Locked doors; Spirit breathed; forgive and retain sins
“…gathered for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and says to them: Peace to you.” (John 20:19) Someone might reasonably raise this puzzle: if the Word was in a body even after the resurrection, as also before the precious cross, how did he appear unexpectedly in the midst of the disciples when the doors were locked? To this we say: by divine power. One must remember Paul saying that “from now on we know no one according to the flesh; even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer.” (2 Corinthians 5:16) For after the rising from the dead, since the economy on which the taking of flesh was done as needed is already finished, he uses authority and power befitting God, wanting to be recognized rather through these than through the measures of the emptying, as at the fitting time.
“And having said this he breathed on them and says to them: Receive the Holy Spirit; if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain those of any, they are retained.” (John 20:22–23) The whole deed is God-befitting and worthy of every word. First, breathing on the apostles and giving the Spirit is not a human act. Then it is great and above creation to grant such authority that they may retain the sins of those they choose, and also forgive those they may wish. And why does he give the Spirit also through a fleshly breath? Because his flesh has not become alien to the Word, but is his own in a proper sense. The breathing through flesh is human; but it is the work of divine power to make those who are counted worthy sharers of the Spirit.
Greek
* συνηγμένοι διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων, ἦλθεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς c.
καὶ ἔστη εἰς TO μέσον καὶ λέγει αὑτοῖς Eipgvg vp. 1
ἐπαπορήσαι τις ἂν κατὰ TO εἰκὸς ἐκεῖνο λέγων Ei ἐν σώματι
καὶ uera τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καθὰ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ
δτιμίου σταυροῦ, πῶς κεκλεισμένων τῶν θυρῶν ἀδοκήτως εἰς
μέσον ὥφθη τῶν μαθητῶν ; πρὸς τοῦτο φαμεν, ὅτι δυνάμει
τῇ θείκῃ. μεμνῆσθαι δεῖ 1avAÀov λέγοντος ὅτι * Care ἡμεῖς 2 Ce ( φ X ^ ^ 3 , 16 νι [4 A , δὲ ΝΥ » , ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν οὐδένα οἴδαμεν κατὰ σάρκα" εἰ δὲ καὶ €yvo-
καμεν kara σάρκα Χριστον, ἀλλα νῦν ovk ert γινώσκομεν. d
to μετὰ yap τοι τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναβίωσιν, ὡς rereAea uévys ἤδη ^ , /, 3.1} Ὁ € ^ * . 7 3 , τῆς οἰκονομίας ἐφ 7) kai ἡ τῆς σαρκὸς ἀνάληψις ἐπραχθὴη χρειωδῶς, ἐξουσίᾳ καὶ δυνάμει κέχρηται τῇ θεοπρεπεῖ, διὰ τούτων μᾶλλον ἢ διὰ τῶν τῆς κενώσεως μέτρων ἐπιγινώ- σκεσθαι θέλων, ὡς ἐν καιρῷ καθήκοντι. i; “Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησε καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Λάβετε e S. Joan.
4 πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἀφέωνται 15. ^ ^ ’ ?9 Ο * αὐτοῖς" ἂν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται. ὅλον ἐστὶ θεο- πρεπὲς τὸ γεγενημένον καὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἄξιον λόγου. mporov μὲν yap οὐκ ἀνθρώπινον τὸ ἐμφυσῆσαι τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, καὶ 20 δοῦναι τὸ Πνεῦμα. εἶτα μέγα καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν κτίσιν, τὸ τοιαύ- τὴν ἐξουσίαν παρασχεῖν, ὥστε κρατεῖν ὧν ἂν ἕλοιντο τὰς α 81 A.- ἁμαρτίας, ἀφιέναι, δὲ καὶ οἷς ἂν βούλοιντο τυχόν. διὰ τί δὲ
καὶ δια σαρκικοῦ φυσήματος το [Πνεῦμα δίδωσιν ; ὅτι μὴ ^ , [4 ΕΣ ^ M! ^ ἀλλοτρία τοῦ Λόγου γέγονεν ἡ αὐτοῦ σὰρξ, ἀλλὰ ἰδικῶς » ^ 4» , * δ N , ’ : €^ βαὐυτοῦ. kai ἀνθρώπινον μὲν ro διὰ σαρκὸς eudvanua: θεϊκῆς
δὲ δυνάμεως ἔργον, τὸ μετόχους ἀποφῆναι τοῦ Πνεύματος
M ’ὔ τοὺς ἠξιωμένους.
3. ἐκεῖνο om. Edd. ἡ. ὅτι om. C. Comm. 8. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐ ἐγνώκαμεν
κατὰ σάρκα om. Aub. 9. οὐκέτι] οὐδένα Edd. IO. μετὰ γάρ τοι] ἐπειδὴ μετὰ C. Comm. 11. ἐπράχθη] ἐτελέσθη C. Comm. Edd. mg. 13. μέτρων) τρόπων C. Comm. Edd. mg. I6. ἀφέωνται C. Comm. [cf.
18. γεγεννημένον e. 20. εἶτα] 4- καὶ a.e. 21. ἂν om. 8.6. 22. καὶ
Comm. 25. θεϊκῆς δὲ δυνάμεως ἔργον] θεϊκὸν δὲ καὶ δυνάμεως Θεοῦ a.e.
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. OCR of that print was cleaned section by section before Pass A/B. 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.