Word of life handled; faith in Christ as faith in God
“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and our hands handled, concerning the word of life — and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was manifested to us.” (1 John 1:1–2) See: he says they have seen with eyes and even handled with hands the one who is from the beginning — that is, the Word from the Father, the eternal life — though according to his own nature the Word from the Father is invisible and untouchable; for what is bodiless is untouchable. But he says they have seen and handled the Word who has come to be in flesh. So there is one Son and God and Lord even if the Word has become flesh.
That faith toward Christ is as toward God (John 14:1). From Peter’s first letter: “So that,” he says, “your faith and hope may be in God” (1 Peter 1:21) — and yet Christ is proclaimed through the holy apostles. And he himself says somewhere: “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in me has eternal life.” (John 6:47) So when faith is toward God, and Christ says “Believe in me,” how would he not be God clearly?
From John’s first letter: “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 3:23) If it is not against the Father’s will that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and faith is also practiced by us not as toward a mere human but as toward the living and true God — then Christ is God.
Greek
«Ὃ ἦν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν, περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς — καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν.» ἰδοὺ τὸν ὄντα ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, τουτέστι τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον, τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον, ἑωρακέναι φησὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ μὴν καὶ χερσὶ ψηλαφῆσαι — καίτοι κατὰ φύσιν ἰδίαν τοῦ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὄντος Λόγου καὶ ὄντος ἀοράτου καὶ ἀναφοῦς· ἄναφες γὰρ τὸ ἀσώματον. ἀλλ’ ἐν σαρκὶ γεγονότα τὸν Λόγον ἑωρακέναι τε καὶ ψηλαφῆσαί φησιν. εἷς οὖν ἄρα ἐστὶν Υἱὸς καὶ Θεὸς καὶ κύριος κἂν εἰ γέγονε σὰρξ ὁ Λόγος.
Ὅτι εἰς Χριστὸν ἡ πίστις ὡς εἰς Θεόν. Ἐκ τῆς Πέτρου ἐπιστολῆς πρώτης. «Ὥστε, φησί, τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν καὶ ἐλπίδα εἶναι εἰς Θεόν» — καίτοι Χριστὸς κηρύττεται διὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων. καὶ αὐτὸς δέ που φησίν· «Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον.» ὅτε τοίνυν εἰς Θεὸν ἡ πίστις, Χριστοῦ λέγοντος «Εἰς ἐμὲ πιστεύετε,» πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἴη Θεὸς ἐναργῶς;
Ἐκ τῆς πρώτης Ἰωάννου ἐπιστολῆς. «Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.» εἰ μὴ ἀνεθέλητόν ἐστι τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ τὸ πιστεύειν ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, πράττεται δὲ καὶ παρ’ ἡμῶν ἡ πίστις οὐχ ὡς εἰς ἄνθρωπον ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ’ ὡς εἰς Θεὸν ζῶντα καὶ ἀληθινόν· Θεὸς ἄρα Χριστός.
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.