Exegetic Commentary
Gospel According To John
Of Our
Holy Father Cyril Archbishop of Alexandria. Book I.

Exact of a truth, and God-taught is the mind of the holy Evangelists, from the splendour of their power to behold, as from some lofty mountain-spur and watch-peak, on all sides observing what is of profit to the hearers, and tracking with intent zeal whatever may seem to be of profit to those who thirst after the truth of the Divine dogmas and with good purpose search after the mind that is hidden in the Divine Scriptures. For not in those who search too curiously, and take pleasure in the many-tangled wiles of reasonings, rather than rejoice in the truth, does the Spirit make His revelation, since neither does He enter into a malicious soul, nor otherwise does He suffer His precious 'pearls to be rolled at the feet of swine. But with exceeding pleasure does He have fellowship with simpler minds, as having a more guileless motion, and shunning superfluous subtleties, whereto specially pertains the meeting with sudden fear, and from too great turning aside unto the right hand to err from the straight and royal road. For he that walketh simply walketh surely, as saith Solomon.

But while the holy Evangelists have a marvellous exactness in writing (for it is not they that speak, as the Saviour saith, but the Spirit of the Father which is in them): reasonably may one grant that the Book of John has been composed beyond all marvel, looking both to the supereminence of his thoughts, the keenness of his intellect, and the constant and close-succeeding cumulation of conceptions. For course-fellows are they one with, another in the exposition of the Divine dogmas, and loosing as it were from the starting line they course charioteers to one goal. But a diverse fashion of speech is wrought out by them, and they appear to me to resemble persons, who are ordered to come together unto one city, but care not to approach it by one and the same beaten road. Thus one may see the other Evangelists with great exactness giving the account of our Saviour's genealogy in the Flesh, and bringing down step by step those from Abraham unto Joseph, or again carrying up those from Joseph to Adam. But we find the blessed John not caring to be over-studious about these, but with a most fervent and fire-full motion of intellect endeavouring to lay hold of those very things that are above human mind, and daring to explain the unspeakable and unutterable Generation of God the Word. For he knew that the glory of God hideth speech, and greater than our idea and utterance is the God-befitting dignity, and hard to utter and most difficult of unfolding are the properties of the Divine Nature.

But since it was necessary in some sort to mete out heaven with the span, and to suffer the scant measures of human nature to approach to what is by all unattainable and hard to be explained, that the approach might not be opened out for those who teach otherwise to come against the more simple, in that no voice of the saints who have been eyewitnesses and ministers of the word held in check their ill-surmisings, keen comes he to the very essence of the Divine dogmas, crying aloud, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word, was with God and the Word was God: the Same was in the beginning with God.

But I think that those who are engaged on the Holy Scriptures ought to admit all writings that are honest and good and free from harm. For thus collecting together the varied thoughts of many and bringing them together into one scope and understanding, they will mount up to a good measure of knowledge, and imitating the bee, wise workwoman, will compact the sweet honeycomb of the Spirit.  

Some then of those of most research, say that after our Saviour's Cross and Ascension into Heaven, certain false shepherds and false teachers falling like wild beasts on the Saviour's flocks terrified them not a little, speaking out of their own heart, as it is written, and not out of the mouth of the Lord; yea rather, not merely out of their own heart, but out of the teachings of their own father, I mean the devil. For if no one can call Jesus Anathema, save in Beelzebub, how is not what we say of them clearly true? What things then are they which these men belched forth against their own head? They ignorantly and impiously affirmed that the Only-Begotten Word of God, the Eternal Light, in Whom we both move and are, was then first called into being, when He was born Man of the Holy Virgin, and taking this our common fashion, shewed Himself upon earth, as it is written, and conversed with men. On those then who are thus disposed, and who dare to slander the ineffable and eternal Generation of the Son, the word of the Prophet comes heavily, saying thus: But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulteress and the whore, against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth and draw out the tongue? not bringing forth good things out of a good heart, but spueing forth the venom of the blood-defiled dragon, of whom saith the Psalmist unto the one God That is over all: Thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

But since there was no slight disturbance in regard to these things amongst them that had believed, and the ill of the scandal thereof was consuming like a plague the souls of the simpler (for some drawn away from the true doctrines by their prattle imagined that the Word was then barely called to the beginning of Being, when He became Man), those of the believers who were wiser being assembled and met together, came to the Disciple of the Saviour (I mean this John) and declared the disease that was pressing upon the brethren, and unfolded to him the prattle of them that teach otherwise, and besought that he would both strenuously assist themselves with the illumination through the Spirit, and stretch forth a saving hand to those who were already within the devil's meshes.

