Blood on lintels bars death; one night; die once
Cyril: He was handed over for our offenses, and is said to have died for us. (Rom 4:25; 2 Cor 5:14-15) In that sense we too are the ones who slaughter; for those for whom he died are almost clearly workers of the passion, even if something is done through others.
And that the sprinkling of the blood saves those who are anointed, he showed at once by saying that the entrances of the houses must be smeared with the blood — I mean the doorposts and the lintels. (Ex 12:7; Ex 12:22-23) For the mystery of Christ blocks, as it were, and makes death’s entrance impassable. So it is fixed that we too, anointed with the precious blood, shall be stronger than death and shall disregard corruption, making no account of the destroyer. For the blood of life — that is, of Christ — rescues us. (Heb 12:24; 1 Pet 1:2)
And he says the flesh of the lamb must be consumed in a single night; for truly one is the season of the saving passion, and ‘having died once, he dies no more; death no longer lords it over him.’ (Rom 6:9-10)
Greek
ὑπὲρ τῶν ἡμετέρων πλημμελημάτων παρεδόθη, διὰ ἡμᾶς τεθνάναι λέγεται. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ σφάζοντες. Οἱ γὰρ δι' οὓς ἀπέθανεν ἀναγκαίως, μονονουχὶ τοῦ πάθους εἶεν ἂν ἐργάται σαφῶς, εἰ καὶ δρῷτό τι δι' ἑτέρων. Ὅτι δὲ σώζει τοὺς κεχρισμένους ὁ τοῦ αἵματος ῥαντισμὸς, παρέδειξεν εὐθὺς, χρῆναι τῷ αἵματι καταχρίειν εἰπὼν τῶν δωματίων τὰς εἰσβολὰς, σταθμῶν δὴ λέγω καὶ θυρῶν φλιάς. Ἀποφράττει γὰρ ὥσπερ καὶ ἀνέμβατον ἐργάζεται τῷ θανάτῳ τὴν εἰσβολὴν τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον. Ἄραρεν οὖν, ὅτι τῷ τιμίῳ κατακεχρισμένοι καὶ ἡμεῖς αἵματι, θανάτου κρείττους ἐσόμεθα, καὶ φθορᾶς ἀλογήσομεν, δι' οὐδενὸς ποιούμενοι λόγου τὸν ὀλοθρευτήν. Ἐκρύεται γὰρ ἡμᾶς τὸ αἷμα τῆς ζωῆς, τουτέστι, Χριστοῦ. Χρῆναι δέ φησιν, ἐν νυκτὶ μιᾷ τὰ τοῦ ἀμνοῦ δαπανᾶσθαι κρέα· εἷς γὰρ ἀληθῶς, ὁ τοῦ σωτηρίου πάθους καιρὸς, καὶ ἅπαξ ἀποθανὼν, οὐκέτι ἀποθνήσκει, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, θάνατος αὐτοῦ οὐκέτι κυριεύσει· ὃ γὰρ ἀπέθανε, τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀπέθανεν ἐφάπαξ· ὃ δὲ ζῇ, ζῇ τῷ Θεῷ. Ὀπτὰ δὲ τὰ κρέα, καὶ ἐπ' ἄρτοις ἀζύμοις ἐσθίεται καὶ πικρίσι, τοῦ μὲν ὀπτοῦ, τὴν οἱονεί πως διὰ παθημάτων τοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ ὑπεμφαίνοντος τελείωσιν. «Ἔδει γὰρ, ἔδει, φησὶ, τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν, διὰ παθημάτων τελειῶσαι.» Τοῦ γε μὴν ἐπ' ἀζύμων ἐσθίεσθαι καὶ πικρίδων, αἰνιγματωδῶς ὑπογράφοντος, ὅτι δεήσει καὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς, οἷς ἂν παρακέοιτο πρὸς μέθεξιν ὁ Χριστὸς, ζύμης ἀπηλλάχθαι τῆς νοητῆς, τουτέστι, κακίας καὶ δόλου, ἀγαπᾷν δὲ ὅτι μάλιστα καὶ τὸ τληπαθεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπης, καὶ πικρῶν ἀνέχεσθαι πόνων, κατόπιν ἰόντας τοῦ δι' ἡμᾶς εἰς θάνατον εἰσελθόντος. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ παραθήγων ἡμᾶς, «Οὐκ ἔστι, φησὶ, μαθητὴς ὑπὲρ τὸν διδάσκαλον, οὐδὲ δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ.» «Εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν· εἰ τὸν οἰκοδεσπότην Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐπεκάλεσαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς οἰκειακοὺς αὐτοῦ. Ἀποφάσκει δὴ οὖν ὁ νόμος, τὸ δεῖν ἐσθίειν ὠμὸν, καὶ μέν τοι ἑψημένον ὕδατι, καί τοι μηδενὸς ἂν, οἶμαι, φαγόντος ὠμὸν, κἂν εἰ μὴ ἔφη τυχὸν ὁ νόμος. Ὑποφαίνει τοίνυν αἰνιγματωδῶς, ὅτι τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον, οὔτε τὸ ἀπρόσβλητον ἔχει διὰ ψευσμάτων ὑπερβολὴν οὔτε μὴν τὸ ὑδαρὲς καὶ ἐκλελυμένον. Ἑλλήνων μὲν γὰρ οἱ λογάδες ποιηταί τε καὶ συγγραφεῖς, καὶ ὅσον ἧκεν εἰς λόγους σοφοὶ, τὰ τῶν παρὰ σφίσι θεῶν ἀναγράφοντες ὄργια, ψευδοεποῦσιν ἀγρίως, καὶ οἱονεί πως ὠμά τε καὶ ἀπαράδεκτα ταῖς ἀνθρώπων διανοίαις παραφέρουσι διηγήματα, καὶ πολὺ τὸ ὑδαρὲς, ἔν γε δὴ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς, κατηῤῥωστηκότα. Μοιχεῖαί τε γὰρ καὶ γυναίων ἔρωτες, καὶ μειρακίων διαφθοραὶ, καὶ αἰδοίων ἀποκοπαὶ, καὶ παρθένων εἰς δένδρα μεταφυτεύσεις, καὶ ἕτερα ἄττα πρὸς τούτοις πάναισχρά τε καὶ ἀκαλλῆ, μυθάρια τὰ παρ' αὐτοῖς νοούμενα, ἀλήθεια δέ ἐστι, πάντα τὰ ἐν Χριστῷ, εὐπαράδεκτά τε καὶ ἐδώδιμα νῷ, καὶ τὸ χαῦνον, ἢ ὑδαρὲς οὐκ ἔχοντα. Συνάγει γὰρ μᾶλλον εἰς εὐκοσμίαν τοὺς ἐθέλοντας νοεῖν, ἤπερ ἀνίησιν εἰς τρυφὰς καὶ φιλοσαρκίαν, καθάπερ ἀμέλει καὶ τὰ Ἑλ
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 17 of a seventeen-book dialogue — the final book of the series.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 17 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 17 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 17)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 17)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.