noble of all God’s creatures. Paul says: “And because God is generous, it was necessary for Him to give the most noble of beings. And there is nothing more precious than His Word, that is, His speech. Therefore it was necessary for Him to give His Word… And since there was nothing more noble than man in His creatures, He took human nature from the pure Virgin Mary, chosen above all women of the world.” When God wanted to give the world, He found nothing greater than His Word. Christ is the Word whom God honored and gave to people, and the Word is Christ whom God gave for the salvation of the world.
It would take too long to cover everything the Orthodox Bishop of Sidon said. But what is striking at the end of our presentation is Bishop Paul’s language, which is full of Arabic theological expressions that seem to have been common expressions between Christians and Muslims. Arab Christians have stopped using them, such as “the Most Gracious,” “the Chosen One,” and many others. What we really need today is a Christian theological language in Arabic that can address both Christians and non-Christians.
From my parish bulletin 1997
