Fragments on Acts and the Catholic Epistles · §4

Removal of Corruption

The sandal of your feet is a sign of death and corruption, for every sandal is a remnant of a dead and corrupted animal, and thus Christ is inaccessible to those who are still bound by the law and pedagogical worship.

It is necessary to remove the stain and the dirt from sin, and to wipe away the dirt that comes from sin, which includes removing the filth that arises from sin, and also to remove the defilement and to scrape off the dirt that comes from sin, in order to be transplanted beyond Babylon.

You have filled up the evil of the Moabites, neighbor of Damascus, therefore you will be expelled from Damascus to Babylon.

Jacob asked to find a dwelling place for God, saying that he would not rest until he found the place of the Lord and the dwelling of God, which is clearly Christ (Genesis 28:22).

However, Solomon built a house for him, but the Most High does not dwell in handmade temples (1 Kings 8:27).

The wise Solomon built a famous temple in Jerusalem, and the crowd of Jews was very pleased with it, thinking that God had dwelled in it, but they were slow to understand and ignorant of the words of God.

They thought Jerusalem was the city of God and that he dwelled only in it, but God rebukes those who think small, saying, 'What kind of house will you build for me, who has the heaven as a throne and the earth as a footstool?' (Isaiah 66:1-2, Acts 7:49-50).

Stephen was stoned, calling out and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit' (Acts 7:59).

As the holy Cyril says, I commit my spirit into your hands.

This is a great and extraordinary achievement for our souls, as Stephen, with his knees down, cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them' (Luke 23:34, Acts 7:60).

After saying this, he fell asleep.

Saul was in agreement with his murder.

Stephen's prayer was not just a simple one, but one that was said with attention and care, as he was apologizing, saying that not even the previous things were of anger, he says, 'Lord', and wanting to draw them to this.

For just as he was apologizing, he was able to leave his anger and wrath behind, and cleanse his soul of the passion, making his words acceptable.

In the introductions of his preaching, Stephen was like a river flowing above the rest, silencing all his opponents and stopping the shameless tongues of the Jews, who were unable to withstand him, as he was confounding all the Jewish things, and setting up a bright trophy and a manifest victory.

He was a generous and wise man, full of grace, and his preaching benefited the Church greatly, even though he did not preach for a long time.

Unfortunately, he was suddenly seized and condemned as a blasphemer, and stoned.

