Live for the one who died; ambassadors of Christ; Spirit of Christ
“For the love of Christ constrains us, having concluded this: that one died for all, therefore all died; and he died for all so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Corinthians 5:14–15)
If we are all one, and we pray to live for him — making our life solemn by needing to fulfill his will — and we live for Christ, how would he not be God, the one to whom we are indebted and for whom we are eager to live, as the one who died for us and bought us all with his own blood?
“Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were appealing through us; we beg on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20) Notice: they are ambassadors for Christ, and they say God appeals to us. Then again they say, “We beg on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God.” Therefore Christ is God; when we have been reconciled to him, we have been reconciled to God.
“But in everything we commend ourselves as servants of God.” (2 Corinthians 6:4) Those called servants of God are also called servants of Christ; therefore Christ is God.
“For we are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16) If we are temples of the living God because the Spirit dwells in us — and that Spirit is also said to be Christ’s (“for if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9)) — how is Christ not God?
“destroying arguments and every high thing raised against the knowledge of God, and taking captive (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Greek
«Ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνέχει ἡμᾶς, κρίναντας τοῦτο, ὅτι εἷς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν, ἄρα οἱ πάντες ἀπέθανον· καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν ἵνα οἱ ζῶντες μηκέτι ἑαυτοῖς ζῶσιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀποθανόντι καὶ ἐγερθέντι.»
εἰ πάντες ἕν ἐσμεν, καὶ αὐτῷ ζῆν εὐχόμεθα, κατασεμνύνοντες δηλονότι τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον διά γε τοῦ χρῆναι πληροῦν τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ, ζῶμεν δὲ τῷ Χριστῷ — πῶς οὐ Θεὸς εἴη ἄν, ᾧ κεχρεωστήμεθα καὶ ζῆν σπουδάζομεν, ὡς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τεθνεῶτι καὶ πριαμένῳ πάντας αἵματι τῷ ἰδίῳ;
«Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ οὖν πρεσβεύομεν ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι᾽ ἡμῶν· δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, καταλλάγητε τῷ Θεῷ.» ἐπιτήρησον ὅτι πρεσβεύουσι μὲν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, παρακαλεῖσθαι δὲ λέγουσιν ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. εἶτα πάλιν «δεόμεθα,» φασίν, «ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, καταλλάγητε τῷ Θεῷ.» Θεὸς οὖν ἄρα Χριστός, ᾧ καὶ κατηλλαγμένοι Θεῷ κατηλλάγμεθα.
«Ἀλλ᾽ ἐν παντὶ συνιστάντες ἑαυτοὺς ὡς Θεοῦ διάκονοι.» οἱ Θεοῦ λεγόμενοι εἶναι διάκονοι εἴρηνται καὶ Χριστοῦ· Θεὸς οὖν ἄρα Χριστός.
«Ἡμεῖς γὰρ ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐσμεν ζῶντος, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ Θεός ὅτι ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν Θεός, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μου λαός.» εἰ ναοὶ Θεοῦ ζῶντος ἐσμέν, ὡς ἐνοικοῦντος ἐν ἡμῖν τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὃ καὶ εἶναι λέγεται τοῦ Χριστοῦ — «εἰ γάρ τις,» φησί, «πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ οὐκ ἔχει, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ» — πῶς οὐ Θεὸς ὁ Χριστός;
«λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες καὶ πᾶν ὕψωμα ἐπαιρόμενον κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντες
About this text
Cyril’s court treatise on right faith for Arcadia and Marina (CPG 5219). One Son, Word made flesh — not two Christs. English from Pusey’s Greek.
English follows Pusey’s 1877 Greek of De recta fide ad Arcadiam et Marinam. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Pusey, De recta fide ad reginas (Oxford, 1877) (Greek · CPG 5219 §§1–100)
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.