Commentary on Luke (Greek fragments) 15.8–16.13.2 (Commentary on Luke (Greek fragments))

Cyril of Alexandria

Commentary on Luke (Greek fragments) 15.8–16.13.2

Cyril of Alexandria · Commentary on Luke (Greek fragments) · ca. 412-444 · Alexandria · 7 passages

Greek text: PG 72.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

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Commentary 15

15.8PG 72 72:799

Γυνὴ δραχμὰς ἔχουσα δέκα, κ. τ. λ. Διὰ μὲν τῆς προτέρας παρα βολῆς, ἐν ᾗ πρόβατον πεπλανημένον τῆς γῆς ἀπ εδείκνυτο γένος, ἐμανθάνομεν ὅτι κτίσις ἐσμὲν τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντας Θεοῦ, ὡς παρενεγκόντος εἰς ὕπαρξιν οὐκ ὄντα ποτέ · « Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐποίησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐχ ἡμεῖς, » κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. « Καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἐστι ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ἡμεῖς δὲ λαὸς νομῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ πρόβατα τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ. » Διὰ δὲ τῆς δευτέρας ταύτης, ἐν ᾗ δραχμῇ παρεικάζεται τὸ ἀπολωλὸς, ὡς ἐκ δέκα πάλιν, τουτέστιν ἐκ τελειότητος, ἤτοι πληθύος τῆς ἀρτίως ἐχούσης εἰς ἀριθμὸν (τέλειος γὰρ καὶ ὁ δέκα, τὴν ἐκ μονάδος ἀναφοίτησιν ἔχων εἰς τὸν ἐπέκεινα δρόμον), διαδείκνυται σαφῶς ὅτι καθ' ὁμοίωσιν καὶ κατ' εἰκόνα γεγόναμεν τὴν βασιλικὴν, τουτέστι τὴν τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντας Θεοῦ. Ἡ γάρτοι δραχ μὴ νόμισμά που πάντως ἐστὶ, χαρακτῆρας ἔχον βασιλικούς. Ὅτι δὲ πεσόντες τρόπον τινὰ καὶ ἀπὸ ολωλότες εὑρήμεθα παρὰ Χριστοῦ, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν μεμορφώμεθα δι᾽ ἁγιασμοῦ καὶ δικαιοσύνης, πῶς ἂν ἐνδοιάσειἐ τις; γεγραφότος ὡδὶ τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου· « Ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσ ὠπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι, τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα, ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, καθάπερ ἀπὸ Κυρίου Πνεύματος. · Ἐπιστέλλει δὲ καὶ Γαλάταις ὡδί· « Τεκνία, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω, ἄχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. » Γέγονε δὲ τοῦ πεσόντος ἡ ζήτησις, λύχνον ἁψάσης τῆς γυναικός· εὑρήμεθα γὰρ παρὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς σοφίας, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς, φωτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν ἀναλάμψαντος τοῦ θείου καὶ νοητοῦ ἑωσφόρου, καὶ τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀνατείλαντος, καὶ διαυγαζούσης ἡμέρας, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Καὶ γοῦν δι᾽ ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων προφη τῶν ἔφη που Θεὸς περὶ τοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ· · Ἐγγίζει ταχὺ ἡ δικαιοσύνη μου ἀποκαλυφθῆναι, καὶ τὸ σωτήριόν μου ὡς λαμπὰς καυθήσεται. » Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ φησι περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, ποτὲ μὲν, ὅτι « Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου · · ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν, ὅτι · Ἐγὼ φῶς εἰς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ἐλήλυθα· ὁ ἀκολουθῶν ἐμοὶ, οὐ μὴ περιπατήσῃ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, ἀλλ᾽ ἕξει τὸ φῶς τῆς ζωῆς. • Οὐκοῦν ἐν φωτὶ σέσωσται τὸ ἀπολωλὸς, καὶ γέγονε ταῖς ἄνω δυνάμεσι θυμηδία τὸ χρῆμα· χαίρουσι γὰρ καὶ αὐταὶ καὶ ἐφ᾿ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι· καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν ὁ πάντα εἰδώς. Εἰ δὲ ἐφ᾽ ἑνὶ τῶν σωζομένων ἑορτάζουσι, τὸν θεῖόν που πάντων ἐχνηλατοῦντες σκοπὸν, καὶ ἀκαταλήκτοις εὐφημίαις τὴν τοῦ σώζοντος ἡμερότητα κατακρατεῖν εἰθισμένοι, ὁποίας ἄν τις αὐτοὺς εὐφροσύνης ἀναπίμπλασθαι φαίη ἂν, ὅλης ἀνασεσωσμένης τῆς ὑπ᾿ οὐρανὸν, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ πίστεως κεκλημένης εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας; "Ανθρωπός τις εἶχε δύο υἱούς. Ἤτησεν ἄσωτος τὸ ἐπιβάλλον· ἔλαβεν, ἀπεδήμησεν, ἐδαπάνησεν· εἶτα ἐν ἐνδείᾳ γέγονε παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ, καὶ τῶν θεοσδότων χαρισμάτων ἐν σπάνει, καὶ οἷον λιμῷ κατεφθείρετο, τὸν ἄρτον οὐκ ἔχων τὸν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ · · Οὐ γὰρ ἐπ᾿ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ στόματος Θεοῦ. Ἐφαρμόσειε δ᾽ ἄν τις τὴν παραβολὴν καὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν. Ἔφη γὰρ, ἀνθρώπῳ τινὶ δύο μὲν υἱοὺς γενέσθαι· εἶναι δὲ ἕνα μὲν αὐτῶν ἐπιεικῆ, τὸν δὲ ἕτερον ἄσωτον, ὃς δὴ καὶ κατεδηδοκὼς τὸ ἐκνεμηθὲν αὐτῷ τῆς οὐσίας μέρος, εἶτα λιμῷ πιεσθεὶς, τοῖς κερατίοις προσέβαλεν ἅπερ ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι. Τοιοῦτόν τι πεπονθότας τοὺς ἀποπεπλανημένους εὑρήσομεν. Ἐν ἴσῳ μὲν γὰρ ἅπασι δέδωκεν ὁ Δημιουργὸς, ὥσπερ τινὰ κλῆρον, τὴν τῆς φύσεως ἐπιτηδειότητα πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθόν· ἀλλ᾽ οἱ μὲν διέσωσαν τὸ δοθὲν, τοῖς θείοις ἀκολουθήσαντες νόμοις, καὶ φυσικαῖς ἐννοίαις χειραγωγούμενοι πρὸς πᾶν ὁτιοῦν τῶν οὐκ ἐκτόπων : οἱ δὲ ἡμοιρηκότες εἰς ἅπαν τῆς ἄνωθεν ἡμερότητος καὶ φειδοῦς καὶ ἀγάπης, ἐν σπάνει γεγόνασι τῶν τῆς ἀρίστης ζωῆς αὐχημάτων, καὶ τροφὴν ἐσχήκασι τὰς Ἑλλήνων ψευδομυθίας, ἐν τάξει κερατίων νοουμένας, οἷς ἔνεστι μὲν βραχὺ τὸ γλυκύ, ἀτροφία δὲ πολλὴ καὶ ξηρότης· καί γε κατέβοσκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Σατανᾶς ταῖς Ἑλλήνων ψευδηγορίαις, καὶ ταῖς τῶν παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς λογάδων ἀνοήτοις εὐστομίαις · μῦθοι γὰρ καὶ ἕτερον οὐδὲν καὶ γραοπρεπῆ τερετίσματα τὰ παρ᾿ ἐκείνοις εἰσὶ δικαιώματα. Καὶ ἔστιν ἡ τοῦ κόσμου σοφία διὰ τὸ τῆς λέξεως εὔηχες χαλκός ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον. Οὐκοῦν ἐτρέφοντο μὲν πάλαι τοῖς Ἑλληνικοῖς συγγράμμασιν, οὐδεμίαν ὄνησιν εἰς κατόρθωσιν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐργάσασθαι δυναμένοις. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐξεζήτησαν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς μακρᾶς πλάνης ἐπανῆλθον, ὡς νεκροὶ μὲν ἀνέζησαν, ὡς δὲ ἀπολωλότες εὑρέθησαν. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἔτι πλανωμένων, καὶ τὸν φύσει Θεὸν οὐκ εἰδότων, νεκρός τέ ἐστι καὶ οἰονεὶ ἀπεψυγμένος ὁ νοῦς, καὶ νεκρῶν ἔργων ἐπιμελητής · ταῦτα δὲ ἐστι τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκός· τῶν γε μὴν ἐπιστρεψάντων πρὸς Θεὸν, καὶ ἐπεγνω κότων τὴν ἀλήθειαν, οὐκ ἔστι νεκρὸς ὁ νοῦς · τὴν παρὰ Χριστοῦ δὲ ζωοποίησιν πεπλουτηκὼς, ζῇ μᾶλ λον, καὶ τῶν εἰς ζωὴν σπουδασμάτων ποιεῖται φροντίδα · καὶ νεκρῶν μὲν ἔργων ἀποφοιτᾷ, ἐπιθυμεῖ δὲ τῆς εἰς αἰῶνα ζωῆς, τῆς ἔν γε, φημὶ, τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι δοθησομένης παρὰ Χριστοῦ τοῖς πιστεύσασιν εἰς αὐτόν. Δοκεῖ μέν τισι διὰ τῆς τῶν υἱῶν δυάδος, τοὺς ἁγίους ἀγγέλους κατασημαίνεσθαι, καὶ ἡμᾶς δὲ τοὺς ὄντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· τὸ μὲν τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου πρόσωπον, ἅτε δὲ καὶ ζῶντος ἐπιεικῶς, τὸ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων τάγμα δηλοῦν· τὸ δέ γε τοῦ νεωτέρου τε καὶ ἀσώτου, τὸ γένος τὸ ἀνθρώπινον. Εἰσὶ δὲ τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν τινες, οἳ δὴ καὶ ἑτέραν ἰόντες τρίβον, διὰ μὲν τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου καὶ εὖ βεβιωκότος υἱοῦ, καταδηλοῦσθαί φασι τὸν κατὰ σάρκα Ἰσραὴλ, διὰ δὲ γε τοῦ ἑτέρου, ὃς καὶ ζῇν είλετο φιληδόνως, καὶ ἀπεφοίτησε τοῦ πατρὸς, τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν γράφεσθαι πληθύν. ᾿Απόψηφος δὲ ταῖς περὶ τούτων δόξαις εἰμὶ μὲν ἐγώ · δοκιμαζέτω δὲ τὸ ἀληθὲς ὁ φιλομαθής. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων πρόσωπον ἀναγάγωμεν τὸν γνήσιον υἱὸν, οὐχ εὑρήσομεν αὐτὸν τὰς τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀγγέλοις πρεπούσας εἰπόντα φωνάς, οὔτε μὴν οὕτω διακείμενον καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι περὶ τοὺς ἐπιστρέφοντας ἐξ ἁμαρτιῶν εἰς μετάνοιαν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ὅλων Σωτὴρ καὶ Κύριος χαρὰν εἶναί φησιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐνώπιον τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων, ἐφ᾿ ἑνὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι· ὅ γε μὴν ἐν τῇ προκειμένῃ παραβολῇ γραφόμενος υἱὸς ὡς εὐπαρά( δεκτος τῷ πατρὶ, καὶ ἀδιάβλητον ἐσχηκὼς τὸν βίον, ὀργισθῆναι λέγεται, καὶ ἀφιλαλλήλου γνώμης εἰς τοῦτο ἐλθεῖν, ὥστε καὶ ἐγκαλέσαι τῷ πατρὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ σεσωσμένῳ φιλοστοργίαν · οὐ γὰρ ἠθέλησε, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν ἑστίαν εἰσελθεῖν, ἀσχάλλων ὅτι καὶ εἰσεδέχθη μετανοῶν ὁ ἀνανήψας μόλις, τέθυται δὲ καὶ ὁ μόσχος ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅτι τετέλεκεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ πανήγυριν ὁ πατήρ. Μάχεται δὲ τοῦτο, ὡς ἔφην, τῷ σκοπῷ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων· χαίρουσι γὰρ καὶ δοξολογοῦσι Θεὸν, σωζομένους ὁρῶντες τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· καὶ γοῦν, ὅτε τὴν ἐν Βηθλεέμ ἀπότεξιν κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ γυναικὸς ὑπέμεινεν ὁ Υἱὸς, τοῖς μὲν ποιμέσιν εὐηγγελίζοντο λέγοντες· « Μὴ φοβεῖσθε ὑμεῖς· ἰδοὺ γὰρ εὐαγγελιζό μεθα ὑμῖν χαρὰν μεγάλην, ἥτις ἔσται παντὶ τῷ λαῷ· ὅτι ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν σήμερον σωτήρ, ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς Ο Κύριος ἐν πόλει Δαβίδ. » Ὑμνῳδίαις δὲ καὶ δοξολο γίαις στεφανοῦντες τὸν γεγεννημένον, ἔφασκον· « Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀν θρώποις εὐδοκία. » Εἰ δὲ δή τις λέγοι, τὸν κατὰ σάρκα Ἰσραὴλ σημαίνεσθαι διὰ τοῦ γνησίου καὶ ἐπιεικοῦς υἱοῦ, ἀφίστησι πάλιν ἡμᾶς τοῦ χρῆναι συναινεῖν τῇ τοιᾷδε δόξῃ, τὸ κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον ἁρμόσαι τῷ Ἰσραὴλ τὸ ἀκαταψέκτως ἑλέσθαι βιοῦν· διὰ πάσης γὰρ, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν τῆς θεοπνεύστου Γραφῆς διαβεβλημένους ἔστιν ἰδεῖν· ὡς γὰρ ἀποστάτας καὶ ἀπειθεῖς, εἴρηται γοῦν πρὸς αὐτοὺς διὰ φωνῆς Ἱερεμίου· «Τί εὔροσαν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ πλημμέλημα, ὅτι ἀπέστησαν μακρὰν ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὀπίσω τῶν ματαίων, καὶ ἐματαιώθησαν; » Συνῳδὰ δὲ τούτοις καὶ διὰ φωνῆς Ἡσαΐου περὶ αὐτῶν ἔφη που Θεός· « Εγγίζει μοι ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσιν· ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτοῦ πόῤῥω ἀπέχει ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ· μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με, διδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας [καὶ] ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων., Εἶτα πῶς τούτοις οὕτω καταγνωσμένοις περιθείη τις ἂν τὰς ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ φωνὰς, ὡς παρὰ τοῦ γνησίου καὶ ἐπιεικοῦς υἱοῦ προενηνεγμένας; Ἔφη γὰρ, ὅτι • Ἰδοὺ τοσαῦτα ἔτη δουλεύω σοι, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἐντολήν σου παρῆλθον. » ᾿Ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἂν ἐσχήκασι διαβεβλημένην τὴν ζωὴν, εἰ μὴ τὰς θείας παρατρέχοντες ἐντολὰς πρὸς ἐξίτηλον ἐτράποντο. "Αλλως τε, χρῆναι γὰρ οἶμαι κἀκεῖνο εἰπεῖν, βούλονταί τινες εἰς τὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν πρόσωπον ἀναφέρειν τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτὸν, ὃν τέθυκεν ὁ πατὴρ, κεκλιμένου πρὸς ἐπιστροφὴν τοῦ υἱοῦ. Εἶτα πῶς ὁ γνήσιος υἱὸς, ὁ σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων καὶ γεγονώς εὐπάρεδρος, ὃν δὴ καὶ εἰς πρόσωπον τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων εἰσκομίζουσί τινες, ὀργῆς καὶ λύπης ἐποιεῖτο πρόφασιν τὸ σφαγῆναι τὸν μόσχον; Οὐ γάρ τι λελυπημένας κατίδοι τις ἂν τὰς ἄνω δυνάμεις τὸν κατά σάρκα θάνατον ὑπομείναντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ οἷον σφαγέντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· ἔχαιρον γὰρ μᾶλλον, ὡς ἔφην, αἵματι τῷ ἁγίῳ σωζομένην ὁρῶντες τὴν ὑπ᾿ οὐρανόν· ἀνθ᾽ ὅτου δὴ οὖν καὶ φησιν ὁ γνήσιος υἱὸς τὸ, «Ἐμοὶ οὐδέποτε ἔδωκας ἔριφον. » Τίνος γὰρ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐνδεῖ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀγγέλοις ; καίτοι πλουσίᾳ χειρὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων τὴν χορηγίαν ἐκνενέμηκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Δεσπότης. Η και ποίας ἂν ἐδεήθησαν θυσίας ἔν γε τοῖς καθ' ἑαυτούς; Οὐ γάρ που καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἔδει παθεῖν τὸν Ἐμμανουήλ. Εἰ δὲ δή τις οἴοιτο, καθάπερ ἤδη προεῖπον, τὸν κατὰ σάρκα Ἰσραὴλ σημαίνεσθαι διὰ τοῦ γνησίου καὶ ἐπιεικοῦς γεγονότος υἱοῦ, πῶς ἀληθεύσει λέγων, ὅτι « Ἐμοὶ οὐδέποτε ἔδωκας ἔριφον; » Εἴτε γὰρ μόσχος εἴτε ἔριφος ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας θῦμα νοοῖτο Χριστὸς, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ ὑπέρ γε μόνων τέθυται τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸν ἐξελεῖται τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ νόμου παραβάσει πολλὴν ὑπομείναντα τὴν κατάῤῥησιν. Καὶ μαρτυρήσει γράφων ὁ σοφώτατος Παῦλος· « Διὸ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος τὸν λαὸν, ἔξω τῆς πύλης ἔπαθε.» Τίς οὖν ἄρα ἐστὶ τῆς παραβολῆς ὁ σκοπός; πολυπραγμονήσωμεν τὴν αἰτίαν, ἐφ᾿ ᾗ καὶ γέγονεν, εἰσόμεθα γὰρ οὕτω τὸ ἀληθές. Ἔφη τοίνυν ὁ μακάριος οὗτος Λουκᾶς ἐν τοῖς ὀπίσω βραχὺ περὶ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ· «Ἦσαν δὲ πάντες αὐτῷ ἐγγίζοντες οἱ τελῶναι καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀκούειν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐγόγγυζον οἵ τε Φαρισαῖοι καὶ οἱ Γραμματεῖς, λέγοντες, ὅτι Οὗτος ἁμαρτωλοὺς προσδέχεται, καὶ συνεσθίει αὐτοῖς. » Κατακεκραγότων τοίνυν τῶν Γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ γαληνότητος καὶ φιλανθρωπίας, καὶ ἐγκαλούντων αὐτῷ τὸ προσδέχεσθαί τινας τῶν ἐν βεβηλώσει ζωῆς, καὶ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς, ἀναγκαιοτάτην αὐτοῖς ἐποιήσατο Χριστὸς τῆς προκειμένης παραβολῆς τὴν παράθεσιν, δι' ἧς ἔξεστιν ἰδεῖν ἐκεῖνο καλῶς· βούλεται γὰρ οἷα τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, καὶ τὸν εὐπάρεδρόν τε καὶ γνήσιον ἀληθῶς, καὶ βιοῦν εἰδότα σεπτῶς, καὶ τῆς εἰς ἄκρον ἐπιεικείας λαχόντα τὴν δόξαν, ἀκολουθεῖν ἐπείγεσθαι τοῖς θελήμασιν αὐτοῦ· καὶ τοῖς καλουμένοις εἰς μετάγνωσιν, κἂν εἴ τινες εἶεν τῶν σφόδρα κατεγνωσμένων, ἐφήδεσθαι μᾶλλον, ἢ γοῦν ἀφιλάλληλον ἐπ' αὐτοῖς εἰσδέχεσθαι λύπην. Πάσχομεν γὰρ ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε τι τοιοῦτον καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοἱ · ζῶσι μὲν γάρ τίνες τὴν παγκάλην τε καὶ παναρίστην ζωήν· ἕτερος δέ τις ἀσθενεῖ καὶ ἥττηται, πρὸς πᾶν εἶδος φαυλότητος κατενηνεγμένος· οὗτος πρὸς αὐτῷ τῷ γήρᾳ πολλάκις ἐπιστρέφει πρὸς Θεὸν, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς προημαρτημένοις συγγνώμην αἰτεῖ, τῶν ἀμεινόνων γενόμενος ἐραστής· ἢ τάχα που καὶ μέλλων τὸν ἀνθρώπινον καταλύειν βίον, ἀξιοῦται τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος, καὶ ἀποσκευάζεται τὰ ἐγκλήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ κατοικτείροντος. Εἶτα χαλεπαίνουσιν ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε τινὲς ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ δὴ τούτῳ, καί φασιν · Οὗτος ὁ τό δε τι πράξας, κἀκεῖνο εἰπὼν, οὐκ ἐκτέτικε τῷ κριτῇ τῶν βεβιωμένων τὰς δίκας, καὶ ἠξιώθη τῆς οὕτω λαμπρᾶς καὶ ἀξιαγάστου χάριτος, ἐν υἱοῖς ἐγράφη Θεοῦ, καὶ τῇ τῶν ἁγίων τετίμηται δόξῃ· ταῦτα γὰρ ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε παραπτύουσί τινες ἐξ ἀκαίρου μικροψυχίας, οὐχ ἑπόμενοι τῷ σκοπῷ τοῦ πάντων Πατρός · χαίρει γὰρ λίαν, σωζομένους ὁρῶν τοὺς ἀπολωλότας, καὶ ἀνακομίζει πρὸς τὸ ἐν ἀρχαῖς σχῆμα, διδοὺς αὐτοῖς τὸ ἐλεύθερον, καὶ στολῇ τῇ πρώτη κατακαλλύνων αὐτοὺς, καὶ δακτύλιον διδοὺς εἰς τὴν χεῖρα· τοῦτο δὲ ἐστιν ἐλευθέροις πρέπουσα θεοφιλής εὐκοσμία. – "Αθρει γὰρ ὅπως διὰ τρόπου παντὸς ἐξαίρετον αὐτῇ τὸ κάλλος ἐνσημαίνεται, καὶ τῆς ἀμωμήτου ζωῆς ἐνεργάζεται τὴν φαιδρότητα. Κατακαλλύνει γὰρ κόσμῳ παντὶ, νοητῷ δηλονότι καὶ πνευματικῷ, τὰς τῶν σεβομένων αὐτὸν ψυχὰς, ἵνα καὶ πρὸς ἑκάστην λέγηται τὸ διὰ τῆς τοῦ Ψάλλοντος λύρας· « ῎Ακουσον, θύγατερ, καὶ ἴδε, » καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Ἔσθημα δὲ οὖν τὸ εἰς τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν ἀληθῆ τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ γένει Χριστὸς, κόσμημά τε λαμπρὸν καὶ ὑπερκόσμιον ταῖς τῶν ἁγίων ψυχαῖς. « "Ὅσοι γὰρ εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε, »

