Passes heavens as God and flesh; priestly call fits assumed humanity
Tempted—from where? For he was merciful by nature and is as God; but since, along with being what he is, he also became as we are, these things are also said of him in a human way. And it says he passed through the heavens both bodily and in a God-befitting way. For he went up, as the all-wise Paul says somewhere, “now to appear before the face of God for us,” (Hebrews 9:24) yet he also passes through the heavens in another manner, the blessed angels being worsted and going behind his glory. For he is, he is, as God above every rule and authority and lordship and every name that is named, whether in this age or in the one to come (Ephesians 1:21). For he sits with his own Father as Son even if he became as we are economically.
“And no one takes the honor for himself, but being called by God, just as Aaron also was. So also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but the one who spoke to him: You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” (Hebrews 5:4–5) (Psalm 2:7) The one who let himself down into emptying awaits the Father’s call that carries him into priesthood—the call most customary and fitting not rather to his own nature, but to the nature that is as we are, that is the human, into which, since he has come inside it, he endures what belongs to it. So he has been called as Aaron also was, yet not in an equal manner. For the one was anointed toward priestly service and was a household slave, but this one is called as Son and ministers to the Father according to the order of Melchizedek. “Who in the days of his flesh, having offered petitions and entreaties with a strong cry and tears to the one able to save him from death, and having been heard from reverence, although being Son, learned obedience from what he suffered, and having been perfected became to all who obey him cause of eternal salvation.” (Hebrews 5:7–9)
Greek
πεπειρᾶσθαι· πόθεν; ἦν γὰρ ἐλεήμων φύσει καὶ ἔστιν ὡς Θεός· ἐπειδὴ δὲ μετὰ τοῦ εἶναι ὅ ἐστι, καὶ γέγονε καθ’ ἡμᾶς, ἀνθρωποπρεπῶς καὶ ταῦτα λέγεται περὶ αὐτοῦ. διαβῆναι δέ φησι τοὺς οὐρανοὺς αὐτὸν σωματικῶς τε ἅμα καὶ θεοπρεπῶς. ἀνέβη μὲν γάρ, ὡς αὐτὸς που φησὶν ὁ σοφώτατος Παῦλος, «νῦν ἐμφανισθῆναι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν,» διέρχεται γεμὴν καὶ καθ’ ἕτερον τρόπον τοὺς οὐρανούς, ἡττωμένων δηλονότι καὶ κατόπιν ἰόντων τῆς δόξης τῶν μακαρίων ἀγγέλων. ἔστι γὰρ ἔστιν ὡς Θεὸς ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς ἐξουσίας τε καὶ κυριότητος καὶ παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου, εἴτε ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ εἴτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. συνεδρεύει γὰρ ὡς Υἱὸς τῷ ἰδίῳ Πατρὶ καὶ εἰ γέγονε καθ’ ἡμᾶς οἰκονομικῶς.
«Καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τις λαμβάνει τὴν τιμήν, ἀλλὰ καλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ καθάπερ καὶ Ἀαρών· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτὸν ἐδόξασε γενηθῆναι ἀρχιερέα, ἀλλ’ ὁ λαλήσας πρὸς αὐτόν· Υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε.» ὁ καθεὶς ἑαυτὸν εἰς κένωσιν περιμένει κλῆσιν τὴν ἐκ Πατρὸς ἀποφέρουσαν εἰς ἱερωσύνην, τὴν ὅτι δὴ μάλιστα συνήθη καὶ πρεπωδεστάτην, οὐ τῇ αὑτοῦ φύσει μᾶλλον, ἀλλὰ τῇ καθ’ ἡμᾶς, τουτέστι τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ, ἧς ἐπείπερ εἴσω γέγονεν, ὑπομένει τὰ αὐτῆς. κέκληται τοίνυν καθὰ καὶ Ἀαρών, πλὴν οὐκ ἐν ἴσῳ τρόπῳ. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐχρίετο πρὸς ἱερουργίαν καὶ ἦν οἰκέτης, ὁ δὲ ὡς Υἱὸς καλεῖται καὶ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ ἱερουργεῖ τῷ Πατρί. «Ὃς ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ δεήσεις τε καὶ ἱκετηρίας πρὸς τὸν δυνάμενον σώζειν αὐτὸν ἐκ θανάτου μετὰ κραυγῆς ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ δακρύων προσενέγκας, καὶ εἰσακουσθεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς εὐλαβείας, καίπερ ὢν υἱός, ἔμαθεν ἀφ’ ὧν ἔπαθε τὴν ὑπακοήν, καὶ τελειωθεὶς ἐγένετο πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ αἴτιος σωτηρίας αἰωνίου.»
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.