Before talking about knowing God, we saw that we should solve an important problem, which is the depiction of God in human form. Many have addressed the subject, and John of Damascus summarized the subject as follows:

“We men, clothed in this dense body, cannot understand or express the sublime, immaterial actions of the Divine Godhead unless we use images, figures, and symbols peculiar to us… God is simple and formless. Thus, by the eyes, eyelids, and sight of God, we mean His all-seeing power and His knowledge before which nothing is hidden, because we attain to the perfection of knowledge and certainty through this sense. By the ears and hearing, He responds to our sympathy and our request, because we too, through this same sense, are taken by affection and become more ready to incline our ears toward those who entreat us. By the mouth and speech, His will is declared, because we also express by the mouth and speech the secrets of our hearts. By eating and drinking, we are meant to be the quickest to accomplish His will, because through the sense of taste we satisfy the necessary desire of nature. By the smell, He is meant to declare our thoughts to Him, and by the same sense of smell, the fragrant odor of our thoughts is received by Him. By his face is meant his declaration and appearance through his actions, just as we appear through our actions. By his hands is meant his effectiveness in his work, because we also accomplish with our own hands our most beneficial and honorable works. By his right hand is meant his assistance in good deeds, because we also seek help from our right hand, especially in the most honorable and honorable works that require greater strength than others. By his touch is meant his examination of the most minute and hidden matters, and his seeking the good in them, because the things that we touch cannot be hidden from us. By his feet and his walking is meant helping the needy or repelling enemies, that is, any other work that requires coming and presence, because we also move by means of our feet to come. By his oath is meant the firmness of his resolve, because we also confirm our covenants with one another by oaths. By his anger and wrath is meant his hatred of evil and his aversion to it, because we also hate what contradicts our opinion, so we become angry. By his forgetfulness, sleep, and drowsiness is meant (16)...delaying his revenge on his enemies and delaying his usual relief for his opponents. In short: “Everything that is said about God in a physical way includes a light idea that guides us from what is within us to what is above us” (The Hundred Articles on the Orthodox Faith, Publications of the Pauline Library, Beirut 1984, p. 76, see also p. 78)” (17)

For more see: Teachings of Saint John of Damascus… (the network)

(16) In Psalm 121, God neither slumbers nor sleeps, but watches over His own, protecting them from all evil and guarding their souls. He is: “The Lord is your shadow at your right hand” (5). He is eternally awake.

(17) In our book “Saint Cassianus” we mentioned a demonstration of about 300 desert monks in front of the bishopric in Alexandria. They were among those who believed in human qualities since man is the image of God. Bishop Theophilus turned the battle into an attack on Origenism, which was also widespread among others. A battle broke out against it and continued for a long time in the monasteries of Palestine. Infallibility belongs to the Church, not to the monks or others. The interpretation of the Bible was made by the Church, not by the whims of individuals.