Gynē drachmas echousa deka, k. t. l. Dia men tēs proteras para bolēs, en hę̄ probaton peplanēmenon tēs gēs ap edeiknyto genos, emanthanomen hoti ktisis esmen tou epi pantas Theou, hōs parenenkontos eis hyparxin ouk onta pote ; « Autos gar epoiēsen hēmas, kai ouch hēmeis, » kata to gegrammenon. « Kai autos men esti ho Theos hēmōn, hēmeis de laos nomēs autou, kai probata tēs cheiros autou. » Dia de tēs deuteras tautēs, en hę̄ drachmę̄ pareikazetai to apolōlos, hōs ek deka palin, toutestin ek teleiotētos, ētoi plēthyos tēs artiōs echousēs eis arithmon (teleios gar kai ho deka, tēn ek monados anaphoitēsin echōn eis ton epekeina dromon), diadeiknytai saphōs hoti kath' homoiōsin kai kat' eikona gegonamen tēn basilikēn, toutesti tēn tou epi pantas Theou. Hē gartoi drach mē nomisma pou pantōs esti, charaktēras echon basilikous. Hoti de pesontes tropon tina kai apo olōlotes heurēmetha para Christou, kai pros auton memorphōmetha di᾽ hagiasmou kai dikaiosynēs, pōs an endoiaseie tis? gegraphotos hōdi tou makariou Paulou; « Hēmeis de pantes anakekalymmenǭ pros ōpǭ tēn doxan Kyriou katoptrizomenoi, tēn autēn eikona metamorphoumetha, apo doxēs eis doxan, kathaper apo Kyriou Pneumatos. ; Epistellei de kai Galatais hōdi; « Teknia, hous palin ōdinō, achris hou morphōthę̄ Christos en hymin. » Gegone de tou pesontos hē zētēsis, lychnon hapsasēs tēs gynaikos; heurēmetha gar para tēs tou Theou kai Patros sophias, hētis estin ho Huios, phōtos en hēmin analampsantos tou theiou kai noētou heōsphorou, kai tou hēliou tēs dikaiosynēs anateilantos, kai diaugazousēs hēmeras, kata to gegrammenon. Kai goun di᾽ henos tōn hagiōn prophē tōn ephē pou Theos peri tou pantōn hēmōn Sōtēros Christou; ; Engizei tachy hē dikaiosynē mou apokalyphthēnai, kai to sōtērion mou hōs lampas kauthēsetai. » Kai autos de phēsi peri heautou, pote men, hoti « Egō eimi to phōs tou kosmou ; ; pote de palin, hoti ; Egō phōs eis ton kosmon touton elēlytha; ho akolouthōn emoi, ou mē peripatēsę̄ en tę̄ skotią, all᾽ hexei to phōs tēs zōēs. • Oukoun en phōti sesōstai to apolōlos, kai gegone tais anō dynamesi thymēdia to chrēma; chairousi gar kai autai kai eph᾿ heni hamartōlǭ metanoounti; kai touto autos hēmas edidaxen ho panta eidōs. Ei de eph᾽ heni tōn sōzomenōn heortazousi, ton theion pou pantōn echnēlatountes skopon, kai akatalēktois euphēmiais tēn tou sōzontos hēmerotēta katakratein eithismenoi, hopoias an tis autous euphrosynēs anapimplasthai phaiē an, holēs anasesōsmenēs tēs hyp᾿ ouranon, kai dia tēs en Christǭ pisteōs keklēmenēs eis epignōsin alētheias? "Anthrōpos tis eiche dyo huious. Ētēsen asōtos to epiballon; elaben, apedēmēsen, edapanēsen; eita en endeią gegone pantos agathou, kai tōn theosdotōn charismatōn en spanei, kai hoion limǭ katephtheireto, ton arton ouk echōn ton ex ouranou ; ; Ou gar ep᾿ artǭ monǭ zēsetai anthrōpos, all᾽ epi panti rhēmati ekporeuomenǭ dia stomatos Theou. Epharmoseie d᾽ an tis tēn parabolēn kai tois ex ethnōn. Ephē gar, anthrōpǭ tini dyo men huious genesthai; einai de hena men autōn epieikē, ton de heteron asōton, hos dē kai katedēdokōs to eknemēthen autǭ tēs ousias meros, eita limǭ piestheis, tois keratiois prosebalen haper ēsthion hoi choiroi. Toiouton ti peponthotas tous apopeplanēmenous heurēsomen. En isǭ men gar hapasi dedōken ho Dēmiourgos, hōsper tina klēron, tēn tēs physeōs epitēdeiotēta pros to agathon; all᾽ hoi men diesōsan to dothen, tois theiois akolouthēsantes nomois, kai physikais ennoiais cheiragōgoumenoi pros pan hotioun tōn ouk ektopōn : hoi de hēmoirēkotes eis hapan tēs anōthen hēmerotētos kai pheidous kai agapēs, en spanei gegonasi tōn tēs aristēs zōēs auchēmatōn, kai trophēn eschēkasi tas Hellēnōn pseudomythias, en taxei keratiōn nooumenas, hois enesti men brachy to glyky, atrophia de pollē kai xērotēs; kai ge katebosken autous ho Satanas tais Hellēnōn pseudēgoriais, kai tais tōn par᾿ autois logadōn anoētois eustomiais ; mythoi gar kai heteron ouden kai graoprepē teretismata ta par᾿ ekeinois eisi dikaiōmata. Kai estin hē tou kosmou sophia dia to tēs lexeōs euēches chalkos ēchōn ē kymbalon alalazon. Oukoun etrephonto men palai tois Hellēnikois syngrammasin, oudemian onēsin eis katorthōsin tēs aretēs ergasasthai dynamenois. Epeidē de exezētēsan ton Theon, kai apo tēs makras planēs epanēlthon, hōs nekroi men anezēsan, hōs de apolōlotes heurethēsan. Tōn men gar eti planōmenōn, kai ton physei Theon ouk eidotōn, nekros te esti kai oionei apepsygmenos ho nous, kai nekrōn ergōn epimelētēs ; tauta de esti ta thelēmata tēs sarkos; tōn ge mēn epistrepsantōn pros Theon, kai epegnō kotōn tēn alētheian, ouk esti nekros ho nous ; tēn para Christou de zōopoiēsin peploutēkōs, zę̄ mal lon, kai tōn eis zōēn spoudasmatōn poieitai phrontida ; kai nekrōn men ergōn apophoitą, epithymei de tēs eis aiōna zōēs, tēs en ge, phēmi, tǭ aiōni tǭ mellonti dothēsomenēs para Christou tois pisteusasin eis auton. Dokei men tisi dia tēs tōn huiōn dyados, tous hagious angelous katasēmainesthai, kai hēmas de tous ontas epi tēs gēs; to men tou presbyterou prosōpon, hate de kai zōntos epieikōs, to tōn hagiōn angelōn tagma dēloun; to de ge tou neōterou te kai asōtou, to genos to anthrōpinon. Eisi de tōn en hēmin tines, hoi dē kai heteran iontes tribon, dia men tou presbyterou kai eu bebiōkotos huiou, katadēlousthai phasi ton kata sarka Israēl, dia de ge tou heterou, hos kai zę̄n eileto philēdonōs, kai apephoitēse tou patros, tēn tōn ethnōn graphesthai plēthyn. ᾿Apopsēphos de tais peri toutōn doxais eimi men egō ; dokimazetō de to alēthes ho philomathēs. Hotan men gar eis to tōn angelōn prosōpon anagagōmen ton gnēsion huion, ouch heurēsomen auton tas tois hagiois angelois prepousas eiponta phōnas, oute mēn houtō diakeimenon kathaper ekeinoi peri tous epistrephontas ex hamartiōn eis metanoian. Ho men gar tōn holōn Sōtēr kai Kyrios charan einai phēsin en ouranois enōpion tōn hagiōn angelōn, eph᾿ heni anthrōpǭ hamartōlǭ metanoounti; ho ge mēn en tę̄ prokeimenę̄ parabolę̄ graphomenos huios hōs eupara( dektos tǭ patri, kai adiablēton eschēkōs ton bion, orgisthēnai legetai, kai aphilallēlou gnōmēs eis touto elthein, hōste kai enkalesai tǭ patri tēn epi tǭ sesōsmenǭ philostorgian ; ou gar ēthelēse, phēsin, eis tēn hestian eiselthein, aschallōn hoti kai eisedechthē metanoōn ho ananēpsas molis, tethytai de kai ho moschos hyper autou, kai hoti teteleken ep᾿ autǭ panēgyrin ho patēr. Machetai de touto, hōs ephēn, tǭ skopǭ tōn hagiōn angelōn; chairousi gar kai doxologousi Theon, sōzomenous horōntes tous epi tēs gēs; kai goun, hote tēn en Bēthleem apotexin kata sarka ek gynaikos hypemeinen ho Huios, tois men poimesin euēngelizonto legontes; « Mē phobeisthe hymeis; idou gar euangelizo metha hymin charan megalēn, hētis estai panti tǭ laǭ; hoti etechthē hymin sēmeron sōtēr, hos esti Christos O Kyrios en polei Dabid. » Hymnǭdiais de kai doxolo giais stephanountes ton gegennēmenon, ephaskon; « Doxa en hypsistois Theǭ, kai epi gēs eirēnē, en an thrōpois eudokia. » Ei de dē tis legoi, ton kata sarka Israēl sēmainesthai dia tou gnēsiou kai epieikous huiou, aphistēsi palin hēmas tou chrēnai synainein tę̄ toiąde doxę̄, to kat' oudena tropon harmosai tǭ Israēl to akatapsektōs helesthai bioun; dia pasēs gar, hōs epos eipein tēs theopneustou Graphēs diabeblēmenous estin idein; hōs gar apostatas kai apeitheis, eirētai goun pros autous dia phōnēs Hieremiou; «Ti eurosan hoi pateres hymōn en emoi plēmmelēma, hoti apestēsan makran ap᾿ emou, kai eporeuthēsan opisō tōn mataiōn, kai emataiōthēsan? » Synǭda de toutois kai dia phōnēs Hēsaïou peri autōn ephē pou Theos; « Engizei moi ho laos houtos tois cheilesin; hē de kardia autou porrhō apechei ap᾿ emou; matēn de sebontai me, didaskontes didaskalias [kai] entalmata anthrōpōn., Eita pōs toutois houtō katagnōsmenois peritheiē tis an tas en tę̄ parabolę̄ phōnas, hōs para tou gnēsiou kai epieikous huiou proenēnegmenas? Ephē gar, hoti • Idou tosauta etē douleuō soi, kai oudepote entolēn sou parēlthon. » ᾿All᾿ ouk an eschēkasi diabeblēmenēn tēn zōēn, ei mē tas theias paratrechontes entolas pros exitēlon etraponto. "Allōs te, chrēnai gar oimai kakeino eipein, boulontai tines eis to tou Sōtēros hēmōn prosōpon anapherein ton moschon ton siteuton, hon tethyken ho patēr, keklimenou pros epistrophēn tou huiou. Eita pōs ho gnēsios huios, ho sophos kai epistēmōn kai gegonōs euparedros, hon dē kai eis prosōpon tōn hagiōn angelōn eiskomizousi tines, orgēs kai lypēs epoieito prophasin to sphagēnai ton moschon? Ou gar ti lelypēmenas katidoi tis an tas anō dynameis ton kata sarka thanaton hypomeinantos tou Christou, kai hoion sphagentos hyper hēmōn; echairon gar mallon, hōs ephēn, haimati tǭ hagiǭ sōzomenēn horōntes tēn hyp᾿ ouranon; anth᾽ hotou dē oun kai phēsin ho gnēsios huios to, «Emoi oudepote edōkas eriphon. » Tinos gar tōn agathōn endei tois hagiois angelois ? kaitoi plousią cheiri tōn pneumatikōn charismatōn tēn chorēgian eknenemēken autois ho tōn holōn Despotēs. Ē kai poias an edeēthēsan thysias en ge tois kath' heautous? Ou gar pou kai hyper autōn edei pathein ton Emmanouēl. Ei de dē tis oioito, kathaper ēdē proeipon, ton kata sarka Israēl sēmainesthai dia tou gnēsiou kai epieikous gegonotos huiou, pōs alētheusei legōn, hoti « Emoi oudepote edōkas eriphon? » Eite gar moschos eite eriphos hyper hamartias thyma nooito Christos, all᾽ ouch hyper ge monōn tethytai tōn ethnōn, all᾽ hina kai auton exeleitai ton Israēl, epi tę̄ tou nomou parabasei pollēn hypomeinanta tēn katarrhēsin. Kai martyrēsei graphōn ho sophōtatos Paulos; « Dio kai ho Huios hina hagiasę̄ dia tou idiou haimatos ton laon, exō tēs pylēs epathe.» Tis oun ara esti tēs parabolēs ho skopos? polypragmonēsōmen tēn aitian, eph᾿ hę̄ kai gegonen, eisometha gar houtō to alēthes. Ephē toinyn ho makarios houtos Loukas en tois opisō brachy peri pantōn hēmōn Sōtēros Christou; «Ēsan de pantes autǭ engizontes hoi telōnai kai hoi hamartōloi akouein autou; kai egongyzon hoi te Pharisaioi kai hoi Grammateis, legontes, hoti Houtos hamartōlous prosdechetai, kai synesthiei autois. » Katakekragotōn toinyn tōn Grammateōn kai Pharisaiōn tēs enousēs autǭ galēnotētos kai philanthrōpias, kai enkalountōn autǭ to prosdechesthai tinas tōn en bebēlōsei zōēs, kai didaskein autous, anankaiotatēn autois epoiēsato Christos tēs prokeimenēs parabolēs tēn parathesin, di' hēs exestin idein ekeino kalōs; bouletai gar hoia tōn holōn Theos, kai ton euparedron te kai gnēsion alēthōs, kai bioun eidota septōs, kai tēs eis akron epieikeias lachonta tēn doxan, akolouthein epeigesthai tois thelēmasin autou; kai tois kaloumenois eis metagnōsin, kan ei tines eien tōn sphodra kategnōsmenōn, ephēdesthai mallon, ē goun aphilallēlon ep' autois eisdechesthai lypēn. Paschomen gar esth᾽ hote ti toiouton kai hēmeis autoi ; zōsi men gar tines tēn pankalēn te kai panaristēn zōēn; heteros de tis asthenei kai hēttētai, pros pan eidos phaulotētos katenēnegmenos; houtos pros autǭ tǭ gērą pollakis epistrephei pros Theon, kai tēn epi tois proēmartēmenois syngnōmēn aitei, tōn ameinonōn genomenos erastēs; ē tacha pou kai mellōn ton anthrōpinon katalyein bion, axioutai tou theiou baptismatos, kai aposkeuazetai ta enklēmata tou Theou katoikteirontos. Eita chalepainousin esth᾽ hote tines ep᾿ autǭ dē toutǭ, kai phasin ; Houtos ho to de ti praxas, kakeino eipōn, ouk ektetike tǭ kritę̄ tōn bebiōmenōn tas dikas, kai ēxiōthē tēs houtō lampras kai axiagastou charitos, en huiois egraphē Theou, kai tę̄ tōn hagiōn tetimētai doxę̄; tauta gar esth᾽ hote paraptyousi tines ex akairou mikropsychias, ouch hepomenoi tǭ skopǭ tou pantōn Patros ; chairei gar lian, sōzomenous horōn tous apolōlotas, kai anakomizei pros to en archais schēma, didous autois to eleutheron, kai stolę̄ tę̄ prōtē katakallynōn autous, kai daktylion didous eis tēn cheira; touto de estin eleutherois prepousa theophilēs eukosmia. – "Athrei gar hopōs dia tropou pantos exaireton autę̄ to kallos ensēmainetai, kai tēs amōmētou zōēs energazetai tēn phaidrotēta. Katakallynei gar kosmǭ panti, noētǭ dēlonoti kai pneumatikǭ, tas tōn sebomenōn auton psychas, hina kai pros hekastēn legētai to dia tēs tou Psallontos lyras; « ᾿Akouson, thygater, kai ide, » kai ta loipa. Esthēma de oun to eis timēn kai doxan alēthē tǭ hierǭ kai hagiǭ genei Christos, kosmēma te lampron kai hyperkosmion tais tōn hagiōn psychais. « "Hosoi gar eis Christon ebaptisthēte, Christon enedysasthe, »

