Patience and Faith
The wrath of God is almost upon us, trampling and slaughtering the strong and the fat like rams and bulls.
To the wealthy it is said: Come now, weep and wail over the troubles that are coming upon you.
You have lived in luxury, squandered your wealth on the earth, and nourished your hearts as if it were a day of slaughter.
The leaders of the Jews have become like those who graze in a fertile and spacious land, feeding on the donations from the people.
Having been caught as if by the Lord’s sword, the cowards are urged: therefore, brothers, be patient until the coming of the Lord.
For if God delays the punishment of sinners, waiting for their repentance, He does not do so because He has changed or because He loves sinners, but because He gives them time to return.
Having declared the punishment of the wicked, He advises those who have been wronged to be patient, awaiting the coming of the Lord.
At the same time, He also forbids taking oaths and encourages diligence in prayer and psalm-singing, and having faith in the priests of God and love towards each other, as also to pray for one another.
The proof of the power of prayer is brought forward in the example of Elijah.
And finally, the reward of sinners who return.
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath.
If someone shameless, not entreating your life, dares to impose an oath on you, let your yes be yes and your no be no, instead of an oath.
This is because swearing by heaven and earth risks giving creation honor above itself, which is to make it godlike.
For those who swear by something greater are, in effect, swearing by that greater thing, as the Apostle says.
If you believe in the one you do not see, you rejoice with inexpressible and glorified joy, obtaining the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9).
How terrible and difficult is unbelief, but how great is faith as a good, a precursor to every salvation.
As it is written: Behold, I place a chosen, precious stone in Zion, and the one who believes in it will not be put to shame (Isaiah 28:16).
Therefore the honor is yours, to those who believe.
This stone is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is called chosen, precious, and honorable, reflecting the glory and excellence of divinity.
He is also called a cornerstone, as He unites the two peoples, from Israel and from the nations, into one spiritual temple through one faith.
And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.
But observe how He brings relief to the afflicted…
The text breaks off here, leaving the sentence incomplete.
Greek
Κυρίλλου. Τουτέστιν ἡ ὀργὴ μονονουχὶ κατασφάξασα, καὶ οἷόν τινας κριοὺς καὶ ταύρους ἁδρούς τε καὶ πίονας καταστρώσασα. Οἷς ἂν εἰκότως λέγοιτο πρὸς ἡμῶν· Ἄγε νῦν, οἱ πλούσιοι, κλαύσατε ὀλολύζοντες ἐπὶ ταῖς ταλαιπωρίαις ὑμῶν ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις. Προσεποίσομεν δὲ τούτοις τὸ, Ἐτρυφήσατε, ἐσπαταλήσατε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἐθρέψατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς. Τοιοῦτοι γὰρ γεγόνασιν οἱ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καθηγηταὶ, καταβοσκόμενοι μὲν τρόπον τινὰ τόπον πίονα καὶ εὐρύχωρον, τὰς ἐκ τῶν λαῶν δωροφορίας. Καταπιανθέντες δὲ ὥσπερ ταῖς τῇ τοῦ Κυρίου μαχαίρᾳ περιπεσόντες οἱ δείλαιοι· Μακροθυμήσατε οὖν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἕως τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Κυρίου. Κυρίλλου. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὑπερτίθεται, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων τὴν τιμωρίαν, περιμένων αὐτῶν τὴν μετάνοιαν, οὐχ ὡς μεταβεβλημένος ταῦτα ποιεῖ, ἢ καὶ φιλῶν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, ἀλλὰ καιρὸν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστροφῆς παρέχων Εἰπὼν τῶν ἀδίκων τὴν τιμωρίαν, τοῖς ἀδικηθεῖσιν εἰκότως μακροθυμεῖν παραινεῖ τὴν παρουσίαν ἐκδεχομένοις τοῦ Κυρίου. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὅρκων ἀπαγορεύει ἅπτεσθαι, καὶ 7 προσευχῇ καὶ ψαλμῳδίᾳ σχολάζειν, καὶ πίστιν ἔχειν περὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγάπην, ὡς καὶ δέεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων· καὶ ἡ ἀπόδειξις τῆς ἰσχύος τῆς προσευχῆς ὁ Ἠλίας εἰς μέσον φέρεται· καὶ τελευταῖον, ὅσος ὁ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐπιστρεφόντων ὁ μισθός. Πρὸ πάντων δὲ, ἀδελφοί μου, μὴ ὀμνύετε, μήτε τὸν οὐρανὸν, μήτε τὴν γῆν, μήτε ἄλλον τινὰ ὅρκον. Κυρίλλου. Ἔστω ἡ τοῦ βίου ἡμῶν μαρτυρία βεβαιοτέρα ὅρκου. Εἰ δέ τις ἀναιδὴς, μὴ δυσωπούμενος ὑμῶν τῷ βίῳ, τολμᾷ ὑμῖν ἐπαγαγεῖν ὅρκον· ἔστω ὑμῖν τὸ Ναὶ, ναὶ, καὶ τὸ Οὒ, οὒ, ἀντὶ τοῦ ὅρκου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κωλύει ἡμᾶς ὀμνύναι κατὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, ἵνα μὴ δῶμεν τῇ κτίσει τὸ ὑπὲρ κτίσιν ἀξίωμα, θεοποιοῦντες αὐτά. Οἱ γὰρ ὀμνύντες, φησὶ, κατὰ τοῦ μείζονος ὀμνύουσιν, ὡς ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησι. IN EPISTOLAM I B. PETRI. Εἰς ὃν, ἄρτι μὴ ὁρῶντες, πιστεύοντες δὲ, ἀγαλ λιᾶσθε χαρᾷ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ καὶ δεδοξασμένῃ, κομιζόμενοι τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν, σωτη ρίαν ψυχῶν. Κυρίλλου. ∆εινὸν τοίνυν καὶ χαλεπὸν ἡ ἀπιστία, 74.1013 μέγιστον δὲ ἀγαθῶν ἡ πίστις, πρόξενος πάσης σωτηρίας καθεστῶσα. ∆ιότι περιέχει ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ· Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον ἀκρογωνιαῖον, ἐκλεκτὸν, ἔντιμον· καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτῷ, οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ. Ὑμῖν οὖν ἡ τιμὴ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν. Κυρίλλου. Λίθον μὲν ἐκλεκτὸν, πολυτελῆ καὶ ἔντιμον, τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀποκαλεῖ, τῇ τῆς θεότητος δόξῃ καὶ ὑπεροχῇ διαπρέποντα. Ἀκρογωνιαῖον δέ φησιν, ὡς διὰ πίστεως μιᾶς κατασφίγγοντα πρὸς ἑνότητα πνευματικὴν τοὺς δύο λαοὺς, τὸν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τὸν ἐξ ἐθνῶν. Ἀλλ', Ὁ πιστεύων, φησὶν, ἐπ' αὐτῷ, οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ. Ἄθρει δὲ πῶς ἀνίησι τοῖς τεθλιμμένοις τὸ
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.