Many justified by the obedient Only-begotten made human; servant yet God
So when the holy writing says that many have been justified through one person’s obedience (Romans 5:19), we do not say that a bare human, one of those like us, was taken for this, but rather that the Only-begotten has become human and has become obedient to the Father for us. “He did no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth,” (1 Peter 2:22) as it is written.
“For I say that Christ has become a servant of circumcision for God’s truth, to confirm the promises of the fathers, and that the nations might glorify God for mercy.” (Romans 15:8–9) The divine Paul says the promises given to the fathers belong to the Jews. And the blessed prophets also cried out beforehand about Christ, that he himself will be the expectation of the nations (Genesis 49:10). So our Lord Jesus the Christ, agreeing with the Father’s nods, became a servant to the circumcision — that is, to the Jews — to confirm what was promised in the fathers; for it had been said that “the righteous will live from faith” (Habakkuk 2:4); but for those from the nations a spiritual and life-giving blessing, so that they too, being shown mercy through faith, might glorify God. Yet even if he became a servant in a human way, still he is proclaimed as God both to those from circumcision and also to those from the nations. For they have been called into life not as to one bare human among us, but as to God, having believed in Christ; and confessing that the Word from God exists not outside flesh — that is, humanity — they worship him as having been enfleshed and become human. For the word of faith that we proclaim the blessed Paul makes clear saying: “that if you confess with your mouth (Romans 10:9)…
Greek
ὅταν οὖν λέγῃ τὸ γράμμα τὸ ἱερὸν δι’ ὑπακοῆς ἑνὸς δεδικαιῶσθαι πολλούς, οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἁπλῶς ἕνα τῶν καθ’ ἡμᾶς εἰς τοῦτο παραληφθῆναί φαμεν, ἐνηνθρωπηκότα δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν Μονογενῆ καὶ ὑπήκοον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γεγονότα τῷ Πατρί. «ὃς ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ,» καθὰ γέγραπται.
«Λέγω γὰρ Χριστὸν διάκονον γεγενῆσθαι περιτομῆς ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας Θεοῦ εἰς τὸ βεβαιῶσαι τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τῶν πατέρων, τὰ δὲ ἔθνη ὑπὲρ ἐλέους δοξάσαι τὸν Θεόν.» Ἰουδαίων εἶναί φησι τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τὰς τοῖς πατράσι δεδωρημένας ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος. προανεκεκράγεσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ μακάριοι προφῆται περὶ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἔσται προσδοκία ἐθνῶν. οὐκοῦν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς, τοῖς τοῦ Πατρὸς νεύμασι συναινῶν, γέγονε μὲν τῇ περιτομῇ, τουτέστι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, διάκονος, εἰς βεβαίωσιν τῶν ἐν τοῖς πατράσιν ἐπηγγελμένων· εἴρητο γὰρ ὅτι «ὁ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται»· τοῖς γε μὴν ἐξ ἐθνῶν εὐλογία πνευματικὴ καὶ ζωοποιός· ὥστε καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐλεουμένους διὰ τῆς πίστεως δοξολογῆσαι Θεόν. ἀλλ’ εἰ καὶ γέγονε διάκονος ἀνθρωπίνως, ἀλλ’ οὖν ὡς Θεὸς κηρύττεται τοῖς τε ἐκ περιτομῆς καὶ μέντοι καὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν. κέκληνται γὰρ εἰς ζωὴν, οὐχ ὡς εἰς ἕνα τῶν καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἄνθρωπον ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ’ ὡς εἰς Θεὸν, πιστεύσαντες εἰς Χριστόν· καὶ οὐκ ἔξω σαρκὸς, ἤγουν ἀνθρωπότητος, τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Λόγον ὁμολογοῦντες ὑπάρχειν, σεσαρκωμένον δὲ καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα προσκυνοῦντες αὐτόν. τὸ γάρ τοι ῥῆμα τῆς πίστεως ὃ κηρύσσομεν διατρανοῖ λέγων ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· «Ὅτι ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃς ἐν τῷ στόματί σου…
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.