“A woman having ten drachmas,” and so on (15:8). Through the earlier parable, in which the race on earth was shown as a sheep gone astray, we learned that we are a creation of God who is over all, since he brought into existence what once was not: “For he made us, and not we ourselves,” as it is written; “and he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.” But through this second one, in which what was lost is likened to a drachma—again one of ten, that is, of a perfect number or a multitude complete in its count (for ten too is perfect, as the return from the unit into the further course)—it is clearly shown that we came to be after the royal likeness and image, that is, that of God who is over all. For the drachma is surely a coin bearing royal marks. That we had in some way fallen and been lost and were found by Christ, and conformed to him through sanctification and righteousness, how could anyone doubt? For the blessed Paul writes thus: “And we all, with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as from the Lord the Spirit.” And he writes thus to the Galatians: “My little children, with whom I am again in labour until Christ is formed in you.” The search for what had fallen took place when the woman lit a lamp; for we were found by the wisdom of God the Father, which is the Son, when the divine and spiritual morning star shone in us, and the sun of righteousness rose, and the day dawned, as it is written. Indeed through one of the holy prophets God said somewhere of Christ the Saviour of us all: “My righteousness draws near quickly to be revealed, and my salvation will burn like a torch.” And he himself says of himself, at one time, “I am the light of the world,” and at another, “I have come as light into this world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In light, then, what was lost has been saved, and the event became a joy to the powers above; for they too rejoice over one sinner who repents; and he who knows all taught us this himself. And if they keep festival over one of those being saved, tracing out, as it were, the divine purpose for all, and accustomed to celebrate with unceasing praises the gentleness of the one who saves, with what gladness might one say they are filled now that the whole world under heaven has been saved and called through faith in Christ to the knowledge of the truth?