The disciple grieving then over them that were lost and corrupted in mind, and at the same time thinking it most unnatural to take no forethought for those that should succeed and come after, betakes himself to making the book: and the more human side, the genealogy of the legal and natural Birth according to the flesh, he left to the other Evangelists to tell at fuller length; himself with extreme ardour and courage of soul springs upon the prattle of those who are introducing such things, saying, In The Beginning Was The Word.  

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΕΙΑΣ, ΕΞΗΓΗΣΙΣ ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑΤΙΚΗ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ. ΑΚΡΙΒΗΣ ὄντως καὶ θεοδίδακτος τῶν ἁγίων εὐαγγελιστῶν ἡ διάνοια, καθάπερ ἀπό τινος γηλόφου καὶ περιωπῆς, τῆς ἐν τῷ δύνασθαι θεωρεῖν μεγαλειότητος, πανταχόθεν τὸ τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις περιαθροῦσα χρήσιμον, καὶ μετὰ συντόνου τινὸς θηρωμένη σπουδῆς, ὅπερ ἂν ὑπάρχειν οἴηται λυσιτελὲς τοῖς τὸν ἀληθῆ τῶν θείων δογμάτων διψῶσι λόγον, καὶ μετὰ προαιρέσεως ἀγαθῆς τὴν ἐγκεκρυμμένην ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς ἐρευνῶσι διάνοιαν. οὐ γὰρ τοῖς περιεργότερον ἐξετάζουσι, καὶ πολυπλόκοις λογισμῶν ἀπάταις ἐφηδομένοις μᾶλλον, ἢ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ προσχαίρουσιν, ἐναποκαλύπτει τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἐπεὶ μήτε “εἰς κακότεχνον εἰσέρχεται ψυχὴν,” μήτε μὴν ἄλλως κυλίεσθαι παρὰ τοῖς ὑῶν ποσὶ τοὺς τιμίους ἐφίησι μαργαρίτας: ἥδιστα δὲ λίαν ταῖς ἁπλουστέραις διανοίαις προσομιλεῖ, ἅτε δὴ καὶ ἀπανουργότερον ἐχούσαις τὸ κίνημα, καὶ τὸ σοφίζεσθαι περιττὰ παραιτουμέναις, ᾧ δὴ πάντως καὶ τὸ ἐκπλήττεσθαι συμβαίνειν ἀκολουθεῖ, καὶ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ λίαν ἐκκλίνειν εἰς δεξιὸν τῆς εὐθείας καὶ βασιλικῆς ἔξω πίπτειν ὁδοῦ. “Πορεύεται γὰρ πεποιθὼς, ὃς ἁπλῶς πορεύεται,” κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Σολομῶνος φωνήν. Θαυμαστὴν δὲ λίαν ἐχόντων τῶν ἁγίων εὐαγγελιστῶν τὴν ἐν τῷ γράφειν ἀκρίβειαν: οὐ γὰρ αὐτοὶ λαλοῦσι, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωνὴν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸ ἐν αὐτοῖς, πάντως εὐλόγως ἐπέκεινα θαύματος τὴν τοῦ Ἰωάννου συγγραφὴν ἀνατεθεῖσθαι δοίη τις ἂν, εἴς τε τὸ τῶν θεωρημάτων ἀποβλέπων ὑπερφερὲς, καὶ τῆς διανοίας αὐτοῦ τὴν ὀξύτητα, καὶ τὴν συνεχῆ καὶ ἀλλεπάλληλον τῶν νοημάτων ἐπεισφοράν. σύνδρομοι μὲν γὰρ ἀλλήλοις εἰσὶ περὶ τὴν τῶν θείων δογμάτων ἐξήγησιν, καὶ πρὸς ἕνα καθάπερ ἀπὸ νύσσης ἀφέντες ἱπποδρομοῦσι σκοπόν: διάφορον δέ πως αὐτοῖς ἐξυφαίνεται τοῦ λόγου τὸ σχῆμα, καί μοι δοκοῦσι προσεοικέναι τισὶν, οἷς εἰς μίαν συνενεχθῆναι μὲν πόλιν τὸ σύνταγμα, τὸ γεμὴν διὰ μιᾶς καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς λεωφόρου βαδίζειν οὐ πάντως συνδοκοῦν. ἔστι μὲν γὰρ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ὁρᾶν εὐαγγελιστὰς