The Supersession of Law by Faith in Christ
The manner of his leadership has become exceedingly wise, subtly and ingeniously prepared.
He said, 'Speaking to the fathers in the prophets.'
For it draws from legal writings, from spiritual conceptions, and from the many-turned forewarning of the holy prophets.
And his goal is to teach everywhere and to persuade those who approach that the types given through Moses were indeed the labor pains of truth, but that truth itself is Christ.
He shows that the notion of deriving necessity from mere type and shadow is superfluous for those of old who sought to exhibit it.
Moreover, he makes this evident to us: even those who have lived splendidly under the law have come to glory and esteem, not by any other means, but through faith toward God—faith which is an ancient thing, deeply ingrained in the holy fathers.
He did not resort to his customary openings and prefaces, because he was under suspicion and slander from believers among the Jews, who regarded him as one approaching from the Gentiles, teaching everywhere that the law and the paternal customs were to be regarded as nothing, and that one ought to go another way.
Economically, therefore, he surrounds the customary, and has indeed been silent concerning the grace of the apostleship.
He has withdrawn more to remember that it is necessary to remember fathers and holy prophets, expecting their word to be well-received through this.
Therefore he said, 'Speaking to the fathers in the prophets.'
Greek
Fragmenta in sancti Pauli epistulam ad Hebraeos CYRILLI ARCHIEPISCOPI ALEXANDRINI COMMENTARIORUM IN EPISTOLAM AD HEBRAEOS FRAGMENTA QUOT REPERIRI POTUERUNT. PRAEFATIONIS FRAGMENTUM. ΓΕΓΟΝΕ δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ σφόδρα σοφὸς ὁ τῆς ὑφηγήσεως τρόπος καὶ πολὺ δὴ λεπτῶς καὶ εὐμηχάνως ἐσκευασμένος. διαποικίλλεται γὰρ ἔκ τε νομικῶν γραμμάτων καὶ πνευματικῶν ἐννοιῶν καὶ τῆς τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν πολυτρόπου προαναῤῥήσεως, καὶ σκοπὸς αὐτῷ καταδιδάξαι πανταχῆ καὶ ἀναπείθειν τοὺς ἐντευξομένους ὅτι τύποι μὲν ἦσαν τὰ διὰ Μωυσέως τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ὠδίνοντα δύναμιν, ἀλήθεια δὲ ὁ 363 Χριστός· περιττὴν ἀποφαίνων τὴν ὡς ἐκ τύπου καὶ σκιᾶς χρειωδεστάτην τοῖς πάλαι παράδειξιν. καθίστησι δὲ πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἐναργὲς, ὅτι καὶ τοῖς ἐν νόμῳ βεβιωκόσι λαμπρῶς, συμβέβηκεν οὐχ ἑτέρως τὸ ἐν εὐκλείαις γενέσθαι καὶ εὐδοκιμεῖν, πλὴν ὅτι διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς εἰς Θεὸν, καὶ ὅτι χρῆμά ἐστιν ἀρχαῖον ἡ πίστις καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις πατράσιν ἐντριβές. οὐκ ἐχρήσατο δὲ ταῖς κατειθισμέναις αὐτῷ ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ προοιμίοις, ἐπειδήπερ ἐν ὑποψίαις τε ἦν καὶ διαβολαῖς παρὰ τοῖς πιστεύσασι τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὡς τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν προσκείμενον καὶ διδάσκοντα πάντας πανταχῆ παρ' οὐδὲν ἡγεῖσθαι τὸν νόμον καὶ τῶν μὲν πατρῴων ἐθῶν ὡς εἰκαίων καταφρονεῖν, ἐφ' ἑτέραν δὲ ὥσπερ ἰέναι τρίβον, ὡς ἐκ τῶν πράξεων τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦτό ἐστι καταμαθεῖν. οἰκονομικώτατα τοίνυν περιστέλλει τὰ συνήθη, καὶ σεσίγηκε μὲν τῆς ἀποστολῆς τὴν χάριν· κεχώρηκε δὲ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τὸ μεμνῆσθαι δεῖν πατέρων τε καὶ προφητῶν ἁγίων, εὐπαράδεκτον ἔσεσθαι τὸν λόγον αὐτοῖς διὰ τούτου πεπιστευκώς. ἔφη γοῦν Λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις. Λελάληκε μὲν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀρχαιοτέροις ἐν Πνεύματι διὰ στόματος ἁγίων καὶ διὰ φωνῆς προφητῶν, καὶ γοῦν ἔφη δι' ἑνὸς αὐτῶν τὰς τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπονοίας ἐντρέπων "Οἱ "πατέρες ὑμῶν ποῦ εἰσι καὶ οἱ προφῆται μὴ τὸν αἰῶνα "ζήσονται; πλὴν τὰ νόμιμά μου καὶ τὰ προστάγματά μου "δέχεσθε ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ἐν πνεύματί μου τοῖς δούλοις "μου τοῖς προφήταις." ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἦν ἐν Πνεύματι τοῖς ἀρχαιοτέροις τῆς προφητείας ἡ χάρις, οὐ γέγονε δίχα τοῦ ἐκ Πατρὸς ὄντος Θεοῦ Λόγου· λαλεῖ γὰρ ἁγίοις ὡσαύτως τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ. καὶ οὐ δήπου φαίη τις ἂν εἴ γε νοῦν ἔχοι ὡς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον ὑπουργικὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀποπεραῖνον 364 διακονίαν, ἐν ἴσῳ προφήταις δέχεσθαι μὲν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου τὴν περὶ ὧν ἂν βούλοιτο γνῶσιν ἤγουν ἀποκάλυψιν, ποιεῖσθαι δὲ οὕτως εἰς ἡμᾶς αὐτήν· διοίσει γὰρ οὕτως κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν εἴπερ ὧδε ἔχοι· ἀλλ' εἰδὸς πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ, παρ' αὐτοῦ λαμβάνειν λέγεται καὶ ἀναγγέλλειν ἁγίοις. οὐκοῦν ἐλάλει καὶ πάλαι διὰ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος τοῖς ἀρχαιοτέροις ὁ Μονογενής· ἐλάλει δὲ πολυτρόπως, διαμορφοῦσθαι κελεύων τὸ σεπτὸν καὶ μέγα τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως ἑαυτοῦ μυστήριον· ἔστιν οὖν ἀκοῦσαι λέγοντος διὰ