“A certain man had two sons” (15:11). The prodigal asked for the share that fell to him; he received it, went abroad, spent it; then he came to be in want of every good thing and in scarcity of the God-given gifts, and was being destroyed as it were by famine, not having the bread from heaven; “for man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” One might apply the parable also to those from the nations. For he said that a certain man had two sons; that one of them was reasonable, and the other prodigal, who, having devoured the part of the property allotted to him, then, pressed by famine, turned to the pods that the pigs were eating. We shall find that those who had strayed suffered something of this kind. For the Creator gave all alike, as a kind of inheritance, the natural fitness for the good; but some preserved what was given, following the divine laws and guided by natural notions to everything that is not unseemly; while others, having lost all share in the gentleness and forbearance and love from above, came to be in want of the glories of the best life, and took as their food the lying myths of the Greeks, understood as the pods, which have a little sweetness but much lack of nourishment and dryness. Satan fed them on the lies of the Greeks and the senseless eloquence of their choice speakers; for the precepts among them are myths and nothing else, old women’s twittering. And the wisdom of the world, because of the fine sound of its diction, is a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. So of old they were fed on the Greek writings, which could do nothing to help them achieve virtue. But when they sought God and returned from their long wandering, they came back to life as dead men and were found as lost ones. For in those who still wander and do not know him who is God by nature, the mind is dead and as it were chilled, and busy with dead works—and these are the wishes of the flesh. But in those who have turned to God and come to know the truth the mind is not dead; enriched with the life-giving that comes from Christ, it lives rather, and takes care for the pursuits that lead to life; it departs from dead works and longs for eternal life—I mean the life to be given in the age to come by Christ to those who have believed in him.

To some it seems that by the pair of sons the holy angels are signified, and we who are on earth: the person of the elder, who also lived reasonably, indicating the order of the holy angels, and that of the younger and prodigal, the human race. But some among us, going another way, say that the elder son, who lived well, signifies Israel according to the flesh, and the other, who chose to live for pleasure and departed from his father, describes the multitude of the nations. I do not vote for these opinions; but let the lover of learning test what is true. For when we refer the true-born son to the person of the angels, we shall not find him speaking words fitting the holy angels, nor disposed as they are toward those who turn from sins to repentance. For the Saviour and Lord of all says that there is joy in heaven before the holy angels over one sinful man who repents; but the son described in the present parable, as acceptable to the father and having led a blameless life, is said to have become angry and to have come to such an unloving mind as even to reproach his father for his affection toward the one who was saved. For he would not, it says, go into the house, vexed that the one who had barely come to his senses was received when he repented, that the calf was slaughtered for him, and that the father held a festival over him. This conflicts, as I said, with the disposition of the holy angels; for they rejoice and glorify God when they see those on earth being saved. Indeed, when the Son underwent birth according to the flesh from a woman in Bethlehem, they announced the good news to the shepherds, saying: “Do not be afraid; for behold, we bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people: for to you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.” And crowning the newborn with hymns and doxologies they said: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men.” But if someone should say that Israel according to the flesh is signified by the true-born and reasonable son, again what keeps us from agreeing with such an opinion is that in no way does choosing to live blamelessly fit Israel; for throughout the whole divinely inspired Scripture, so to speak, one can see them reproached as apostates and disobedient. Indeed it was said to them through the voice of Jeremiah: “What offence did your fathers find in me, that they went far from me, and went after vain things, and became vain?” And in agreement with these things God said somewhere about them through the voice of Isaiah: “This people draws near to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” How, then, could one attribute to people so condemned the words in the parable as spoken by the true-born and reasonable son? For he said: “Behold, so many years I have served you, and I never transgressed your commandment.” But they would not have had a reproached life, had they not passed over the divine commandments and turned to what is effaced. Besides—for I think that this too must be said—some wish to refer the fatted calf, which the father slaughtered when the son had turned to return, to the person of our Saviour. How, then, could the true-born son, the wise and understanding one who had become an attendant, whom some bring in as the person of the holy angels, make the slaughter of the calf an occasion of anger and grief? For one would not see the powers above grieved when Christ underwent death according to the flesh and was as it were slaughtered for us; rather they rejoiced, as I said, seeing the world under heaven saved by the holy blood. Why, then, does the true-born son also say, “You never gave me a kid”? For which of the good things do the holy angels lack? Yet the Master of all has distributed to them with a rich hand the supply of spiritual gifts. Or what sacrifice would they have needed in their own case? For surely Emmanuel did not need to suffer for them too. And if someone should think, as I said before, that Israel according to the flesh is signified by the true-born and reasonable son, how will he speak the truth when he says, “You never gave me a kid”? For whether Christ is understood as a calf or a kid, as a sacrifice for sin, he was not sacrificed for the nations alone, but also to rescue Israel itself, which had incurred great condemnation for its transgression of the law. And the most wise Paul will bear witness, writing: “Therefore the Son too, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside the gate.”

What, then, is the aim of the parable? Let us search out the cause for which it was spoken; for so we shall know the truth. The blessed Luke said, then, a little before, about Christ the Saviour of us all: “Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to him to hear him; and the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying: This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Since, then, the scribes and Pharisees cried out against the gentleness and love for humankind that was in him, and accused him of receiving some who lived a profane life and of teaching them, Christ set before them the present parable as most necessary, through which one can see this well: as God of all, he wishes that even the one who is truly a faithful attendant and true-born, who knows how to live reverently and has gained the glory of the highest reasonableness, should hasten to follow his wishes, and should rather rejoice over those called to repentance, even if they are among the very much condemned, than receive an unloving grief over them. For sometimes we ourselves suffer something of this kind. Some live the finest and most excellent life; but another is weak and defeated, brought down to every kind of baseness; this one often turns to God in his very old age and asks pardon for his former sins, becoming a lover of better things; or perhaps, when about to end human life, he is counted worthy of divine baptism and puts away his charges, God having pity. Then some are sometimes indignant at this very thing and say: “This man, who did such and such and said such and such, has not paid the Judge the penalty for his life, and has been counted worthy of so splendid and admirable a grace; he has been enrolled among the sons of God and honoured with the glory of the saints.” Some sometimes spit out such things from untimely small-mindedness, not following the purpose of the Father of all. For he rejoices greatly when he sees the lost being saved, and he restores them to their original form, giving them their freedom, adorning them with the first robe, and giving a ring on their hand; and this is the God-loving adornment fitting free men.

Observe how in every way he marks it out with an exceptional beauty and works into it the radiance of a blameless life. For he adorns the souls of those who worship him with every adornment—spiritual and intelligible, clearly—so that to each it may be said, as through the lyre of the Psalmist: “Hear, O daughter, and see,” and the rest. Christ, then, is the garment for the honour and true glory of the sacred and holy race, and a bright and supramundane ornament for the souls of the saints. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ,”

Luke 15:8–10 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 100:3 (99:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:26 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 3:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 4:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 1:24 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Pet 1:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 56:1 (quotation, medium confidence) · Isa 62:1 (quotation, medium confidence) · John 8:12 (quotation, high confidence) · John 12:46 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 15:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 2:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 15:11–16 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 4:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 4:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 15:24 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 9:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 15:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 15:28–30 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 2:10–11 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 2:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 2:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 29:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 15:8–9 (quotation, medium confidence) · Luke 15:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 15:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 13:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 15:1–2 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 15:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 45:10 (44:11 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 3:27 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The lost drachma shows we were made in the royal image and restored by Christ, the lamp lit by the Father’s Wisdom; the prodigal son can be the gentiles fed on Greek myths and revived in Christ; Cyril rejects reading the elder son as the angels or Israel, and finds the parable’s aim in rebuking those who grudge God’s mercy to repentant sinners, whom he restores with the first robe, which is Christ.

A long passage joining several lemmas: 15:8 (the lost drachma), 15:11 (“A certain man had two sons”), and comment reaching 15:22–32.
In the paragraph on the dead and living mind, the scan displaced the words about eternal life to the wrong line (“τὴν τῆς εἰς αἰῶνα ζωῆς … τῷ σιν εἰς αὐτόν”); they are put back by logged corrections.
The rejection of identifying the elder son with Israel rests on Cyril’s view that Israel is reproached throughout Scripture; translated as written.
Deathbed baptism (“when about to end human life, he is counted worthy of divine baptism”) is mentioned as a practice of Cyril’s day.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; displaced words restored; two words joined by the OCR separated; hyphenation debris; words displaced by the OCR; restored to their place below): τὴν τῆς εἰς αἰῶνα ζωῆς, τῆς ἔν γε, φημὶ, τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ σιν εἰς αὐτόν. παρὰ Χριστοῦ δὲ → τὴν παρὰ Χριστοῦ δὲ; ἐπιθυμεῖ δὲ μέλλοντι δοθησομένης παρὰ Χριστοῦ τοῖς πιστεύσαΔοκεῖ → ἐπιθυμεῖ δὲ τῆς εἰς αἰῶνα ζωῆς, τῆς ἔν γε, φημὶ, τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι δοθησομένης παρὰ Χριστοῦ τοῖς πιστεύσασιν εἰς αὐτόν. Δοκεῖ; ἐλήλυθας ὁ ἀκολουθῶν → ἐλήλυθα· ὁ ἀκολουθῶν; ἐδεή- - θησαν → ἐδεήθησαν.

