Growth and wisdom as kenosis measures; Word remains God
…maturing little by little; and even seeming to be filled with wisdom is because the manifestation of the wisdom that was in him rises, as it were, in a way most fitting to the advance of the body’s age. And these things, as I said, would fit the economy with flesh and the measures of the lowering; but what fits the nature of the Word again is always to be perfect and to be wisdom. So what is somehow lowered as in emptying is his in a human way, and likewise the God-befitting things are his in a divine way. For the manner and account of the economy with flesh knows him to be both according to us and above us: excelling the measure of creation as God, and somehow all but lesser than himself insofar as he has appeared as human. For where was the humility he willingly endured, if he refused the human things? Yet the nature of the Word is not thought to be in those things; rather he appropriates them with his own flesh, just as also hunger and thirst and being said to grow weary from the journey.
So when you hear “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom,” receive the mystery as an account of the economy with flesh. That he was God in flesh the blessed evangelist himself will confirm, saying that “the grace of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:40) For he is not said to have God’s grace as one who has grace from another god, but because the child had the grace that would befit God. For the Word both was and is God even when he has appeared in flesh, that is, as a human according to us. And if he is said to have grace, or to advance…
Greek
ἁδρυνομένων κατὰ βραχύ' kai avro δὲ τὸ δοκεῖν πληροῦσθαι σοφίας, διά γε τὺ οἱονεὶ πρὸς ἐπίδοσιν τῇ τοῦ σώματος ἡλικίᾳ πρεπωδεστάτην τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ σοφίας ἀναφοιτᾶν τὴν ἔκφανσιν. καὶ ταυτὶ μὲν, ὡς ἔφην, τῇ μετὰ σαρκὸς
, , ’ὕ ἃ * ^ ^ € , / » ^ N/ 189 A. ἃ οἰκονομίᾳ πρέποι ἂν καὶ τοῖς τῆς vpeoeos μέτροις" τῇ δὲ γεϑ
φύσει τοῦ Λόγου πρέποι ἂν πάλιν TO ἀεὶ τελείως ἔχειν xai εἶναι σοφίαν. αὐτοῦ τοιγαροῦν ἀνθρωπίνως τὸ ὡς ἐν κενώσει τυχὸν ὑφειμένον, αὐτοῦ δὲ ὁμοίως τὰ θεοπρεπῆ θεϊκῶς. ὁ γάρ τοι τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας τρόπος τε καὶ λόγος οἷδεν ὄντα αὐτὸν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς τε καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς" καὶ ὑπερέ το χοντα μὲν τὸ τῆς κτίσεως μέτρον ὡς Θεὸν, ἑαυτοῦ δέ πως μονονουχὶ καὶ ἡττώμενον, kao πέφηνεν ἄνθρωπος. ποῦ γὰρ
by ταπείνωσις ἢν ὑπέμεινεν ekov, εἰ παραιτοῖτο τὰ ἀνθρω-
Ν 3 3 3 σι e ^ , ^ , . Tiva; πλὴν οὐκ ἐν αὑτοῖς ἡ TOU Aoyov νοεῖται Qwots
οἰκειοῦται δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτὰ μετὰ τῆς ἰδίας σαρκὸς, καθάπερ 15
ἀμέλει Kai TO πεινῆν καὶ TO διψῆν kai το λέγεσθαι καμεῖν P ^ € , e $3 » , ες T ' xy δ ἐκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας. ὅταν οὖν ἀκούῃς “ Τὸ παιδίον ηὔξανε καὶ
ἐκραταιοῦτο πληρούμενον σοφίᾳ, δέχου πρὸς ἀπολογίαν
τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας τὸ μυστήριον. ὅτι yap ἦν Ocor
c €v σάρκι, πιστώσεται λέγων avrog 0 μακαριος εὐαγγελιστης 39
ὁτι “χάρις Θεοῦ ἦν ἐπ᾿ avro. οὐ yap os χάριν ἔχων παρ e€ P? ^ , M ’ ^ 3 δϑφ , s erépov θεοῦ, χαριν ἔχειν λέγεται Θεοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι χαριν εἶχε
τὸ παιδίον, ἥπερ ἂν πρέποι Θεῷ. καὶ yap ἦν τε kai ἐστι
Θεὸς ὁ Aoyos καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ πεφηνῶὼς, τουτέστιν ἄνθρωπος
καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς. εἰ δὲ δὴ λέγοιτο χάριν ἔχειν, ἤγουν προκόπτειν
5, 6. ἂν---πρέποι om. (ἃ πρέποι ad πρέποι scilicet transiliens) w. 5. ὑφέ-
οντι V. II. τὸ τῆς κτίσεως μέτρον C.v.w. Comm. [μέτρον numero si
everus] τῶν τῆς κτίσεως μέτρων Edd. 14. οὐκ om. (sic) C.w. exhibet
ovro C.v.w. Sev. Comm. ἐκραταιοῦτο πνεύματι Edd. [πνεύματι supra exhibet, hic
om. v. 21. αὐτό C.w. αὐτῷ Comm. Edd. ἔχων v.w. ἔχον C. Comm. Edd. 22. χάριν prius om. C. Comm. 23. ἥνπερ v.w. πρέκοι C...
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.