No sin; Spirit own to the Word; receives as firstfruits, baptizes as God
And he was justified in spirit; for our Lord Jesus Christ did not do sin. And he was also seen by angels, who, not ignorant of his human birth, were saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among humans.” (Luke 2:14) And he was also preached among nations, and that he is in truth Son of God and Father and has appeared in flesh is believed by those in the world.
“And John testified saying: I have watched the Spirit descending as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him… this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit… this is the Son of God.” (John 1:32–34) Saying Emmanuel is one, and not enduring those who split into two Christs — what then shall we say, the Holy Spirit having flown down on him from heaven? Shall we suspect that the Word from God the Father has needed to share in the Holy Spirit? And yet how is it not utterly shameful truly to think thus? For the Spirit is his own, just as it is also the Father’s… So it is impious even only to suspect that the Word from God the Father himself has needed participation in the Spirit. How then did the Spirit fly down on him? For he receives in a human way… For he receives not rather for himself, but for us… having descended on him as on a firstfruit of the second race, so that it may settle and rest again in us… Yet even if he receives in a human way for us, see him giving in a divine way: “for on whomever you see the Spirit descending… this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” And this is a divine operation; for our Lord Jesus Christ puts the Father’s Spirit into those baptized as his own Spirit (Galatians 4:6) (Romans 8:9).
Greek
ἐδικαιώθη δὲ ἐν πνεύματι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐποίησεν ἁμαρτίαν ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός· ὤφθη δὲ καὶ ἀγγέλοις, οἱ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην αὐτοῦ γέννησιν οὐκ ἠγνοηκότες ἔφασκον· «Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία»· ἐκηρύχθη δὲ καὶ ἐν ἔθνεσι, καὶ ὅτι κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ἐστιν Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ πεφηνώς, παρὰ τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ πιστεύεται.
«Καὶ ἐμαρτύρησεν Ἰωάννης λέγων· Ὅτι τεθέαμαι τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐπ’ αὐτόν… οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ… οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ.» ἕνα λέγοντες τὸν Ἐμμανουήλ, καὶ τῶν εἰς δύο Χριστοὺς ἀποδιοριζόντων οὐκ ἀνεχόμενοι· τί δὴ ἄρα φαμέν, καταπτάντος ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος; ἄρα δεδεῆσθαι τοῦ μεταλαχεῖν Ἁγίου Πνεύματος τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον ὑποτοπήσομεν; καίτοι πῶς οὐ πάναισχρον ἀληθῶς τὸ ὧδε φρονεῖν; ἴδιον γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστι, καθάπερ ἀμέλει καὶ τοῦ Πατρός… ἀσεβὲς οὖν ἄρα τὸ κἂν γοῦν ὑπονοῆσαι μόνον τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος μετουσίας δεδεῆσθαι καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον. πῶς οὖν ἐπ’ αὐτὸν κατέπτη τὸ Πνεῦμα; δέχεται γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνως… δέχεται γὰρ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ μᾶλλον, ἀλλ’ ἡμῖν… καταφοιτῆσαν ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ὡς ἐν ἀπαρχῇ τοῦ γένους δευτέρᾳ, καταλύσῃ καὶ ἀναπαύσηται πάλιν ἐν ἡμῖν… πλὴν, εἰ καὶ ἀνθρωπίνως δέχεται δι’ ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ’ ὅρα διδόντα θεϊκῶς· «ἐφ’ ὃν γὰρ ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον… οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ.» τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν ἐνέργημα θεϊκόν· ἐνίησι γὰρ τοῖς βαπτιζομένοις ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς ὡς ἴδιον Πνεῦμα τὸ τοῦ Πατρός.
About this text
Cyril’s court treatise on right faith for Pulcheria and Eudocia (CPG 5220). One Son who suffers in flesh yet remains impassible as God. English from Pusey’s Greek.
English follows Pusey’s 1877 Greek of De recta fide ad Pulcheriam et Eudociam. 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 5220 §§1–48)
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.