Topics: Baptism

Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 15.8 (PG 72 72:799; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/15-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/15-8

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

15.16PG 72 72:807

φησί · καὶ ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος. Ἐπεθύμει γεμίσαι τὴν κοιλίαν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν κερατίων. Τοιοῦτόν τι παθόντα κατε αθρήσαιμεν ἂν καὶ τὸν ὡς ἐν τύπῳ παραβολῆς γραφό μενον ἄσωτον, ὃς τὴν πατρώαν οὐσίαν ἐν ἀλλοδαπῇ κατεδήδοκεν· ἐνδείᾳ τε τῶν ἄνωθεν ἀγαθῶν ἐφθείρετο, καὶ λιμὸς οἷα τις τῶν οὐρανίων αὐτὸν κατεβόσκετο μαθημάτων, ἐπεθύμει τε χορτασθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν κερατίων ὧν ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι· ἀλλὰ διαῤῥέουσα ἡ διάκενος ἡδονὴ κενὸν αὐτὸν κατελίμπανε, καὶ ἦν ἐν ἐνδείᾳ παντάπασιν. ᾿Αναστὰς πορεύσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου. . Καὶ ὁ Κύριος γὰρ κελεύων παρρησιάζεσθαι, καὶ λέγειν ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς, Πάτερ, ἐκεῖνο τοῖς προσευχομένοις νοεῖν δίδωσιν, ὅτι εἰ Πατέρα καλοῦμεν Θεὸν, καὶ τῆς οὕτω λαμπρᾶς ἠξιώθημεν τιμῆς, δεῖ καὶ ἀξίως τοῦ τετιμηκότος πολιτεύεσθαι. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ Πέτρος ὁ μέγας φησίν· « Εἰ Πατέρα ἐπικαλεῖσθε, λέγων, τὸν ἀπροσωπολήπτως κρίνοντα κατὰ τὸ ἑκάστου ἔργον, ἐν φόβῳ τὸν τῆς παροικίας ὑμῶν χρόνον ἀναστράφητε. » - Ἴσως ἐρεῖς κατὰ σαυτόν· Κεκηλίδωμαι διὰ πολλῆς ἁμαρτίας · εἶτα, πῶς ἂν γενοίμην καθαρὸς ὁ οὕτω μεμολυσμένος; Ακουε τοιγαροῦν καὶ τὰ παρ᾿ ἡμῶν. Οἶδας ὅτι πεπλημμέληκας ὅλως ; ὁμολογεῖς τὴν ἀσθένειαν; διαμέμνησαι τῶν ὀλισθημάτων; ἐγγὺς εἶ τοῦ σώζεσθαι· καθάρσεως γὰρ ἀρχὴ τὸ ὁμολογεῖν ἁμαρτίας. Οὕτω καὶ γέγραπται· « Λέγε σὺ τὰς ἀνομίας σου πρῶτος, ἵνα δικαιωθῇς· » οὐ γὰρ ἐστι σκληρὸς ὁ πάντων Δεσπότης· οὐκ ἀμείλικτος, χρηστὸς δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ φιλοικτείρμων καὶ ἀγαθὸς καὶ εἰδὼς τὸ πλάσμα. Καὶ γὰρ μέγα καὶ ὁμολογία καὶ φυγὴ τοῦ κακοῦ· οὕτως ἐδέχθη ὁ ἄσωτος. – τίς ὁ μόσχος ὁ σιτευτὸς, ἢ πάντως Χριστὸς τὸ ἄμωμον ἱερεῖον, ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, ὁ θυόμενος καὶ ἐσθιόμενος; Καθ᾽ ὁ γὰρ τὴν ἄλογον φύσει καὶ κτηνώδη σάρκα περιεβάλετο, κἂν αὐτὴν τῶν οἰκείων αὐχημάτων πεπλήρωκε, μόσχος νοεῖται, ἀπειρόζυγος μὲν τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας, σιτευτὸς δὲ καθ᾿ ὁ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου προώριστο το κατὰ Χριστὸν μυστήριον, ἡ φρικώδης καὶ μεγάλη θυσία, ἧς μετασχεῖν ἐφεῖται τοῖς ἐπανιοῦσιν ἐξ ἁμαρτίας.

phēsi ; kai alēthēs ho logos. Epethymei gemisai tēn koilian autou apo tōn keratiōn. Toiouton ti pathonta kate athrēsaimen an kai ton hōs en typǭ parabolēs grapho menon asōton, hos tēn patrōan ousian en allodapę̄ katedēdoken; endeią te tōn anōthen agathōn ephtheireto, kai limos hoia tis tōn ouraniōn auton katebosketo mathēmatōn, epethymei te chortasthēnai apo tōn keratiōn hōn ēsthion hoi choiroi; alla diarrheousa hē diakenos hēdonē kenon auton katelimpane, kai ēn en endeią pantapasin. ᾿Anastas poreusomai pros ton patera mou. . Kai ho Kyrios gar keleuōn parrēsiazesthai, kai legein en tais proseuchais, Pater, ekeino tois proseuchomenois noein didōsin, hoti ei Patera kaloumen Theon, kai tēs houtō lampras ēxiōthēmen timēs, dei kai axiōs tou tetimēkotos politeuesthai. Touto gar kai Petros ho megas phēsin; « Ei Patera epikaleisthe, legōn, ton aprosōpolēptōs krinonta kata to hekastou ergon, en phobǭ ton tēs paroikias hymōn chronon anastraphēte. » - Isōs ereis kata sauton; Kekēlidōmai dia pollēs hamartias ; eita, pōs an genoimēn katharos ho houtō memolysmenos? Akoue toigaroun kai ta par᾿ hēmōn. Oidas hoti peplēmmelēkas holōs ? homologeis tēn astheneian? diamemnēsai tōn olisthēmatōn? engys ei tou sōzesthai; katharseōs gar archē to homologein hamartias. Houtō kai gegraptai; « Lege sy tas anomias sou prōtos, hina dikaiōthę̄s; » ou gar esti sklēros ho pantōn Despotēs; ouk ameiliktos, chrēstos de mallon kai philoikteirmōn kai agathos kai eidōs to plasma. Kai gar mega kai homologia kai phygē tou kakou; houtōs edechthē ho asōtos. – tis ho moschos ho siteutos, ē pantōs Christos to amōmon hiereion, ho airōn tēn hamartian tou kosmou, ho thyomenos kai esthiomenos? Kath᾽ ho gar tēn alogon physei kai ktēnōdē sarka periebaleto, kan autēn tōn oikeiōn auchēmatōn peplērōke, moschos noeitai, apeirozygos men tou nomou tēs hamartias, siteutos de kath᾿ ho pro katabolēs kosmou proōristo to kata Christon mystērion, hē phrikōdēs kai megalē thysia, hēs metaschein epheitai tois epaniousin ex hamartias.

he says; and the saying is true. “He longed to fill his belly with the pods” (15:16). We might see something of this kind suffered also by the prodigal described in the figure of the parable, who devoured his father’s property in a foreign land; he was perishing from want of the good things from above, and a famine, as it were, of the heavenly teachings was consuming him, and he longed to be filled with the pods that the pigs were eating; but the empty pleasure, flowing away, left him empty, and he was in utter want. “I will arise and go to my father” (15:18). For the Lord too, when he commands us to speak with boldness and to say “Father” in our prayers, gives those who pray to understand this: that if we call God Father and have been counted worthy of so splendid an honour, we must also live in a way worthy of the one who has honoured us. For the great Peter too says this: “If you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear throughout the time of your sojourning.”

Perhaps you will say to yourself: “I have been stained by much sin; how, then, could I, so defiled, become clean?” Hear, then, what we have to say. Do you know that you have offended at all? Do you confess your weakness? Do you remember your slips? You are near to being saved; for the beginning of cleansing is to confess sins. So it is also written: “Tell your iniquities first, that you may be justified.” For the Master of all is not hard, not implacable, but rather kind and compassionate and good, and he knows what he has formed. For confession is a great thing, and so is flight from evil; so the prodigal was received.

Who is the fatted calf, if not surely Christ, the spotless victim, who takes away the sin of the world, who is sacrificed and eaten? Inasmuch as he clothed himself with the flesh that is irrational and animal by nature—even if he filled it with his own glories—he is understood as a calf, untouched by the yoke of the law of sin, and fatted inasmuch as the mystery of Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world, the awesome and great sacrifice, in which those who return from sin are permitted to share.

Luke 15:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 15:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 6:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Pet 1:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 43:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 103:14 (102:14 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 15:23 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 7:23 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Pet 1:19–20 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The prodigal starved for heavenly teaching; calling God Father requires a worthy life; the sinner who confesses is near to salvation; and the fatted calf is Christ, the spotless sacrifice foreordained before the world, shared by those who return from sin.

The opening words end the quotation of Gal 3:27 begun in 15.8.
“Tell your iniquities first, that you may be justified” is Isa 43:26 (LXX).
The calf as Christ’s flesh, “sacrificed and eaten,” is a eucharistic image; the phrase “irrational and animal by nature” refers to the bodily nature taken up by the Word, which he filled with his own glory; translated as written.

Topics: Christology, Eucharist

Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 15.16 (PG 72 72:807; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/15-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/15-16

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam-15-16) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Commentary 16, chapter 1

16.1.1PG 72 72:809

"Ανθρωπός τις ἦν πλούσιος, ὃς εἶχεν οἰκονόμον.

"Anthrōpos tis ēn plousios, hos eichen oikonomon.

“There was a rich man who had a steward” (16:1).

Luke 16:1 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Only the lemma of Luke 16:1 survives here; the comment follows in the next passage.

This passage is only the lemma printed as a heading in Migne; the comment follows in 16.1.2.

Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 16.1.1 (PG 72 72:809; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/16-1-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/16-1-1

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam-16-1-1) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

