Cyril of Alexandria, Fragments on Acts of Apostles and Catholic Letters

Fragmenta in acta apostolorum et in epistulas catholicas and he said to them: it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the father has

Creation has passed over to an uncomely and unaccustomed state for it, as would be clear through the voice of isaiah saying and i will clothe the hea

The divine moses indeed as one who killed the egyptian, although he was oppressing and assailing. but christ, burying the evil demons as if into an ab

By the same. bringing forth the greatest sign of love for god. for just as the one who curses his persecutor shows that he does not greatly rejoice in

Proclamation. for he has set the you are to show the one before the ages for he was not made in time but he was always this, that is, the son. but

Of god and the father, then indeed, then all human things were restored to their ancient form, and all our ruined things have been brought to a new ap

Of cyril. for a clear proof of a firm mind and most perfect sense is to have nothing fading on the tongue, that is, to ever endure unbridled speech b

To be devoted to prayer and psalmody, and to have faith in the priests of god and love for one another, so as to also pray for one another and as pro

Be ye uncovered. that is, he preached even to those in hades, that he might loose those who were about to believe, if he had appeared in the flesh dur

Of the father. and you will do well to obey the prophetic word for it enlightens those in ignorance, until the pure light of the gospel shines throug

Cyril. it is fitting, therefore, to turn away from such men, even if they clothe themselves with the name of christ for deception. for it is a command

Cyril. and neither greek, nor jew, nor heretic is able to stand against it, once our faith has carried off the victory prizes by its works.

of the Father. And you will do well to obey the prophetic word; for it enlightens those in ignorance, until the pure light of the Gospel shines through for you, and the spiritual morning star, that is, Christ, rises in your hearts, testified to by the Father. But these, like irrational animals, born for capture and destruction, blaspheming in matters of which they are ignorant, will be destroyed in their own corruption, receiving the wages of unrighteousness.

Of Cyril. And indeed the divine Psalmist says, "Man, being in honor, did not understand; he was compared to the mindless beasts, and was made like them." For, having as it were laws interwoven with irrational customs, they appeared to differ very little from the beasts, which, as I said, were made only for destruction. In addition to their impiety, he says, he also showed their whole life to be corrupt ... It is a custom of Holy Scripture to take these divine [or, animal] things that exist by nature as images and examples for men. And it does this so that from those things that are by nature, the movements of men that are from choice may be seen, and thus their way is shown to be either evil or righteous. So in the case of the wicked, when it commands: "Be not like the horse and the mule, which have no understanding." Or also when, reproaching those who have become so, it says: "Man, being in honor, did not understand; he was compared to the mindless beasts, and was made like them." And again: "They have become horses mad for females." And the Savior calls Herod a fox; and to the 74.1020 disciples He commanded: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." He said this, not that we should become serpents or doves; for He did not make us so; wherefore nature does not know this; but that we, on the one hand, might escape the irrational impulses of some, and on the other hand, might take up the prudence of the serpent, so that knowing we may not be deceived by it, and the gentleness of the dove. But again, taking divine images for men, the Savior says: "Be merciful as your Father who is in heaven." -And "you will be perfect, as your [Cod. our] heavenly Father is perfect." And He said this, not that we should again become as the Father; for it is impossible for us to become as the Father, being creatures and having come into being from non-being; but just as He does not command that we become beasts, saying, "Be not like the horse and the mule," so that we might not imitate their irrationality; so He did not say, "Be merciful as the Father," that we might become as God, but that, looking to His benefactions, we might do the good things we do, not for the sake of men, but for His sake; so as to have our reward from Him, and not from men. For just as there is one Son by nature, true and only-begotten, we also have become sons by the grace of Him who called us; and being men we are called gods, not as the true God, or His Word; but as God, who bestowed this, willed; so also we become merciful as God, not making ourselves equal to God, nor becoming benefactors by nature and in truth; for beneficence is not our invention, but God's; but that these same things which come to us from God by grace, we too might pursue toward others, not discriminating, but simply extending our beneficence to all; for in this alone can we somehow become imitators of Him, and in no other way; because it is from Him that we minister to one another. As also in all the Epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to understand.

Of Cyril of Alexandria. But to some the all-wise Paul seems to say certain difficult things, that is, things hard to understand, according to the voice of the holy apostles; but that these things are filled with wisdom from above, there is no room for doubt; for Christ speaks in him. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard, so that you are not carried away by the error of the lawless, and fall from your own stability.

τοῦ Πατρός. Εὖ δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιήσετε τῷ προφητικῷ πειθόμενοι λόγῳ· οὗτος γὰρ τοὺς ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ φωταγωγεῖ, ἕως καθαρὸν ὑμῖν τὸ φῶς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου διαφανῇ, καὶ ὁ νοητὸς ἑωσφόρος, τουτέστι Χριστὸς, ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν ἀνατείλῃ, μαρτυρηθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός. Οὗτοι δὲ, ὡς ἄλογα ζῶα, γεγενημένα εἰς ἅλωσιν καὶ φθορὰν, ἐν οἷς ἀγνοοῦσι βλασφημοῦντες, ἐν τῇ φθορᾷ αὐτῶν καταφθαρήσονται, κομιού μενοι μισθὸν ἀδικίας.

