Fragments Against Theodore, Book 3 · §2 · Cyril of Alexandria

Give back his flesh in inseparable union

Click or tap any sentence to jump there. The side buttons skip a paragraph.

Cyril is addressing Theodore directly, urging him to confess the one Son in an inseparable union of divinity and flesh.

But give back to him his flesh in an inseparable union, and do not strip him of the veil. For in this way you will worship one Son, consubstantial with the Father divinely, and the same one consubstantial with us humanly. To those who have chosen to think thus, Christ will reveal the knowledge of the mystery concerning himself.

For the nature of humanity in Christ was being honored and sanctified. As to what pertains to being, he would not have needed baptism, nor to share in the Holy Spirit. Most of all it will suffice for full assurance that he himself is the giver of the Spirit.

Greek

πλὴν ἀπόδος αὐτῷ καθ' ἕνωσιν ἀδιάσπαστον τὴν σάρκα αὐτοῦ, μὴ ἀπογυμνώσῃς αὐτὸν τοῦ καταπετάσματος· οὕτω γὰρ ἕνα προσκυνήσεις Υἱὸν, ὁμοούσιον μὲν τῷ Πατρὶ

θεϊκῶς, ὁμοούσιον δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν τὸν αὐτὸν ἀνθρωπίνως. τοῖς οὕτω φρονεῖν ᾑρημένοις ἀναστρέψει Χριστὸς τοῦ καθ' ἑαυτὸν μυστηρίου τὴν γνῶσιν. βʹ. Ἦν γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρώπου φύσις ἡ ἐν Χριστῷ τιμωμένη τε καὶ ἁγιαζομένη· ὅτι γὰρ τό γε ἧκον εἰς τὸ εἶναι, οὔτ' ἂν ἐδεήθη βαπτίσματος, οὔτε μὴν τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος μετασχεῖν, μάλιστα μὲν ἀρκέσει πρὸς πληροφορίαν τὸ αὐτὸν εἶναι τοῦ Πνεύματος χορηγόν.