16.1.2PG 72 72:809

Πλὴν κἀκεῖνό φαμεν τοῖς φιλομαθέσιν, ὅτι πλαγίως καὶ ἀσυμφανῶς ἡμῖν αἱ παραβολαὶ πραγμάτων ὀνησιφόρων δήλωσιν εἰσκομίζουσιν ὅταν αὐτῶν ἐν βραχεῖ καὶ συνεσταλμένως τὸν νοῦν καταθρήσωμεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἅπαντα τῆς παραβολῆς τὰ μέρη πολυπραγμονεῖσθαι χρὴ λεπτῶς καὶ ἐξ ητασμένως, ἵνα μήτε πρὸς τὸ πέρα μέτρου βαδίζων ὁ λόγος καταλυπήσῃ τῷ περιττῷ τοὺς φιλακροάμονας, μήτε μὴν ἀδολεσχίας ὄχλον ἐνεργάσηταί τισιν· οἷον καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς προκειμένης παραβολῆς. Εἰ γὰρ βούλοιτό τις διατρανοῦν, τίς μὲν ἂν νοηθείη πρὸς ἡμῶν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὁ τὸν διαβεβλημένον ἔχων οἰκονόμον, ἢ καὶ τίς ἂν εἴη τυχὸν ὁ διαβεβληκὼς αὐτὸν, τίνες δὲ καὶ οἱ τοῖς ὀφλήμασιν ἔνοχοι, καὶ τὰς τῶν ὀφλημάτων ποιοῦντες ἀποκοπὰς, καὶ διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν ὁ μὲν ἔλαιον, ὁ δὲ σἴτον ἐποφλῆσαι λέγεται, σκοτεινὸν ἅμα καὶ περιττὸν ἀποτελέσει τὸν λόγον. Οὐκοῦν οὐ πάντη τε καὶ πάντως ἅπαντα τῆς παραβολῆς τὰ μέρη τῇ τῶν δηλουμένων εἰσὶ θεωρία χρήσιμα, εἰς εἰκόνα δὲ ληφθεῖεν ἂν ἀναγκαίου πράγματος ἀμυδρῶς ὑποφαίνουσαν τὸ τελοῦν εἰς ὅνησιν τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις. Ἔστι τοίνυν τῆς παραβολῆς τοιοῦτος ὁ νοῦς· « Ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλει σωθῆναι, καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ νόμον εἰς βοήθειαν ἔδωκε, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ προφήτου φωνήν. Νόμον δέ φαμεν ἐν τούτοις, οὐχὶ δή που πάντως τὸν διακονηθέντα διὰ Μωϋσέως, ἅπασαν δὲ μᾶλλον τὴν θεόπνευστον Γραφὴν, δι' ἧς ἔνεστι μαθεῖν τὴν εὐθὺ παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ καὶ σωτηριώδους πράγματος ἀποκομίζουσαν τρίβον. Βούλεται τοίνυν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Δεσπότης, ὁλοτρόπως ἡμᾶς τοῖς εἰς ἀρετὴν ἀνακεῖσθαι σπουδάσμασι, καὶ διαβιοῦν ἑλέσθαι σπουδαίως καὶ ἁγίως, ἀπαλλάττοντας ἑαυτοὺς τῶν τοῦ παρόντος βίου περισπασμῶν, ἵνα εὐπαρέδρως καὶ ἀπερισπάστως ὑπηρετῶμεν αὐτῷ. Καὶ γοῦν διὰ μὲν τῆς τοῦ Ψάλλοντος λύρας· « Σχολάσατε, φησὶ, καὶ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεός. » Δι' ἑαυτοῦ δὲ πάλιν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Σωτὴρ τοῖς τὸν πλοῦτον ἔχουσι τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· « Πωλήσατε, φησὶ, τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δότε ἐλεημοσύνην, ποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς βαλάντια μὴ παλαιούμενα, θησαυρὸν ἀνέκλειπτον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. • Καὶ ἡ μὲν ἐντολὴ σωτήριος, ἀσθενὴς δὲ λίαν ὁ ἀνθρώπινος νοῦς, καὶ ἀεί πως προσπέπηγε τοῖς γεωδεστέροις· καὶ τοῦτο εἰδὼς αὐτὸς ὁ Σωτήρ ἔφησέ που περὶ αὐτῶν· « Πῶς δυσκόλως οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ! » Καὶ πάλιν· « Εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος εἰσελθεῖν, ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. » Ἕως γὰρ ἔστι τις ἐν τῷ πλουτεῖν καὶ τρυφᾶν, ἀνεπιτήδευτον ἔχει τὴν εἰς Θεὸν εὐσέβειαν. "Αρ᾽ οὖν οὐδὲ μία τοῖς πλουτοῦσι σω τηρίας ὁδὸς, ἀλλὰ πῦρ αὐτοῖς ηὐτρέπισται, τὸ τῷ διαβόλῳ πρέπον καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ; Οὐ μὲν οὖν· ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ἰδοὺ πρόφασιν αὐτοῖς σωτηρίας ἀνέδειξεν ὁ Σωτήρ διὰ ταύτης τῆς παραβολῆς· ἐθαῤῥήθησαν, τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πλοῦτον ἀφέντος αὐτοῖς ἀνεξικάκως τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεοῦ· πλὴν κατά γε τὸν ἐνόντα σκοπὸν αὐτῷ οἰκονόμοι τινὲς τίθενται τῶν πτωχευομένων· οἰκονόμοι δὲ λέγονται παρὰ τῷ τὰ οἰκεῖα ἑκάστῳ νέμειν ἀλλ᾽ οἰκονομοῦσιν οὐκ ὀρθῶς, οἱονεὶ σκορπίζοντες τὰ δοθέντα αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου· μόναις γὰρ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν δαπανῶσι τρυφαῖς, καὶ προσκαίρους ὠνοῦνται τιμὰς, ἀμνημονοῦντες Θεοῦ λέγοντος· : ᾿Ανοίγων ἀνοίξεις τὰ σπλάγχνα τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, τῷ ἐπιδεομένῳ ἐν σοί. » Ναὶ μὴν καὶ αὐτοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ· • Γένεσθε οἰκτείρμονες, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος οἰκτείρμων ἐστίν. » ᾿Αλλ' οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἔφην, τοῦ κατοικτείρειν ἀδελφοὺς ὁ λόγος, μόνης δὲ ποιοῦνται φροντίδα τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀγερωχίας· τοῦτο διαβέβληκεν αὐτοὺς παρὰ τῷ πάντων Δεσπότῃ. Δεῖ δὲ πάντως αὐτοὺς ἀποπεσεῖν τῆς οἰκονομίας ἐπιπηδῶντος θανάτου, καὶ τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς πραγμάτων ἐξέλκοντος· ἀδιάφυκτον γὰρ ἀνθρώπῳ παντὶ τοῦ θανάτου τὸ λίνον. Τί οὖν ἄρα δρᾷν αὐτοὺς βούλεται Χριστός; Ἕως εἰσὶν ἐν τῷδε τῷ κόσμῳ, κἂν εἰ μὴ πάντα βούλοιντο τὸν ἑαυτῶν πλοῦτον διανείμαι πτωχοῖς, κἂν γοῦν ἐκ μέρους κατακτήσασθαι φίλους, καὶ πολλοὺς τῆς εὐσπλαγχνίας μάρτυρας, τοὺς εὖ πεπονθότας δηλονότι· ἵνα ὅταν αὐτοὺς ὁ ἐπίγειος ἐκλείπῃ πλοῦτος, ἔχωσί τινα τόπον ἐν ταῖς ἐκείνων σκηναῖς. Καὶ γάρ ἐστι τῶν ἀμηχάνων ἄμισθον γενέσθαι ποτὲ τὸν φιλόπτωχον, ἀλλ᾽ εἴτε ἅπαντά τις τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πλοῦτον διαδοίη τισὶν, εἴτ' οὖν ἐκ μέρους, ὀνήσει πάντως τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Ὁ πιστὸς ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ, καὶ ἐν πολλῷ πιστός ἐστι.

Plēn kakeino phamen tois philomathesin, hoti plagiōs kai asymphanōs hēmin hai parabolai pragmatōn onēsiphorōn dēlōsin eiskomizousin hotan autōn en brachei kai synestalmenōs ton noun katathrēsōmen. Ou gar hapanta tēs parabolēs ta merē polypragmoneisthai chrē leptōs kai ex ētasmenōs, hina mēte pros to pera metrou badizōn ho logos katalypēsę̄ tǭ perittǭ tous philakroamonas, mēte mēn adoleschias ochlon energasētai tisin; hoion kai epi tēs prokeimenēs parabolēs. Ei gar bouloito tis diatranoun, tis men an noētheiē pros hēmōn ho anthrōpos, ho ton diabeblēmenon echōn oikonomon, ē kai tis an eiē tychon ho diabeblēkōs auton, tines de kai hoi tois ophlēmasin enochoi, kai tas tōn ophlēmatōn poiountes apokopas, kai dia poian aitian ho men elaion, ho de siton epophlēsai legetai, skoteinon hama kai peritton apotelesei ton logon. Oukoun ou pantē te kai pantōs hapanta tēs parabolēs ta merē tę̄ tōn dēloumenōn eisi theōria chrēsima, eis eikona de lēphtheien an anankaiou pragmatos amydrōs hypophainousan to teloun eis honēsin tois akroōmenois. Esti toinyn tēs parabolēs toioutos ho nous; « Ho tōn holōn Theos pantas anthrōpous thelei sōthēnai, kai eis epignōsin alētheias elthein. Tautę̄ toi kai nomon eis boētheian edōke, kata tēn tou prophētou phōnēn. Nomon de phamen en toutois, ouchi dē pou pantōs ton diakonēthenta dia Mōÿseōs, hapasan de mallon tēn theopneuston Graphēn, di' hēs enesti mathein tēn euthy pantos agathou kai sōtēriōdous pragmatos apokomizousan tribon. Bouletai toinyn ho tōn holōn Despotēs, holotropōs hēmas tois eis aretēn anakeisthai spoudasmasi, kai diabioun helesthai spoudaiōs kai hagiōs, apallattontas heautous tōn tou parontos biou perispasmōn, hina euparedrōs kai aperispastōs hypēretōmen autǭ. Kai goun dia men tēs tou Psallontos lyras; « Scholasate, phēsi, kai gnōte hoti egō eimi ho Theos. » Di' heautou de palin ho tōn holōn Sōtēr tois ton plouton echousi ton epi tēs gēs; « Pōlēsate, phēsi, ta hyparchonta, kai dote eleēmosynēn, poiēsate heautois balantia mē palaioumena, thēsauron anekleipton en tois ouranois. • Kai hē men entolē sōtērios, asthenēs de lian ho anthrōpinos nous, kai aei pōs prospepēge tois geōdesterois; kai touto eidōs autos ho Sōtēr ephēse pou peri autōn; « Pōs dyskolōs hoi ta chrēmata echontes eiseleusontai eis tēn basileian tou Theou ! » Kai palin; « Eukopōteron esti kamēlon dia trypēmatos rhaphidos eiselthein, ē plousion eis tēn basileian tou Theou. » Heōs gar esti tis en tǭ ploutein kai tryphan, anepitēdeuton echei tēn eis Theon eusebeian. "Ar᾽ oun oude mia tois ploutousi sō tērias hodos, alla pyr autois ēutrepistai, to tǭ diabolǭ prepon kai tois angelois autou? Ou men oun; idou gar, idou prophasin autois sōtērias anedeixen ho Sōtēr dia tautēs tēs parabolēs; etharrhēthēsan, ton epi tēs gēs plouton aphentos autois anexikakōs tou epi pantōn Theou; plēn kata ge ton enonta skopon autǭ oikonomoi tines tithentai tōn ptōcheuomenōn; oikonomoi de legontai para tǭ ta oikeia hekastǭ nemein all᾽ oikonomousin ouk orthōs, hoionei skorpizontes ta dothenta autois para tou Despotou; monais gar tais heautōn dapanōsi tryphais, kai proskairous ōnountai timas, amnēmonountes Theou legontos; : ᾿Anoigōn anoixeis ta splanchna tǭ adelphǭ sou, tǭ epideomenǭ en soi. » Nai mēn kai autou pantōn hēmōn Sōtēros Christou; • Genesthe oikteirmones, kathōs kai ho Patēr hymōn ho ouranios oikteirmōn estin. » ᾿All' oudeis autois, hōs ephēn, tou katoikteirein adelphous ho logos, monēs de poiountai phrontida tēs heautōn agerōchias; touto diabeblēken autous para tǭ pantōn Despotę̄. Dei de pantōs autous apopesein tēs oikonomias epipēdōntos thanatou, kai tōn kath' hēmas pragmatōn exelkontos; adiaphykton gar anthrōpǭ panti tou thanatou to linon. Ti oun ara drąn autous bouletai Christos? Heōs eisin en tǭde tǭ kosmǭ, kan ei mē panta boulointo ton heautōn plouton dianeimai ptōchois, kan goun ek merous kataktēsasthai philous, kai pollous tēs eusplanchnias martyras, tous eu peponthotas dēlonoti; hina hotan autous ho epigeios ekleipę̄ ploutos, echōsi tina topon en tais ekeinōn skēnais. Kai gar esti tōn amēchanōn amisthon genesthai pote ton philoptōchon, all᾽ eite hapanta tis ton heautou plouton diadoiē tisin, eit' oun ek merous, onēsei pantōs tēn heautou psychēn. Ho pistos en elachistǭ, kai en pollǭ pistos esti.

But this too we say to those who love learning: parables bring us the disclosure of beneficial things obliquely and not openly, when we observe their meaning briefly and concisely. For not all the parts of a parable need to be scrutinized minutely and exhaustively, lest the discourse, going beyond measure, should weary its eager hearers with superfluity, or produce in some the annoyance of idle talk—as in the present parable. For if someone wished to make plain who the man with the accused steward may be taken to be by us, or who perhaps the one who accused him may be, and who those are that were liable for the debts and made reductions of their debts, and for what reason one is said to have owed oil and another wheat, he will make the discourse obscure and superfluous at once. So not all the parts of the parable are in every way useful for the contemplation of what is signified, but it may be taken as an image of a necessary matter, dimly indicating what serves for the benefit of the hearers. This, then, is the meaning of the parable. The God of all “wishes all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” For this reason he also gave a law as a help, according to the prophet’s word. By the law here we mean not, surely, only the law ministered through Moses, but rather the whole divinely inspired Scripture, through which one can learn the path that leads straight to every good and saving thing. The Master of all, then, wishes us to devote ourselves wholly to the pursuits of virtue and to choose to live earnestly and holily, freeing ourselves from the distractions of the present life, so that we may serve him attentively and without distraction. Indeed through the lyre of the Psalmist he says: “Be still, and know that I am God.” And again in his own person the Saviour of all says to those who have earthly wealth: “Sell your possessions and give alms; make yourselves purses that do not grow old, an unfailing treasure in heaven.” The commandment is saving, but the human mind is very weak and always somehow fixed on earthly things; and knowing this the Saviour himself said somewhere about them: “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And again: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” For as long as someone is in wealth and luxury, he has an unpractised piety toward God. Is there, then, not a single way of salvation for the rich, but the fire prepared for the devil and his angels made ready for them? Not at all. For see, see, the Saviour has shown them an occasion of salvation through this parable. They have been entrusted with earthly wealth, the God over all patiently leaving it to them; yet, according to his purpose in it, they are made stewards of the poor. They are called stewards because each is to distribute to others what belongs to them; but they do not manage it rightly, as it were scattering what the Master gave them; for they spend it only on their own luxuries and buy passing honours, forgetting God, who says: “You shall open your heart wide to your brother who is in need among you.” Yes, and Christ the Saviour of us all himself: “Be merciful, as your heavenly Father also is merciful.” But they, as I said, take no account of pitying their brothers; they care only for their own arrogance. This is what has accused them before the Master of all. And they must certainly fall from their stewardship when death leaps upon them and drags them from our affairs; for the net of death is inescapable for every human being. What, then, does Christ wish them to do? While they are in this world, even if they do not wish to distribute all their wealth to the poor, let them at least with part of it win friends and many witnesses of their compassion—those, clearly, who have been well treated—so that when their earthly wealth fails them, they may have some place in their dwellings. For it is impossible that the lover of the poor should ever go unrewarded; whether someone gives all his wealth to others, or a part of it, he will surely benefit his own soul. “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much” (16:10).

Luke 16:1–9 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 2:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 8:20 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 46:10 (45:11 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 12:33 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 18:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 18:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 25:41 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 15:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 6:36 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 16:10 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Not every detail of a parable needs interpreting; the unjust steward teaches that the rich, entrusted with wealth as stewards of the poor, will lose it at death, and should use at least part of it to win friends among the poor who will receive them in the eternal dwellings.

