Abandonment ends in shared blood and flesh; Philippians kenosis
…the Word, and he took hold of Abraham’s seed and was made like the brothers. After that ancient curse and the corruption that came in, the abandonment that human nature endured at the beginning had to end. So as being one of those forsaken — insofar as he himself likewise shared blood and flesh with us (Hebrews 2:14–16) — he says “Why have you forsaken me?” which was the act of one clearly undoing the abandonment that happened to us, and as it were entreating the Father over himself, and calling into favor what concerns us as concerning himself first. For Christ has become for us both beginning and sponsor of every good; so that even if something is said to be received in a human way from the Father, he procured this for our nature, himself being full and altogether in need of nothing as God.
“Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be seized, but emptied himself, taking a slave’s form, becoming in the likeness of humans; and being found in shape as a human he humbled himself, becoming obedient as far as death — death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and granted him the name above every name, that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee should bow of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5–11) See clearly: he says the God Word who is in the form and equality of God the Father did not count being equal to God a thing to be seized, but was emptied…
Greek
…Λόγος, ἐπελάβετό τε σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ καὶ ὡμοιώθη τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς. ἔδει μετὰ τῆς ἀρχαίας ἐκείνης ἀρᾶς καὶ τῆς ἐπεισάκτου φθορᾶς καταλῆξαι τὴν ἐγκατάλειψιν, ἣν ὑπέμεινεν ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἡ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φύσις. ὡς οὖν εἷς ὢν τῶν ἐγκαταλελειμμένων, καθὸ καὶ αὐτὸς παραπλησίως ἡμῖν μετέσχεν αἵματος καὶ σαρκός, τό «Ἱνατί με ἐγκατέλιπες;» φησίν· ὅπερ ἦν λύοντος ἐναργῶς τὴν συμβᾶσαν ἡμῖν ἐγκατάλειψιν, καὶ οἷον ἐκδυσωποῦντος ἐφ’ ἑαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ καλοῦντος εἰς εὐμένειαν τὴν ἐφ’ ἡμῖν ὡς ἐφ’ ἑαυτῷ τε καὶ πρώτῳ. παντὸς γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀγαθοῦ γέγονεν ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ ἀρχὴ καὶ πρόξενος· ὥστε κἂν εἴ τι λέγοιτο λαβεῖν ἀνθρωπίνως παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός, τοῦτο τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ προὐξένησε φύσει, πλήρης ὑπάρχων αὐτὸς καὶ οὐδενὸς τὸ παράπαν ἐπιδεὴς ὡς Θεός.
«Τοῦτο φρονεῖτε ἐν ὑμῖν ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ’ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος· καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. διὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσε καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα, ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται ὅτι Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρός.» ἰδοὺ δὴ σαφῶς τὸν ἐν μορφῇ καὶ ἰσότητι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς Θεὸν Λόγον οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσασθαί φησι τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, κεκενῶσθαι δὲ…
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.