“መዳንም በሌላ በማንም የለም” Acts 4: 12: Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s Understanding Part I

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's (EOTC’s) interpretation of Acts 4:12, "መዳንም በሌላ በማንም የለም," emphasizes the exclusive role of Jesus Christ in salvation. This is evident when Peter declares, “እናንተ በሰቀላችሁት እግዚአብሔርም ከሙታን ባስነሣው በናዝሬቱ በኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ ስም ይህ ደኅና ሆኖ በፊታችሁ እንደ ቆመ፥ ለእናንተ ለሁላችሁ ለእስራኤልም ሕዝብ ሁሉ የታወቀ ይሁን። … መዳንም በሌላ በማንም የለም፤ እንድንበት ዘንድ የሚገባን ለሰዎች የተሰጠ ስም ከሰማይ በታች ሌላ የለምና።” This essay examines how the EOTC interprets this verse, highlighting Christ's sole role in salvation while recognizing the healing power granted to saints through His name.

When St. Peter proclaims, "መዳንም በሌላ በማንም የለም፤ እንድንበት ዘንድ የሚገባን ለሰዎች የተሰጠ ስም ከሰማይ በታች ሌላ የለምና" in response to the authorities, he is not declaring that saints and righteous cannot perform healing. Instead, he affirms that the healing of the lame man occurred through the power and name of Jesus Christ. As a saint himself, Peter declares,"I healed the lame man in the name of Jesus Christ." Therefore, any assertion that claims saints and righteous cannot heal contradicts Peter's testimony, as he clearly testified that saints can heal in the name of Jesus Christ. Accordingly, when the EOTC asserts saints can heal, it means they do so through Jesus Christ's name. Acts 5:15, Acts 19:11, and 2 Kings 13:20 are among many pieces of evidence supporting this belief.

However, it is important to distinguish between the healing Christ performed and that which saints and the righteous do. Christ's healing and salvation are unique and irreplaceable, solely the work of Christ. Freeing Adam from hell and opening paradise are acts only Christ performs. This salvation cannot be achieved by holy angels or saints. It is crucial to understand that the salvation of Christ and the healing by saints are distinct and should not be mixed. Christ’s salvation cannot be repeated by anyone. All other healing is a blessing derived from Christ's healing.

The EOTC, guided by the Holy Spirit, interprets Acts 4:7-12 as follows: St. Peter and St. John performed this healing as a sign to lead people to believe in Jesus Christ and to teach them He is the source of eternal life. When the authorities gathered to learn about the physical healing and miracles, filled by the Holy Spirit St. Peter declared, "መዳንም በሌላ በማንም የለም," to inform them that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man, who redeemed us from sin by His divine power. The authorities, who opposed their teaching in Jesus' name, claimed lineage to the prophets. St. Peter clarified that without belief in Jesus Christ and relying solely on the prophets, salvation is not possible.

In conclusion, the EOTC's interpretation of Acts 4:12, "መዳንም በሌላ በማንም የለም" underscores the incomparable significance of Christ in the path to eternal life. While acknowledging that saints can perform healing, it emphasizes that the ultimate source of salvation is found solely in Jesus Christ.