Stone of stumbling; Simeon; end of the law; Christ justifies as God
A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense (Romans 9:33); and the one who believes upon him will not be put to shame. When righteous Symeon received the divine infant into his arms, he said to God: “Now you release your servant, Master, according to your word in peace, because my eyes have seen your salvation which you prepared before the face of all the peoples,” (Luke 2:29–34) and what follows; and he added: “Behold, this one is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against.” (Isaiah 28:16) So the same one is the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense; and some, striking against him through disobedience, were shattered, while those who received the faith toward him escaped being put to shame. Have we then believed as toward a human, or as toward God? Clearly as toward God. Therefore Christ is God; for it was upon him that righteous Symeon spoke the words just now cited to us.
Concerning the Jews he says: “For not knowing the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they were not subjected to the righteousness of God; for Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:3–9) If Christ is the end of the law, and he himself is the righteousness who justifies through the faith toward him, and the power to justify belongs to God alone as his own, how is Christ not God?
“But the righteousness from faith says thus: Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven?—that is, to bring Christ down—or, Who will descend into the abyss?—that is, to bring Christ up from the dead (Romans 10:6–7). But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart—that is, the word of faith which we proclaim: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,”
Greek
Πέτρα προσκόμματος καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου· καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται. Συμεὼν ὁ δίκαιος, ὅτε τὸ θεῖον εἰς ἀγκάλας ἐδέξατο βρέφος, ἔφη πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· «Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ, ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν,» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· προσετίθει δὲ τούτοις· «Ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον.» ὁ αὐτὸς οὖν ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ τοῦ προσκόμματος λίθος καὶ ἡ πέτρα τοῦ σκανδάλου· καὶ περιπαίοντες μὲν αὐτῷ διὰ τῆς ἀπειθείας συνετρίβησάν τινες, διέφυγον δὲ τὸ καταισχυνθῆναι οἱ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν πίστιν προσηκάμενοι. ἆρ’ οὖν ὡς εἰς ἄνθρωπον πεπιστεύκαμεν, ἢ ὡς εἰς Θεόν; ὡς εἰς Θεὸν δηλονότι. Θεὸς οὖν ἄρα Χριστός· ἐπ’ αὐτῷ γὰρ ὁ δίκαιος Συμεὼν τὰς ἀρτίως ἡμῖν εἰρημένας ἔφη φωνάς.
Περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων φησίν· «Ἀγνοοῦντες γὰρ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ζητοῦντες στῆσαι, τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑπετάγησαν· τέλος γὰρ νόμου Χριστὸς εἰς δικαιοσύνην παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι.» εἰ τέλος νόμου Χριστός, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ δικαιοσύνη, δικαιῶν διὰ πίστεως τῆς εἰς αὐτόν, μόνῳ δὲ ὡς ἴδιον ἀνακείσεται τὸ δικαιοῦν δύνασθαι τῷ Θεῷ, πῶς οὐ Θεὸς ὁ Χριστός;
«Ἡ δὲ ἐκ πίστεως δικαιοσύνη οὕτως λέγει· Μὴ εἴπῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου Τίς ἀναβήσεται εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν; τουτέστι Χριστὸν καταγαγεῖν· ἢ Τίς καταβήσεται εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον; τουτέστι Χριστὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναγαγεῖν. ἀλλὰ τί λέγει; Ἐγγύς σου τὸ ῥῆμά ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματί σου καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, τουτέστι τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς πίστεως ὃ κηρύσσομεν· ὅτι ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃς ἐν τῷ στόματί σου κύριον Ἰησοῦν,»
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.