Three unclean ages; prophets holy; fifth = Christ; new and old treasure — Amen
Cyril: …‘its fruit, three years uncleansed-around; it will not be eaten.’ He sets the year unto a time; for first three times have become, according to which the law was still uncleansed-around, weighted down with the thickness of the history, and somehow lying around as random refuse—the shadow. And three times I say there are—that of Moses, that of Joshua, that of the Judges; a fourth time was after those, according to which the bright chorus of the holy prophets grew up. Then the fruit of the law became both holy and praiseworthy. For from holy prophets the things in law began to be set aside, and the things as in shadows not even to be named, and the truth to be preached openly, and the mystery of Christ’s presence to be praised. And at once the forerunner was a neighbor, both crying out and saying: ‘Repent; for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’ So then in a fourth time toward beginnings of the things in law being thoroughly cleaned it has become, and the fruit was already somehow holy. Yet, in a fifth edible, according to which the presence of Christ is witnessed both through the law and through the prophets. For this reason he says, ‘Its fruit will be an addition for you.’ For toward the Gospel preachings also the legal training, led toward spiritual contemplation, is most needful for those loving to learn; and indeed the Savior was saying that ‘Every scribe having been discipled to the kingdom of the heavens is like a rich human, who casts out from his treasure new things and old’; saying new things—the Gospels—and old things—the things in law—bringing in together for us not ignobly the knowledge in Christ; to him the glory unto the ages of the ages, Amen.
Greek
«ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ, τρία ἔτη ἀπερικάθαρτος· οὐ βρωθήσεται.» Τὸ ἔτος τίθησιν εἰς καιρόν· καιροὶ γὰρ πρῶτοι γεγόνασι τρεῖς, καθ' οὓς ἦν ὁ νόμος ἀπερικάθαρτος ἔτι, τῷ τῆς ἱστορίας πάχει κατηχθισμένος, καὶ ὥσπερ εἰκαῖον συρφετὸν περικείμενος τὴν σκιάν. Χρόνους δὲ τρεῖς εἶναί φημι, τὸν Μωσέως, τὸν Ἰησοῦ, τὸν Κριτῶν· καιρὸς μετ' ἐκείνους τέταρτος ἦν, καθ' ὃν ὁ λαμπρὸς τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν ἀνέφυ χορός. Τότε γέγονεν ὁ τοῦ νόμου καρπὸς ἅγιός τε καὶ αἰνετός. Ἤρξατο γὰρ ἐκ προφητῶν ἁγίων, ἀθετεῖσθαι τὰ ἐν νόμῳ, καὶ οὐδὲ ὀνομάζεσθαι τὰ ὡς ἐν σκιαῖς, κηρύττεσθαι δὲ φανερῶς ἡ ἀλήθεια, καὶ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας ἐπαινεῖσθαι τὸ μυστήριον. Καὶ γείτων εὐθὺς ὁ πρόδρομος ἦν, ἀνακεκραγώς τε καὶ λέγων· «Μετανοεῖτε· ἤγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.» Οὐκοῦν ἐν τετάρτῳ χρόνῳ πρὸς ἀρχὰς τοῦ διακαθαίρεσθαι τὰ ἐν νόμῳ γέγονε, καὶ ἦν ἤδη πως ὁ καρπὸς ἅγιος. Πλὴν, ἐν πέμπτῳ βρώσιμος, καθ' ὃν ἡ Χριστοῦ παρουσία μαρτυρουμένη διά τε τοῦ νόμου καὶ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν. Διὰ τοῦτό φησιν, «Ἔσται ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ πρόσθεμα ὑμῖν.» Πρὸς γὰρ τοῖς εὐαγγελικοῖς κηρύγμασι καὶ ἡ νομικὴ παίδευσις πρὸς θεωρίαν ἠγμένη πνευματικὴν τοῖς φιλομαθέσι χρειωδεστάτη· καὶ γοῦν ἔφασκεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, ὅτι «Πᾶς γραμματεὺς μαθητευθεὶς τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὅμοιός ἐστιν ἀνθρώπῳ πλουσίῳ, ὅστις ἐκβάλλει ἐκ τοῦ θησαυροῦ αὐτοῦ καινὰ καὶ παλαιά·» καινὰ λέγων, τὰ Εὐαγγέλια, καὶ παλαιὰ δὲ, τὰ ἐν νόμῳ, τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ γνῶσιν ἡμῖν οὐκ ἀγεννῶς συνεισφέροντα· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, Ἀμήν.
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 8 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 8 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 5 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 8)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 8)
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.