Fragments on the epistle of saint paul to the romans

 By shortages of fruits and rains and being distressed at such plagues, they considered blessed the foreigners and those not serving god as living in

 I will raise up for them from their brothers a prophet like you, and i will put my word in his mouth, and he shall speak to them as i command him an

 A creation are the things in christ, because a new root has also been laid and a second adam has come to be and not as that one was the cause of wra

 That is, of christ, who brings in for us grace that is of equal measure to the awkwardness of those who came before therefore, he says, in saying

 Under sin, and it slipped into corruption, from there pleasures and impurities rushed into the nature of the flesh, and the law that rages in our memb

 He has done. therefore, one who names christ will not be unmindful of the father or of the spirit. but since jesus, having become man, endured death f

 In yet another way, dedicating our own soul to him, and being transformed for sanctification and into a glorious state of life in the holy spirit. kno

 For it will no longer have dominion over you for you are not under law, but under grace. observe, then, how he commands to depart from the shadow o

 Paul says that the mind of the flesh is enmity against god for it is not subject to the law of god, neither indeed can be. but if the mind of the

 Benefit, it plotted unexpectedly, just as the light of the sun does to those whose eye is weak. when therefore he says that the commandment has in a c

 For this reason, the wise paul says that he was deceived through the commandment, and through it died for it killed, as it were, by sharpening for re

 In a servile rank. for what i do i do not understand. some of the more ignorant of the greeks are likely to think that he wishes to confirm a myth wh

 He investigates the passions of nature, and all but digs minutely into the weaknesses of the mind, and the body of innate love of pleasure is describe

 They should yield to the laws of the rulers, they would be worthy of blame and indictment, because they are neither stronger than necessity, nor indee

 The mind of man, with evil leading it in the opposite direction and he maintained that sometimes the mind of the more respectable is vexed when tyran

 He accepts, therefore, as knowing how to benefit, both the law of god, i mean indeed the one in letters, and that of the spirit, according to which we

 Reconciles the nature of man to god. but those who are in the flesh cannot please god but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the s

 He was compared to senseless beasts and was likened to them for the life of such is truly vanity to these creation is subjected, and not at all w

 To make supplications, what, tell me, would be the meaning of the apostolic writings? or where would the saying through the voice of paul be looking?

 Of the things set forth. therefore, nothing is seen to lie in the way of those who wish to come and foreknowledge wrongs no one at all, nor indeed do

 All proceed to destruction. this was both to draw the jews to ready obedience, and to refute the slanders of the foolish. for some of the jews thought

 Election and foreknowledge of both calling and grace for had some such thing been introduced, the argument would have then seemed to him to have been

 Of long forbearance, so that some might think that god had finally neglected the things on earth. paul therefore leads out against them, and stands ag

 He himself, it says, hardened the heart of pharaoh and indeed he said to him, for this very purpose i have raised you up, that i might show my power

 Israel as the sand of the sea. therefore, though israel be as numerous as the sand, the remnant will be saved that is, those justified by faith in ch

 He who does the law, it says, shall live by it but there was absolutely no one who was able to fulfill it blamelessly for who can understand his e

 Thus they have endured the persecution, so that prophets even hid in caves and dens of the rocks, when elijah himself ran into the deep wilderness, an

 Something like this has 241 been done, as i think, and the divine paul also said, not allowing israel to despair, although he had stumbled. but if the

 For this reason he also says that a hardening in part has happened to them. as it is written, the deliverer will come out of sion. that the rejected i

 The use of foods but for those who have not yet come to this conviction, things are not yet pure according to what they think is right, but common, b

 Not accepting his redemption, lest the inexpressible grace of god seem to be ineffectual, as few of the believers from israel were saved, and that wit

Fragments on the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans

OF CYRIL ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA, THE SURVIVING FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

