# Confession of Faith to Theodosius II

- Author: [Flavian of Constantinople](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/flavian-of-constantinople/)
- Latin title: *Confessio fidei ad Theodosium*
- Date: 448-449 (probable)
- Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca, vol. 65 (Paris, 1857-1866), cols. 889-892, from Mansi, Sacrorum conciliorum collectio 6.539 (Greek and Latin versions)

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/flavian-confessio-theodosium/
- Passages: 1

## Confession to Theodosius II

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/flavian-confessio-theodosium/1/#p-1
- Source: PG 65 65:889
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Flavian assures Theodosius II of his orthodoxy: Christ is one person and hypostasis in two natures after the incarnation, consubstantial with the Father and with his mother, and Nestorius is anathematized.

### Greek text

Φλαβιανὸς ἐπίσκοπος Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τῷ εὐσεβεστάτῳ καὶ φιλοχρίστῳ ἡμῶν βασιλεῖ Θεοδοσίῳ χαίρειν. Οὐδὲν οὕτω πρέπει ἱερεῖ Θεοῦ, καὶ τῷ τὰ θεῖα παιδευθέντι δόγματα, ὡς ἕτοιμον εἶναι πρὸς ἀπολογίαν παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντι αὐτὸν λόγον περὶ τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν ἐλπίδος καὶ χάριτος. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπαισχύνομαι τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Δύναμις γὰρ Θεοῦ ἐστιν εἰς σωτηρίαν παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐλέει τοῦ παμβασιλέως ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἱερουργοὶ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐκληρώθημεν, φρονοῦμεν ὀρθῶς καὶ ἀνεπιλήπτως, πάντοτε ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς ἑπόμενοι, καὶ ταῖς ἐκθέσεσι τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων, τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ καὶ ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει συνελθόντων, καὶ τῶν ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἐπὶ τοῦ τῆς ὁσίας μνήμης Κυρίλλου, τοῦ γενομένου ἐπισκόπου τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρέων· καὶ κηρύττομεν τὸν ἕνα Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, πρὸ αἰώνων μὲν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἀνάρχως γεννηθέντα κατὰ τὴν θεότητα, ἐπ' ἐσχάτων δὲ τῶν ἡμερῶν τὸν αὐτὸν δι᾽ ἡμᾶς, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν, ἐκ Μαρίας τῆς Παρθένου κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα, Θεὸν τέλειον, καὶ ἄνθρωπον τέλειον τὸν αὐτὸν ἐν προσλήψει ψυχῆς λογικῆς καὶ σώματος, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρὶ κατὰ τὴν θεότητα, καὶ ὁμοούσιον τῇ μητρὶ τὸν αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν δύο φύσεσιν ὁμολογοῦντες τὸν Χριστὸν μετὰ τὴν σάρκωσιν τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου, καὶ ἐνανθρώπησιν, ἐν μιᾷ ὑποστάσει, καὶ ἐν ἐνὶ προσώπῳ, ἕνα Χριστὸν, ἕνα Υἱὸν, ἕνα Κύριον ὁμολογοῦμεν· καὶ μίαν μὲν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου φύσιν, σεσαρκωμένην μέντοι, καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσασαν, λέγειν οὐκ ἀρνούμεθα, διὰ τὸ ἐξ ἀμφοῖν ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστόν. Τοὺς δὲ δύο υἱοὺς, ἢ δύο ὑποστάσεις, ἢ δύο πρόσωπα καταγγέλλοντας, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχὶ ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος κηρύττοντας, ἀναθεματίζομεν, καὶ ἀλλοτρίους εἶναι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας κρίνομεν. Καὶ πρῶτον πάντων Νεστόριον τὸν δυσσεβῆ ἀναθεματίζομεν, καὶ τοὺς τὰ αὐτοῦ φρονοῦντας, ἢ λέγοντας· καὶ ἐκπέσωσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι τῆς υἱοθεσίας, τῆς ἐπηγγελμένης τοῖς ὀρθῶς πιστεύουσι. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα προσέθηκε, καὶ σημείοις ὑπεσημήνατο· Δέσποτα Κύριε, βοήθησον ἡμῖν, ὁ Θεός. Καὶ πάλιν· Ταῦτα ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμαυτοῦ χειρὶ, εἰς πληροφορίαν τοῦ ὑμετέρου κράτους, καὶ εἰς τὸ καταισχυνθῆναι τοὺς ἐπηρεάζοντας ἡμῶν τὴν ἀγαθὴν καὶ ἁπλῆν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστροφήν.

### English translation (Claude)

Flavian, bishop of Constantinople, to our most pious and Christ-loving emperor Theodosius: greeting. Nothing so befits a priest of God, and one who has been taught the divine doctrines, as to be "ready to make a defense to everyone who asks him for an account of the hope" and grace "that is in us." For "I am not ashamed of the gospel" of Christ, "for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." Since, then, we too, by the mercy of Christ our God, the King of all, have been allotted the office of ministers of the gospel, we hold right and blameless beliefs, always following the divine Scriptures and the statements of faith of the holy fathers who assembled at Nicaea and at Constantinople, and of those at Ephesus under Cyril of holy memory, who was bishop of Alexandria. And we proclaim our one Lord Jesus Christ, begotten without beginning from God the Father before the ages according to the Godhead, but in the last days the same one, for us and for our salvation, from Mary the Virgin according to the humanity; perfect God and the same one perfect man, in the assumption of a rational soul and a body; consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead, and the same one consubstantial with his mother according to the humanity. For confessing Christ in two natures after the incarnation from the holy Virgin and the becoming man, in one hypostasis and in one person, we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. And we do not refuse to speak of one nature of God the Word, incarnate, however, and become man, because our Lord Jesus Christ is one and the same from both. But those who proclaim two sons, or two hypostases, or two persons, and do not preach one and the same Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, we anathematize, and we judge them to be strangers to the church. And first of all we anathematize the impious Nestorius and those who think or speak as he does; and let such people fall from the adoption as sons that is promised to those who believe rightly. And after this he added, and signed with his own marks: "Master, Lord, help us, O God." And again: "I have written this with my own hand, for the full assurance of your majesty, and so that those who slander our good and simple way of life in Christ may be put to shame."

### Scripture references

- 1 Pet 3:15: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 1:16: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 15:16: allusion, medium confidence
- Matt 16:16: allusion, medium confidence
- Rom 8:15: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- Written in 448/449 when Flavian was accused of Nestorianism after condemning Eutyches; the closing sentences ("And after this he added …") are the compiler's narrative in the conciliar acts, not Flavian's words. The formula "one nature of God the Word, incarnate" is Cyril's phrase, which Flavian accepts alongside "in two natures". Opening quotations: 1 Pet 3:15 (Flavian adds "and grace") and Rom 1:16 ("of Christ" as in later manuscripts). "Son of the living God": Matt 16:16. "Allotted the office of ministers of the gospel" echoes Rom 15:16.

### Citation (SBL)

Flavian, Conf. 1 (PG 65 65:889; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/flavian-confessio-theodosium/1).