Magdalena Marunova: A concept of double creation of human nature according to Gregory of Nyssa, Philo of Alexandria and Origen.

Gregory of Nyssa introduces man created as the image of God on the basis of Genesis 1,26. The image of God appears not only in the individual, but in the whole mankind, from the first up to the last created human being. As a consequence of sin the image of God was distorted, but should be restored again. Gregory explicates the meaning of the biblical verse Gn 1,27 which says that God created man as male and female – it is the “second creation” or “second equipment” of human nature through which a number of people (pleroma) foreplanned in the Divine providence will be completed. This equipment has been given to man in the very creation because the omniscient God knew that man would commit a sin and would deviate from the grace which consists in being created as the image of God. Thus Gregory’s concept of double creation or double equipment points out the status of human being before and after the sin (in contrast to Philo’s and Origen’s concepts).