One Lord by economic union; Matthew: born of Spirit, saves his people
If we take the one from the woman as a separate person, we have denied the only Master. For there is one Lord Jesus Christ by an economic union — I mean with the Word from God — his flesh ascending into the glory of the deity. So there is one Christ and Son; and so he will be Master of all.
From Matthew’s Gospel — that Christ is God: “While he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying: Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for what is begotten in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20–21)
In the same breath he sets down two things proper to God, and not fitting for human nature. Of the one born from Mary he said that those saved through him are his own people, and that he himself will also free them from sins. All things belong to God, and to him alone it would befit to be able to free sinners from sins. So the one begotten from the holy virgin is God, whose own people we are; and he has freed us from sins, as one who has authority for that too.
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.” In Bethlehem of Judea has been born the one from the root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1). And God the Father says about him through one of the prophets: “And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, are by no means least among the thousands of Judah; for from you shall come forth for me one to be ruler in Israel, and his goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity.” (Micah 5:2)
Greek
κατ’ ἰδίαν ὁ ἐκ γυναικὸς, ἠρνησάμεθα τὸν μόνον δεσπότην. εἷς γὰρ κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς καθ’ ἕνωσιν οἰκονομικὴν, τὴν πρός γε φημὶ τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Λόγον, εἰς τὴν τῆς θεότητος δόξαν ἀναφοιτώσης αὐτοῦ τῆς σαρκός. εἷς οὖν ἄρα Χριστὸς καὶ Υἱός. ἔσται γὰρ οὕτω τῶν ὅλων δεσπότης.
Ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον εὐαγγελίου. Ὅτι Θεὸς ὁ Χριστός. «Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐνθυμηθέντος ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κατ’ ὄναρ ἐφάνη αὐτῷ λέγων· Ἰωσὴφ υἱὸς Δαυείδ, μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαριὰμ τὴν γυναῖκά σου· τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου. τέξεται δὲ υἱὸν καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν· αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν.»
δύο κατὰ ταὐτὸ τίθησι τὰ θεοπρεπῆ, καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρωπείᾳ πρέποντα φύσει. τοῦ γὰρ τεχθέντος ἐκ τῆς Μαρίας ἴδιον ἔφη λαὸν τοὺς δι’ αὐτοῦ σεσωσμένους, καὶ μὴν ὅτι καὶ ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτοὺς αὐτὸς ἀπαλλάξει. Θεοῦ δὲ τὰ πάντα, καὶ πρέποι ἂν αὐτῷ καὶ μόνῳ τὸ ἀπαλλάττειν ἁμαρτιῶν δύνασθαι τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας. Θεὸς οὖν ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου γεγεννημένος, οὗ καὶ ἴδιός ἐσμεν λαός· καὶ ἁμαρτιῶν δὲ ἡμᾶς ἀπήλλαξεν, ὡς ἔχων καὶ τούτου τὴν ἐξουσίαν.
«Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας.» ἐν Βηθλεὲμ γεγέννηται τῆς Ἰουδαίας ὁ ἐκ ῥίζης Ἰεσσαί. φησὶ δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ δι’ ἑνὸς τῶν προφητῶν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατήρ· «Καὶ σύ, Βηθλεέμ, οἶκος τοῦ Ἐφραθᾶ, μὴ ὀλιγοστὸς εἶ τοῦ εἶναι ἐν χιλιάσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ γάρ μοι ἐξελεύσεται τοῦ εἶναι εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ αἱ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος.»
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.