Spirit received humanly; baptism given divinely; Word owns flesh
Calling him a man, and coming after, he says he was before, as God. For in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God (John 1:1). “And John witnessed, saying: I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove from heaven and remaining on him… this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit; and I have seen and have witnessed that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:32–34) See clearly and vividly in these that our Lord Jesus Christ receives the Spirit humanly, because of the economy with flesh—for being rich he became poor for us (2 Corinthians 8:9)—yet baptizes divinely in the Holy Spirit. For to whom would it befit to be able to supply the Spirit’s grace, except to the one who is by nature and truly God? So there is one Christ and Son.
“If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? And no one has gone up into heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man.” (John 3:12–13) How has the Son of Man come down from heaven? Because the Word from God became human, and what belongs to the flesh is the Word’s own, apart from sin alone.
Greek
ἄνδρα λέγων αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐρχόμενον ὀπίσω, προτοῦ εἶναί φησιν, ὡς Θεόν. ἐν ἀρχῇ γὰρ ἦν ὁ Λόγος καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. «Καὶ ἐμαρτύρησεν Ἰωάννης λέγων ὅτι τεθέαμαι τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ μένον ἐπ’ αὐτόν· κἀγὼ δὲ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν, ἀλλ’ ὁ πέμψας με βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι, ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν· Ἐφ’ ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον καὶ μένον ἐπ’ αὐτόν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ· κἀγὼ ἑώρακα καὶ μεμαρτύρηκα ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ.» ὅρα σαφῶς τε καὶ ἐναργῶς ἐν τούτοις τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστὸν δεχόμενον μὲν ἀνθρωπίνως τὸ Πνεῦμα, διὰ τὴν μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίαν· πλούσιος γὰρ ὢν ἐπτώχευσε δι’ ἡμᾶς· βαπτίζοντα δὲ θεϊκῶς ἐν τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι. τίνι γὰρ ἂν πρέποι τὸ χορηγεῖν δύνασθαι τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν, πλὴν ὅτι τῷ φύσει τε καὶ ἀληθῶς ὄντι Θεῷ; εἷς οὖν ἄρα Χριστὸς καὶ Υἱός.
«Εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια πιστεύσετε; καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.» πῶς καταβέβηκεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου; ὅτι ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Λόγος γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἴδια δὲ τοῦ Λόγου τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς δίχα μόνης ἁμαρτίας.
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.