The “prophet’s word” about the law given as a help is Isa 8:20 (LXX), cited by sense.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR word division; stray letter left in the OCR): τοῦ Ο Θεοῦ → τοῦ Θεοῦ; Ούμεν οῦν → Οὐ μὲν οὖν; παρὰ Η τοῦ → παρὰ τοῦ.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 16.1.2 (PG 72 72:809; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/16-1-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/16-1-2

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Commentary 16

16.10PG 72 72:813

Συχνῶς ἔσθ' ὅτε ὁ τῶν ὅλων Σωτὴρ τοὺς αὐτοὺς ποιεῖται λόγους, καὶ διαφόροις περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ θεωρήματος κέχρηται παραδείγμασιν, ἵνα πρὸς σύνεσιν ἀκριβῆ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ λεγομένων, ὁ τῶν ἀκροωμένων ἐμβιβάζηται νοῦς. "Αθρει δέ μοι πάλιν τῶν προκειμένων ἀναγνωσμάτων τὴν δύναμιν. Δοκεῖ δὲ μοι καὶ πρό γε τῶν ἄλλων, ἐκεῖνο χρησίμως κατιδεῖν, τίνας ὅλως ὁ τοιόσδε λόγος ἔχει τὰς ἀφορμάς· ἔσται γὰρ οὕτως εὐσύνοπτος τῶν προκειμένων ὁ νοῦς. Ἐδίδασκε τοίνυν τοὺς ἐν πλούτῳ Χριστὸς ἀγαπᾶν ὅτι μάλιστα τὴν φιλοπτωχίαν, καὶ θησαυρίζειν ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ τῆς εἰς τὸ μέλλον εὐημερίας ποιεῖσθαι πρόνοιαν. ᾿Αλλ' εὖ ἠπίστατο, Θεὸς ὢν φύσει, τῆς ἀνθρώπου διανοίας τὸν ὄκνον, τὸν ἐπὶ παντὶ ( σπουδαίῳ τε καὶ ἀγαθῷ πράγματι, καὶ ὡς φιλόπλουτοι λίαν ὄντες, καὶ τῷ τοιῷδε πάθει τυραννούμενοι παντελῶς, οὐδένα τοῖς πτωχευομένοις νέμουσιν ἔλεον. Ὅτι τοίνυν τοῖς οὕτως ἔχουσι γνώμης, οὐδὲν ὑπάρξει τῶν παρὰ Θεοῦ χαρισμάτων, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι πνευματικῶν, ἐξ ἐναργεστάτων παραδειγμάτων διαδείκνυσι λέγων· « Ὁ πιστὸς ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ, καὶ ἐν πολλῷ πιστός ἐστι, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Λῦσον ἡμῖν, Δέσποτα, τὸ ζητούμενον, ἄνοιξον ἡμῶν τῆς καρδίας τὸν ὀφθαλμόν. "Ακουε τοίνυν σαφῶς τε καὶ ἀκριβῶς, ὅπερ ἔφη· Εἰ ἐν τῷ ἀδίκῳ μαμωνᾷ πιστοὶ οὐκ ἐγένεσθε, φησὶ, τὸ ἀληθινὸν τίς δώσει ὑμῖν; Ἔστι δὴ οὖν τὸ ἐλάχιστον, ὁ ἄδικος μαμωνᾶς, τουτέστιν ὁ ἐπίγειος πλοῦτος, ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς ἔσθ' ὅτε καὶ πλεονεξίας συνειλεγμένος· τοῖς γε μὴν εὖ εἰδόσι βιοῦν, καὶ ἀποφέρουσι μὲν τῶν ἐπιγείων τὸν νοῦν, φρονοῦσι δὲ μᾶλλλον τὰ ἄνω, καταλογισθείη ἂν παντελῶς οὐδὲν ὁ ἐπίγειος πλοῦτος, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τοὺς ἐνδεεῖς ὅλον δαπανήσουσι, καλῶς αὐτὸν οἰκονομοῦντες. Τοῦτο, οἶμαι, ἐστὶ τὸ ἐν ὀλίγῳ γενέσθαι τινὰ πιστὸν, τὸ τοῖς ἐν ἐσχάτῃ ταλαιπωρίᾳ τὴν ἀπό γε τῶν ὄντων διανέμειν ἐπικουρίαν. Εἰ οὖν ἐν ὀλίγῳ γεγόναμεν ἄπιστοι, πῶς ἂν λάβοιμεν παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀληθινὸν, τουτέστι τῶν θείων χαρισμάτων ἀμφιλαφῆ χορηγίαν, ψυχὴν ἀνθρώπου κατακαλλύνουσαν, καὶ τὸ θεῖον αὐτῇ κάλλος ἐγγράφουσαν ; Ὅτι δὲ εἰς τοῦτο βλέπει καὶ τέτραπται τῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ῥημάτων ὁ σκοπὸς, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐφεξῆς εἰδείη τις ἂν εὖ μάλα. Ἔφη γάρ· . Εἰ » ἐν τῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ πιστοὶ οὐκ ἐγένεσθε, τὸ ὑμέτερον τίς δώσει ὑμῖν;» ᾿Αλλότριον δὲ εἶναί φαμεν, τὴν τῶν χρημάτων περιουσίαν· οὐ γὰρ γεγεννήμεθα μετὰ πλούτου, γυμνοὶ δὲ μᾶλλον· καὶ ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν ὅτι, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, « Οὐδὲν εἰσηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνάμεθα. » Γενώμεθα οὖν πιστοὶ ἐν τῷ μικρῷ τούτῳ καὶ γηΐνῳ πλούτῳ, ὅς ἐλάχιστός ἐστι καὶ οὐδὲν, ὅτι ῥευστός· καὶ μὴ σφετεριζώμεθα τὰ εἰς κοινὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν χρείαν δοθέντα ἡμῖν, ὥστε ἄδικον τὸν πλοῦτον ποιεῖν, διὰ τοῦ κατέχειν αὐτὸν, καὶ ταῦτα, ἀλλότριον ὄντα · τὸ μὲν, ὅτι οὐδὲν εἰσηνέγκαμεν· τὸ δὲ, ὅτι τῶν πτωχῶν ἐστιν· ἵνα τὸν ἡμέτερον θεῖον καὶ οὐράνιον πλοῦτον πιστευθῶμεν, τὸν ἀληθινὸν καὶ μένοντα. Αλλότριον μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρώπου παντὸς φυσικῶς, τὸ πλουτεῖν· ἔξωθεν γὰρ προσγίνεται καὶ ἐπισυμβαίνει τισί· κἂν ἀποσυμβῇ καὶ ἀπόλοιτο, παραβλάψοι ἂν οὐδὲν παντελῶς τοὺς τῆς ἀνθρώπου φύσεως λόγους. Οὐ γὰρ ἔν γε τῷ εἶναι πλούσιοι, λογικοί τὲ ἐσμεν, καὶ ἀπάσης ἀγαθοεργίας ἐπιστήμονες, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τῆς φύσεως ἐπιτηδειότης, δεκτικὴ τῶν τοιούτων ἐστὶν, ὅπερ ἐστιν ἡμέτερον. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ μακάριος γράφει Παῦλος, ἐκτίσθημεν ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς, οἷς προητοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωμεν. Ὅταν τοίνυν ἐν τῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ, τουτέστιν ἐν τοῖς ἔξωθεν προσγενομένοις, ἄπιστοί τινες εἶεν, πῶς ἂν λάβοιεν τὰ ἑαυτῶν; τουτέστι, πῶς ἂν ἐν μεθέξει γένοιντο τῶν θεοσδότων ἀγαθῶν; ἢ πῶς κομισόμεθα τὸ ἱερὸν τε καὶ ἀξιάγαστον κάλλος, ὁ ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχαῖς ἐγγράφε: Θεὸς, διαμορφῶν αὐτὰς πρὸς ἑαυτόν; Γεγόναμεν γὰρ οὕτως ἐν ἀρχαῖς. Ὅτι δ' ἐστὶ τῶν ἀμηχάνων, ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν μερίζεσθαι πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία, καὶ ἀκαταψέκτως δύνασθαι βιοῦν, διαδείκνυσι λέγων·

Sychnōs esth' hote ho tōn holōn Sōtēr tous autous poieitai logous, kai diaphorois peri tou autou theōrēmatos kechrētai paradeigmasin, hina pros synesin akribē tōn par' autou legomenōn, ho tōn akroōmenōn embibazētai nous. "Athrei de moi palin tōn prokeimenōn anagnōsmatōn tēn dynamin. Dokei de moi kai pro ge tōn allōn, ekeino chrēsimōs katidein, tinas holōs ho toiosde logos echei tas aphormas; estai gar houtōs eusynoptos tōn prokeimenōn ho nous. Edidaske toinyn tous en ploutǭ Christos agapan hoti malista tēn philoptōchian, kai thēsaurizein en ouranǭ, kai tēs eis to mellon euēmerias poieisthai pronoian. ᾿All' eu ēpistato, Theos ōn physei, tēs anthrōpou dianoias ton oknon, ton epi panti ( spoudaiǭ te kai agathǭ pragmati, kai hōs philoploutoi lian ontes, kai tǭ toiǭde pathei tyrannoumenoi pantelōs, oudena tois ptōcheuomenois nemousin eleon. Hoti toinyn tois houtōs echousi gnōmēs, ouden hyparxei tōn para Theou charismatōn, dēlon de hoti pneumatikōn, ex enargestatōn paradeigmatōn diadeiknysi legōn; « Ho pistos en elachistǭ, kai en pollǭ pistos esti, i kai ta hexēs. Lyson hēmin, Despota, to zētoumenon, anoixon hēmōn tēs kardias ton ophthalmon. "Akoue toinyn saphōs te kai akribōs, hoper ephē; Ei en tǭ adikǭ mamōną pistoi ouk egenesthe, phēsi, to alēthinon tis dōsei hymin? Esti dē oun to elachiston, ho adikos mamōnas, toutestin ho epigeios ploutos, ex harpagēs esth' hote kai pleonexias syneilegmenos; tois ge mēn eu eidosi bioun, kai apopherousi men tōn epigeiōn ton noun, phronousi de malllon ta anō, katalogistheiē an pantelōs ouden ho epigeios ploutos, all᾽ eis tous endeeis holon dapanēsousi, kalōs auton oikonomountes. Touto, oimai, esti to en oligǭ genesthai tina piston, to tois en eschatę̄ talaipōrią tēn apo ge tōn ontōn dianemein epikourian. Ei oun en oligǭ gegonamen apistoi, pōs an laboimen par᾿ autou to alēthinon, toutesti tōn theiōn charismatōn amphilaphē chorēgian, psychēn anthrōpou katakallynousan, kai to theion autę̄ kallos engraphousan ? Hoti de eis touto blepei kai tetraptai tōn tou Sōtēros rhēmatōn ho skopos, kai dia tōn ephexēs eideiē tis an eu mala. Ephē gar; . Ei » en tǭ allotriǭ pistoi ouk egenesthe, to hymeteron tis dōsei hymin?» ᾿Allotrion de einai phamen, tēn tōn chrēmatōn periousian; ou gar gegennēmetha meta ploutou, gymnoi de mallon; kai alēthes eipein hoti, kata to gegrammenon, « Ouden eisēnenkamen eis ton kosmon, oude exenenkein ti dynametha. » Genōmetha oun pistoi en tǭ mikrǭ toutǭ kai gēïnǭ ploutǭ, hos elachistos esti kai ouden, hoti rheustos; kai mē spheterizōmetha ta eis koinēn tōn adelphōn chreian dothenta hēmin, hōste adikon ton plouton poiein, dia tou katechein auton, kai tauta, allotrion onta ; to men, hoti ouden eisēnenkamen; to de, hoti tōn ptōchōn estin; hina ton hēmeteron theion kai ouranion plouton pisteuthōmen, ton alēthinon kai menonta. Allotrion men gar anthrōpou pantos physikōs, to ploutein; exōthen gar prosginetai kai episymbainei tisi; kan aposymbę̄ kai apoloito, parablapsoi an ouden pantelōs tous tēs anthrōpou physeōs logous. Ou gar en ge tǭ einai plousioi, logikoi te esmen, kai apasēs agathoergias epistēmones, all᾽ hē tēs physeōs epitēdeiotēs, dektikē tōn toioutōn estin, hoper estin hēmeteron. Hōs gar ho makarios graphei Paulos, ektisthēmen epi ergois agathois, hois proētoimasen ho Theos hina en autois peripatēsōmen. Hotan toinyn en tǭ allotriǭ, toutestin en tois exōthen prosgenomenois, apistoi tines eien, pōs an laboien ta heautōn? toutesti, pōs an en methexei genointo tōn theosdotōn agathōn? ē pōs komisometha to hieron te kai axiagaston kallos, ho tais tōn anthrōpōn psychais engraphe: Theos, diamorphōn autas pros heauton? Gegonamen gar houtōs en archais. Hoti d' esti tōn amēchanōn, hena kai ton auton merizesthai pros ta enantia, kai akatapsektōs dynasthai bioun, diadeiknysi legōn;