174 Concerning his Son, who was made of the seed of David according to 175 the flesh. The one indeed who was made from the seed of David according to the flesh, he says, was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead. For we too have been designated as sons, but not so much in power, but as in a share of grace, being deemed worthy of the calling and gaining this reality by the sole will of God the Father; but Emmanuel would not be so; far from it; but even if he was made from the seed of David according to the flesh, and is counted as a son of God as one of us because of his humanity, yet he is Son in power and truth according to nature, through whom we also are made sons; if it is true to say that, having been enriched with his Spirit through holy 176 baptism, then indeed then and without reproach we say, "Abba, Father;" Therefore, as images to an archetype, so also we who are sons by adoption are to him who is by nature and in power and truly witnessed by the Father to be this. His eternal power and divinity. But how is his eternal power known through creation? Because since the things brought into being have a corruptible nature and have been called into existence in time, their creator must surely be incorruptible and eternal; therefore they will find no defense on the day of judgment. Will their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God? More honored than the others are those who were foreknown and received the law as a tutor, and having promises concerning Christ, and indeed having received and been called before the others; for the Savior said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" and having become the firstfruits of those who were saved through faith. For if some, out of delusion, fell away from believing, would God for this reason, he says, fail to be true? Therefore the Father sent the Son from heaven, but not all have believed in him; so then, because some have become insolent and unbelieving, will God not be true on this account? By no means; Let God be true, and every man a liar; that is, let him be thought and said by us to be true, and let the accusation of falsehood be assigned, as it were, to every man. For the divine nature is utterly immutable and unchangeable; but human nature is greatly shaken and, insofar as it is possible, every man is a 177 liar; For falsehood at times afflicts the human mind like a sin, and nature somehow admits even such a disease; but in the case of God who rules over all, it is not lawful to think or say such a thing. Therefore, that human nature, that is, the mind, is able to suffer falsehood, the accusation will be true; Thus somewhere the blessed David also says, "I said in my ecstasy, Every man is a liar;" And the same argument would apply concerning God and us and in all other matters; for example, concerning righteousness, for one might say, and not unreasonably, "Let God be righteous, and every man unrighteous." But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God. The pretext for such a slander arose from this: after the return from Babylon the sons of Israel, having been ordered by Cyrus to rebuild the temple and to fulfill vows and offer sacrifices, became lazy, using as an excuse poverty and the hardship from the captivity; for this they were disciplined with measured chastisements, with famines 1

Fragmenta in sancti Pauli epistulam ad Romanos

CYRILLI ARCHIEPISCOPI ALEXANDRINI FRAGMENTA QUOT SUPERSUNT IN EPISTOLAM AD ROMANOS.

