Hebrews: firstborn worshiped; angels spirits; throne forever; anointed as man
From Hebrews: “And when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him.” (Hebrews 1:6) The Word from God the Father is named only-begotten by nature, because he alone has been begotten from the Father alone. He is also called firstborn when he entered the world as one who had become human and part of it. Yet even so he is worshiped by the holy angels — and worship is reserved and fitting for God alone. How, then, is Christ not God, the one worshiped even in heaven?
“Of the angels he says: He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire; but of the Son: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” (Hebrews 1:7–9)
If the one who holds a throne forever is the maker of angels — having loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, and for that reason said to be anointed with the oil of gladness by God the Father — what thoughts should we form about him? If he makes his angels spirits and holds a throne of deity, how is he anointed with the oil of gladness? So he creates angels as God, and is anointed as human — not into the nature of deity, but into the skilled economy of the anointing (Psalm 45:6–7).
Greek
Θεοῦ τοῦ kai θύραν ἀνοίγοντος καὶ διδόντος λαλῆσαι τὸ d ἃ μυστήριον καθ᾽ ὃν προσήκει τρόπον.
Ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Ἑ βραίους.
“Ὅταν δὲ cicaydyy rov πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην Heb.i. 6.
5.“ λέγει Kai προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ."
μονογενὴς κατὰ φύσιν ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ὠνόμασται Aoóyos, e ὕ ) K μό í D Πατρός" εἴ δὲ καὶ cf.Sohel ὅτι μόνος ἐκ μόνου γεγέννηται τοῦ Ἰ]ατρός" εἴρηται δὲ καὶ «2 [4 σ ^ « i πρωτότοκος, Ore kai εἰσῆλθεν eis τὴν οἰκουμένην ἄνθρωπος 1168.
γεγονὼς, καὶ μέρος αὐτῆς. πλὴν καὶ οὕτω προσκυνεῖται ιοπαρὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων, ἀνακειμένου τε καὶ πρέποντος [/ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ΙΑ μόνῳ Θεῷ τοῦ καὶ προσκυνεῖσθαι δεῖν. πῶς οὖν οὐ Θεὸς ὁ
Χριστος, ὁ kai ἐν οὐρανῷ προσκυνούμενος ;
* Kai πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει Ὃ ποιῶν τοὺς α 18 Α.
* ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ TOUS λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ
i5 “πυρὸς φλόγα, προς δὲ rov υἱὸν 'O θρόνος cov ὁ Θεὸς
" εἰς TOv αἰῶνα ToU αἰῶνος καὶ 7) ῥαβδος τῆς εὐθυτητὸς σου “ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σον. ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην καὶ νι e^ hy , * ἐμίσησας ἀδικίαν, διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε 0 Θεὸς ὁ Θεὸς 40. Α «σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου." εἰ ο ποιητὴς ἀγγέλων ἐστὶν ὃ θρόνων ἔχων εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ
αἰῶνος, ἀγαπήσας τε δικαιοσύνην καὶ μεμισηκὼς ἀδικίαν, b
καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κεχρίσθαι λεγόμενος τῷ ἐλαίῳ τῆς ἀγαλλιά-
σεως Tapa τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός: τί δὴ apa Qapcv eis
ἐννοίας ἐρχόμενοι τὰς ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ; εἰ yap ποιεῖ τοὺς ἀγγέλους
;avroU πνεύματα, καὶ θρόνον ἔχει θεότητος, τίνα τρόπον
χρίεται TQ ἐλαίῳ τῆς ἀγαλλιάσεως : οὐκοῦν κτίζει μὲν ὡς
Θεὸς ἀγγέλους, χρίεται δὲ ὡς avÜporros: ovk εἰς τὴν τῆς Ἁ ^ i! , θεότητος φύσιν, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς TO τῆς οἰκονομίας evrexves €pxo- o
20. θρόνων C. Cod. θρόνον Comm. Edd. a1. ἀνομίαν C. Comm. Edd. mg. 22. λεγόμενον C. 23. Θεοῦ] θείου (sic) C. δὴ om. C. Comm.
About this text
Cyril’s court treatise on right faith for Arcadia and Marina (CPG 5219). One Son, Word made flesh — not two Christs. English from Pusey’s Greek.
English follows Pusey’s 1877 Greek of De recta fide ad Arcadiam et Marinam. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Pusey, De recta fide ad reginas (Oxford, 1877) (Greek · CPG 5219 §§1–100)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.