Abraham was justified by faith before circumcision
'a Hebrew from Hebrews, according to the Law a Pharisee, according to zeal persecuting the Church, according to righteousness in the Law becoming blameless. Whatever was gain to me, these I have counted loss because of Christ. Indeed I count all things loss because of the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, the one from the Law, but the one through faith in Christ.'
Palladius: I understand; the argument is clear. But tell me this. Why was the righteousness through faith, and the sanctification according to it, not decreed for us at the beginning, if the old Law is not enough for perfecting?
Cyril: Because, my friend, I would say, what is dirty is reasonably washed, what is defiled is wiped, and what is darkened is made bright. And it would be fitting, I think, according to the Savior's voice, that the sick be healed, and that not the sanctified but those loaded with sins be called to a change of mind. For must not those who are called to forgiveness first be found guilty, and be seen as redeemed after having been in danger from the weakness in them? So the Law that shows sin had to appear first, as a kind of proof and an exact accuser of everyone's weakness, so that the greatness of the divine gentleness through Christ might not be unknown to us. For where, or how, is the grace of forgiveness, if the charges do not lie underneath?
And if, speaking briefly, we must also leap to certain ancient narratives, I will say again that God was promising to Abraham the grace through faith, and, as in a firstfruits of those shown mercy, he was making in him the forgiveness from gentleness older than the Law. For it is written that 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.' And Paul adds his witness, saying, 'How then was it counted? In circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, he says, but in uncircumcision; and he received a sign, circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which was in uncircumcision.' And he heard God saying plainly that 'in you all the nations shall be blessed.' And the 'in you' would mean, according to your likeness. So Paul, understanding it this way, says, 'The Scripture, foreseeing that God justifies the nations from faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, that in you all the nations shall be blessed. So those from faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.' Circumcision, then, is a sign of the faith in uncircumcision, and he has been justified not from works of Law, and the boasts through faith appear older than the circumcision in the flesh. For he was called friend of God.
Greek
Ἑβραῖος ἐξ Ἑβραίων, κατὰ νόμον Φαρισαῖος, κατὰ ζῆλον διώκων τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, κατὰ δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐν νόμῳ γενόμενος ἄμεμπτος. Ἅτινα ἦν μοι κέρδη, ταῦτα ἥγημαι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ζημίαν. Ἀλλὰ μὲν οὖν γε ἡγοῦμαι τὰ πάντα ζημίαν εἶναι, διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν· δι' ὃν τὰ πάντα ἐζημιώθην· καὶ ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα εἶναι, ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω, καὶ εὑρεθῶ ἐν αὐτῷ μὴ ἔχων ἐμὴν δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐκ νόμου, ἀλλὰ τὴν διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Συνίημι μὲν, σαφὴς γὰρ ὁ λόγος· πλὴν ἐκεῖνο φράσον. Τί μὴ μᾶλλον ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἡ διὰ πίστεως ἡμῖν δικαιοσύνη, καὶ ὁ κατ' αὐτὴν ἁγιασμὸς ἐθεσπίζετο, εἴπερ οὐκ ἀπόχρη εἰς τελείωσιν ὁ πάλαι νόμος;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ὅτι, ὦ ἑταῖρε, φαίην ἂν, ἀπονίζεται μὲν εἰκότως τὸ ῥυποῦν, ἀποσμήχεται δὲ τὸ μεμολυσμένον, καὶ καταφαιδρύνεται τὸ ἐσκοτισμένον· πρέποι δ' ἂν, οἶμαι, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωνὴν, θεραπεύεσθαι μὲν τὸ ἠῤῥωστηκὸς, καλεῖσθαι δὲ πρὸς μετάγνωσιν, οὐχὶ τοὺς ἡγιασμένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἐπηχθισμένους. Ἦ γὰρ οὐχὶ προκαταγινώσκεσθαι χρὴ τοὺς καλουμένους εἰς ἄφεσιν, καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτοῖς ἀσθενείας κεκινδυνευκότας, ὁρᾶσθαι λελυτρωμένους; Ἔδει τοιγαροῦν ἔλεγχον ὥσπερ τινὰ καὶ κατήγορον ἀκριβῆ τῆς ἁπάντων ἀσθενείας, τὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας δεικτικὸν προαναφαίνεσθαι νόμον, ἵνα καὶ τῆς θείας ἡμῖν ἡμερότητος τῆς διὰ Χριστοῦ μὴ ἀγνοῆται τὸ μέγεθος. Ποῦ γὰρ ἢ πῶς ἡ τῆς ἀφέσεως χάρις, εἰ μὴ ὑποκέοιτο τὰ ἐγκλήματα; Καὶ εἰ χρὴ βραχυλογοῦντας καὶ ἐπί τινων ἀρχαίων διηγημάτων ἀναπηδᾷν, ἐρῶ πάλιν, ὅτι τῷ μὲν Ἀβραὰμ ἐπηγέλλετο ὁ Θεὸς τὴν διὰ πίστεως χάριν· καὶ καθάπερ ἐν ἀπαρχῇ τῶν ἠλεημένων, ἐν αὐτῷ πρεσβυτέραν ἐποιεῖτο τοῦ νόμου τὴν ἐξ ἡμερότητος ἄφεσιν. Γέγραπται γὰρ, ὅτι, «Ἐπίστευσεν Ἀβραὰμ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.» Προσδιαμαρτύρεται δὲ λέγων ὁ Παῦλος· «Πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη; ἐν περιτομῇ ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ; Οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ· καὶ σημεῖον ἔλαβε περιτομὴν, σφραγίδα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῆς πίστεως, τῆς ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ.» Ἤκουσέ τε Θεοῦ λέγοντος ἐναργῶς, ὅτι, «Ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν σοὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη.» Τὸ δὲ, «ἐν σοὶ,» σημαίνοι ἂν τὸ, καθ' ὁμοιότητα τὴν σήν· οὕτω τε συνεὶς ὁ Παῦλός φησι· «Προϊδοῦσα δὲ ἡ Γραφὴ ὅτι ἐκ πίστεως δικαιοῖ τὰ ἔθνη ὁ Θεὸς, προευηγγελίσατο τῷ Ἀβραὰμ, ὅτι Ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν σοὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. Ὥστε οἱ ἐκ πίστεως εὐλογοῦνται σὺν τῷ πιστῷ Ἀβραάμ.» Σημεῖον οὖν ἄρα τῆς ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ πίστεως, ἡ περιτομὴ, δεδικαίωται δὲ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, καὶ τῆς ἐν σαρκὶ περιτομῆς πρεσβύτερα φαίνεται τὰ διὰ πίστιν αὐχήματα. Φίλος γὰρ ἐκλήθη Θεοῦ.
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius on worship in spirit and truth. Book 2 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
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 2 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 2 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 2)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 2)
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.