Fragments on Acts and the Catholic Epistles · §8

Faith and Works

The Lord called them fools, saying that those who claim to be wise have become foolish. He knew that after his departure, false teachers would arise, and so the Holy Spirit, keeping us safe, warns us against the ravings of heretics. In the early days, it was customary for ships to have symbols of the Dioscuri, which were considered foreign and possibly idolatrous, as Isaiah says, they will sail in foreign ships, navigating the sea (Isaiah 60:9). We must ask in faith, without doubting, for the doubter is a blasphemer. If we do not believe that our requests will be fulfilled, we should not approach God at all, lest we be found guilty of accusing him of not being able to fulfill our requests. To avoid this shameful disease of doubting, we must bring the rational sacrifice and be strengthened by the laws of nature, striking the center of inexorable love, and not exchange any earthly thing for the love towards God. The apostle James says that our father Abraham was justified by his works, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar, while the apostle Paul says that he was justified by faith. This apparent contradiction must be understood in the context of faith and works. Before Abraham had Isaac, he believed in God and received Isaac as a reward of his faith. This faith was not just a feeling, but a conviction that led to action. When God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham obeyed, not only doing what was commanded but also trusting in God's power to raise the dead, considering that God is able to raise from the dead. In this way, Abraham's faith was perfected through his works. The apostle Paul also testifies to the importance of faith, making David a witness to the power of faith, who wisely prepared the way for forgiveness through faith and announced it to all people, saying that faith without works is dead. This forgiveness, which would come through Christ, was known to Paul, who understood that faith cooperates with works to bring about righteousness. Therefore, the one who honors God with faith has righteousness, and if someone does not stumble in word, they are perfect and able to control their whole body.

Greek

καὶ μωροὺς αὐτοὺς ἐκάλεσε λέγων· Φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν. Ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου εἰσελεύσονται λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς, κ. τ. λ. Κυρίλλου Ἀλεξανδρείας. Ἵνα μὴ ξενιζώμεθα τῶν αἱρετικῶν τὰ ἐκβράσματα, Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ ἀσφαλιζόμενος ἡμᾶς ταῦτά φησι. Ἐν πλοίῳ ... Ἀλεξανδρινῷ παρασήμῳ ∆ιοσκούροις. 74.773 Κυρίλλου. Ἔθος ἀεί πως ἐν ταῖς Ἀλεξανδρέων μάλιστα ναυσὶ πρός γε τῇ πρώρῃ δεξιά τε καὶ εἰς εὐώνυμα γραφὰς εἶναι τοιαύτας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἦν εἰκὸς εἰδωλολατρίας κρατούσης κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ ἐν ᾧ γεγράφθαι τῇ νηῒ τοὺς ∆ιοσκόρους, ταύτῃ τοι νοεῖν ἀκόλουθον ἀλλόφυλον, τουτέστιν εἰδωλολάτριν. Καθώς που καὶ Ἡσαΐας φησί· Πετασθήσονται ἐν πλοίοις ἀλλοφύλων, θάλασσαν ἅμα προνομεύσουσιν. SANCTI CYRILLI FRAGMENTA IN EPISTOLAS CATHOLICAS. IN EPISTOLAM B. JACOBI APOSTOLI. Αἰτείτω δὲ ἐν πίστει, μηδὲν διακρινόμενος, κ. τ. λ. Κυρίλλου. Ὑβριστὴς γὰρ ὁμολογουμένως ὁ διακρινόμενος. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ πεπίστευκας ὅτι τὴν σὴν αἴτησιν ἀποπεραίνει, μηδὲ προσῆλθες ὅλως ἵνα μὴ κατήγορος εὑρεθῇς τοῦ πάντα ἰσχύοντος, διψυχήσας ἀβουλήτως. Χρὴ τοιγαροῦν τὴν οὕτως αἰσχρὰν παραιτεῖσθαι νόσον. Θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενὲ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων νεκρά ἐστι; Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν, κ. τ. λ. Κυρίλλου ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Ῥωμαίους Ἐπιστολῆς. Ἐπειδὴ ὁ μακάριος Ἰάκωβος τὸν Ἀβραὰμ λέγει ἐξἔργων δεδικαιῶσθαι ἀνενεγκόντα Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, ὁ δὲ Παῦλος λέγει αὐτὸν ἐκ πίστεως δεδικαιῶσθαι, οὕτω τὴν δοκοῦσαν ἐναντιότητα νοητέον· ὅτι πρὸ μὲν τοῦ ἔχειν τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ἐπίστευσεν, καὶ μισθὸν πίστεως ἔλαβε τὸν Ἰσαάκ· ὅμως καὶ ὅτε ἀνήνεγκε τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, οὐ μόνον τὸ ἔργον ἐποίει ὃ προσετάγη, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἀπέστη, ὅτι Ἐν τῷ Ἰσαὰκ μέλλει τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ πολυπληθεῖν ὡς τὰ ἄστρα, λογισάμενος, ὅτι Καὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγεῖραι δυνατὸς ὁ Θεός. Ὅμως ὁ Παῦλος μάρτυρα τῶν ἰδΐων λόγων καὶ συλλήπτορα ποιεῖται τὸν μακάριον ∆αβὶδ, ἄνδρα διαβόητον ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ, καὶ σοφῶς διασκευάζει ὡς ἐν Πνεύματι τὴν διὰ πίστεως ἄφεσιν καὶ διαγγέλλει πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις· ᾔδει γὰρ ἐν Χριστῷ παρεσομένην κατὰ καιρούς. Βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη; Κυρίλλου. Προσεκόμιζε τὸ λογικὸν ἱερεῖον, καὶ τοῖς τῆς φύσεως νόμοις ἐῤῥῶσθαι φράσας, καὶ τῆς ἀπαραιτήτου φιλοστοργίας πατήσας τὸ κέντρον, καὶ τῶν ἐπιγείων οὐδὲν τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀντιπαρεξάγων ἀγάπης. 74.1009 Ἐπίστευσε δὲ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ Θεῷ. Κυρίλλου. Γέρας οὖν ἔχει τὴν δικαιοσύνην ὁ πίστει τιμῶν τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν καὶ ∆εσπότην. Εἴ τις ἐν λόγῳ οὐ πταίει, οὗτος τέλειος ἀνὴρ, δυνατὸς χαλιναγωγῆσαι καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα. 6

About this text

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

Witnesses

Copy-text PG 74 (Greek)

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