Κυρίλλου. Καὶ γοῦν ὁ θεσπέσιος Μελῳδὸς, Ἄνθρωπος, φησὶν, ἐν τιμῇ ὢν οὐ συνῆκε, παρασυνεβλήθη τοῖς κτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις, καὶ ὡμοιώθη αὐτοῖς. Ἔθη γὰρ ἀλογίας συμπεπλεγμένα νόμους ὤσπερ ἔχοντες, ὀλίγα κομιδῇ διενεγκόντες ἐφαίνοντο κτηνῶν, ὡς ἔφην, ἃ πρὸς μόνην γέγονε φθοράν. Πρὸς τῷ ἀσεβεῖν, φησὶ, καὶ τὸν βίον ἅπαντα κατεφθαρμένον ... ἔδειξεν. Ἔθος τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ τὰ κατὰ φύσιν ὄντα θεῖα [φ. θήρεια] πράγματα ταῦτα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις εἰς εἰκόνας καὶ παραδείγματα λαμβάνειν. Τοῦτο δὲ ποιεῖ, ἵνα ἐκ τῶν κατὰ φύσιν ἐκείνων τὰ ἐκ προαιρέσεως φαίνηται τῶν κινημάτων τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ οὕτως ἢ φαῦλος ἢ δίκαιος ὁ τούτων δείκνυται τρόπος. Ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν φαύλων, ἐὰν παραγγέλλῃ· Μὴ γίνεσθε ὡς ἵππος καὶ ἡμίονος, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι σύνεσις. Ἢ καὶ ὅταν μεμφόμενος τοὺς οὕτω γενομένους λέγῃ· Ἄνθρωπος ἐν τιμῇ ὢν οὐ συνῆκε, παρασυνεβλήθη τοῖς κτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις, καὶ ὡμοιώθη αὐτοῖς. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἵπποι θηλυμανεῖς ἐγενήθησαν. Καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ τὸν Ἡρώδην ἀλώπεκα καλεῖ· καὶ τοῖς 74.1020 μαθηταῖς παρήγγειλεν· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων· γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι ὡσεὶ ὄφεις, καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί. Ἔλεγε δὲ τοῦτο, οὐχ ἵνα γενώμεθα ὄφεις ἢ περιστεραί· οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἡμᾶς αὐτὸς πεποίηκε· διὸ οὐδὲ τοῦτο οἶδεν ἡ φύσις· ἀλλ' ἵνα ἡμεῖς, τῶν μὲν τὰς ἀλόγους ὁρμὰς ἐκφεύγωμεν, τοῦ δὲ τὸ φρόνιμον, ἵνα γινώσκοντες μὴ ἀπατώμεθα παρ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς περιστερᾶς τὸ πρᾶον ἀναλάβωμεν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν θείων πάλιν εἰκόνας τοῖς ἀνθρώποις λαμβάνων, φησὶν ὁ Σωτήρ· Γίνεσθε οἰκτίρμονες ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. -Καὶ ἔσεσθε ὑμεῖς τέλειοι, ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν [Cod. ἡμῶν] ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστι. Ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, οὐχ ἵνα γενώμεθα πάλιν ὡς ὁ Πατήρ· γίνεσθαι γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ ἀδύνατον, κτίσμα ὄντας καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος γενομένους· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οὐχ ἵνα γενώμεθα κτήνη παραγγέλλει, Μὴ γίνεσθε ὡς ἵππος καὶ ἡμίονος, ἵνα μὴ τὸ ἄλογον ἐκείνων μιμησώμεθα· οὕτως οὐχ ἵνα γενώμεθα ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ἔλεγε, Γίνεσθε οἰκτίρμονες ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ, ἀλλ' ἵνα, πρὸς τὰς εὐεργεσίας ἐκείνου βλέποντες, ἃ ποιοῦμεν καλὰ, μὴ δι' ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸν ποιῶμεν· ὥστε παρ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων, τὸν μισθὸν ἔχειν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἑνὸς ὄντος Υἱοῦ φύσει καὶ ἀληθινοῦ καὶ μονογενοῦς, γενόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς υἱοὶ κατὰ χάριν τοῦ καλέσαντος· καὶ ἄνθρωποι τυγχάνοντες θεοὶ χρηματίζομεν, οὐχ ὡς ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς, ἢ ὁ τούτου Λόγος· ἀλλ' ὡς ἠθέλησεν ὁ τοῦτο χαρισάμενος Θεός· οὕτω καὶ ὡς ὁ Θεὸς οἰκτίρμονες γινόμεθα, οὐκ ἐξισούμενοι τῷ Θεῷ, οὐδὲ φύσει καὶ ἀληθινοὶ εὐεργέται γινόμενοι· οὐ γὰρ ἡμῶν εὕρημα τὸ εὐεργετεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἵνα δὲ αὐτὰ τὰ παρὰ Θεοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς κατὰ χάριν γινόμενα, ταῦτα καὶ ἡμεῖς μεταδιώκωμεν εἰς ἑτέρους, μὴ διακρινόμενοι, ἁπλῶς δὲ εἰς πάντας ἐκτείνοντες τὴν εὐεργεσίαν· κατὰ τοῦτο γὰρ μόνον δυνάμεθά πως αὐτοῦ μιμηταὶ γενέσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἄλλως· ὅτι παρ' αὐτοῦ διακονοῦμεν ἀλλήλοις. Ὡς καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς Ἐπιστολαῖς, λαλῶν ἐν αὐταῖς περὶ τούτων· ἐν οἷς ἐστι δυσνόητά τινα.

Κυρίλλου Ἀλεξανδρείας. ∆οκεῖ δέ τισιν ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλος δυσχερῆ τινα λέγειν, ἤτοι δυσνόητα, κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων φωνήν· ὅτι δὲ σοφίας τῆς ἄνωθεν μεμέστωται ταῦτα οὐκ ἔστιν ἀμφιβάλλειν· λαλεῖ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ ὁ Χριστός. Ὑμεῖς οὖν, ἀγαπητοὶ, προγινώσκοντες φυλάσ σεσθε, ἵνα μὴ τῇ τῶν ἀθέσμων πλάνῃ συν απαχθέντες, ἐκπέσητε τοῦ ἰδίου στηριγμοῦ.