Greek

τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν σου. Κυρίλλου. Νεκρότητός τε καὶ φθορᾶς τὸ χρῆμα σημεῖον· εἴπερ ἐστὶ πᾶν ὑπόδημα ζώου λείψανον τεθνεῶτος ἤδη καὶ κατεφθαρμένου. Ἀπρόσιτος οὖν ὁ Χριστὸς τοῖς ἐν νόμῳ καὶ παιδαγωγικῇ λατρείᾳ. Προσαπονίζεσθαι γὰρ ἀνάγκη τὸν μολυσμὸν, καὶ τὸν ἐκ τῆς ἁμαρτίας προαποτρίβεσθαι ῥύπον. Καὶ μετοικιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐπέκεινα Βαβυλῶνος. Κυρίλλου. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὴν Μωαβιτῶν κακίαν πεπληρώκατε τῆς γείτονος ∆αμασκοῦ, ταύτῃ τοι οἰχήσεσθαι ∆αμασκοῦ ἐπέκεινα, τουτέστιν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα. Καὶ ᾐτήσατο εὑρεῖν σκήνωμα τῷ Θεῷ Ἰακώβ. Κυρίλλου. Οὐδεμιᾶς γὰρ, φησὶ, ἀναπαύλης μεθέξω, πρὶν ἂν μάθοιμι τὸν τοῦ Κυρίου τόπον καὶ τὸ σκήνωμα (τουτέστι τὴν σκήνωσιν) τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰακώβ· δῆλον δὲ ὅτι Χριστοῦ. Σολομὼν δὲ ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτῷ οἶκον· ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Ὕψιστος ἐν χειροποιήτοις ναοῖς κατοικεῖ. Κυρίλλου. Ἀνεδείματο μὲν ἐν τοῖς Ἰεροσολύμοις 74.765 τὸν διαβόητον ἐκεῖνον νεὼν ὁ σοφώτατος Σολομών· ἐπεγάννυτο δὲ λίαν αὐτῷ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὁ δῆμος, ᾤοντό τε ὅτι κατῴκησεν ἐν αὐτῷ περιειλημμένος ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός. Βραδεῖς γὰρ ἀεί πως εἰς σύνεσιν καὶ τῶν περὶ Θεοῦ λόγων ἀνεπιστήμονες· οἵ γε καὶ Θεοῦ πόλιν οἰηθέντες τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ καὶ μόνῃ διετείνοντο [Cod. διεγίνοντο] κατοικεῖν αὐτὸν, διά τοι τοῦ λέγεσθαι διὰ φωνῆς τοῦ ∆αβίδ· ∆εδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη περὶ σοῦ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ Θεοῦ. Σμικρὰ τοιγαροῦν δοξάζοντας ἐλέγχει Θεὸς, καί φησι· Ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι, θρόνον ἔχοντι τὸν οὐρανὸν, ὑποπόδιον τὴν γῆν; Καὶ ἐλιθοβόλουν τὸν Στέφανον, ἐπικαλούμενον καὶ λέγοντα· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου. Τοῦ ἁγίου Κυρίλλου εἰς τὸ Πάτερ, εἰς χεῖράς σου παρατίθημι τὸ πνεῦμά μου. Μέγα πάλιν καὶ ἐξαίρετον κατόρθωμα ταῖς ἡμετέραις ψυχαῖς, Θεὶς δὲ τὰ γόνατα, ἔκραξε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· Κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐκοιμήθη. Σαῦλος δὲ ἦν συνευδοκῶν τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀπολογούμενος ὅτι οὐδὲ τὰ πρότερα ἦν θυμοῦ, φησί· Κύριε· καὶ βουλόμενος αὐτοὺς ταύτῃ ἐπισπάσασθαι. Τὸ γὰρ ἀφεῖναι μὲν τὸν θυμὸν καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν τῷ φόνῳ, καθαρθῆναι δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ πάθους, εὐπαράδεκτον ἐποίει τὸν λόγον. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εὔχεται ὁ μακάριος οὗτος, ἀλλὰ μετὰ προσοχῆς θεὶς τὰ γόνατα. Ὅρα θεῖον αὐτοῦ τὸν θάνατον· μέχρι τούτου συνεχώρησε τὴν ψυχὴν εἶναι ἐν αὐτῷ ὁ ∆εσπότης. Ἐν προοιμίοις τοῦ κηρύγματος ὁ Στέφανος ὑπὲρ τοὺς ποταμοὺς ῥέων καὶ πάντας ἐπιστοματίζων, ὁ τὰς ἀναισχύντους ἀποφράττων Ἰουδαίων γλώττας, ᾧ οὐδεὶς ἀντιστῆναι ἠδύνατο, ὁ πάντα συγχεὶς τὰ Ἰουδαϊκὰ, ὁ λαμπρὸν στήσας τρόπαιον καὶ νίκην περιφανῆ, ὁ γενναῖος οὗτος καὶ σοφὸς, καὶ χάριτος πεπληρωμένος, καὶ τοσαύτην Ἐκκλησίαν ὠφελῶν, οὐδὲ πολὺν χρόνον ποιήσας ἐν τῷ κηρύγματι, ἀθρόον ἡρπάγη· καὶ ὡς βλάσφημος κατεδικάζετο καὶ κατελιθοβολεῖτο. 3

About this text

Cyril of Alexandria, Fragmenta in Acta et epistulas catholicas (Greek).

Witnesses

Copy-text PG 74 (Greek)

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.