Works of the Father; not two Christs; the child grew in wisdom
The Jews once came to Christ saying: “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them: “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me.” (John 10:24–25) What then do those who foolishly divide a duality of sons and split the one Lord Jesus Christ into two Christs say even about this? About whom were the Jews saying: “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly”? And who is the one saying: “The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me”? Whose own Father do we say God is? Of the one from a woman, thought of separately and particularly — or of the Only-begotten? Yet being able to accomplish the works of the deity would not fit a human nature — how could it? Far from it. But since Christ was fulfilling the works of the Father, he would not be understood as a bare human, but rather as God who has remained what he was in blood and flesh. For holding thus, he will work equally with his own Begetter, and none of those accustomed to think well would mock the account of the mystery.
“And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him,” (Luke 2:40) and again: “Jesus advanced in stature and wisdom and grace with God and humans.” (Luke 2:52) Saying that our Lord Jesus the Christ is one, and assigning to him both the human things and the God-befitting ones, we firmly affirm that receiving bodily growth, and also becoming strong as the body’s parts…
Greek
προσῄεσαν ποτὲ τῷ Χριστῷ λέγοντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· «Εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν παρρησίᾳ.» ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· «Εἶπον ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε· τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρός μου, ταῦτα μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ.» τί δὴ ἄρα κἀν τούτῳ φασὶν οἱ διορίζοντες ἀμαθῶς υἱῶν δυάδα καὶ εἰς δύο χριστοὺς τὸν ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν; περὶ τίνος ἔφασκον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· «Εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν παρρησίᾳ»; τίς δὲ ὁ λέγων· «Τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρός μου, ταῦτα μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ»; τίνος εἶναί φαμεν ἴδιον πατέρα τὸν Θεόν; ἄρα τοῦ ἐκ γυναικὸς ἀνὰ μέρος τε καὶ ἰδικῶς νοουμένου, ἤγουν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς; καίτοι τὸ δύνασθαι κατορθοῦν τὰ τῆς θεότητος ἔργα πρέποι ἂν οὐκ ἀνθρωπείᾳ φύσει· πόθεν; πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπλήρου Χριστὸς τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Πατρός, οὐκ ἄνθρωπος ἂν νοοῖτο ψιλός, Θεὸς δὲ μᾶλλον ἐν αἵματι καὶ σαρκὶ μεμενηκὼς ὅπερ ἦν. ἰσουργήσει γὰρ, οὕτως ἔχων, τῷ ἰδίῳ γεννήτορι, καὶ τὸν τοῦ μυστηρίου λόγον καταμωμήσαιτο ἂν οὐδεὶς τῶν εὖ φρονεῖν εἰωθότων.
«Τὸ δὲ παιδίον ηὔξανε καὶ ἐκραταιοῦτο πληρούμενον σοφίᾳ, καὶ χάρις Θεοῦ ἦν ἐπ’ αὐτό,» καὶ πάλιν· «Ἰησοῦς προέκοπτεν ἡλικίᾳ καὶ σοφίᾳ καὶ χάριτι παρὰ Θεῷ καὶ ἀνθρώποις.» ἕνα λέγοντες τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστόν, καὶ αὐτῷ προσνέμοντες τά τε ἀνθρώπινα καὶ θεοπρεπῆ, τοῖς μὲν τῆς κενώσεως μέτροις πρέπειν ἀληθῶς διαβεβαιούμεθα τό τε τὴν σωματικὴν αὔξησιν ἐπιδέχεσθαι, καὶ μὴν καὶ τὸ κραταιοῦσθαι, τῶν τοῦ σώματος μορίων…
About this text
Cyril’s court treatise on right faith for Pulcheria and Eudocia (CPG 5220). One Son who suffers in flesh yet remains impassible as God. English from Pusey’s Greek.
English follows Pusey’s 1877 Greek of De recta fide ad Pulcheriam et Eudociam. 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 5220 §§1–48)
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.