Post-baptism temptation type; Word himself high priest and lamb
He lives and conducts himself blamelessly. So he was turning into the desert—that is, making his sojourns—not bodily; for without drink and the food necessary to bodies, as in the Spirit’s power above our nature, he was enduring toward the fast. But mark this—for the force of the thought is most useful: he was not tempted before the holy baptism, nor was he led by the Spirit into the desert (Matthew 4:1) then, setting the matter as a type for us. For it is impossible for those not yet baptized either to bear manfully Satan’s hard assault or to be led spiritually; the fitting time for such bright and admirable achievements is after the holy baptism. For thus strengthened by sharing in the Holy Spirit and sealed with the grace from above unto spiritual vigor, we shall be unconsumed by Satan and shall live as in the Spirit’s power.
“Having therefore a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold the confession; for we do not have a high priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one tempted in all things according to likeness, without sin.” (Hebrews 4:14–15) And since there is confessedly one Son of God and Father—clearly Christ Jesus—who can sympathize with our weaknesses and has been tempted in all things according to likeness without sin, who then would our great high priest be? Is it not the Word who became as we are and suffered in flesh for us? For then he was styled our high priest—not as bringing forward a foreign and strange alien victim, as is customary with others, but being himself the lamb (John 1:29), the most fragrant sacrifice. For even if the Word of God had not yet become human, he already knew human weakness as Creator; but he had not yet been called into the very experience of our weaknesses. But since he was clothing himself with our flesh, he has been tempted in all things—not, we say, as having been ignorant, but because, with God-befitting knowledge already underlying, it also happened that he learned it through experience.
Greek
ἀμέμπτως ζῇ καὶ πολιτεύεται. ἀνεστρέφετο τοίνυν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, ἤγουν ἐποιεῖτο τὰς διατριβάς, οὐ σωματικῶς· ποτοῦ γὰρ δίχα καὶ τῆς τοῖς σώμασιν ἀναγκαίας τροφῆς, ὡς ἐν δυνάμει Πνεύματος ὑπὲρ φύσιν τὴν καθ’ ἡμᾶς, διεκαρτέρει πρὸς τὴν νηστείαν. πλὴν ἐκεῖνο ἄθρει· ἐπωφελεστάτη γὰρ λίαν τῆς ἐννοίας ἡ δύναμις· οὐ πρὸ τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος ἐπειράζετο, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ἤγετο τῷ Πνεύματι εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, τύπον ἡμῖν τὸ χρῆμα τιθείς. ἀμήχανον γὰρ τοὺς οὔπω βεβαπτισμένους ἢ τοῦ πειράζοντος σατανᾶ δύσοιστον οὖσαν τὴν προσβολὴν ὑπενεγκεῖν δύνασθαι νεανικῶς, ἤγουν ἄγεσθαι πνευματικῶς· καιρὸς δὲ ὁ πρέπων τοῖς οὕτω λαμπροῖς καὶ ἀξιαγάστοις κατορθώμασιν, ὁ μετὰ τὸ ἅγιον βάπτισμα. κραταιωθέντες γὰρ οὕτως τῇ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος μετοχῇ, καὶ τῇ ἄνωθεν χάριτι κατεσφραγισμένοι, πρὸς εὐρωστίαν δὲ δηλονότι τὴν πνευματικὴν, ἀνάλωτοί τε ἐσόμεθα τῷ σατανᾷ, καὶ ὡς ἐν δυνάμει Πνεύματος διαζήσομεν.
«Ἔχοντες οὖν ἀρχιερέα μέγαν διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς, Ἰησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, κρατῶμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας· οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα μὴ δυνάμενον συμπαθῆσαι ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν, πεπειραμένον δὲ κατὰ πάντα καθ’ ὁμοιότητα χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας.» ἐπειδὴ δέ ἐστιν εἷς Υἱὸς ὁμολογουμένως τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, ὁ συμπαθῆσαι δυνάμενος ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν, καὶ κατὰ πάντα πεπειραμένος καθ’ ὁμοιότητα χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας· τίς ἂν εἴη λοιπὸν ὁ μέγας ἡμῶν ἀρχιερεύς; ἆρ’ οὐχ ὁ γεγονὼς καθ’ ἡμᾶς ὁ Λόγος καὶ σαρκὶ παθὼν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν; τότε γὰρ ἡμῶν κεχρημάτικεν ἀρχιερεύς· οὐχ ὡς ἀλλογενὲς καὶ ξένον ὀθνεῖόν τε προσάγων τὸ θῦμα, κατά γε τὸ εἰωθὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις· ἀλλ’ ὢν αὐτὸς ὁ ἀμνός, ἡ εὐοσμοτάτη θυσία. εἰ γὰρ καὶ μήπω γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, φησὶν, ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ᾔδει μὲν καὶ οὕτω τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀσθένειαν ὡς δημιουργός· ἀλλ’ οὔπω καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν ἐκέκλητο πεῖραν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀσθενειῶν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὴν ἡμῶν ἠμπέσχετο σάρκα, πεπείραται κατὰ πάντα, οὐ δήπου φαμὲν ὡς ἀγνοήσας, ἀλλ’ ὅτι τῇ γνώσει τῇ θεοπρεπεῖ προϋποκειμένῃ, καὶ τὸ διὰ πείρας αὐτῆς συνέβη μαθεῖν.
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.