174 Περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, τοῦ γενομένου ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αβὶδ κατὰ 175 σάρκα. ΤΟΝ γεμὴν ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυεὶδ γεγονότα, κατὰ τὴν σάρκα ὡρίσθαι φησὶν εἰς υἱὸν Θεοῦ ἐν δυνάμει κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν. ὡρίσμεθα μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς υἱοὺς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν δυνάμει μᾶλλον, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν χάριτος μοίρᾳ, τῆς κλήσεως ἀξιούμενοι καὶ ὡς ἐν μόνῃ θελήσει τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς τὸ χρῆμα κερδαίνοντες· ὁ δέ γε Ἐμμανουὴλ οὐκ ἂν ὧδε ἔχοι· πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ· ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ γέγονεν ἐκ σπέρματος τοῦ ∆αυεὶδ κατὰ σάρκα, καὶ ὡς εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν εἰς υἱὸν λογίζεται Θεοῦ διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, ἀλλ' οὖν ἐν δυνάμει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ κατὰ φύσιν Υἱός ἐστι, δι' οὗ καὶ ἡμεῖς υἱοποιούμεθα· εἴπερ ἐστὶν ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, ὡς τὸ αὐτοῦ Πνεῦμα πεπλουτηκότες διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου 176 βαπτίσματος, τότε δὴ τότε καὶ ἀνεπιπλήκτως φαμέν "Ἀββὰ ὁ "πατήρ·" οὐκοῦν ὡς εἰκόνες πρὸς ἀρχέτυπον, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ κατὰ θέσιν υἱοὶ πρὸς τὸν φύσει τε καὶ δυνάμει καὶ ἀληθῶς ἐκ Πατρὸς μεμαρτυρημένον εἰς τοῦτο. Ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης. Πῶς δὲ γινώσκεται διὰ τῆς δημιουργίας ἡ ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις; ὅτι φθαρτὴν ἐχόντων τὴν φύσιν τῶν παρηγμένων εἰς γένεσιν καὶ κεκλημένων ἐν χρόνῳ πρὸς ὕπαρξιν, ἔσται που πάντως ὁ τούτων δημιουργὸς ἄφθαρτος καὶ ἀΐδιος· οὐκοῦν οὐδεμίαν εὑρήσουσιν ἀπολογίαν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως. Μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσῃ; Ἐντιμότεροι τῶν ἄλλων οἱ προεγνωσμένοι καὶ νόμον λαχόντες παιδαγωγὸν, καὶ ὑποσχέσεις ἔχοντες ἐπὶ Χριστῷ, καὶ δὴ καὶ ἀπειληφότες καὶ προκεκλημένοι τῶν ἄλλων· ἔφασκεν γὰρ ὁ Σωτήρ "Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ πρὸς τὰ "πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ·" καὶ τῶν διὰ πίστεως ἀνασεσωσμένων ἀπαρχὴ γεγονότες. οὐ γὰρ εἴ τινες ἐκ φρενοβλαβείας τοῦ πιστεύειν ἀπώλισθον, ταύτῃτοι, φησὶν, ἀφαμαρτήσειεν ἂν τοῦ καὶ ἀληθὴς εἶναι Θεός; οὐκοῦν πέπομφε μὲν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τὸν Υἱὸν ὁ Πατὴρ, πεπιστεύκασι γεμὴν οὐ πάντες αὐτῷ· ἆρ' οὖν ὅτι γεγόνασί τινες ὑβρισταί τε καὶ ἄπιστοι, οὐκ ἔσται ὁ Θεὸς ἀληθὴς διὰ τοῦτο; μὴ γένοιτο· γινέσθω δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἀληθὴς, πᾶς δὲ ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης· ἀντὶ τοῦ νοείσθω τε καὶ λεγέσθω πρὸς ἡμῶν ἀληθὴς, καθοριζέσθω δὲ ὥσπερ ἀνθρώπου παντὸς τοῦ ψεύδους τὸ κατηγόρημα. ἄτρεπτος μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος παντελῶς ἡ θεία φύσις ἐστίν· σεσάλευται δὲ λίαν ἡ ἀνθρώπου φύσις καὶ ὅσον ἧκεν εἰς τὸ ἐγχωροῦν πᾶς ἄνθρωπος 177 Ψεύστης· καταθλεῖ γὰρ ἔσθ' ὅτε τῆς ἀνθρώπου διανοίας ὡς ἁμαρτία τὸ ψεῦδος, καὶ δέχεταί πως ἡ φύσις καὶ τοῦ τοιοῦδε τὴν νόσον· ἐπὶ δέ γε τοῦ πάντων κρατοῦντος Θεοῦ, τοιοῦτόν τι νοεῖν ἢ λέγειν οὐ θέμις. οὐκοῦν τό γε δύνασθαι παθεῖν τὸ ψεῦδος τὴν ἀνθρώπου φύσιν, ἤγουν τὴν διάνοιαν, ἀληθὲς ἔσται τὸ κατηγόρημα· οὕτω που φησὶ καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αυείδ " ̓Εγὼ εἶπα ἐν τῇ ἐκστάσει μου Πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης·" ὁ αὐτὸς δ' ἂν γένοιτο λόγος περί τε Θεοῦ καὶ ἡμῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων· οἷον ἐπὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, φαίη γὰρ ἄν τις καὶ οὐκ ἔξω λόγου Γινέσθω δίκαιος ὁ Θεὸς, πᾶς δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἄδικος. Εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀδικία ἡμῶν Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην συνίστησι. Ἡ τῆς τοιαύτης διαβολῆς πρόφασις ἐντεῦθεν γεγενήται· μετὰ τὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπάνοδον οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ κελευσθέντες ὑπὸ Κύρου ἀναδείμασθαι τὸν νεὼν καὶ πληροῦν εὐχὰς καὶ προσάγειν θυσίας, γεγόνασι ῥᾴθυμοι, προφασιζόμενοι πτωχείαν καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ταλαιπωρίαν· ταύτῃ συμμέτροις ἐσωφρονίζοντο παιδείαις, ἀφορίαις 1