False piety mask; many lords vs one Lord
and shaken into what is ugly — or rather already bent toward the last impiety.
I think that as you search his divine mystery with a sharp eye of mind, you see those who want to snatch people away. They mold a pious mask onto their own words, yet they themselves are sharper than any missile.
As far as truth’s force goes, they deny the Master who bought them — that is, Christ. But fearing the grief of those who are used to piety, and their admirable zeal, they confess that the one born from the holy virgin is also God, and Lord, and Son of God (2 Peter 2:1).
If a simple hearer takes their words, he will likely think they speak what is right and fitting, and not out of step with the doctrines of the truth. But if someone chooses to thin them by inquiry and put what they say to an exact test, he will not find it simple.
For “there are many gods and many lords in heaven and on earth,” as the blessed Paul writes to us, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we for him, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and we through him.” (1 Corinthians 8:5–6)
When we name Jesus Christ, we mean the Word from God the Father who has appeared in human form — not holding dignity as a share of grace imported from outside, but being in truth what he is believed to be.
Being God by nature even without flesh, he remained God also with flesh. Being Son by nature even before flesh, he remained Son also when he became flesh. Being truly Lord of all, in such a
Greek
ἐπὶ τούτῳ λόγον, καὶ κατασειόμενον εἴς τε τὸ ἀκαλλὲς,
μᾶλλον δὲ ἤδη koi πρὸς ἐσχάτην ἀσέβειαν ἀπονενευκοτα. 4 δ t€ ^ ^ ^ , οἶμαι δὲ δὴ ὑμᾶς TO θεῖον αὐτοῦ πολυπραγμονούσας μυστή- , ^ [4 » ^ * , "Δ 9 ριον, ὀξεῖ διανοίας ὄμματι καθορᾶν τοὺς συναρπάζειν ἐθέ- λοντας, καὶ προσωπεῖον μὲν εὐσεβὲς τοῖς ἰδίοις περιπλατ- 5 τοντας λόγοις, βολίδος γεμὴν ἁπάσης ὀξύτερον ἔχοντας
28.Pet.e αὑτούς. ἀρνοῦνται μὲν yàp, ὅσον ἧκεν εἰπεῖν eig δυναμιν
ἀληθείας, TOv ἀγοράσαντα αὐτοὺς δεσπότην, τουτέστι,
Xpiwrrov: δεδιότες δὲ τῶν εὐσεβεῖν εἰωθότων τὰς ἐπὶ τῷδε
λύπας, kai μέντοι kai ζῆλον τὸν ἀξιάγαστον, ὁμολογοῦσιν 1o σ , ^ , , ὅτι kai Θεὸς ἐστιν 0 ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου γεγεννημένος,
καὶ μὴν ὅτι καὶ Kupios καὶ Yios τοῦ Θεοῦ. καὶ εἰ μέν τις
τῶν ἁπλῶν τοὺς παρ᾽ αὐτῶν δέξηται λόγους, νομιεῖ που kara
Ν » Ν , M i 0» ἡ 4 s ^ ^ 3 ’ ᾽ 47 A.a TO εἰκὸς opÜa καὶ eikora λέγειν, καὶ τοῖς τῆς ἀληθείας ovk
ἀπάδοντα δόγμασιν εἰ δὲ δή τις ἕλοιτο κατισχνοῦν ταῖς ig
ἐρεύναις αὐτοὺς, kal ἀκριβῆ ποιεῖσθαι τῶν εἰρημένων τὴν
βάσανον, ovx ἁπλοῦν εὑρήσει. εἰσὶ μὲν γὰρ “ θεοὶ πολλοὶ ( δ , ἊΝ , ^ N09» 8 ^ αθὰ TE: καὶ kupioL πολλοὶ ἐν τε ovpavo kai ἐπὶ γῆς, καθα kat o
* μακάριος ἡμῖν γράφει Παῦλος, ἀλλα ἡμῖν εἰς Θεὸς o ’ σι 9. ἃ φ » * Πατὴρ ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς eis avrov, kai εἷς Kupuos zo 6ξ 'I Φ' Χ * ὃ , e? N , v ς ^ ὃ , , ^» ησοῦς Χριστος, δὶ οὗ τὰ παντα kai ἡμεῖς δι avrov.
πλὴν ὅταν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὀνομάζωμεν, τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ
Π hj A /, φ ΕῚ 0 , ^ , r4 arpos Aoyov ἐν ἀνθρωπείᾳ μορφῇ mepnvora σημαίνομεν,
οὐκ ἐν χάριτος μέρει kai ἐπακτὸν ἔχοντα ἔξωθεν τὸ ἀξίωμα,
ἀλλα Ovra τοῦτο kara αληθειαν ὁπερ εἰναι πεπίστευται. :ς
Θεὸς γὰρ àv φύσει καὶ δίχα aapkos, μεμένηκε Θεὸς καὶ μετα
σαρκος" kai Yios ὧν Φυσει καὶ πρὸ σαρκὸς, μεμένηκεν 'Yios
καὶ ὅτε γέγονε σὰρξ, καὶ κύριος ὧν ἀληθῶς τῶν ὅλων, ἐν τοιᾷδε
Comm. II. γεγενημένος C. 14. εἰκότως C. Comm. οὐκ ἀπάδοντα τοῖς τῆς ἀληθείας inverso ordine C. Comm. 16. xai] - τὸ Edd. I7. πολλοὶ θεοὶ C. 18. ἐπὶ] 1 τῆς Edd. 2. Χριστὸς assumptum ex C. Comm.
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.