Often the Saviour of all says the same things and uses different examples about the same subject, so that the mind of his hearers may be brought to an exact understanding of what he says. Observe again, I pray, the force of the passages before us. It seems to me useful first of all to see what occasions such a discourse has in general; for so the meaning of the passage will be easy to grasp. Christ, then, was teaching those in wealth to love above all the care of the poor, to lay up treasure in heaven, and to provide for their well-being in the future. But, being God by nature, he knew well the sluggishness of the human understanding in every earnest and good matter, and that, being great lovers of wealth and wholly tyrannized by this passion, they give no mercy to the poor. That those of such a mind will have none of the gifts from God—spiritual gifts, clearly—he shows from the plainest examples, saying: “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much,” and what follows. Solve the question for us, Master; open the eye of our heart. Hear, then, clearly and exactly what he said: “If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will give you the true?” The very little, then, is the unrighteous mammon, that is, earthly wealth, sometimes gathered by plunder and greed; to those who know how to live well, and who carry their mind away from earthly things and set it rather on the things above, earthly wealth would be reckoned as altogether nothing; they will spend it all on the needy, managing it well. This, I think, is to be faithful in a little: to distribute help from one’s possessions to those in the extremity of misery. If, then, we have been unfaithful in a little, how could we receive from him the true—that is, the abundant supply of divine gifts that adorns the human soul and engraves the divine beauty on it? That the aim of the Saviour’s words looks and is turned toward this, one might know very well from what follows too. For he said: “If you have not been faithful in what is another’s, who will give you what is your own?” We say that what is another’s is abundance of money; for we were not born with wealth, but rather naked; and it is true to say, as it is written, that “we brought nothing into the world, nor can we take anything out.” Let us, then, be faithful in this small and earthly wealth, which is a very little and nothing, because it flows away; and let us not appropriate to ourselves what was given us for the common need of the brothers, so as to make wealth unrighteous by holding on to it, and that when it is another’s—both because we brought nothing in, and because it belongs to the poor—so that we may be entrusted with our own divine and heavenly wealth, the true and abiding. For wealth is by nature foreign to every human being; it comes from outside and befalls some; and if it departs and is lost, it will do no harm at all to the principles of human nature. For it is not in being rich that we are rational and skilled in every good work; rather it is the fitness of our nature that is receptive of such things, and this is our own. For, as the blessed Paul writes, we were created for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. When, then, some are unfaithful in what is another’s, that is, in what has come to them from outside, how could they receive their own? That is, how could they come to share in the God-given good things? Or how shall we receive the holy and admirable beauty which God engraves on human souls, forming them to himself? For we came to be so in the beginning. That it is impossible for one and the same person to be divided toward opposites and to be able to live blamelessly, he shows, saying:

Luke 16:10–12 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 3:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Tim 6:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 2:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 16:13 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Faithfulness in the “very little,” earthly wealth that is not truly ours and belongs to the poor, is the condition for receiving “the true” and “our own,” the divine gifts that restore God’s image in the soul.

The closing words (“For we came to be so in the beginning. That it is impossible … one and the same”) were displaced by the scan to the start of 16.13; they are restored here by logged corrections.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (words displaced by the OCR to the start of 16.13 restored to their place): Γεγόναμεν γὰρ καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν → Γεγόναμεν γὰρ οὕτως ἐν ἀρχαῖς. Ὅτι δ' ἐστὶ τῶν ἀμηχάνων, ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 16.10 (PG 72 72:813; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/16-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/16-10

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Commentary 16, chapter 13

16.13.1PG 72 72:815

Οὐδεὶς οἰκέτης δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν. Παράδειγμα τοῦτο σαφές τε καὶ ἐναργὲς, καὶ τῇ τῶν προκειμένων θεωρίᾳ πρεπωδέστατον· συμπέρασμα δὲ ὥσπερ τοῦ παντὸς λόγου, τὸ ἐφεξῆς· « Οὐ δύνασθε γὰρ Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ. » Εἰ γὰρ δή τις γένοιτο, φησὶ, δύο κυρίων οἰκέτης, μεμερισμένων τοῖς θελήμασιν εἰς τὸ ἐναντίον, καὶ ἀσύμβατον ἀλλήλοις ἐχόντων τὴν γνώμην, πῶς ἂν δύναιτο ἀμφοτέροις ἀρέσαι; Μεριζόμενος γὰρ εἰς τὸ ἑκατέρῳ δοκοῦν, τοῖς ἀμφοῖν θελήμασιν ἀντανίσταται. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἀνάγκη, τὸν αὐτὸν ὁρᾶσθαι πονηρόν τε καὶ ἀγαθόν. Οὐκοῦν εἴπερ ἔλοιτο γνήσιος ἑνὶ γενέσθαι, φησὶ μισήσει τὸν ἕτερον.

Oudeis oiketēs dynatai dysi kyriois douleuein. Paradeigma touto saphes te kai enarges, kai tę̄ tōn prokeimenōn theōrią prepōdestaton; symperasma de hōsper tou pantos logou, to ephexēs; « Ou dynasthe gar Theǭ douleuein kai mamōną. » Ei gar dē tis genoito, phēsi, dyo kyriōn oiketēs, memerismenōn tois thelēmasin eis to enantion, kai asymbaton allēlois echontōn tēn gnōmēn, pōs an dynaito amphoterois aresai? Merizomenos gar eis to hekaterǭ dokoun, tois amphoin thelēmasin antanistatai. Pasa gar anankē, ton auton horasthai ponēron te kai agathon. Oukoun eiper eloito gnēsios heni genesthai, phēsi misēsei ton heteron.

“No servant can serve two masters” (16:13). The example is clear and plain, and most fitting for the contemplation of what is before us; and what follows is like the conclusion of the whole discourse: “For you cannot serve God and mammon.” For if someone should become the servant of two masters, he says, divided in their wishes toward opposite things and having minds that do not agree with each other, how could he please both? For, divided toward what each thinks fit, he sets himself against the wishes of both. For it would be altogether necessary for the same person to be seen as both wicked and good. So if he chooses to be true to one, he says, he will hate the other.

Luke 16:13 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: A servant of two opposed masters cannot please both; so no one can serve God and mammon.

The opening words of this passage in the scan belong to the end of 16.10 and are moved there by logged corrections.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (words of 16.10 displaced here by the OCR; restored there): οὕτως ἐν ἀρχαῖς. Ὅτι δ' ἐστὶ τῶν ἀμηχάνων, ἕνα Οὐδεὶς → Οὐδεὶς.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 16.13.1 (PG 72 72:815; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/16-13-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/16-13-1

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam-16-13-1) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

16.13.2PG 72 72:815

Αμήχανον δὴ οὖν Θεῷ δουλεῦσαι καὶ μαμωνᾷ· ἐπὶ θάτερον τοίνυν μεταθῶμεν τὴν πᾶσαν σπουδὴν, πολλὰ χαίρειν εἰπόντες τῷ μαμωνᾷ. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ μέγας εἰσηγεῖται Διδάσκαλος. Φαρισαῖοι φυλάργυροι ὑπάρχοντες ἐξεμυκτήριζον αὐτόν. "Ὥσπερ τὰ τῶν ἐν τοῖς σώμασι παθῶν ἀγριώτερα, τὰς ἐκ τῶν φαρμάκων ἐπικουρίας οὐ προσίεται, φεύγει δὲ ὥσπερ τὴν ἴασιν· κἂν εἴ τις προσάγοι τὸ πεφυκὸς ὠφελεῖν, ἐξαγριοῦται μειζόνως, καὶ οἷον ἀγανακτεῖ, καίτοι τῇ τέχνῃ κολακευόμενα, οὕτω τὰ ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχαῖς ἐπισυμβαίνοντα πάθη σκληρὰ καὶ ἀνουθέτητά πώς εἰσιν ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε, καὶ οὐδενὸς ἀνέχεται λόγου καλοῦντος εἰς ἀπόστασιν τοῦ κακοῦ, καὶ τοῖς ἀμείνοσιν ἐμβιβάζοντος. Τοῦτο πεπονθότας εὑρήσομεν τοὺς Φαρισαίους, οἳ διὰ φιλαργυρίαν ἐξηυτέλιζον τὰς ἀρίστας παραινέσεις· καὶ δέον σεβασθῆναι, ἐμυκτήριζον ταῦτα εἰσηγούμενον Δεσπότην. Ἀλλ᾿ ἡμεῖς ἐξέλωμεν τὸ τῆς φιλαργυρίας κέντρον, ὁ καὶ εἰς ἀσέβειαν ἐγείρειν δύναται, καθάπερ ἐκείνους. Μακρὸν τοιγαροῦν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς δαπανήσας λόγον ὁ τῶν ὅλων Σωτὴρ, εἶτα τῶν ἰδίων σκεμμάτων καὶ παθῶν οὐκ ἀποφοιτῶντας ὁρῶν, ἐμφιλοχωροῦντας δὲ μᾶλλον τῇ συντρόφῳ σκαιότητι, τρέπεται λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὸ δριμὺ τῶν ἐλέγχων, καιροῦ καλοῦντος εἰς τοῦτο, καὶ ἀποφαίνει ὑποκριτὰς ὄντας καὶ βωμολόχους, καὶ δόξης μὲν ἐραστὰς, ἤπερ ἂν πρέποι δικαίοις τε καὶ ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδράσιν, οὐ μὴν ὄντας τοῦτο κατὰ ἀλήθειαν. Ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ δικαιοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

Amēchanon dē oun Theǭ douleusai kai mamōną; epi thateron toinyn metathōmen tēn pasan spoudēn, polla chairein eipontes tǭ mamōną. Tauta gar hēmin ho megas eisēgeitai Didaskalos. Pharisaioi phylargyroi hyparchontes exemyktērizon auton. "Hōsper ta tōn en tois sōmasi pathōn agriōtera, tas ek tōn pharmakōn epikourias ou prosietai, pheugei de hōsper tēn iasin; kan ei tis prosagoi to pephykos ōphelein, exagrioutai meizonōs, kai hoion aganaktei, kaitoi tę̄ technę̄ kolakeuomena, houtō ta en tais tōn anthrōpōn psychais episymbainonta pathē sklēra kai anouthetēta pōs eisin esth᾽ hote, kai oudenos anechetai logou kalountos eis apostasin tou kakou, kai tois ameinosin embibazontos. Touto peponthotas heurēsomen tous Pharisaious, hoi dia philargyrian exēutelizon tas aristas paraineseis; kai deon sebasthēnai, emyktērizon tauta eisēgoumenon Despotēn. All᾿ hēmeis exelōmen to tēs philargyrias kentron, ho kai eis asebeian egeirein dynatai, kathaper ekeinous. Makron toigaroun ep᾿ autois dapanēsas logon ho tōn holōn Sōtēr, eita tōn idiōn skemmatōn kai pathōn ouk apophoitōntas horōn, emphilochōrountas de mallon tę̄ syntrophǭ skaiotēti, trepetai loipon epi to drimy tōn elenchōn, kairou kalountos eis touto, kai apophainei hypokritas ontas kai bōmolochous, kai doxēs men erastas, ēper an prepoi dikaiois te kai agathois andrasin, ou mēn ontas touto kata alētheian. Hymeis este hoi dikaiountes heautous enōpion tōn anthrōpōn.

It is impossible, then, to serve God and mammon; let us therefore transfer all our zeal to the one, bidding mammon a long farewell. For these things the great Teacher urges on us. “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, scoffed at him” (16:14). As the fiercer of bodily diseases do not admit the help of medicines but flee healing, as it were—and if someone applies what is naturally beneficial, they grow wilder and are as it were indignant, even when coaxed by skill—so the passions that befall human souls are sometimes hard and not to be admonished, and endure no word that calls them to depart from evil and leads them toward better things. We shall find that the Pharisees suffered this; through love of money they belittled the best counsels, and when they should have revered the Master who urged these things, they scoffed at him. But let us take out the sting of love of money, which can rouse us even to impiety, as it did them. The Saviour of all, then, having spent a long discourse on them, and seeing that they did not depart from their own reasonings and passions but rather lingered in their native perversity, turns at last to sharpness of reproof, the occasion calling for it, and shows them to be hypocrites and buffoons, lovers of a glory that would befit righteous and good men, yet not truly such. “You are those who justify yourselves before men” (16:15).

Luke 16:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 16:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 16:15 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The money-loving Pharisees, like fierce diseases that resist medicine, scoffed at Christ’s counsel, so he sharply exposes them as hypocrites who seek the glory of the righteous without being so.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 16.13.2 (PG 72 72:815; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/16-13-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/16-13-2

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.