Faith and Worldly Distractions
The things of this world are either vanity or uselessness, for some people do not preserve them for any useful purpose, but rather act foolishly, as they are seen acting without a purpose.
The present life is marked by superfluous and useless distractions, as well as the filthiness of worldly desires.
The disciple of Christ warns us, saying, 'Do not love the world or the things in the world' (1 John 2:15), and 'if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence towards God' (1 John 3:21).
As long as we are on this path of life, which is a journey taken by all people, we should receive and not disregard the reminder from our conscience.
However, if we disregard and run past our life, our conscience will accuse you before the judge, make you subject to the verdict of the one judging, and subject you to unbearable punishments.
We would not have suffered these things if we had obtained favor towards the opponent by receiving rebukes with favor, as the divine evangelist John also reminds us that if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence towards God (1 John 3:21).
Our faith is the victory that has conquered the world, and it is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God who conquers the world (1 John 5:5).
Neither Greek, nor Jew, nor heretic can stand against this faith once the victorious works of our faith have been brought forth.
Beloved, making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I had a necessity to write to you, exhorting you to struggle for the faith once delivered to the saints.
While simultaneously safeguarding us and condemning the heretics, the Holy Spirit, through the prophets and apostles, has forewarned us about the rise of heretics, making us more secure in our faith, so that we will not be caught off guard by their clever arguments.
We are not to be distracted by the heretics' deception and wicked faith.
Greek
Κυρίλλου. Καὶ τί τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἢ ματαιότης, ἢν ἐπ' οὐδενὶ τῶν χρησίμων τηροῦσί τινες; Ἤγουν ἐμμόνως ὁρῶνται πράττοντες· ὁ περιττὸς καὶ ἀνόνητος τοῦ παρόντος βίου περισπασμός· ἡ τῶν κοσμικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν χυδαιότης. Ἐξίστησιν ἡμᾶς ὁ Χριστοῦ μαθητὴς οὕτω λέγων· Μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν κόσμον, μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἀγαπητοὶ, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν μὴ καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν, παῤῥησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Κυρίλλου. Ἕως εἶ κατὰ τὸν βίον τοῦτον, ὁδὸς γὰρ 74.1024 ὁ βίος ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων παροδευόμενος, προσδέχου καὶ μὴ παραλογίζου τὴν ἐκ τοῦ συνειδότος ὑπόμνησιν· εἰ δὲ παραλογίσῃ καὶ παραδράμῃς τὸν βίον, αὐτὸ τὸ συνειδὸς ἀντιδίκου τάξιν ἐπέχον ἐπὶ τοῦ κριτοῦ κατηγορήσει, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν ψῆφον ποιήσει σε τοῦ δικάζοντος, καὶ παραδοθήσῃ ταῖς ἀνηκέστοις κολάσεσιν. Ἃ οὐκ ἂν ἔπαθες, εἴ γε κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν εὔνοιαν ἐκτήσω πρὸς τὸν ἀντίδικον, τοὺς ἐλέγχους ὡς μετ' εὐνοίας προσφερομένους καταδεχόμενος. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος εὐαγγελιστὴς Ἰωάννης ἐπιστέλλων φησίν· Ἐὰν ἡ συνείδησις ἡμῶν μὴ καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν, παῤῥησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ νίκη ἡ νικήσασα τὸν κόσμον, ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν. Τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ νικῶν τὸν κόσμον, εἰ μὴ ὁ πιστεύων ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ; 11 Κυρίλλου. Καὶ οὔτε Ἕλλην, οὔτε Ἰουδαῖος, οὔτε αἱρετικὸς δύναται πρὸς αὐτὴν, ἅπαξ τοῖς ἔργοις τὰ νικητήρια τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς πίστεως ἀπενεγκαμένης. IN EPISTOLAM JUDE. 1 Ἀγαπητοὶ, πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ποιούμενος γράφειν ὑμῖν περὶ τῆς κοινῆς ἡμῶν σωτηρίας, ἀνάγκην ἔσχον γράψαι ὑμῖν παρακαλῶν ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείσῃ τοῖς ἁγίοις πίστει. Κυρίλλου. Ὁμοῦ μὲν ἀσφαλιζόμενος ἡμᾶς, ὁμοῦ δὲ καταστίζων τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς ταῦτά φησι. Οὐκοῦν οὐ ξενιστέον ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν αἱρετικῶν πλάνῃ τε καὶ κακοπιστίᾳ· τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος προμηνύσαντος ἡμῖν διὰ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν τε καὶ ἀποστόλων τὴν τούτων ἔγερσιν. Μᾶλλον γὰρ ἡμᾶς διὰ τῆσδε τῆς προφητείας ἀσφαλεστέρους ἐποίησεν, ὥστε μὴ ταῖς σοφιστείαις τούτων ἁλῶναι. 12
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.