μετὰ πολλῆς τινος τῆς ἀκριβείας τὸν περὶ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα γενεαλογίας τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ποιουμένους λόγον, καὶ τοὺς ἐξ Ἁβραὰμ ἕως Ἰωσὴφ στοιχηδὸν καταφέροντας, ἢ αὖ πάλιν ἀναβιβάζοντας τοὺς ἐξ Ἰωσὴφ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀδάμ: τὸν δέ γε μακάριον Ἰωάννην, τῆς μὲν ἐπὶ τούτοις οὐ λίαν πεφροντικότα σπουδῆς, θερμοτάτῳ δέ τινι καὶ διαπύρῳ διανοίας κινήματι κεχρημένον, ὡς αὐτῶν ἅπτεσθαι τῶν ὑπὲρ νοῦν τὸν ἀνθρώπινον ἐπιχειρεῖν, καὶ τὴν ἄῤῥητόν τε καὶ ἄφραστον τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου γέννησιν ἐξηγεῖσθαι τολμᾶν. ᾔδει μὲν γὰρ ὅτι “Δόξα Θεοῦ κρύπτει λόγον,” καὶ πάσης ἐστὶ μεῖζον τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν ἐννοίας τε καὶ φωνῆς τὸ θεοπρεπὲς ἀξίωμα, δυσεκφώνητά τε καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐκτρανοῦσθαι χαλεπώτατα τὰ τῆς θείας φύσεως ἴδια. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἦν ἀναγκαῖον τρόπον τινὰ σπιθαμῇ μετρῆσαι τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ τοῖς ὀλίγοις τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτροις ἐπιτρέψαι χωρεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ πᾶσι δυσέφικτά τε καὶ δυσδιήγητα, ἵνα μὴ τοῖς ἑτεροδιδασκαλοῦσιν ὁ κατὰ τῶν ἁπλουστέρων ἐκπλατύνηται δρόμος, ὡς οὐδεμιᾶς τῶν ἁγίων φωνῆς, οἳ καὶ “αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται τοῦ λόγου” γεγόνασι, ταῖς ἐκείνων παραποδιζούσης κακονοίαις, ἔρχεται δριμὺς ἐπ' αὐτὸ τῶν θείων δογμάτων τὸ κυριώτατον, “Ἐν ἀρχῇ, βοῶν, ἦν ὁ ” Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ “Λόγος: οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν.” χρῆναι δὲ οἶμαι τοὺς τοῖς ἱεροῖς ὁμιλοῦντας γράμμασι τοὺς παρὰ πάντων προσίεσθαι λόγους, οἵπερ ἂν εἶεν καλοί τε καὶ ἀγαθοὶ, καὶ τὸ βλάβος ἔχοντες οὐδέν: οὕτω γὰρ ἂν τὰ παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς ποικίλως τεθεωρημένα κατὰ ταυτὸν καταγείροντες, καὶ εἰς ἕνα συνεισφέροντες σκοπὸν καὶ νοῦν εἰς καλὸν ἀναβήσονται τῆς γνώσεως μέτρον, καὶ τὴν ἐργάτιν καὶ σοφὴν ἀπομιμούμενοι μέλιτταν, τὰ γλυκέα τοῦ Πνεύματος κηρία συμπήξειαν. φασὶ τοίνυν τῶν φιλοπονωτάτων τινὲς, ὡς μετὰ τὸν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν σταυρὸν καὶ τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἄνοδον, ψευδοποιμένες καὶ ψευδοδιδάσκαλοί τινες θηρίων ἀτιθάσων δίκην τοῖς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπεισπεσόντες ποιμνίοις τεθορυβήκασιν οὐ μικρῶς, “ἀπὸ καρδίας αὐτῶν λαλοῦντες, καθὰ γέγραπται, ” καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ στόματος Κυρίου,“ μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ ἐκ μόνης τῆς ἑαυτῶν καρδίας, ἀλλ' ἐκ διδαγμάτων τοῦ οἰκείου πατρὸς, τοῦ διαβόλου δηλαδή. εἰ γὰρ οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν ” Ἀνά“θεμα Ἰησοῦς” εἰ μὴ ἐν βεελζεβοὺλ, πῶς οὐκ ἀληθὴς ἡμῖν ὁ περὶ τούτων ὀφθήσεται λόγος; τίνα τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἅπερ ἐκεῖνοι κατὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἠρεύγοντο κεφαλῆς; τὸν μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον, τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀΐδιον, ἐν ᾧ δὴ πάντες καὶ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμὲν, τότε πρῶτον κεκλῆσθαι πρὸς ὕπαρξιν ἀμαθῶς τε καὶ ἀσεβῶς διϊσχυρίζοντο, ὅτε καὶ ἄνθρωπος διὰ τῆς ἁγίας ἐτέχθη παρθένου, καὶ τὸ κοινὸν δὴ τοῦτο σχῆμα λαβὼν “ἐπὶ ” τῆς γῆς ὤφθη, καθὰ γέγραπται, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συν“ανεστράφη.” τοῖς μὲν οὖν τῇδε διακειμένοις, καὶ τὴν ἄῤῥητόν τε καὶ προαιώνιον τοῦ Υἱοῦ γέννησιν συκοφαντῆσαι τολμήσασιν ὁ προφητικὸς ἐπισκήπτει λόγος ἔχων ὡδί “Ὑμεῖς δὲ προσαγάγετε ὧδε, υἱοὶ ἄνομοι, σπέρμα μοιχῶν ” καὶ πόρνης: ἐν τίνι ἐνετρυφήσατε, καὶ ἐπὶ τίνα ἠνοίξατε “τὸ στόμα ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τίνα ἐχαλάσατε τὴν γλῶσσαν ” ὑμῶν;“ οὐκ ἐξ ἀγαθῆς δηλονότι καρδίας ἐκβάλλουσαν ἀγαθὰ, ἀλλὰ τὸν τοῦ μιαιφόνου δράκοντος ἰὸν ἀναπτύουσαν, περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ μελῳδὸς, ὡς πρὸς τὸν ἕνα καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεόν ” Σὺ “συνέτριψας τὰς κεφαλὰς τοῦ δράκοντος ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος.” Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ μικρὸς περὶ τούτων ἐν τοῖς πεπιστευκόσιν ὁ θόρυβος ἦν, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἁπλουστέρων ψυχὰς λοιμοῦ δίκην τὸ ἐκ τοῦ σκανδάλου κατεβόσκετο βλάβος: ᾤοντο γὰρ ὄντως τινὲς, ταῖς παρ' ἐκείνων φλυαρίαις τῶν ἀληθῶν ἐξελκόμενοι δογμάτων, εἰς ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι τότε μόλις κεκλῆσθαι τὸν Λόγον, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος: συνενεχθέντες, καὶ κατὰ ταυτὸν γενόμενοι, τῶν πιστευσάντων οἵπερ ἦσαν νουνεχέστεροι, πρὸς τὸν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀφίκοντο μαθητὴν, αὐτὸν δὲ δηλονότι τὸν Ἰωάννην φημὶ, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὴν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐπισκήψασαν ἐξήγγελον νόσον, τάς τε τῶν ἑτεροδιδασκαλούντων ἐξεκάλυπτον φλυαρίας, ἐπαμῦναί τε γοργῶς σφίσι τε αὐτοῖς παρεκάλουν ταῖς διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος φωταγωγίαις, καὶ τοῖς ἤδη σεσαγηνευμένοις, εἴσω τε δικτύων γεγονόσι διαβολικῶν χεῖρα προτείνειν σωτήριον. ἐπαλγήσας τοίνυν τοῖς ἀπολώλοσι καὶ τὸν νοῦν κατεφθαρμένοις ὁ μαθητὴς, εἶναί τε ὁμοίως οἰηθεὶς ἀτοπώτατον τὸ μηδεμίαν τῶν ἐφεξῆς καὶ μετ' ἐκείνους ἐσομένων ποιήσασθαι πρόνοιαν, ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ βιβλίου τρέχει συγγραφήν: καὶ τὰ μὲν, ὅσαπερ ἦν ἀνθρωπινώτερον εἰπεῖν, γενεαλογεῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα νομικῆς τε καὶ φυσικῆς τοῖς ἑτέροις ἐξηγεῖσθαι πλατύτερον συγκεχώρηκεν εὐαγγελισταῖς: θερμῶς δὲ λίαν αὐτὸς καὶ σφόδρα νεανικῶς ταῖς τῶν ἐκεῖνα παρεισαγόντων φλυαρίαις ἐνάλλεται λέγων: